The Snake Amulet; a brief history on folk-belief and legend

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At last, I found some time to write a piece about my latest handmade amulet. To write about serpent-lore and the snake in talismanic-magic is quite a task as the information on this subject is endless. But at the other hand, it is also very vague and there are many different theories concerning the subject. This all makes it almost impossible to write a good blogpost about this subject as my space is limited. Nevertheless I will give it a try.

I cherish a great fascination for the snake in folklore and legend. Its is such a prominent image in art, folklore and religion all over the world. Though its appearance is common it is never the same. The snake, because of its killing nature and poisonous bites became a symbol of death. But as the snake renews its skin periodically it is also a symbol of resurrection and life at the same time. Though the snake as a symbol of death is a very interesting topic (worth an entire book), this post will be about its positive side, namely; its association with life and resurrection. As it is this part which plays an important role in how the snake made itself so popular as an amulet.


Health

The snake, as a symbol of life, also became a symbol of health. There are hundreds of folk-remedies which contain snake parts. Especially snake fat was supposed to be a great remedy for all sorts of ailments. For example: the famous Chinese snake-oil, which has been very popular in America for quite some time, is supposed to be a great remedy for painful joints. Though its popularity in the west has decreased snake-oil is still sold in many traditional Chinese pharmacy-stores.
In ancient Egypt people believed that snake fat allowed bald men to grow hair and today in Israel you can get snake massages. The crawling motion of the creatures on your body is supposed to be very healthy and relaxing. But, probably the most fascinating remedy of all must be the pulverized, dried, snake skin as a cure for snake bites. Like said before the snake skin was a symbol of resurection and life, hence the reason people considered it a great remedy against the deadly poison. This shows us once more how death and life came together in the appearance of the snake.

And of course there is the Greek myth about Asclepius, the son of Apollo and Koronis. From a distance Asclepius observes a snake which carries some herbs. With these herbs he cures another snake which was fatally wounded. Asclepius from then on had the knowledge how to "cure" death. He used this knowledge several times and brought back people from the death. The gods, of course, were furious at him. Because his actions would make him a man equal to the gods. Zeus therefor had to kill him to prevent the entire human race from becoming immortal.
In honor of Asclepius, snakes were often used in healing rituals. Non-poisonous snakes were left to crawl on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept. Nowadays the serpent-entwined staff ,the symbol of Asclepius, is still seen in many medical emblems in the west.

Not only in the West snakes were associated with health, it is said that Buddha once changed himself into a Naga (mythical creature, half human, half snake) to heal people.

Though I am certain that among some people snakes are still killed for their supposed healing powers, in general (especially in the west), the killing of animals became taboo. As with many old remedies which once contained animal- (or human-) parts, medicines made of snake slowly disappeared. However the snake as a symbol of life and health remained and thus wearing a snake amulet was supposed to give you a good health. In some cultures it is believed to protect you against snake bites.


Love, Fertility and sexuality

Closely related to life is birth. So it will not be a surprise the snake also accompanies goddesses associated with birth and fertility. One of these goddesses was Eileithyia, the Cretan goddess of child-birth. In a cave, where she was supposedly born, named; The cave of Eileithyia she was worshipped for a very long time. The Greeks worshipped her as well. According to Pausanias, a Greek traveller and geographer, there was a shrine at Olympia sacred to Eileithyia. A virgin-priestess guarded the place and took care of a serpent that she offered honey cakes and water.
Interesting is that in Ugarit, an old Syrian city, there was an tradition by which the groom offered his bride a snake (or some sort of pastry in the shape of a snake) after the wedding. It would not surprise me if this tradition is related to some sort of fertility goddess, to ensure pregnancy.
Cookies in the shape of snakes, named Koerabithes, can still be found in Greece where it is said to be a favorite delicacy among young lovers. I have also seen antique wedding-rings in the shape of snakes.

Other gods and goddesses of fertility depicted as snakes or accompanied by snakes are; the Assyrio-Babylonic Lakhmu and lakhamu, a male and female serpent who gave birth to heaven and earth, the Celtic god of fertility Cernunnos, who was depicted as a horned serpent and the Aztec Earth-Mother, Coatlicue who wore a skirt made of serpents.

In some cultures the snake is also associated with sexuality. We all know those sailors tattoos of women who are scantly dressed and instead have a lot of snakes wrapped around their bodys. These tattoo' were supposed to give a reflection of the wild and untamable nature of women. That a snake was part of these tattoos was no coincidence. Like I said in the beginning the snake also has a "bad" reputation as a seducer, impostor and killer.
In Christian tradition it was the snake who seduced Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit (interesting note is that the forbidden fruit is often depicted in many artworks as an apple, which is also a symbol of love and sexuality). Eve exposed her "true nature" by following the snake's advice and images of women with snakes often refer to this story.

These days snake blood is believed to be a great afrodisiacum in Asian countries and is sold at many places.
Though we don't offer snakes honey cakes anymore or worship the fertility goddesses, amulets of snakes are still believed sometimes to give fertility and attract love.


Wisdom

As the snake personifies all facets of life, he was considered wise as well. After all he knew all the secrets of life and death. Living among the gods, or in some cases being a god, made him a divine animal.
Athene, the Greek goddess was sometimes depicted with a snake as an emblem of her wisdom.
Though the snake was considered wise he was feared more then loved, as he often had the habit to use his wisdom against humanity. Was it not the snake of Eden who used his knowledge to make Eve commit a sin? But not only in Christianity the snake has a bad reputation. In the epic Mahabharata, the Nagas (deities depicted as half human, half snake) are often described as the most evil of all while they play a important role in heroic quests. Maybe it is therefor the snake was considered wise, as he knew ALL, not just the good, but the evil as well.

Because of this reputation many people thought carrying an image of the snake would reveal them secrets of life and would help them to make decisions in difficult times.


Magic and the Supernatural

Another interesting thing is the role of the snake in magic. As the snake was both good and evil, death and life, it was used in white magic as well as in black magic.
An example of white magic can be found among the people of Tuscany, where it was said; "that if one has something in the eye or throught, spit three times upon the ground and say":

"O grande Serpent
lo ti baccio il volto!"

("O great Serpent
I kiss thy Face!")

Amongst the same people it was a longtime custom to paint snakes with the head pointed down upon the wall. This was believed to ward of evil, including the evil eye. And indeed we can find many amulets depicting snakes which are believed to give protection against the evil eye.

Someone once told me that in South Africa people wear little amulets of snakes to protect themselves against water-snakes. The snakes who live in the water are sometimes believed to be many a reincarnation of Death. These deities can be malevolent and when people fall in the water it is likely they will drown you. Thus wearing an amulet should protect against these evil spirits.

There is among the Xhosa (an African tribe) a curious belief. This belief concerns the "Icanti" (love Snake), this snake is supposed to make woman irresistible to men, hence the reason why many would like to have one. To get such snake one most swallow a special medicine, from which the ingredient are only known to those of the tribe. This you must do every day, for a month. You will then start vomiting and in the vomit you will find a little snake. Next you have to take the little creature to the river, where it will grow. Once it is fully grown the woman puts it in a pot and keeps it at her home.
It is said that the Icanti is especially loved by prostitutes who make good money because of them!

Another example of the snake's magical powers: it was believed in Europe, for quite some time, the blood and fat of a snake enabled you to understand the language of animals. Some practicers of Hoodoo still believe eating the brains of a snake will give you conjuring skills. Moreover the snake is actually the center of many hoodoo practices and serpent-worship plays a very important role in the Hoodoo culture. Alas I do not have the space to write more about this interesting subject, maybe in a later post....

Though I have only given a few examples of white "snake-magic" it is clear how health, love and wisdom are recurring topics in these forms of magic all over the world.

The amulet

To get back to our starting point; an amulet depicting a snake is thus believed among many people to preserve magical powers and it would pass on all these characteristics upon its wearer.
Nevertheless, many people , especially in the west, have lost faith in the "old religion" and the snake as an amulet is now not much more then a decorative piece.

I however, can not look upon a snake amulet as just a fancy jewel. I am no snake-worshipper but I have great respect for its long tradition and I look with admiration upon this creature. There is something mystic about this creature, something which, despite my knowledge about folklore and magic, I can not define.


Making this amulet was thus very special for me, I guess you can say it was a sort of "tribute" to the snake.

O, incase you were wondering about the other features of this necklace, the red felted tie is not just mere coincidence. In the magic of the Southern Europe, (and among many other people as well) red is a very powerful color which symbolizes life and gives protection. Especially red wool is supposed to be very powerful and is a lucky charm on itself. The hand as well is a common image on amulets which function is mostly to ward of evil, depending on its position. But that is a whole other story, something for another time......

For those interested, this one of a kind snake amulet is now (or tomorrow...) available at my Etsy Shop!

Magic in a Box ; Medieval Catholic Amulets

Of all amulets and talismans known to me, the Catholic pieces are among the most interesting. Maybe it is because they do not only reflect peoples faith and hopes but also are a great source on history. These amulets and talismans are rarely original and are a combination between Ancient (heathen) believes and Christian symbolism. In this way they could be seen as a "religious time-line", showing us the developement from heathen faiths into Christian (folk-) believes today. Though this subject is certainly worth a good conversation I do not intend to go further on discussing this subject at the moment. But, I would like to share with you one of my new amulets based upon one of these old Catholic pieces.

The picture showing above is my "reproduction" of an amulet found in a woman's grave in the cemetery of Szentes Nagyhegy, east Hungary. The original was a small, silver, book-like amulet depicting a cross up front which has never been opened, thus the contains will remain unknown to us. Luckily many more of these little "boxes" were found through time and we know now that they were meant for talismanic use. These boxes, which came in many shapes; some of them being square and others being round, were most of the time filled with devotional objects. Common objects were; a Paternoster (prayer), images of Saints, but also herbs and gems which were supposed to contain magical powers to ward of evil, or even the devil himself.
Next to this, these boxes were also used for carrying along objects collected from the holy places pilgrims visited, reliques. This could be graveyard dirt from some grave where a Saint was buried or a piece of cloth which Jezus was supposed to have worn during his last day, really any sort of relic would do. These relics, sold by the churches, were a very important part of amulets as it was believed that the power of a holy person would transfer to anything he or she had touched during her life and therefor contained healing and protective powers.

These amulets were just as powerful as crucifixes and for a long time generally accepted by the Catholic church.
Of course I don't need to explain that wearing herbs, gems and images of god(s) was something new. Neither is the concept of taking small pieces of dirt or water from these so called holy places. These sort of amulets were seen among all races and are as old as humankind. They are most certainly not of Christian origin.
Nevertheless they make beautiful amulets and though not original, Christianity did give it's own very interesting interpretation to the contains of these boxes.

The little box I made is filled with a tiny bundle of Saint James Wort, known as one of the most protective and healing herbs in Christian Folk-medicine and Magic. It was supposed to protect against all evil influences such as demons, ghosts and witches. Also widely accepted was the 'fact' the devil himself was terrified of this herb and had no control over those who wore this herb as an amulet. It was especially favorable among pilgrims who ventured to the Holy Land.

As mentioned, the Paternoster (The Lord's Prayer) was used for talismanic use as well, as were many other biblical texts and prayers. The funny thing about the Paternoster is that the word "Paternoster" itself was supposed to have magical powers. Therefore many amulets are simply just showing this word instead of the entire prayer. When you examine different Catholic amulets you will notice that on many of them the word "Paternoster is written somewhere in a corner or on the back of the amulet.
Last, a small rock-crystal was added to the box which was considered a fortunate amulet to wear for many reasons. But to stay with our subject I will only mention those which are connected with this amulet.

For this amulet the rock-crystal is used for protection against evil, just like Saint James Wort, it was supposed to protect against demons, ghosts and witches. Next to this it was also praised for its power to keep one from going mad. Interesting to note is that madness was often associated with demonic possession of a kind.
The rock crystal had also the reputation of a "burial-stone" in Christian Mythology, as it is said; "To him that overcometh...I will give a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it." (Rev 2: 17) Hence the reason why the rock-crystal (also a white stone) became so immense popular among Christians.

Albeit the contains of this box will be a very protective amulet against Evil and all the influences evil can have on the human body and mind!

For those who are interested, the amulet will soon be available at my Etsy shop! (Here you can also read more on how the amulet was made.)

New Amulets!

Three new amulets have arrived at my shop yesterday! For those who are interested you can purchase them through Etsy. (If you don't have an Etsy account you can also send me a message.) These amulets are based upon late medieval, Italian examples and are meant to ward of the Evil Eye.
For those who are not familiar with the Evil Eye, you can read the entire story in one of my previous posts, Here.

Hand of Glory

Today I started working on a new series of drawings, namely; magical objects in folklore. I have made a couple of drawings before concerning this subject (which can be found here) but I wasn't all that satisfied about the result, so I thought I would give it another try. This time using much more black and leaving away the recipes. The first drawing is made after the famous story; 'The Hand of Glory'.

Hand of glory was the name given to the severed hand of a hanged man, which was carefully dried and prepared into a candle. It was a popular amulet among thieves as it was believed the hand of glory could open locks, make one invisible and bring the owners of a house in a deep sleep from which they could not awake until the hand/candle was removed from their sight. A little incantation is said to be used by thieves to increase the power of the amulet when they needed it the most. It goes as follows:

"Let those who rest, more deeply sleep;
Let those awake their vigils keep.
Oh, hand of glory, shed thy light
And guide us to our spoil tonight."

But not only thieves were accused of possessing such amulet. In several witch trials we can find evidence that the hand of glory was also believed to be a favorite object among so called witches. It was said they used to light these candles while brewing deathly potions and to be charged of possessing a hand of glory was a big accusation.

After reading this you might think the hand of glory was only seen among so called outlaw, but you are wrong. In folk medicine we can find examples of the use of such a hand to cure headaches, whooping-cough and even leprosy.
In fact it's powers were so highly valued that only its touch would be enough to cure the sickness.

How to create the amulet

There are several recipes on how to prepare the hand of glory, but the most detailed description is to be found in "Marvellous Secrets of the Natural and Cabalistic Magic of Little Albert" (1722). The recipe (though a bit shortened) goes as follows:

"Cut of the hand from a corpse which is still on the gibbet, preferable the right hand of a felon (better said, the hand which committed the crime). Wrap it carefully in a piece of shroud and squeeze out all fluids. The hand must then be pickled with salt, nitre, long peppers and 'zimit powder' and placed in an earthenware pot. Let it rest for two weeks and then take out the hand to let it dry in the sun.
The candle must be made of the fat of a hanged man combined with virgin-wax, 'ponie' (horse dung) and sesame. Place the candle between the fingers of the dead man's hand and lit to obtain it's magical properties."

It is funny that though, this is the most complete account given, most people only know the image of a hand which finger tops are on fire. This is not incorrect as there are other recipes in which it is said that after drying the hand one must lit the finger tops. And let be honest this gives a far more interesting picture then the hand holding a candle....

How to protect yourself against the evil influence of the Hand of Glory.

Though many powers were described to the use of the hand of glory it was not invincible. There is one recipe which could protect your house against the evil intentions of thieves and witches.
To protect yourself you must prepare an ointment from the gall of a black cat, the fat of a white hen and the blood of a screech-owl. Once this is done you must smear the ointment over the thresholds and other entrances to the house.

This all might sound disgusting to most of you, something I am not going to deny, but it is most certainly not rare for human/animal body parts and fluids to be used in folk medicine and magic. Fat, blood, teeth, skulls, hair, urine and bones are quiet common ingredients when you are looking in books on old healing methods. I know it's not that tasteful but it is most interesting matter to read about...

For those who are interested, prints are now available at my shop!

Saint Christopher

Inspired by my trip to France last week and all the Saint-lore I encountered during my stay in the abbey of Sainte Odile I decided to make a talisman featuring a saint. And which saint is more popular for talismanic use then Saint Christopher as the Saint-patron of Travellers?

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I think the story of Saint Christopher is more or less known by most people but for those who are not familiar with this legend here follows a brief description:

According to the Legenda Sanctorum (better known as the Legenda Aurea), Saint Christopher was a Canaanite 12 cubits (18 ft) tall and with a fearsome face. While serving the king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve the greatest king there was. He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil, he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid a wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where many were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.

After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.

Christopher later visited the city of Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was decapitated.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Detail of the image.

There are several other legends connected with Saint Christopher but it is this legend which made him ' famous' as the Saint-patron of travellers among the people. Because he served Christ, by leading him across the river and protecting him from the water, it was believed he protected travelers from water, storm and sudden death. In later times he was also said to be the protector of motorists. It must be noted though that the word traveller is also a symbolic term for anyone seeking Christ, as a 'spiritual traveller'. In this way Saint Christopher protects those who seek God during their 'earthly journeys' from seduction and all things evil.

The image of Saint Christopher became a popular talisman among people and it was said that he who looked at the image before leaving his home would always return safely. For the 'spiritual traveller' it meant that no matter what happened on his way he would always reach his destination; Heaven.

For those who are interested, the Saint Christopher amulet will soon be available at my Etsy shop. The amulet comes with a prayer and is packed in a little bundle so you can carry it safely on your way.

Amulet against the Evil Eye

Amulets and talismans are such fascinating topics. Through time I have collected many modern amulets and talismans. But unfortunatley, I have not been able yet to get my hands on an old (preferable Medieval or Roman) piece yet. I have read a lot of books on the subject though and have seen many beautiful pieces in museums, which gave me the idea of 'reproducing' them. I say 'reproducing' as I am not very fond of copying, so the amulets I make are merly based upon old examples. Taking the utmost care to keep the old symbols and historical features preserved within.

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The first piece I have made (showed above) is an amulet ment to protect the owner against the evil eye. I'm afraid that the evil eye is too complicated a subject to explain in a few sentences but I will do my best to give a good description of this phenomenon.

It was believed in former days, and in some countries still, that people could do harm simply by looking at a person.
We all know the saying, 'If looks could kill'. Well this was actually believed to be possible in the old days.
The look of certain people, who had the evil eye, was supposed to bring misfortune, sickness and even death upon their victims. This does not have to be a human, as the evil eye could also be fatal to cattle and homes.
The first glance was supposed to be the most 'fatal' so people invented all sorts of things, such as amulets, to distract the evil eye. Red ribbons, little bells, holy texts, images depicting horns, but also more vulgare objects such as little silver amulets in the form of a penis or vulva, were believed to ward of the evil eye and sometimes it was even believed that a simple handgesture could be enough to scare away the 'enemy'.
Another tactic was the use of shiny objects. The evil eye would be reflected and in this way the curse would be reverted. The image of an eye was also believed to be a very powerfull and protective amulet as it would have the same effect as a shiny object and turn back the curse. That's why many shields, especially those used on the battlefield, were decorated with eyes. Nowadays when you visit Turkey you can still find many blue-colored, glass beads formed in the shape of an eye which are sold at any touristic place.

But who are those people with the evil eye? Well many times it was said witches and wizards used their magical look to harm others. But you musn't think that these were the only people with a look that could kill. I have read accounts of simple country folk and even saints who were accused of having the evil eye. In fact many times the person couldn't help it, he or she was simply born with it and though they didn't meant to do any harm they couldn't help bringing doom upon another person.
Many times the evil eye is not associated with magic at all but with envy and the later was supposed to be the real problem.

It might be fun knowing that is wasn't just someones look that could harm. No, this sort of evil could also be transferd by touch and words. I have read about the so called evil hand and evil tongue and I have even read once about an evil foot!

Does the evil eye really exist?
Well, the belief in it certainly does. Luckly I don't have any personal experience with it but I do know people who claim they have. Once I met a person who told me about his sister, she was terribly sick. According to him his sister was so sick she was almost dying. Because no docter could help her they went to a 'white witch' who cured the girl from her sickness. This happend only a couple of years ago.
There are most certainly things happening which can not be explained, such as this story. Though most of it is not much more then a curious folk belief there are these rare cases in which modern science fail to give an explanation.

If those amulets work or not, it can never harm to have one, just in case.....

The 'Evil Eye Amulet' is now available at my Etsy Shop!