Binding Power of Lead: Magical and Amuletic Uses of Lead in Late Antique and Byzantine Periods

Abstract

This study poses a specific question for a particular usage of lead in the context of magic: Was lead used in the production of Middle Byzantine amulets called hystera due to the unique apotropaic and magical qualities of the material? In order to understand the background of lead in supernatural contexts, this paper begins with a brief examination of the usage of lead from the Classical period to Late Antiquity. Lead was used across a wide range of areas from construction to medicine, due to its accessibility and malleability. In addition to its natural properties, material evidence including lead curse tablets, effigies, and coffins demonstrate the use of lead in contexts of dark magic and the underworld. Correspondingly, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine written sources refer to the deadly and malevolent nature of lead as a metal. Based on this evidence, I propose that lead was perceived as a material with supernatural power that had the ability to manipulate and bind living beings and evil spirits, contributing to the widespread production of lead hystera amulets in the Middle Byzantine period.