Use Of Amulets Research Articles

An example of an amulet used for obstetrics and gynecology in classical medicine

Introduction: Throughout history, women have sought help from mystical powers to protect them from unexpected situations related to pregnancy and childbirth. The use of amulets in Anatolia, which encompasses the dynamics of products, ideas, beliefs, and civilizations, has been prevalent. Aim: This study aims to explore the connection between amulets used in the Ancient Mediterranean region and medical practices within the context of the history of medicine, utilizing a figurine. Method: Through a detailed examination at the Mersin Museum, a figurine depicting a woman in a crouching position with distinctive facial and bodily features was discovered. The figurine, believed to have been used as a birth-facilitating amulet necklace, was compared with information found in classical medical literature. Findings: The figurine bears resemblance to ancient amulets utilized in the past, which aligns with women’s physiology, childbirth beliefs, and facilitating positions described in ancient texts. Recent studies indicate that women continue to employ amulets as a means of protection against birth-related risks. Discussion: The presence of amulets among archaeological remains draws attention to the enduring influence of superstitions from the past to the present, particularly in situations where the lives of both the mother and child are perceived to be at risk. Conclusion: The historical use of amulets and talismans by women has served as a unifying practice throughout different eras. While these methods are generally regarded as harmless, the ongoing advancement of medicine from its primitive origins suggests that women’s health still faces unresolved challenges.

Amulet of Quranic Verses in East Javanese Rural: Unraveling Mystical Theology and Living Quran

This paper explores the relationship between social phenomena and the use of amulets containing verses from the Qur’an within a Muslim community residing in an East Java village. To understand this dynamic, the study relies on the theoretical framework of the living Qur’an, which delves into how the Muslim community interacts with the Qur’an. This interaction goes beyond mere reading of Qur’anic texts and extends to encompass various behaviors aimed at leveraging the Qur’an’s power by creating amulets to address everyday challenges. These amulets are crafted using specific sources, techniques, and are imbued with spiritual beliefs. They serve as a solution to a range of issues, and their usage varies based on the author’s beliefs and specific interests. Through this research, it becomes evident that the amulets, composed of Qur’anic verses, possess mystical, spiritual, social, and economic significance within the community. They function as potent tools for the actors in the village, offering solutions and benefits in their lives. In a broader context, this study strengthens the notion that religion continues to hold relevance, even amidst the prevailing dominance of rationality and modernity. The amulets act as a tangible manifestation of the enduring connection between the Muslim community and their religious beliefs, providing a unique insight into the fusion of faith and practicality. The paper uncovers how these amulets represent a tangible bridge between the spiritual and material realms, illustrating the intricate interplay of tradition, belief, and contemporary challenges faced by the community.
 
 Received: 25 July 2023 / Accepted: 24 October 2023 / Published: 5 November 2023

African Diaspora Protection: Amulets in New Spain, New Granada, and the Caribbean

Objective: To underline that beyond the territories under Portuguese rule, evidence of the use of protective amulets can also be found in places under Hispanic control and the Caribbean. This study aims to enrich historiography on the subject and dialogue with it regarding source analysis and a rereading based on the descriptions of central-western Africa from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. Methodology: It interrogates sources widely used for the study of African matrix cultures in America from a different perspective and reviews non-written sources that allow visualizing written ones in theircontext. Originality: This paper contributes to the understanding of how sources can be reread to research African Diaspora cultures in the light of their connected history, tracing the use of these amulets in specific socio-cultural contexts. Conclusions: By considering and interrogating diverse sources on the conversion of Africans and the African diaspora in the Americas, these stories transcend the immutable benevolence of Catholicism and Eurocentrism and question the myopia of the Jesuits and inquisitors in New Spain and New Granada when observing African customs.

O uso de amuletos como prática da religiosidade no Egito do Reino Novo (1550-1070 a.C)

Neste artigo procuraremos demonstrar como o uso de amuletos no Antigo Egito é uma expressão da religiosidade das pessoas nessa sociedade - aqui entendida como um conceito que abrange piedade, crenças e práticas pessoais. Através de fórmulas mágicas que confirmam a prescrição de amuletos para diversas situações da vida, como parto, mortalidade infantil e ataques de animais perigosos, atestaremos que o emprego de amuletos era considerado uma maneira apropriada de superar essas situações com sucesso. A efetividade dessas prescrições é corroborada pela cultura material em enterramentos no sítio de Gurob que refletem os mesmos padrões de uso em relação a quais tipos de amuletos eram utilizados, a posição em que estavam e com quem eram depositados. Dessa maneira, fontes textuais estudadas juntamente com dados arqueológicos possibilitarão a compreensão dos amuletos como uma prática que expressa crenças religiosas pessoais.

Pemaknaan Jimat Sebagai Simbol Religi Bagi Mahasiswa Jepang

This research started with the idea that many Japanese are not concerned with religious status. The Ippen monks in the 13th century made the concept of religion simpler for Japanese society through the use of amulets as religious symbols that were finally accepted by Japanese society. This study aims to determine the meaning, motives, and influence of amulets on the attitude and behavior of Japanese using qualitative methods with phenomenology approach and the theory of symbolic interaction. Data analysis techniques were in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation. The results of this study show that the amulets have a deep meaning including happiness, academic achievement, safety travel, health, success, and security. While the reason for having an amulet is to avoid danger and maintain safety, grow self-esteem, pass the test, be able to enter university, as a guard and protector, or to find a partner to get married. Religion, sex, and age influence Their attitude and behavior in the meaning of amulets. So it can be concluded that the view of the Japanese on the meaning of religion is not so important. They still carry God in their lives through the simplest way of omamori as a religious symbol in their self-concept.

Religion, Spirituality and Folk Medicine/Superstition in a Neonatal Unit.

Beliefs and practices surrounding religion and spirituality (RS) feature in neonatal units, although healthcare professionals and families hold different views on their role in neonatal care. Descriptive study performed at the Neonatology Unit of Santa Lucía University Hospital, Cartagena. Separate forms concerning spirituality, religion and folk medicine were administered to professionals ascribed to the unit (n=70) and parents (n=93). 70% of professionals and 60.2% of parents perceive RS as playing a relevant role in neonatal care; however, 45% of professionals prefer that parents do not express their RS beliefs. Actual use of prayer by parents while in the unit was 55.9%, compared to the staff's estimation of 20.8% (p<0.001); parents believe that RS affects outcomes indirectly, mediating through caregivers, contrary to the staff perception that parents turn to RS for a direct effect on outcomes (p<0.001); professionals, unlike parents, found RS to be of little benefit to children (p<0.001) or in reducing parental anxiety (p<0.001). Amulets were found alongside 26.6% of children. Up to 40% of parents believe in magic concepts such as evil eye. Many families express RS while a member is hospitalized and, while staff recognize its importance, they often fail to respond correctly. The use of amulets and ritual objects is still common and can express the need for emotional and psychological support. Caregivers need to be aware of the medical, psychological and emotional implications of these practices.

Roman Festivals in the Greek East from the Early Empire to the Middle Byzantine Era by Fritz Graf

Reviewed by: Roman Festivals in the Greek East from the Early Empire to the Middle Byzantine Era by Fritz Graf Raymond Van Dam Fritz Graf. Roman Festivals in the Greek East from the Early Empire to the Middle Byzantine Era. Greek Culture in the Roman World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. Pp. xvi, 363. $120.00. ISBN 978-1-107-09211-2. In the Roman Empire ceremonies originally associated with pagan gods continued to flourish even after the appearance of Christian emperors and the rise of bishops. One notable achievement of Fritz Graf’s excellent book is to highlight the abiding importance of traditional religious festivals for the vitality of civic [End Page 577] life in the Greek East during the first millennium a.d. Another is to analyze the continued celebration of festivals and the observance of a calendar organized around Roman holidays in terms of practices rather than beliefs. Even in a Christian society these festivals and their associated etiologies remained important for articulating the identities of urban communities. Already in the early empire Greek cities adopted festivals closely associated with the city of Rome. In Palestine, for instance, Jewish rabbis mentioned the Kalends at the beginning of the Roman year, imperial birthdays and accession days, and the Saturnalia at the end of the year. Some Greek cities also celebrated the foundation of Rome and the Capitolian games. Although cities certainly continued to promote their own civic festivals and athletic contests, “these local festivals that defined a single city went together with the festivals that marked the unity of the empire” (78). The adoption of Roman cults had political significance for Greek cities, since “the establishment of the festival [of the Kalends] in an autonomous city was a bottom-up affair in which the periphery responded to the center” (101). In 389 a law of Theodosius I defined the calendar for available court days in terms of both Christian holidays, such as Easter and Sundays in general, and traditional festivals, such as the Kalends and imperial anniversaries. The emperor may have been reaching out for the support of prominent senators at Rome, and at Antioch the orator Libanius praised his endorsement for the popular festival of the Kalends. Christian preachers, however, were upset. John Chrysostom recommended civil disobedience against participation in the lewd dances and songs; Asterius of Amaseia censured his congregation for choosing the merriment of the festival over attendance at church; Augustine of Hippo argued that fasting was preferable to feasting. But even after the canons of ecclesiastical councils condemned traditional festivals, Graf argues, emperors were inclined to push back. Emperors and bishops were playing to the same audiences: “underneath was also a question of power and influence, to be gained through the gratitude of the urban crowds” (162). Festivals imported from Rome therefore long survived in Greek cities, even if in modified formats. By the tenth century the Lupercalia at Constantinople ended with the charioteers racing . . . on foot! The household festival of the Roman Bruma developed into a winter festival that replaced the Saturnalia and its association with pagan deities. January remained the month of the Kalends during most of the Byzantine period. In fact, some aspects of the celebration of the Christian liturgy came to resemble the old pagan ceremonies. Christian festivals were extended, and they featured extensive processions. Surveys of long periods are always vulnerable to critiques of both the big themes and the small details. The ancient documentation for religious festivals is of course fragmentary, including inscriptions, sermons, law codes, conciliar canons, and hagiography. Sometimes the texts do require the sort of nuanced analysis that resembles conventional antiquarianism. But Graf’s arguments also tend to jumble the chronological particularity of this evidence and frequently link the stray data points into extended continuities, survivals, and even “Mediterranean constants” (294) that in turn challenge the possibility of understanding “people firmly embedded in their time and society” (8). The final chapters discuss the transition from pagan ideas about dreaming and magic to Christian attitudes. Despite the opposition of Christian clerics, ordinary believers still benefitted from dreams of healing, and the use of amulets and spells remained omnipresent. Graf suggests that this continued reliance on [End...

Dreipassen – en magisk genstand?

Dreipassen – en magisk genstand?

Extra-Medical Elements in Anglo-Saxon Medicine

lfric (writing about ad 1000) decries the use of enchantments and witchcraft in healing; our hope should be in God. Each of the six extant medical texts in Old English contains elements which are not strictly medical, which I refer to as ‘extra’. I concentrate on the differing use of amulets, incantations, rituals and special exotic ingredients in the texts, ranging from the two translations from Latin in the Apuleius Complex, to the compilation in two books which we call Bald's Leechbook, extant in the same mid-tenth-century manuscript as the brief Leechbook III, and finally to the ‘medical commonplace book’ usually called Lacnunga, ‘Remedies’, dating from about ad 1000. The Lacnunga has the most folkloric elements, but also the most intensive use of Christian references, in about a quarter of its remedies. The rest of the texts have fewer ‘extra’ elements, but in different proportions.

Qupirruit: Insects and Worms in Inuit Traditions

Although small beings such as the "qupirruit" (insects and worms) appear in many different contexts in Inuit culture, they have not received much attention from scholars. In this paper we examine the symbolism associated with these small animals. We show that their small size makes them suitable to operate on the level of the "tarniq," a miniature image of a being. We discuss how insects often connect different scales and easily transform into other beings. We first deal with the perceptions of insects as they take shape in narratives and practices, and their roles in the manufacture and use of amulets. Then we move to a more specific analysis of the distinctive features of the various "qupirruit".

Bidaah Dalalah: Konsep dan Pengamalannya Dalam Masyarakat Melayu

Bidaah based on superstitious beliefs such as belief in ghosts and spirits are very common among some of the Malay community. These beliefs unfortunately will lead to the practice of bidaah that can lead to the perversion of the Islamic faith which is infamously known as bid’ah dalalah. Examples of bidaah dalalah which are being frequently practiced by Muslims in Malaysia due the use of amulets and menilik which may lead to disbelief to God. What is of concern, such practices exist in the process of perbomohan such as the use of the jinn, the worship of evil spirits and so on. Ultimately, this paper will explore the concept and various forms of bidaah dalalah as well as its practice in the Malay society.

Estimating the Impact of the Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam's Global Gathering

We estimate the impact on pilgrims of performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Our method compares successful and unsuccessful applicants in a lottery used by Pakistan to allocate Hajj visas. Pilgrim accounts stress that the Hajj leads to a feeling of unity with fellow Muslims, but outsiders have sometimes feared that this could be accompanied by antipathy toward non-Muslims. We find that participation in the Hajj increases observance of global Islamic practices such as prayer and fasting while decreasing participation in localized practices and beliefs such as the use of amulets and dowry. It increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic sects and leads to more favorable attitudes toward women, including greater acceptance of female education and employment. Increased unity within the Islamic world is not accompanied by antipathy toward non-Muslims. Instead, Hajjis show increased belief in peace, and in equality and harmony among adherents of different religions. The evidence suggests that these changes are more a result of exposure to and interaction with Hajjis from around the world, rather than religious instruction or a changed social role of pilgrims upon return.

Estimating the Impact of the Hajj: Religion and Tolerance in Islam's Global Gathering*

We estimate the impact on pilgrims of performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Our method compares successful and unsuccessful applicants in a lottery used by Pakistan to allocate Hajj visas. Pilgrim accounts stress that the Hajj leads to a feeling of unity with fellow Muslims, but outsiders have sometimes feared that this could be accompanied by antipathy toward non-Muslims. We find that participation in the Hajj increases observance of global Islamic practices, such as prayer and fasting, while decreasing participation in localized practices and beliefs, such as the use of amulets and dowry. It increases belief in equality and harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic sects and leads to more favorable attitudes toward women, including greater acceptance of female education and employment. Increased unity within the Islamic world is not accompanied by antipathy toward non-Muslims. Instead, Hajjis show increased belief in peace, and in equality and harmony among adherents of different religions. The evidence suggests that these changes are likely due to exposure to and interaction with Hajjis from around the world, rather than to a changed social role of pilgrims upon return.

The Psalms in Hebrew Medical Amulets

Because of the possibility of saving life, amulets with quotations from the Hebrew Bible were given recognition by the Jewish Sages, despite general scepticism and even hostility on their part. Special limitations and rules were formulated in Halakah, for official sanction of use of amulets. The saving of life is so precious in Jewish practice and approach, that all commandments are set aside if life has a chance of being saved. The only exceptions are profanation of the Name of the Lord, idolatry, bloodshed and breaking of intimate family sex laws. The Sabbath, Yom Kippur, Passover laws, kosher food, can be abrogated in these circumstances, and it is the doctor's word that is final and not that of the Rabbi. Further-