Phorum.com.gr

Feindflug έγραψε: 10 Οκτ 2019, 22:53 Μην βάζετε ιδέες στην Naida, ρε τύποι.

Nero έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 18:50

λέω να βάλω λίο υλικό απο αυτό το καταπληκτικό εγχειρίδιο αλλά φοβάμαι μη γίνει καμιά μαλακία ο πρώτος πάπυρος είναι ένα ξόρκι για να καλέσεις δαίμονα-βοηθό που θα εκτελεί τα θελήματά σου

95)
Peter Brown, at the onset of his lectures given at Yale in 1996 on death and the afterlife (linked below), remarked that the supernatural in Late Antiquity and before was viewed as much closer to the mortal world and more tangible than we think of today. As he eloquently stated:

In the fifth and sixth centuries, as at an earlier time, the other world was still thought to lie close to hand. The human gaze brushed the very edges of the other world when it looked up at the night sky. For heaven itself lay behind the stars. The blaze of the inner halls of God’s great palace was merely shielded from direct human view by the shimmering veil of the physical heavens . . . Such a view of heaven was “upper-worldly” rather than “other- worldly.” Furthermore, the gulf between heaven and earth was constantly bridged by ethereal beings. Angels and demons shared the same physical space as human beings. (Brown, 1996, p. 25-6)

I want to show an interesting example of this perspective with a certain spell in the Greek Magical Papyri. It is one for summoning and binding a δαίμων (daimon) as an assistant. This notion of sorcerers being able to summon demons and force them to carry out whatever actions they desire became a trope in the ancient world. This widespread association with magic workers was found in classical literature and Patristic sources and somewhat continues today.

First, though, I would like to briefly explain the word choice here of “daimon.” This word is often problematic for student learning Ancient Greek. Yes, it is where we eventually get the English term “demon” as it is known in the Christian sense. In classical Greek, however, it means something more like “spirit” with no positive or negative connotations. The gods are sometimes referred to by this term in the Iliad and when Plato mentions Socrates’ “Guardian” it is this term he uses. It’s a very nebulous concept and is further complicated by the fact that this spell also refers to this being as an ἄγγελος (“angel,” also a problematic term as it originally only meant “messenger”) and θεός (god). Suffice it to say, daimon here merely refers to some sort of spirit and not the Christian sense of “demons” you might think of in the CW’s Supernatural or The Exorcist. I have changed the text slightly to use only that term for consistency and clarity in this post.

The spell begins by having the practitioner go on a rooftop at twilight and say a specific chant while shaking a falcon’s head and other magical items (line 54-64). It’s not quite clear, but it seems to imply that this is to be done until sunrise at which time:

And as you recite the spell there will be / this sign for you: a falcon will [fly down and] stand in from of [you], and after flapping its winds in [mid-air and dropping], an oblong stone, it will immediately take flight and [ascend] to heaven. [You] should pick up this stone; carve it at once [and engrave it later]. Once it has been engraved, bore a hole in it, pass a thread through and wear it around your neck. (Lines 65-69)

This first spell gets the user this amulet that was seen as vital to the next step. Surely, shaking the falcon’s head has an association with the summoning of the falcon who brings the stone. This first step seems very connected to nature and the fact that it is a certain type of stone that had to be summon shows a very material connection as well. The instructions for engraving the stone are found near the end of the spell:

And engraved on the stone is: Helioros as a lion-faced figure, holding in the left / hand a celestial globe and a whip, and around him in a circle is a serpent biting its tail. And on the exergue of the stone is this name (conceal it): “ACHA ACHACHA CHACH CHARCHARA CHACH.” And after passing an Anubian string through it, wear it around your neck.(Lines 144-148)

This sort of imagery is not surprising and is found on many other extant amulets as seen in the above picture. After some lengthy chants (also found near the end of the spell, lines 149-166), the really strange stuff begins to happen:

At once there will be a sign for you like this: [A blazing star] will descend and come to a stop in the middle / of the housetop, and when the star [has dissolved] before your eyes, you will behold the [daimon] whom you have summoned and who has been sent [to you] and you will quickly learn the decisions of the gods. But do not be afraid: [approach] the [daimon] and. Taking his right hand, kiss him and say these words to the [daimon], for he will quickly respond to you about whatever you want. (Lines 74-80)

After this there are instructions to lead him into one’s home and present him with certain food and wine. After saying another short spell, he vanishes after three hours, now bound to the practitioner, who can summon him again at will. It’s a very bizarre ritual and underscores a highly tangible nature of the supernatural in this case. The aspect of bringing him into the house for food and wine is similar to patronage customs and that is likely where it is derived from. The lack of detail here, though makes me wonder what is supposed to be happening in this three hour time frame. Do you just sit and chat with him for this time? More importantly, what the hell do you chat about with this thing?

A physical description is also never given for this being though it seems to be assumed to be fairly humanoid. After this, the author of this text then begins to talk more like a salesman of some cheap “As Seen on TV” product and starts listing all the uses and benefits of this assistant and how it will so marvelously change your life. The list is quite long, but I’ll quote a few here:

If you give him a command, straightaway he performs the task: he sends dreams, he brings women, men, without the use of magical material, he kills, he destroys, he stirs up winds from the earth, he carries / gold silver, bronze, and he gives to you whenever the need arises. . . And [whatever] you wish in the way of foods: olive oil, vinegar – with the single exception of fish . . . [and] pork, you must never tell him to bring this at all! (Lines 97-106)

The exceptions for fish and pork are due to old Egyptian dietary beliefs that restrict these as unclean foods. Abstaining from these is common in other spells of the Greek Magical Papyri. Nevertheless, the daimon assistant seems an efficient method for getting most of your groceries done and having your arch-rival killed in the same day.

So the take away from this, aside from being a bizarrely fascinating ritual, is the very tangible nature of the supernatural in periods, especially in magical contexts. Such beings could be summoned and were evidently seen as physical enough to touch (and kiss). Belief in controlling such supernatural beings was probably not widespread or attempted by many people. The closing lines of this spell warn the practitioner to keep this all a secret and pass it on only to his legitimate son. Most people would likely not have known of all this specific instruction and knew little more than stereotype of sorcerers controlling daimon. Fortunately, for us though this papyrus was uncovered in Egypt and now lives on the internet for our fascination.



The full text of Peter Brown’s 1996 lectures at Yale entitled: “The End of the Ancient Other World: Death and Afterlife between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages,” can be found here:

http://tannerlectures.utah.edu/_documen ... rown99.pdf

https://lateantiquefolklore.wordpress.c ... -i-42-195/

Naida έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 18:57

Feindflug έγραψε: 10 Οκτ 2019, 22:53 Μην βάζετε ιδέες στην Naida, ρε τύποι.

Λες να γίνω μάγισσα;

Feindflug έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 19:18

Naida έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 18:57

Feindflug έγραψε: 10 Οκτ 2019, 22:53 Μην βάζετε ιδέες στην Naida, ρε τύποι.

Λες να γίνω μάγισσα;

Για τον έτσι που δεν σας βγήκε η φάση φοβάμαι.

Nero έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 19:19

ΟΥΤΙΣ, πρόσεξε τα ονόματα των δαιμόνων

ΟΥΤΙΣ έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 19:36

Nero έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 19:19

ΟΥΤΙΣ, πρόσεξε τα ονόματα των δαιμόνων

Αυτό που λέω εγώ είναι ότι η μαγεία και η δαιμονολατρεία από εκεί που ήταν στην ημερήσια διάταξη της θρησκευτικότητας, πέρασε στο περιθώριο ακριβώς λόγω του πνευματικού πολέμου που της κήρυξε η Εκκλησία.

Προφανώς αυτό δεν έγινε και δεν μπορούσε να γίνει αμέσως. Οι προκαταλήψεις και οι δεισιδαιμονίες του αρχαίου κόσμου συνόδευαν τον άνθρωπο για πάρα πολλά χρόνια μετά την επικράτηση του Χριστιανισμού. Κάποιες μας συνοδεύουν ακόμη. Αλλά, ότι ο Χριστιανισμός ήταν το σημαντικότερο βήμα για την απομάγευση του κόσμου, είναι ιστορικό γεγονός αναμφισβήτητο.

Nero έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 20:01



Otto Weininger τσουτσουριασες;

Otto Weininger έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 21:00

Nero έγραψε: 11 Οκτ 2019, 20:01



Otto Weininger τσουτσουριασες;

Ρε φίλε που τα βρήκες αυτά;