![]() The Dřevíč hillfort located on a plateau in Central Bohemia (50 km to the northwest of Prague, Czech Republic) is an important archaeological multicultural site. Callidi diaboli: the discovery of the amulet Nevertheless, over the past decades, a number of these surviving amulets have been unfolded and their formerly hidden texts transcribed, shedding some light on the compositional schemes and typical elements of this Christian form of written magic. Once folded, they could not be opened and read again without being irreparably damaged, so their continuous efficacy came from the material and invisible presence of the powerful words alone. Finds from grave contexts, as well as instructions in medieval manuscripts, suggest that they were worn on the body, mostly in a pouch around the neck. In general, amulets are folded down to a portable size, sometimes as small as a thumbnail, and contain an inscription with prayers, blessings and/or incantations for protecting an individual from various negative influences. There have only been a few scattered finds of such objects in the last 150 years, but the number has been considerably increasing in recent years due to the use of metal detectors in archaeological surveys. These date from the 11th to 15th centuries CE and were inscribed with prayers whose magical repertoire is enriched with passages taken from the Bible and ecclesiastical liturgy (Muhl and Gutjahr 2013). Instead, it survived and continued to be adapted to contemporary beliefs.įrom late Antiquity and the Christian Middle Ages, several dozens of lead amulets have also survived and been found in the archaeological record in Central and Northern Europe. ![]() This magical protective practice did not become extinct with the ascension of Christianity. ![]() In ancient times, these magical objects (except the gems) were usually inscribed and then folded or rolled to be worn in a capsule as a piece of jewellery around the neck. In later times, we encounter a large number of amulets from ancient Mediterranean regions (Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine, Italy) containing prayers and incantations written on small papyrus sheets or on small plates of precious kinds of metal, especially golden and silver plates or engraved on gems. The application of an amulet was often accompanied by uttered prayers or incantations. Diverse objects may have fulfilled the function of a protective charm, including simple natural materials (e.g. Charms encouraging good luck, power or prosperity are usually differentiated as talismans. Most frequently, they were used to cure diseases and injuries and to drive away dangerous beasts and demons, which were often held responsible for various health difficulties. Amulets were in demand for every imaginable situation in life. A favourite and widespread ‘safety device’ were amulets – small objects destined for personal protection to be worn close to one’s body – which were believed to have magical or miraculous power to protect their owners or to treat various illnesses. Thus, they invoked diverse higher powers (such as Yahweh, Christ or Abraxas) to obtain protection through them. People in the ancient Greco-Roman world, as well as those in later medieval times, felt exposed to innumerable dangers. The use of magic for protection and deliverance from diseases has, therefore, been widespread from the earliest times. Diseases, poisonous animals, wars and natural disasters could not only jeopardize but also quickly end a human life. Various magical items and practices have been used for protection from potential misfortune since time immemorial. The information gained through digital imaging revealed not only the amulet bearer’s name but also a number of yet unknown and personalized magic formulae destined to protect the bearer of the artefact unattested elsewhere. Comparable charms and blessings are extant in countless medieval manuscripts, while similar amulets written on parchment and most other organic materials have not survived. They are testimonies to the once widespread practice of Christian curative magic with roots in older pagan traditions. Leaden amulets are still very rare and under-researched finds in the archaeological record, with just over a hundred surviving examples mainly found in Southern Scandinavia and Central Germany. Though parts of the text still remain inaccessible or unclear, the Dřevíč amulet is the first medieval object of its kind ever to have been successfully virtually unfolded and read. To fulfil this goal, several X-ray tomographic scans were done in conjunction with advanced data processing. The discovery of a singular magical leaden artefact from the Middle Ages in Central Bohemia provoked the ambition to visualize and decipher the text hidden inside while still keeping the object in its original folded state.
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