Full Description
An illustrated exploration of the origins and history of amulets, lucky charms, talismans, and mascots
• Looks at the age-old spiritual principles, folklore, and esoteric traditions behind the creation of magical objects as well as the use of numbers, colors, sigils, geometric emblems, knots, crosses, pentagrams, and other symbols
• Explores hundreds of artifacts, such as hagstones, Norse directional amulets, car hood mascots, objects made from bones and teeth, those connected with plants and animals, charms associated with gambling, and religious relics
• Includes photos of artifacts from the author's extensive collection
Offering an illustrated exploration of the origins and history of amulets, lucky charms, talismans, and mascots, including photos of unique and original artifacts from his extensive collection, Nigel Pennick examines these objects from a magical perspective, from ancient Egypt to the present. He looks at the age-old spiritual principles, folklore, and esoteric traditions behind their creation as well as the use of numbers, colors, sigils, geometric emblems, knots, crosses, pentagrams, and other symbols.
Pennick explores magical charms and objects manufactured from bones, teeth, claws, and horns and those that include symbols of the human body. He also discusses religious relics as well as the combining of charms to make more powerful objects, from the bind runes of the Norse and the crowns of ancient Egypt to the Mojo hand and the medicine pouch.
Revealing the lasting power of amulets, talismans, charms, and mascots, Pennick shows that these objects and symbols have retained their magic across the centuries.
Contents
Introduction
Lucky Charms, Amulets, and Mascots
1 Functions
2 The Attitude of Authority toward Amulets
3 Amulets in Rationalism and Modernism
4 Amulets, Talismans, Charms, and the Law
5 Things, Objects, and Places
6 Lucky Numbers, Randomness, and Numerology
7 The Meaning of Numbers
8 Lucky and Symbolic Colors
9 Modernity's Approach to Colors
10 Knots, Knotwork, and Binding Charms
11 Witches' Ladders and Hangmen's Ropes
12 Amuletic Stones
13 Holed Stones and Rings
14 Amuletic Gems
15 Apotropaic and Magical Metal Items
16 Nails and Horseshoes
17 Bells
18 Sun and Moon
19 Coins
20 The Warding Mirror: Reflections of the Invisible
21 Trees, Plants, and Seeds
22 Roots
23 Animals and Their Images
24 Dangerous and Unwanted Animals
25 Birds and Their Images
26 Teeth, Claws, and Horns
27 Bones
28 Bones and Other Parts of Human Bodies in Amuletic Medicine
29 The Amuletic Body
30 Eye and Hand
31 The Heart
32 Little People: Small Humanoid Images
33 Signs and Symbols
34 Mascots
35 Military Mascots and Amulets
36 Amulets and Talismans for Gambling
37 Sacred Objects
38 Amuletic Protection of Buildings
39 Accretional Amulets
Postscript
A Clash of Worldviews: Magicians and Museums
Appendix 1 Collectors and Collections
Appendix 2 Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
Index
