Apotropaic magic is a ritual observance that is intended to turn away evil. It can be as elaborate as the use of magical ceremonies or spells, or as simple as the vaguely superstitious carrying or wearing of a "good luck" token or "charm" (perhaps on a charm bracelet), crossing one's fingers or knocking on wood. A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ... For other uses, see Evil (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Magic (illusion). ... Part of the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard in Whitehall, London. ... The spell is a magical act intended to cause an effect on reality using supernatural means of liturgical or ritual nature. ... For other uses, see Superstition (disambiguation). ... Good Luck!! is a 2003 Japanese television drama produced by TBS. Starring Takuya Kimura and Kō Shibasaki, Good Luck!! topped the Japanese drama ratings with a whopping 35% viewership in 2003. ... Founded in 2001, Charm Bracelet is a collaborative project of Portland, Oregon artists Brad Adkins and Christopher Buckingham. ... Look up knock on wood, touch wood in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

"Apotropaic" is an adjective that means "intended to ward off evil" or "averting or deflecting evil" and commonly refers to objects such as amulets or other symbols. The word is of Greek origin: apotrope literally means "turning away" or averting (as in "averting the evil eye"). The Greeks propitiated the chthonic "Gods of Aversion"—the apotropaioi. Apotropaic is an adjective that means intended to ward off evil or averting or combating evil and commonly refers to objects such as amulets and talismans or other symbols. ... An amulet from the Black Pullet grimoire An amulet (from Latin amuletum, meaning A means of protection) or a talisman (from Arabic tilasm, ultimately from Greek telesma or from the Greek word talein wich means to initiate into the mysteries. ... John Phillip, The Evil Eye (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a Spanish gypsy who thinks she is being given the evil eye The evil eye is a widely distributed element of folklore, in which it is believed that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate... For other uses, see Chthon (disambiguation). ...

Apotropaic symbols

A 12th century "Sheela na Gig" exposes her genitalia on the church at Kilpeck, Herefordshire

Among the Ancient Greeks the most widely-used image intended to avert evil was the Gorgoneion, the head of the Gorgon, with goggling eyes, fangs and protruding tongue. This Medusa's head was mounted on the shield of Athena herself.^[1] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... Kilpeck (Welsh: Llanddewi Cil Peddeg) is a Herefordshire village renowned for its Norman church, with striking stone carvings, particularly the arch above the south door. ... Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county and unitary district (known as County of Herefordshire) in the West Midlands region of England. ... See also Gorgona, for the Colombian/Italian islands. ... For other uses, see Athena (disambiguation). ...

The ancient blue and white "Nazar boncuğu" symbol, a stylised eye, thought to avert the evil eye

Curiously, eyes were often painted to ward off the "evil eye". An exaggerated apotropaic eye was painted on Greek drinking vessels in the 6th century BC to ward off evil spirits while drinking. Fishing boats in some parts of the Mediterranean region still have stylised eyes painted on the bows. A Turkish budget airline has adopted the symbol (known as Nazar boncuğu or Nazar bonjuk) as a motif for the tailfin of its aeroplanes. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (660 × 890 pixel, file size: 276 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Summary: aircraft with Nazar boncuÄŸu; the blue eye that protects from the evil eye - vliegtuig met het blauwe oog dat beschermt tegen het boze... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (660 × 890 pixel, file size: 276 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Summary: aircraft with Nazar boncuÄŸu; the blue eye that protects from the evil eye - vliegtuig met het blauwe oog dat beschermt tegen het boze... John Phillip, The Evil Eye (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a Spanish gypsy who thinks she is being given the evil eye The evil eye is a widely distributed element of folklore, in which it is believed that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate... (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 6th century BC started on January 1, 600 BC and ended on December 31, 501 BC. // Monument 1, an Olmec colossal head at La Venta The 5th and 6th centuries BC were a time of empires, but more importantly, a time... Evil Spirits n. ... A fishing boat can range from two-person pleasure fishing boats up to 7-8 ton commercial fishers that can haul in over a billion fish at one time. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A Cebu Pacific Airbus A319 parked on the apron at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. ... This article refers to the tool of travel. ...

The doorways and windows of buildings were felt to be particularly vulnerable to evil. On churches and castles, gargoyles or other grotesque faces and figures such as Sheela na Gigs and Hunky Punks would be carved to frighten away witches and other malign influences. For other uses, see Evil (disambiguation). ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... For other uses, see Castle (disambiguation). ... Gargoyles redirects here. ... This article is about the word itself. ... Sheela-na-Gigs or Sheela Na Gigs are grotesque figurative carvings of naked females displaying an exaggerated vulva. ... Hunky Punk is Somerset (West Country) dialect for grotesque carvings on the side of buildings (especially churches). ... “Witch” redirects here. ...

Similarly the grotesque faces carved on Pumpkin lanterns (and their earlier counterparts, made from turnips, swedes or mangolds) at Halloween are meant to avert evil: this season was Samhain, the Celtic New Year and, as a "time between times", it was believed that souls of the dead and other dangerous spirits walked the earth at this time. (See also: Celtic calendar) Jack-o-lanterns may be carved with a friendly face, above, a menacing sawtooth scowl, or any look in between. ... Trinomial name Brassica rapa rapa L. For similar vegetables also called turnip, see Turnip (disambiguation). ... Trinomial name Beta vulgaris var. ... This article is about the holiday. ... Look up Samhain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the European people. ... The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next year. ... For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... Look up dead in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term Celtic calendar is used to refer to a variety of calendars used by Celtic-speaking peoples at different times in history. ...

Mirrors and other shiny objects were believed to deflect the evil eye. Traditional English "Plough Jags" (performers of a regional variant of the mummers play) sometimes decorated their costumes (particularly their hats) with shiny items, even to the extent of borrowing silver plate for the purpose. A mirror, reflecting a vase. ... Mummers Plays (also known as mumming) are seasonal folk plays performed by troupes of actors known as mummers or guisers (or by local names such as rhymers, pace-eggers, soulers, tipteerers, galoshins and so on), originally in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales (see wrenboys), but later in other parts of... Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper that was used for many years to produce larger silver goods such as serving trays and teapots. ...

Symbols such as crucifixes, silver bullets, wild roses and garlic were believed to ward off or destroy vampires. The Crucifix, a cross with corpus, a symbol used in Catholicism in contrast with some other Christian communions, which use only a cross. ... The metaphor of the silver bullet applies to any straightforward solution perceived to have extreme effectiveness. ... For other uses, see Rose (disambiguation). ... Binomial name L. Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. ... Philip Burne-Jones, The Vampire, 1897 Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ...

In Ireland and Britain, magpies are thought to bring bad luck and many people repeat various rhymes or salutations to placate them. This article is about the bird. ... Salutation can have several meanings. ...

In ancient Greece, phalli were believed to have apotropaic qualities. Often stone reliefs would be placed above doorways, but there were also many three-dimensional renditions erected across the Greek world. Most notable of these were the urban monuments found on the island of Delos. Grotesque, satyr-like beaded faces, sometimes with the pointed cap of the workman, appeared often over the doors of ovens and kilns, to protect the work from fire and mishap.^[2] A similar use of phallic representations to ward off the evil eye remains popular in modern Bhutan and is associated with the 500 year old Buddhist tradition of Drupka Kinley, and is paralleled by other south Asian uses of the lingam symbol.^[3] Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around nine hundred years. ... This article is about the symbol of the erect penis. ... The island of Delos, Carl Anton Joseph Rottmann, 1847 The island of Delos (Greek: Δήλος, Dhilos), isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... It has been suggested that Shiva lingham stones be merged into this article or section. ...

Good luck tokens and charms

Amulets for specific purposes on sale at a Shinto shrine in Japan

It is difficult to differentiate between items supposed to avert evil and items intended to attract good fortune. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 903 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 903 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ...

Cast-off horseshoes are often nailed up over, or close by, doorways, normally with the ends pointing upwards (said "to collect good luck" or "to stop the luck falling out"; but see Oakham's horseshoes). Model horseshoes (of card or plastic) are given as good-luck tokens, particularly at weddings, and small paper horseshoes feature in confetti. Modern horseshoes are most commonly made of steel and nailed into the hoof wall. ... Arms of Rutland County Council Oakham is the county town of Rutland, England. ... Nuptial is the adjective of wedding. It is used for example in zoology to denote plumage, coloration, behavior, etc related to or occurring in the mating season. ... Small boy trying to catch confetti at Folk Festival in Namur, Belgium. ...

White heather is often sold by Irish travelling people and Roma "to bring good luck". (Frequently this turns out to be not heather but white sea-lavender, a species of Limonium.) Heather may be: In botany, the plant Calluna vulgaris, or, more loosely, various species of the closely related genera Erica and Cassiope, low evergreen shrubs (also called heaths). The term is also used to describe land which is vegetated with these plants; In apparel or textiles, interwoven yarns with a... Irish Travellers (sometimes known as Tinkers and derogatively Knackers(Ireland) or Pikeys(Britain) ) are a nomadic or itinerant people of Irish origin living in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. ... Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Roma (singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... Species include: Limonium perezii The Sea Lavenders, Sea lavenders or Statices are the genus Limonium of flowering plants, some members of which were formerly classified in a genus named Statice. ... Species include: Limonium perezii The Sea Lavenders, Sealavenders or Statices are the genus Limonium of flowering plants, some members of which were formerly classified in a genus named Statice. ...

In Ireland, rush St Brigid's crosses were kept indoors (in houses and animal houses) to keep away illness for the year. Species see text Juncus is a genus of the Juncaceae family. ... Brigids cross, Brighids cross, or Brigits cross, or Crosóg Brigde(in gaelic) is an old Irish symbol, probably derivative of the pagan sunwheel. ...

See also

• Exorcism
• Peijainen

Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure, correctly pronounced exercism) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed (taken control of). ... In Finland, Peijainen is the ritual burial of a bear that has been communally brought down and has died. ...

Notes

1. ^ Harrison, pp 196ff.
2. ^ Harrison, pp 187ff "The Ker as Gorgon".
3. ^ Bhutan's phalluses ward off evil.

References

• Frazer, Sir James, The Golden Bough,
• Graves, Robert, The White Goddess,
• Jane Ellen Harrison, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion
• Roud, Steve (2004). A Pocket Guide to Superstitions of the British Isles. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-051549-6.

Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854, Glasgow, Scotland – May 7, 1941), was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. ... The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). ... Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... The author and poet Robert Graves study of the nature of poetic myth-making, The White Goddess, first published in 1948, and revised, amended and enlarged in 1966, represents a tangential approach to the study of mythology from a decidedly idiosyncratic perspective. ... Jane Ellen Harrison (September 9, 1850–April 5, 1928) was a ground-breaking English classical scholar and feminist. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Golden Bough: on-line text, 1922 abridged edition
• [1] Pictures of a revival team of Plough Jags
• The Lucky W Amulet Archive An exceptionally detailed archive of information about amulets and tokens