CHARAKTER
An International Seminary on Magical Signs in Antiquity
24th September 2010, ELTE University, Dept. of Ancient History, István Hahn Seminary Room
Kirsten Dzwiza (Germany): Neue Erkenntnisse zu den Objekten des "Pergamon-Kits"
Die zehn Objekte aus Pergamon, deren Fundbeschreibung sich in den Mitteilungen des Athenischen
Instituts von 1899 (Band XXIV) auf die Information beschränkt, dass sie in der Unterstadt zutage gekommen waren,
wurden 1905 erstmalig von Richard Wünsch ausführlich publiziert. Bis dato werden sie in der Forschung
als zusammengehörige Einzelteile eines komplexeren Wahrsageapparates interpretiert.
Sigurd Agrell widmete 1936 die mit 130 Seiten umfangreichste Interpretation den Objekten, dabei legte er sein
Hauptaugenmerk auf die Interpretation der Zauberzeichen. Auch er vertrat die Position, die Objekte seien als
"kit" zu betrachten. 2004 sprach sich Richard Gordon als einer der ersten gegen diese Interpretation aus
und gestand jedem Objekt eine mögliche eigene Funktion zu. In derselben Publikation vertritt Attilio
Mastrocinque wiederum den Ansatz der Zusammengehörigkeit. - Seit der ersten Publikation sind kaum eine handvoll
Fotografien für die theoretischen Bearbeitungen der Objekte verwendet worden. Keiner der Autoren hat sämtliche
Objekte selber untersucht. Wünschs Aussagen, Zeichnungen und Theorien wurden bedenkenlos und unkritisch übernommen.
Nach über einhundert Jahren schien es an der Zeit, das neu hinzugewonnene Wissen in der Magieforschung mit
einer erneuten vor Ort Untersuchung der Objekte zu verbinden. Die Ergebnisse werden 2011 umfangreich in einer
Monographie publiziert. In diesem Seminar sollen, insbesondere mit Rücksicht auf die zahlreichen Charakteres,
die einzelnen Objekte anhand neuer Fotografien vorgestellt und zum Teil älteren Interpretationen gegenüber
gestellt werden.
Gideon Bohak (Tel Aviv): The Charakteres in Jewish Magic, from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages
In my paper, I will examine the different magic signs found in Jewish magical texts in Late Antiquity and
the Middle Ages. These include especially the Greek-style “charakteres” (ring-letters, Brillenbuchstaben),
and – in areas under Muslim influence – the Arabic-style “line-signs” (Siegel), as well as a few other magic signs.
My aim is to survey their appearance in Jewish magical texts of different times and places, and to analyze their
function in the magical texts where they are found.
Discussion
(Kirsten Dzwiza - György Németh - Gideon Bohak)
Árpád Nagy (Budapest): Über die Interpretation der Charakteres auf Zaubergemmen
In the first part of my paper I'll argue that it is worth analysing independently the use of characteres
on magical gems. By using the example of the well-known Chnoubis-sign, I'll try to determine what rules govern
the use of this character on magical gems. By way of conclusion I'll raise the following question: whether
the cultural context of the magical gems can be indentified as twofold (Greek, Egyptian) or threefold
(Greek, Egyptian and Jewish)?
György Németh (Budapest): Ein magischer Satz. Über DT 276-283
The magnum opus of Audollent (Defixiones tabellae) includes several curse tablets that present a sequence
of 5 characteres (DT 276–285). Audollent provides a drawing of the signs only once; otherwise he indicates
whenever a curse includes an identical sequence of signs. The tablets were found in Hadrumetum, at the cemetery
along the road to Kairouan, and some of them were read by Cagnat before the whole collection was donated to
the Bibliotheque National (Paris) by maréchal Goetschy, who had discovered the finds. Audollent saw nine items
from the sequence that had reputedly consisted of 14 tablets. In the archive of Clermont Ferrand, among the
letters of Audollent I found three lead tablets with the same sequence of characteres (more than once) but
without text. The signs always differ slightly, yet the context makes them identifiable. The question arises:
what can be regarded as the same character, and what grade of difference results in a different sign? We can
ascertain that this particular sequence of signs was applied to curse only chariot racers.
Discussion
(Árpád Nagy - Gideon Bohak)
András Bácskay (Budapest): Magic-religious Symbols in ancient Mesopotamia
The examination of Mesopotamian magic-religious symbols is part of the research in the field of Mesopotamian
religion. We can observe pictures of many symbols on the surface of various archaeological objects
(stamp seals, amulets, cuneiform tablets and steles specially kudurru) and we can read the list of some symbols
in the lines of cuneiform texts (lexical texts and ritual texts). This lecture has a dual aim: in the first half
I present the main direction and topic of the research, in the second half I demonstrate the possible options of
interpretation of one specific magic symbol, the so-called magic triangle on some Lamastu Amulet.
Sándor Fodor (Budapest): 'Charakteres in Arabic Magic
Benedek Láng (Budapest): Characters and Magic Signs in the Picatrix and other Medieval Magic
Texts
The word „characters” covers a number of different phenomena in the Middle Ages. It might refer to a list
of incomprehensible signs and astrological symbols inscribed in a talismanic sigil, to a series of Latin letters
used for magical purposes, and also to a written form of verbal incantation, a written charm. Characters
were often used in the field of talismanic or celestial magic in order to name spiritual beings. The paper
reviews the use of characters in various medieval sources (textual amulets, necromantic manuals, texts on
talismanic magic) and pays special attention to them in the most famous medieval magical summary, the Picatrix
Discussion
Aquincum
Hungarian Scientific Research Fund