Lawsuits with Headless Foes: A Greek Incantation Motif
This study proposes a new interpretation of the texts of two late ancient or early Byzantine papyrus amulets that refer to conflict with “headless” entities (PGM P 5a-b). Based on the identification of parallels in the Byzantine and later Greek tradition, a traditional incantation motif can be ident...
| Autore principale: | |
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| Tipo di documento: | Elettronico Articolo |
| Lingua: | Inglese |
| Verificare la disponibilità: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Caricamento...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Pubblicazione: |
De Gruyter
[2020]
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| In: |
Archiv für Religionsgeschichte
Anno: 2020, Volume: 21/22, Fascicolo: 1, Pagine: 51-83 |
| (sequenze di) soggetti normati: | B
Grecia (Antichità <epoca>)
/ Religione
/ Zauberpapyri
/ Amuleto
/ Male
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| Notazioni IxTheo: | AG Vita religiosa BE Religioni greco-romane |
| Altre parole chiave: | B
Religionswissenschaften
B Theologie und Religion B Altertumswissenschaften B Antike Religionsgeschichte B Klassische Altertumswissenschaften |
| Accesso online: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Riepilogo: | This study proposes a new interpretation of the texts of two late ancient or early Byzantine papyrus amulets that refer to conflict with “headless” entities (PGM P 5a-b). Based on the identification of parallels in the Byzantine and later Greek tradition, a traditional incantation motif can be identified, targeting fever, which is analogized as a judicial crisis. An appendix publishes or republishes the relevant texts with translations. The complex career of the motif attested by the papyri and the Byzantine texts is also applied to illustrate the workings of the Greek tradition of incantations, in particular the mechanism by which elements of a received repertoire are re-combined, modified, and augmented for changing contexts, a process comparable to folkloric composition. The judicial motif can further be contextualized among beliefs about the supernatural, including the divinization of fever itself and the crediting of a broad cast of powers, including John the Baptist along with other holies, angels, and demons, with its infliction and relief. |
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| ISSN: | 1868-8888 |
| Comprende: | Enthalten in: Archiv für Religionsgeschichte
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1515/arege-2020-0004 |