Ancient Egyptian Medicinal Practices Part 13: Medical Magic
Medical Magic
Between calling on the gods for assistance and seeking a priest/physician or wabu, a person could invoke magic to save them from illnesses that could not be treated with herbs, or the patient did not want to be treated by non-magical means. Spells, incantations, rituals and amulets were all used as part of magical healing. Magic was supposed to keep the balance of the body in favor of the good. Every piece of magic performed, every prayer, every ritual was dedicated in keeping the balance of the world in the favor of good, keeping out the chaos that most Egyptians feared above everything else (Halioua: 2005, 8).
Spells were probably the most important aspect of magical healing (Halioua: 2005, 27). It was through the power of words that action sprung forth to do the speaker’s bidding. In ancient Egypt, to speak or write something was to call it into being (Brier: 2001, 33). Votive statues, stelae, papyrus scrolls, and walls could be inscribed with spells of healing (Halioua: 2005, 27). Once inscribed with words of power, the magical cures could then be dealt out by the gods, if the gods so chose to heal the sick or injured (Brier: 2001, 59). The spoken word has as much power as the written word, and thus incantations were often uttered, as a remedy was being prepared or applied (Pinch: 1994, 135).
Amulets were also extremely popular not only in Egypt, but in the entire ancient world. Despite the fact that the majority of the amulets that are known to Egyptologists today come from the grave goods of the social elite, those found in the graves of the less privileged are more informative to Egyptologists as they were most likely worn by the deceased in life (Pinch: 1994, 104). Some of these amulets are figures of gods or goddesses worn by the pious, but others are symbols of protection. These protective charms included the Eye of Horus and the Ankh that dealt with the preservation and extension of life (Pinch: 1994, 110). It was these charms that were used in medical magic to prevent illnesses and injuries to the bearer of the amulet.
One aspect of medical magic that has yet to be touched upon in this paper is temple healing centers. In these places, the sick or injured could come to receive direct assistance from the gods. These places of healing would be populated by an ever-changing mass of people, begging for assistance from the gods. Priests would care for them by washing them in blessed water that had been used to wash the gods (Brier: 2001, 56). The ailing could also spend the night in the temples, hoping for a dream from the gods to tell them how to be cured (Brier: 2001, 57).
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Name a thing equals to make it exist… only if one knows its real name – which is often secret. ^^
Among many items devoted to medicine in Egypt, may I draw your attention to magical ivories ? These objects were made of hippopotamus tooth, and carved with symbols and drawings of divinities. Tawret, the hippopotamus goddess, was represented on it; so one thinks these ivories playes a part in the protection of parturients.
If you want a closer look, here’s a link to a pair of magical ivories at the Louvre.
http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=19811
There were also the Horus stelae, which were as well stelae as amulets. Digital Egypt speaks better of it than I could ever do. Here’s the link: http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/art/horusstelae.html
Concerning the fact that people were healed in the temples, I’m not sure that, in classical times (e.g. before Late Period), one can enter a temple – even cross the gate or enter the courtyard – to get healed. Priests may have cured people, but outside the enclosure walls of the temples, I think.
Temple was a sacred and pure area, and nothing, were nothing evil could come. Injured or ill people had to stay outside the perimeter of the temple district, as they could bring evil with them. That’s what the term of “wab” means: purity in all aspects: no illness, weakness, no evil, no darkside of the Maât…
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your post, and am eager to read the next one. ^^
Thank you so much for your comment! I greatly appreciate the feedback.
I’d like to address some of the points you made in your comment.
I am aware of the existence of magical ivories, and that they were carved with sacred spells often associated with the goddess Tawret. I had to carefully choose what I could write about as I was limited in the number of pages I could write (25). I am planning on expanding on a number of the points I made in this paper, but have not had the chance as of yet. Magical ivories are one of the artifacts I am hoping to write about soon.
I found the information you gave me on the Horus stelae very interesting! I am always excited to learn of things I had not heard of before.
While I do understand that many temples did not allow the common populace into the temples, I do know that some temples, such as Karnak, allowed common people to worship in certain areas of the temple. These areas were symbolized by a bird with a human upper body and arms, the arms being outstretched in the form of worship. While I was unable to find the particulars about which temples were healing temples, allowing people to sleep in certain areas of the temple complex, I do know that Dr. Brier is a reliable source of information. I will look into healing temple complexes in more detail and hopefully will be able to find specific examples.
Again, I really appreciated your comments and am flattered that you are enjoying my website.