Genetic 'Magic' Applied to Homer

Click here (NBC) for an intriguing story about how scientists have applied genetic-mutation theories to the literary development of the Iliad... wild stuff!

Virtual Voodoo

The name of this website (dumb.com) says it all... enjoy (or not)!

Stylin' in the Afterlife

Click here (CBS) to learn all about ancient Egyptian hair-care for mummies!

Bread for the Dead

A look ahead to All Souls Day... click here (HuffingtonPost).

Mysterious Magical Picatrix

Click here (YouTube) to learn about a notorious Medieval-Renaissance compilation of magic and astrology...

Do you detect any 'ancient riffs' from Near East and/or Mediterranean cultures?

Nailed!

Click here (ArchaeologyExpert) to get a preview of some seriously aggressive magic...

Why do you suppose that such items were so popular in Roman society? Were these a form of conflict resolution? Social catharsis? Just plain meanness? 

Curse Like an Egyptian

Click here to learn about the Execration Texts of Ancient Egypt...

What types of causal dynamics are purported to be involved with such rituals? What (if anything) makes them 'magical'?

Ancient Near Eastern Amulets

Click on the links below to view some lovely protective pieces from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Any favorites?

From the Alexandria Museum:

Falcon

Heart

Bes

Horus

Anubis

Isis

From the NY Metropolitan Museum:

Dragonfly

Fish

Crocodile

Scarabs

From the British Museum:

Lamashtu

Pazuzu

Happy Valentine's Day!

Click here (magiclovespells.com), if you dare... ;)

Message from Above??

Click here (MirrorUK) to learn about a provocative papal coincidence... or perhaps something more??

Why do people view the very same sign through the lens of different agencies?

Hold the Onions

Click here and also here for a brief overview of ancient Babylonian divination rituals...

Can you surmise why the liver was viewed as such an auspicious organ? What roles do medical and empirical knowledge play in such activities? What about religion, and (dare we say) magic?

Jesus the Magician?

Click here (MSNBC) for a provocative and controversial archaeological find from 2008...

What are your thoughts about its purported authenticity? About its religious and magical ramifications?

Owl By Myself . . .

Click here (Pravda) to learn about tensions between ancient spells and contemporary ecosystems...

Do you think that this sort of behavior is destined to continue? What will it take to stop it? Should it be stopped?

Heart of Darkness

 
Click here (GuardianUK) to read about a disturbing trend involving witchcraft in an economically desperate country...

Why do you suppose that bleak poverty might find some sort of consolation in (accusations of) black magic?

 

Keeping an Eye Out

Click here (ancientegyptonline) to learn more about the mysterious and magical Eye of Horus...

And click here (evileyestore) to see how notions of the 'evil eye' are still very much alive in some cultures...

Why do you think that such objects and beliefs are so persistent?

Pharaoh's Magic Spells

 

Click here (pyramidtextsonline.com), and follow the links, for some remarkable views of mortuary inscriptions from Egypt's 5th and 6th Dynasties...

What observations do you make regarding the relationships between the graphic (hieroglyphic) and spatial layouts of these tombs? How might these positionings contribute to the efficacy of the magic?

Roman Tears in a Bottle

Click here for some lovely pictures of Unguentaria, often associated with ancient Roman burials. They are believed to have held various perfumes and potions on behalf of the deceased... and possibly even the tears of mourning relatives (hence, they're also known as Lacrimaria)...

What might such rituals suggest about connections (and perhaps obligations) between the living and the dead?

Death and Dying in Ancient Greece

Click here (MetMuseum) to browse lots of neat artifacts and info...

Anything in particular catch your eye?

I Want My Mummy!

Click here (BritishMuseum) for an informative tour of mummification rites and techniques in Ancient Egypt...

How magical vs. medical vs. religious were rites like this? Can we make any meaningful distinctions?

Roadmap to the Afterlife

Click here (blogspot.com) for expandable portraits of the entire Papyrus of Ani, popularly known at the Egyptian 'Book of the Dead' (which we'll discuss in class on Wed)...

What are your immediate observations/reactions about the artwork? To the spatial relationships between the images and the writing? Why do you suppose both media be necessary to successfully navigating the afterlife?

Superstition Bowl?

Click here (NYDailyNews) to read about how the Baltimore Ravens are refusing to tempt the Fates ahead of their Super Bowl appearance (n.b. the use of 'tantalizing' in the article). 

What notions of cause-and-effect do you think might motivate such attitudes and behaviors? Is superstition involved? contact magic? something else?? 

Mesopotamia's Deities and Demons

Click here (BritishMuseum) for an elementary introduction to the cast of characters...

Which ones catch your eye (or turn your stomach)?

Egypt's Gods and Goddesses

Click here (BritishMuseum) for a simple but informative overview of the Egyptian pantheon...

Do you have any favorites? 

Rituals... But What Kinds?

Click here (National Geographic) to read about the recently discovered, oldest-known ritual site in the world...

Your reactions and observations? How might such discoveries pertain to questions about the relationship(s) between ancient religion and magic? 

The Happy Hamsa

Click here (Wikipedia) for a quick overview of a still-favored amulet that is common to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam...

What are your thoughts/reactions about the presence and popularity of such objects within monotheistic religions?