haima onios

Egypt
1th Century
Source: Miriam Blanco Cesteros, 'Written in Blood? Decoding Some Red Inks of the Greek Magical Papyri', in WoW! Writing on Wax in Ancient Mesopotamia and Today, 2021.
Recipe Details

Ingredients

blood of a black ox, blood of a goat, blood of Typhon, donkey blood

Preparation Steps

Instructions involve taking the blood of a black ox, goat, or donkey (equated with Typhon) to write formulas on papyrus. (p. 46)

Original Recipe Text

Instructions involve taking the blood of a black ox, goat, or donkey (equated with Typhon) to write formulas on papyrus. (p. 46)

Evidence

"Take the blood of a black ox or of a goat or of Typhon — but preferably from a goat — and write. ... Taking a piece of pure (καθαρόν, new?) papyrus write the following names with donkey blood (αἵματι ὀνίῳ)."

Remarks

The 'blood of donkey' and 'blood of Typhon' are considered the same substance due to the syncretism of the Egyptian god Seth with the Greek Typhon. (p. 46) Literal blood was considered the simplest way to obtain red writing fluid. (p. 39)

Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
textual analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
Paper TypePapyrus
ColorRed
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year50
Source Information
AuthorMiriam Blanco Cesteros, 'Written in Blood? Decoding Some Red Inks of the Greek Magical Papyri', in WoW! Writing on Wax in Ancient Mesopotamia and Today, 2021.
CollectionPGM VII 652; XXXVI 71
Language
N/A
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