small rectangle of papyrus
Egypt
10th Century
Source: Dosoo, Korshi. "Suffering Doe and Sleeping Serpent: Animals in Christian Magical Texts from Late Roman and Early Islamic Egypt." Magikon Zōon: Animal and Magic from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, 2020, pp. 495-514.
Recipe Details
Preparation Steps
The material consists of a small rectangular piece of papyrus used as the support for a scorpion-themed amulet (p. 506). The construction involves a drawing of a scorpion accompanied by a brief Coptic text (p. 506, Fig. 2). Such amulets were intended to ward off 'jatfe', a term for venomous crawling creatures (p. 506).
Original Recipe Text
The material consists of a small rectangular piece of papyrus used as the support for a scorpion-themed amulet (p. 506). The construction involves a drawing of a scorpion accompanied by a brief Coptic text (p. 506, Fig. 2). Such amulets were intended to ward off 'jatfe', a term for venomous crawling creatures (p. 506).
Evidence
"a particularly common amulet type, consisting simply of a small rectangle of papyrus with a scorpion drawn upon it, accompanied by a brief text."
Remarks
Vienna K 7110 (TM 91413) is a Coptic example of a protective papyrus amulet dated to the 10th-11th century (p. 506, footnote 49). It follows a long tradition of using papyrus for small, portable apotropaic charms in Egypt (p. 506). The drawn icon of the scorpion was believed to harness supernatural power to protect the wearer from actual scorpion stings, reflecting a blend of Christian and earlier local magical traditions (p. 506, 508).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
Visual analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
paper
Paper TypePapyrus
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year950
Source Information
AuthorDosoo, Korshi. "Suffering Doe and Sleeping Serpent: Animals in Christian Magical Texts from Late Roman and Early Islamic Egypt." Magikon Zōon: Animal and Magic from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, 2020, pp. 495-514.
CollectionEgypt
Language
N/A
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