Warding Off Evil

The Classical and Medieval (and Modern, if truth be told) Eras were wary of the world around them, teeming with supernatural forces that could not be controlled. They could, however, be guarded against, a practice the modern age has dubbed Apotropaic Magic. From the Greek word meaning "to ward off," apotropaic magic consists of physical charms, verbal charms, or gestures intended to protect the user from bad luck or evil spirits.

Gestures are simple movements available to anyone. We jokingly "knock on wood" in the hopes that a tree spirit will hear us and make our desires come true. We "cross our fingers" to ensure good luck in an endeavor. If we spill salt—a bad omen—we toss some over our shoulder to throw the bad luck away. Folding our hands in prayer is also an apotropaic gesture.

There are fewer examples of verbal charms. The most commonly used is saying "Bless you" after someone sneezes. Sneezing in some parts of the world was (is?) considered a bad omen, a warning of some future calamity. In the European Middle Ages, sneezing was significant because it was connected to breathing, important for life. A sneeze might mean something bad will happen to your health, and saying "Bless you" is a way to prevent that. The German "Gesundheit" wishes "Wellness" on the sneezer

More complicated forms of apotropaic magic require preparation. These are charms made to be carried or worn. Some were written down and carried on paper or parchment. Shown above is a magical seal designed to ward off lightning from an English medical manuscript.

Amulets were physical objects designed for protection, sometimes made of amber, but they could be made with any material. In Ireland, a St. Brigid's Day (1 February) custom was to weave a cross of rushes to ward off lightning, sickness, and evil. Horseshoes were nailed over or near doorways for good luck, although their orientation has different interpretations. Some say if the ends point down, the luck will "run out." In Rutland the ends pointing up meant the devil could sit in the hollow, so there the ends must point down. Some say the shape mirrors the phases of the moon, and the ends should point down to correspond to the waxing moon, which is more propitious than the waning moon. (Other folklore says planting should be done at the new moon, sir the crops begin to grow as the moon "grows.")

Although Simon Magus in the Bible was a negative figure, and there are plenty of Biblical warnings against magic, that did not prevent the Christian Middle Ages from exploring magic and trying to turn it to their uses. We will look more closely at Medieval Magic tomorrow.