Magic Folklore
Magic
Folk magic is the magic of the common people, usually without elaborate ritual or preparation. It is found in childrens' rhymes: "Rain, rain, go away ...", in casual acts such as throwing a pinch of spilled salt over the shoulder, and in gestures such as burying iron under the hearth of a new home. It is neither religion nor superstition, but a belief that the energy flowing through people and natural objects can cause positive change.
Top: Society: Folklore: Magic
See Also:
- An essay on the blue glass "Nazar Boncugu" or "Eye Bead" worn for protection in Turkey, Cyprus, the Central Asian Turkic Republics, and among the Uigur Turks of China.
- Legends of the Japanese lucky cat and why statues of it are used by shop-keepers to draw in customers.
- Christopher Fennell, a University of Virginia anthropologist, describes a small X-marked clay skull, an article of malevolent conjuration buried beneath a Virginia farm house between 1780 and 1860, raising significant issues in ethnic studies, folk magic,
- A very large collection of folk-magic spells from various cultures contributed by hundreds of usenet posters since 1995, sub-divided by spell type, not by originating tradition; on-site search engine helps users locate information.
- Information on various mystical secrets including Wicca, Druidism, channeling, ghost dancing, dream walking, spirit healing and shape shifting.
- Outlines spells, divinations, remedies and superstitions of the Slavic culture.
- John George Hohman's 1820 German-American magical receipt-book: its continuing influence on Appalachian and African-American herb and root doctors, examples of spells from the text, and an extensive bibliographic publishing history.
- Scholarly bibliographies of books on folk magic. Topics include: Witches or Magic Users in Greek Literature; Necromancy; Cursing; Anthropological and General Theories of Magic, Papyri Graecae Magicae; and Magic and Religion in Egyptian, Coptic, Jewish, Sy
- History, photos, cures and traditions surrounding curative amulets of the Middle East.
- Article in the e-zine Azerbaijan International, by Jean Patterson and Arzu Aghayeva describing the belief and available protection.
- Essay contrasts fear of black cats in European-American folklore with African-American belief that a black cat bone acquired and prepared with proper ceremony can grant the bearer invisibility or force the return of an ex-lover.
- Describes rituals involved in curing illness believed to be caused by magic. Includes examples and references.
- Alphabetical list of stones used for magic and healing, with scientific description, variants, and associated magical properties.
- Information on spell workings and how magic works.
- Abstract of a paper by Pieter Plas of the University of Ghent examining ritual-symbolic actions undertaken to magically subdue or chase off wolves in Serbian and Croatian folk customs.
- A list of good-luck and bad-luck beliefs thought to affect a golfer's scores.
- Frequently asked questions from the APSHM usenet newsgroup containing introductory information on folk-magic and spell-casting.
Newsgroups:
| | | | | | |
Copyright © 1995-2008 Internet Advertising Solutions, Inc.
Copyright Notice | Privacy Policy | Site Map | APR
|
 |
|