Love spells in the Greek Magical Papyri
As itâs nearly Valentineâs Day, we have collected some âcharmingâ love spells preserved in the Greek magical papyri of the British Library. Such spells were believed to rouse love and passion, but more worryingly they were also intended to bind and attract the loved one to the user. Some spells even went so far as to cause suffering to the victim, which was to end after the lovers were united. Most of the spells presented below are preserved in Papyrus 121, a magical handbook presumably from 4th-century Egypt, originally a roll over two metres long, containing spells for various purposes, from healing and binding to obtaining protection and success.
A âfetchingâ love spell
Love spells often have titles that define their nature in more detail. One of the most frequent types are the love spells âthat leadâ, named agĆgÄ and agĆgimon in Ancient Greek (from the verb agĆ, âto leadâ). This type of spell had the aim of bringing the victim to the person performing the magic. One of these spells instructs the user to take a seashell, write holy names with the blood of a black donkey, and recite a formula to attract the victim. The user should select the time to perform the ritual very carefully, as the spell had immediate effect.
Securing eternal love
Magical words (voces magicae) recur constantly in the magical papyri. These are unintelligible sequences of words or syllables thought to have magical power. This spell, believed to obtain the eternal love of a woman on the spot by invoking the god Iabo, displays some magical words at the end.
An âexcellent love charmâ
Magical signs, known as charaktÄres, were another powerful tool. These symbols often had the shape of asterisks or lines ending in small circles. The following love spell makes use of such signs. The spell is described as an âexcellent love charmâ, literally âpotionâ (philtron). It explains that a tin lamella should be engraved with some magical signs and names, rolled up with some magical material (perhaps a lock of hair or a piece of clothing) and thrown into the sea. The practitioner should also remember to use a copper nail from a wrecked ship for writing!
Invoking deities
Invoking deities for help is another common feature of love spells. A special invocation to Selene, the Moon, is contained in the following spell. Addressing Selene as the âmistress of the entire worldâ, the user was instructed to make offerings to her by moulding a mixture of clay, sulphur, and blood of a dappled goat into a figurine of the goddess, and by consecrating a shrine made of olive wood, which should never face the sun. As a result, Selene would send a holy angel, who would drag the victim by their feet and hair to the user. The victims would be fearful and sleepless because of their love for the individual performing the magic. Success is guaranteed, as the âpower of the spell is strongâ, according to the papyrus.
Over a cupâŠ
Among the objects featuring in magical rituals are also those of daily use. The following spell is âa good drinking cupâ spell: over a cup, the user ought to repeat magical words seven times. These were believed to be âholy names of Cyprisâ, that is, Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Users of the spell hoped that the loved onesâ heart could be reached, and their love would be returned.
Magical drawings
Spells may have been accompanied by drawings to serve as a model for performing the ritual. For example, a picture is mentioned in the following spell, although the papyrus itself does not preserve it:
âTake a shell from the sea and draw on it with myrrh ink the figure of Typhon given below, and in a circle write his names, and throw it into the heating of a bath. But when you throw it, keep reciting these words engraved in a circle and attract to me her, NN, whom NN bore, on this very day from this very hour on, with her soul and heart aflame, quickly, quickly; immediately, immediatelyâ.
âUnmanageableâ targets
This âfetchingâ spell (agĆgÄ) was believed to work with âunmanageableâ targets. The names of seven âgreat godsâ should be written with myrrh on seven wicks of a lamp, which ought not to be red. The lamp was lit and had wormwood seeds on top. A formula should then be recited. The victim would be sleepless until they reached the practitionerâs house: this would happen by the time the seventh wick flickered.
After reading these ancient love spells, we definitely prefer our Valentine's Day celebrations to be âcharmlessâ.
The development of erotic magic continued in the following centuries: you can discover more in our previous blogpost on medieval love spells.
Federica Micucci
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Further reading
Translations are from The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, ed. by Hans D. Betz (London-Chicago 1986).