Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft

Abstract:

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, handwritten amulet rolls in Latin and German were produced and used in Central Europe for many purposes, such as personal protection, military invulnerability, and conjuring spirits. At least fifteen such amulet rolls survive. The article evaluates physical and contextual evidence for these rolls, especially those with known or localizable owners; explores their relationship to the Clavicula Salomonis; and shows how they were designed, produced, and used to meet demand for magic and supernatural power during recurrent waves of war and pestilence.