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Magic in Ancient Egypt
The Egyptians were famous in the ancient world for their knowledge of magic. Religion, medicine, technology, and what we would call magic coexisted without apparent conflict, and it was not unusual for magical and "practical" remedies for illness, for example, to be used side-by-side. Everyone resorted to magic, from the pharaoh guarding his country with elaborate magical rituals to the expectant mother wearing amulets to safeguard her unborn child. Magic in Ancient Egypt examines the fascinating connections between myth and magic, and the deities such as Bes and Isis who had special magical importance. Geraldine Pinch discusses the techniques for magic, its practitioners, and the surviving magical texts, as well as the objects that were used in magic—figurines, statues, amulets, and wands. She devotes a chapter to medicine and magic, and one to magic and the dead. Finally, she shows how elements and influences from Egyptian magic survived in or were taken up by later societies, right up to the twenty-first century.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
14 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
About the author
Geraldine Pinch
7 books38 followersGeraldine is a British author and Egyptologist. She taught Egyptology at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford and has written books on Ancient Egypt for adults and children. Her latest book, `The Diary of a Woman Scorned' is a dark comedy about divorce, murder and flower-painting. She also writes Fantasy Fiction under the name of Geraldine Harris.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 30, 2022
The thing to realise is that science, magic, art, religion, philosophy, technology and spirituality are all interconnected and all overlap each other. Technically all the others are the means to spirituality, which can be defined as one becoming aware of and having a relationship with the transcendent realm of existence and the divine. The ancient Egyptians understood this which gave them acccess to heights of consciousness unparalleled by any other civilisation past or present (except maybe Atlantis if we accept the truth of its existence). This is what modern humanity has forgotten but what I perceive is being remedied by those emerging from the prevalent stagnant paradigm.
January 5, 2013
Geraldine Pinch always writes interestingly and lucidly of all things ancient Egyptian. I am a huge fan of all her books, and this one is no exception. If you are looking for an erudite though clear explanation of the ways in which the ancient Egyptians defined and used magic, this is the book for you.
February 10, 2020
This has a lot of good information in it, mainly in the first half, but also suffers from what appears to be unexamined bias. The author ridicules later era complicated rituals as probably just CYA for the "magician". Who doesn't want an easy excuse for when things don't go as planned? *sigh* Techniques, tools, and practices which are in common use today in indigenous cultures and those which do not separate religion/politics/daily life are amazingly similar to what is described here. However the author derides them and at times can be outright dismissive.
The chapter concerning figurines and statues is highly problematic as it starts with "A more gruesome figurine, now in the Louvre Museum, Paris, is in the form of a naked woman with her arms tied behind her back (fig. 48). Needles have been driven deep into the clay body of the woman. Drawing on parallels from European witchcraft or Haitian Vodon (voodoo), the obvious assumption is that this figurine was intended to kill the woman depicted or to cause her severe pain. However, written sources prove that figurines were used in a variety of ways in Egyptian magic. Objects found with the Paris figuring make it clear that infliction of physical harm was not the main intention." (pg. 90)
*Why is the figure gruesome to the author? It ends up actually being a love charm. So is Cupid and his arrows gruesome too?
*What European and Haitian practices are being referenced here? European witchcraft is not a monolithic thing and covers a great variety of doll and figure use. Hatian Vodon as well. It seems the author is pointing towards common misconceptions about both of these and lending credence to them by way of making their personal assumption authoritative.
*Why lead with this particular example? If the reality is figures were used for varieties of reasons and in various ways, only some of which were negative in any way, and most to defend against negativity, why start the chapter this way at all?
So take in the first half of the book which focuses on culture, typical usage and the context in which Egyptians utilized what we now separate out as magic. When it comes to the specifics, it might be better to look at the source texts (papyrus, Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts) if you can find them in translation.
The chapter concerning figurines and statues is highly problematic as it starts with "A more gruesome figurine, now in the Louvre Museum, Paris, is in the form of a naked woman with her arms tied behind her back (fig. 48). Needles have been driven deep into the clay body of the woman. Drawing on parallels from European witchcraft or Haitian Vodon (voodoo), the obvious assumption is that this figurine was intended to kill the woman depicted or to cause her severe pain. However, written sources prove that figurines were used in a variety of ways in Egyptian magic. Objects found with the Paris figuring make it clear that infliction of physical harm was not the main intention." (pg. 90)
*Why is the figure gruesome to the author? It ends up actually being a love charm. So is Cupid and his arrows gruesome too?
*What European and Haitian practices are being referenced here? European witchcraft is not a monolithic thing and covers a great variety of doll and figure use. Hatian Vodon as well. It seems the author is pointing towards common misconceptions about both of these and lending credence to them by way of making their personal assumption authoritative.
*Why lead with this particular example? If the reality is figures were used for varieties of reasons and in various ways, only some of which were negative in any way, and most to defend against negativity, why start the chapter this way at all?
So take in the first half of the book which focuses on culture, typical usage and the context in which Egyptians utilized what we now separate out as magic. When it comes to the specifics, it might be better to look at the source texts (papyrus, Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts) if you can find them in translation.
September 29, 2022
Informative and interesting, but my interest in these things is limited to the Old Kingdom. While that's covered fairly well, I plowed through the rest of the book for the sake of thoroughness. It's not exactly light reading, but there are plenty of photos, a good glossary, and lots of notes. So -- a good approach to the subject. I know I'll be referring to it again and again as I continue my writing projects. Pinch writes clearly and well, and clearly knows her subject well.
September 13, 2013
This is a beautifully produced book that gives an overview of what is known about magic in ancient Egypt. Its breadth is greater than its depth but that depth isn't shallow at all. It's organized thematically and each chapter explores its subject extensively without being too wordy. The book is illustrated with photos of objects from collections all over the world that you won't see in most books on ancient Egypt. The author's approach is scholarly rather than mystical but understanding of the point of view and worldview of the ancients. The only quibble I have is the use of approximate dates BC instead of dynasties and other periods such as old and new kingdom which would make the dating more useful to those familiar with the various periods of Egyptian history. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to become more familiar with the practice of magic in ancient Egypt.
February 20, 2018
Provided a thorough overview of all the different aspects of Egyptian magic, complete with evidence and photographs. I found the sections on statues and the dead particularly informative. There were a rather large number of typos which was irritating but the actual substance of the book was interesting.
February 4, 2015
This is a popularly written but academic, not occult, account of the texts and practices of Magic in Ancient Egypt.
January 31, 2025
‘Magic in Ancient Egypt’ explores the mystical rituals and practices integral to Egyptian religion and healing through spiritual power.
In Egyptian mythology, magic (heka) is a force used by the creator to shape the world, enabling symbolic actions to yield tangible results. Both deities and humans could harness this force, but its use followed specific guidelines.
Priests were the main practitioners of magic, seen as guardians of sacred knowledge from the gods aimed at protecting humanity from fate's challenges. The most respected were the lector priests, known for reading ancient magical texts and credited with extraordinary feats such as animating wax figures or controlling water flow.
Real lector priests originally performed magical rituals to protect their kings and assist the dead in rebirth. By the first millennium BC, this role shifted to magicians (heka), with healing magic often linked to priests of Sekhmet, the plague goddess. Lower-status practitioners, like scorpion charmers, used magic to eliminate harmful creatures, while midwives and wise women employed magic to identify the cause of afflictions.
Amulets were crafted by “protection-makers,” and magical practices were generally accepted, except when foreigners were accused of malevolent magic. It wasn’t until the Roman period that some magicians began to practice harmful magic for profit.
Magic was typically performed at dawn, requiring ritual purity, which included abstaining from sex and avoiding contact with those considered impure. Practitioners often bathed and donned clean clothing, with some using metal or ivory wands to symbolise their authority in summoning powerful entities.
During that time, written magic was highly valued, as only a small portion of the population could read. Magical texts were often passed down through generations and included protective or healing spells written on papyrus and worn on the body. A spell typically had two components: the spoken words and the actions to be performed. For effectiveness, especially when invoking deities, the words needed to be pronounced correctly. These words could activate the powers of amulets, figurines, or potions, which sometimes contained unusual ingredients like black dog blood or the milk of a new mother. Music, dance, and gestures, such as pointing or stamping, also played important roles in spell-casting.
In ancient Egypt, magic complemented medicine rather than replaced it. Surviving magical medical papyri include spells used by doctors and priests to combat supernatural illnesses. Knowledge of the names of these beings granted magicians power over them. Demons, drawn to foul things, could be repelled with dung, while sweet substances like honey could drive them away. Another method involved doctors drawing deity images on patients' skin for them to lick, absorbing the healing power.
Healing and protective spells were often inscribed on statues or stelae for public use. For instance, a statue of King Rameses III in the desert featured spells to banish snakes and cure snakebites. Cippi, magical stelae, depicted the infant god Horus defeating dangerous animals and included stories of his poisoning and healing by Thoth after his mother, Isis, pleaded for his life. The inscriptions were believed to carry magical power, able to heal the sick when water was poured over them and then consumed or used to cleanse wounds.
In Egyptian mythology, magic (heka) is a force used by the creator to shape the world, enabling symbolic actions to yield tangible results. Both deities and humans could harness this force, but its use followed specific guidelines.
Priests were the main practitioners of magic, seen as guardians of sacred knowledge from the gods aimed at protecting humanity from fate's challenges. The most respected were the lector priests, known for reading ancient magical texts and credited with extraordinary feats such as animating wax figures or controlling water flow.
Real lector priests originally performed magical rituals to protect their kings and assist the dead in rebirth. By the first millennium BC, this role shifted to magicians (heka), with healing magic often linked to priests of Sekhmet, the plague goddess. Lower-status practitioners, like scorpion charmers, used magic to eliminate harmful creatures, while midwives and wise women employed magic to identify the cause of afflictions.
Amulets were crafted by “protection-makers,” and magical practices were generally accepted, except when foreigners were accused of malevolent magic. It wasn’t until the Roman period that some magicians began to practice harmful magic for profit.
Magic was typically performed at dawn, requiring ritual purity, which included abstaining from sex and avoiding contact with those considered impure. Practitioners often bathed and donned clean clothing, with some using metal or ivory wands to symbolise their authority in summoning powerful entities.
During that time, written magic was highly valued, as only a small portion of the population could read. Magical texts were often passed down through generations and included protective or healing spells written on papyrus and worn on the body. A spell typically had two components: the spoken words and the actions to be performed. For effectiveness, especially when invoking deities, the words needed to be pronounced correctly. These words could activate the powers of amulets, figurines, or potions, which sometimes contained unusual ingredients like black dog blood or the milk of a new mother. Music, dance, and gestures, such as pointing or stamping, also played important roles in spell-casting.
In ancient Egypt, magic complemented medicine rather than replaced it. Surviving magical medical papyri include spells used by doctors and priests to combat supernatural illnesses. Knowledge of the names of these beings granted magicians power over them. Demons, drawn to foul things, could be repelled with dung, while sweet substances like honey could drive them away. Another method involved doctors drawing deity images on patients' skin for them to lick, absorbing the healing power.
Healing and protective spells were often inscribed on statues or stelae for public use. For instance, a statue of King Rameses III in the desert featured spells to banish snakes and cure snakebites. Cippi, magical stelae, depicted the infant god Horus defeating dangerous animals and included stories of his poisoning and healing by Thoth after his mother, Isis, pleaded for his life. The inscriptions were believed to carry magical power, able to heal the sick when water was poured over them and then consumed or used to cleanse wounds.
June 23, 2020
I came across this book while reading a newsletter from the British Museum. And I'm glad I went ahead and bought it. It is a brilliant book.
March 31, 2024
Informative without being too dense to read.
May 17, 2013
A brief description of the mechanics of ancient Egyptian magic practice. Useful to neopagans looking to expand their theurgical repertoire. But not much of anyone else.
What this book lacks is an introductory discussion of the holistic paradigm of the Ancient Near East. The reader needs to be able to take in the book's information with an ancient Egyptian's weltenschaaung (which will still be difficult to do, since Pinch flits between millennia without much concern). Without this, the imagery of the deities lacks meaning, the myths remain strange, and the practices present as exotic. The chapters wind up reading like rushed, ill-prepared lower- division lectures from which not much of anyone can hope to retain much of anything other than the random fact that inexplicably happens to stick. One wishes Pinch would slow down and DISCUSS a little more.
In truth, I have not finished this book. If Pinch manages to redeem herself in the final 75 pages, I will return to make amends here.
What this book lacks is an introductory discussion of the holistic paradigm of the Ancient Near East. The reader needs to be able to take in the book's information with an ancient Egyptian's weltenschaaung (which will still be difficult to do, since Pinch flits between millennia without much concern). Without this, the imagery of the deities lacks meaning, the myths remain strange, and the practices present as exotic. The chapters wind up reading like rushed, ill-prepared lower- division lectures from which not much of anyone can hope to retain much of anything other than the random fact that inexplicably happens to stick. One wishes Pinch would slow down and DISCUSS a little more.
In truth, I have not finished this book. If Pinch manages to redeem herself in the final 75 pages, I will return to make amends here.
August 24, 2021
Ancient Egyptians were famous for their knowledge of magic. In this book you can learn about the different techniques and methods used to defend from blows of life. My favourite tidbits;
1- Ancient egyptians believed that vagina was directly connected to the mouth
2-Seth's true name is the day on which nothing good can be done
3-Egyptians used wands to cast magic and buried these wands near tombs to gather power
You can learn many things from this from how Ancient Egyptians used handgestures to ward off evil which started off as a way to herd cattle thought water safely. This is valuable read for anyone interested in Ancient egypt and magic.
1- Ancient egyptians believed that vagina was directly connected to the mouth
2-Seth's true name is the day on which nothing good can be done
3-Egyptians used wands to cast magic and buried these wands near tombs to gather power
You can learn many things from this from how Ancient Egyptians used handgestures to ward off evil which started off as a way to herd cattle thought water safely. This is valuable read for anyone interested in Ancient egypt and magic.
February 23, 2016
If you're a beginner on learning about Egyptian history, magic, and all things Egyptology, this is not the book to start reading first. Definitely for the advanced reader on this subject. It's a very dry book. Very informative and interesting in some aspects though. The pictures are black and white. Make sure to check the back of the book for what some of the terms mean before reading the book.
Want to read
December 28, 2011Refenenced in: The DoveKeepers by Alice Hoffman
March 13, 2013
The book was interesting, but since the chapters were all grouped by subjects with no importance given to timeline, it was frustrating for me to read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews