Ancient Tactical Magic

How was magic/ritual practice used in the lives of ancient Egyptians to resist and gain a sense of agency? In this episode of Afterlives of Ancient Egypt, Kara, Jordan, and extra special guest Dr. Jonathan Winnerman delve into the concept of 'magical resistance,' exploring how ancient Egyptians and people today use magic and rituals to gain a sense of power and agency. They discuss broad definitions of magic, because yeah scholars really fight about what magic is and what it isn’t, its role in the assassination of Ramses III, and the fine line between state–sanctioned and subversive magical practices.

The inspiration for this episode was a Substack article from Ancient Rome, Modern Witch which looked at how ancient Romans used magic as a form of resistance. And also please remember HBO’s Rome when Servilla curses Attia with all the elite witchcraft in her ancient Roman toolkit.

With everything that is going on in the world—wild gesture—people are seeking different methods of resistance, including modern forms of magic.

Now we aren’t telling you to go out and curse anybody, because that shit always comes back at you (!), but please use this podcast and the plentiful show notes below as inspiration to create some some good, magical, ancient defensive tactics for the days to come….

Show Notes

* FREE DOWNLOAD – Robert Ritner, SAOC 54. The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice. (Fourth Printing, 2008).

* Frazer’s Golden Bough (1890) – a seminal (read masculine AF) work on comparative mythology and religion

* Magic → religion → science and rational materialism (!!)

Harem Conspiracy

* Papyrus Rollins

“It happened because writings were made for enchanting, for banishing, for confusing, because some gods were made into wax and some men also– and furthermore for enfeebling the limbs of men and which writing were placed in the hand of Pay-bak-kamen…” (P. Rollins)

* Goedicke, Hans (December 1963). "Was Magic Used in the Harem Conspiracy against Ramesses III? (P.Rollin and P.Lee)". The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. 49: 71–92. doi:10.2307/3855702. JSTOR 3855702.

Protection

* Isis Knot and other amulets

“Spell for a knot amulet of red jasper. “You have your blood, O Isis; you have your power, O Isis; you have your magic, O Isis.” As for him for whom this is done, the power of Isis will be the protection of his body, and Horus son of Isis will rejoice over him when he sees him; no path will be hidden from him, and one side of him will be towards the sky and the other towards the earth. A true matter; you shall not let anyone see it in your hand, for there is nothing equal to it.” (Formula 156, Book of Coming Forth by Day)

* Killed Captives at boundary markers

* Mut Precinct (unpublished)

* Mirgissa Deposit

Curses

Spell against an Enemy

- “You will stop, whoever comes! I am the one who enters the sleeping place and comes from upon the ground. A man who fights. You will stop! Where are you with regard to me? I will enter your belly as a fly, and I will see your belly from the inside. I will turn your face into the back of your head; the front of your foot into your heel. Your speech is no use; it will not be heard. Your body will be weak and your knee will be feeble. You will stop! I am Horus, the son of Isis, I will leave on my feet.” (McDowell, 117)

Tomb Fragment (National Museum of Scotland)

“It is to you that I speak; all people who will find this tomb passage! Watch out not to take (even) a pebble from within it outside. If you find this stone you shall transgress against it. Indeed, the gods since (the time of) Pre, those who rest in [the midst] of the mountains gain strength every day (even though) their pebbles are dragged away. ’Look for a place worthy of yourselves and rest in it, and do not