A Selection of Charms From Syriac Manuscripts
A Selection of Charms From Syriac Manuscripts
A Selection of Charms From Syriac Manuscripts
ROBA
SELECTION OF CHARMS
FROM SYRIAC MANUSCRIPTS,
BY
M. A.
subject of charms, incantations, amulets and exorcisms is of and comprehensive a character, that its general consideration wide best left in the hands of the folk-lorist or the antiquarian.
The
so
is
upon such points as the History of charms, their origin and development. But these charms have an importance arising from the archaic language in which
I,
on
they have, consequently, a special value, apart from general historical considerations, for the ends of philology. They preserve, in some instances, unusual and ancient forms of language,
:
charm
itself,
fixed
formula.
known
Such charms are extremely scarce. Very few ancient manuscripts are of Hebrew charms and as regards Syriac not one has hitherto
;
,
been known to
exist.
Having become the fortunate possessor of two collections of Syriac charms (which, as far as we know, may be considered unique), I deem
this
to
to
faiths,
I
am
preparing a complete
and
notes.
local
ha-
number
of
names of
or not at
I
all
known.
do not here touch upon the consideration as to whether they are Syriac originals or translations from the Greek seeing that many of the
,
Proper Names,
78
SECTION SEMITIQUE. --
A.
[2]
connexion with this point we should, however, note that not a lew of these charms and exorcisms' resemble very closely ancient Assyrian incantations.
evident that ancient demonology has, to a certain extent, survived through many centuries with very little change and that it has even
It is
,
found shelter and refuge in the cell of the monk. The only change thai has taken place in those which are of a very ancient origin is the substitution
of the Christian
element, such as Christ, the Apostles and who were appealed to for protection against
are selected from both manuscripts,
I
now submit
intents
all
designate Codex A, and from the other manuscript, which I will call Codex B. The essential difference between the two codices lies in the lar-
ger
number
Codex A
is
ten in Estrangelo
th
From
clear
we may
safely
assume
it
to
be of the x\ th or
is
centuries,
more likely
from the mistakes in the Proper Names that this is merely a copy from more ancient text, whose date might be ascertained as soon as we
local Syriac hagiology
:
we could then be
able to
the date of the original text by the date at which the Saints mentioned
Codex B
is
i8o4.
It
consists of
written, and has a much larger number of considerably greater skill than Codex A.
illustrations
executed with
The headings
:
main
portion in black both manuscripts are on paper, and it remains to be added, that Codex A has the vowel signs throughout, and thus leaves no
doubt as
to the
Names occurring
therein.
[3J
M.
GOLLANGZ.
A.
7<J
I.
FROM CODEX
is
Godhead, and by the name I Am that I Am, Almighty God, Adonai, Lord of Hosts, may there be expelled extirpated chased and dashed in pieces all
of the glorified
,
and
working all temptations, unclean spirits, cruel dreams and dark apparitions fear and trembling, terror and
all
(evil)
80
SECTION SfiMITIQUE.
A.
[4]
the feverdread, anxiety and weeping to excess horror and the three-days' one aye, all kinds of fever, and
surprise,
: ,
inflammations, burnings and piercings also (when) the child troubles its mother with the pains of travail and may tumours and pestilences, the designs of demons, the wiles
febrile
ills,
:
of apparitions
devils, sweet
and harsh
all
pains
and
all
sicknesses,
all
wounds and
all
all
oppositions, surprises,
sick-
(evil)
nesses, and Miduch, and the demon and Lilith (may they all be members of him that beareth expelled) from the body and
these writs,
Amen!
power which healed the mother-in-law of Simon Peter of the fever-horror, and cast the devil out of the
By
that Divine
governor, and by that will and glorious command that manded the fish and it spewed out Jonah, and drove
com-
Adam
out of Paradise: (by that voice) that cried out on the Gross, by that power that stopped the sun and caused the moon to
and by those who cry out night and day: crHoly, holy, holy is the Lord, God all-powerful, heaven and earth are full of his glory by the prayers too of Hezekiah, and by the
stand
still,
-n
:
prayers of my Lady, the blessed Mary, and of Mar John, the fore-runner of Christ, may he who bears on his person these
writs be helped
[5]
M.
GOLLANCZ.
81
WHICH
IS
The prayer,
of grace,
my
of her full request, petition and supplication Lady, the blessed Mary, mother of Christ, our
:
when she came down from the mount of Eden and from near Paradise, and came to the and when our Lord, having entered, city Jerusalem,
Redeemer and Preserver
at the
time
SECT. SEM.
82
SECTION SEMITIQUE. --
A.
[6]
who
cried out
and shouted, saying: frHosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the son of David, blessed be he that cometh in the name of the
were carrying branches of trees, and were singing unto our Lord while he was riding on the colt which was tamed, and it was praised
Lord
!
And
all
the multitudes
(lit.
assemblies]
by the multitudes, who placed their garments before our Lord; and (when) he saw Mary his mother, and said unto her
:
rrO mother,
cr
whence comest
thou"?T>
I
And she
,
From
the country of
-n
:
Eden
come
one request
will
grant thee thy request, and more than thy request.-" Thereupon my Lady Mary asked on behalf of the sick, that they may
be healed, and regarding the sorely pressed, that they may be enlarged, yea exceedingly. [Thus did she speak:] rrO my
Lord,
my Son
and
my
among women that they may bear that, by who bear may bring forth sons who will be
:
that the barren may conceive, daughters of righteousness the sick be healed, and those who are sore pressed receive
women who
for
demon who
for a
man assumes
women, and
may
women
the form of
form of a hateful woman, whose appearance enslaves, and strikes the fruit of the womb, and takes captive weak minds
wickedness, as though she would be a help unto them. People call her by many names some, by that of the
after
its
:
Strangling-mother of children (lit. boys)--, some, Miduch; some, Zardvech. And now, o my Lord, listen to the prayer of the one who bore thee, and prevent and expel this demon
that she injure not, nor approach thy servants
who
carry this
[7]
M.
GOLLANCZ.
and
terrible
is
83
invocation.
By
that
great
Name, and by
,
the
power
who
concealed in thee
and by
the power of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth within thee, and by the power of the Cherubim and the Seraphim and
the heavenly hosts, those
who bear
and by the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, fathers and teachers, So be it, Amen!
<v v
\^f\
T^Vv y
~>
A <n\
\mr^o oxmVx^o a
G.
84
SECTION SEM1TIQUE.
-^
A.
tw ^.-K
-T.
aVv.
request, petition and supplication of Mar Ebedishu, the monk and hermit of God, who was among the
The prayer,
dumb
is
the Passion
(sc.
day) of
our Lord and Redeemer, at the time when the Evil Spirit, in the likeness of a hateful woman of dark appearance was coming
down from
Eden, and she appeared unto him and called him by name, Ebedishu; and he said unto her crWho artthou? She replied and said a I am a woman, and
the
of
:
mount
be your partner. Thereupon the saintly Mar Ebedishu as soon as he perceived that she was a wicked and unclean
will
i>
,
Spirit,
tied her
up, saying
and
craft
show your might and strength over the men-servants and women-servants of God
empowered
to
who carry these formulae. And, furthermore, I conjure by Him at whom angels and men tremble, that if thou
any other names, reveal not. D She said unto him
I
thee
hast
it
it
:
to
desire
it
not.
will reveal
[9]
M.
GOLLANCZ.
himself, or place
85
write
them
in his
Miduch
not enter, nor (approach) his children. second, Edilta third, Mouelta the fourth they
: :
call Lilitha
(lit.
Thereupon the saintly Mar Ebedishti, as soon as he perceived that she was an evil and unclean spirit, bound
boys).r>
her and cursed her and tied her up and said unto her a You are not empowered to show your might and strength and craft
,
:
over the servant of the Living God who carries these writs; and, furthermore, I conjure thee by the One at whom angels and men tremble, that if you have any other names, reveal it
me, and show me, and hide nothing from me. I will reveal it unto thee unto him though I
to
:
She replied
it
<r
desire
not.
will write
I
them and
house
will
harm unto
his wife,
nor unto his children, nor unto any thing my first name (is) Geos: second,
: :
Lambros
fourth, Martlos
:
fifth,
:
Yam nos
sixth
:
ninth, Apiton tenth, Pegogha; eleventh, Zardvech, Lilitha, Malvitha, and the
Samyos
seventh,
Domos
eighth, Dirba
Strangling-mother of children. Then the saintly Mar Ebedishu I bind said unto her you off him who carries these writs in
t>
:
cr
name of the God of Gods and Lord of Lords, and in the name of the Being who is from everlasting; may there be bound, doomed and expelled all accursed and rebellious demons and all evil and envious persons and all calamities from off him who carries these writs
the
, ,
!
-n
"7x000
86
SECTION StfMITIQUE. --
A.
[10]
WHICH
IS
and supplication of Mar George, the glorious martyr, which he prayed, requested and
prayer,
The
request,
petition
petitioned before
God
martyrdom. He put
:
his
crO Lord,
God
of
me
this
demand,
make mention
of thy Holy
my name,
happen unto him carrying these writs nor fear, nor trembling, nor surprise, nor evil visions, nor the evil and envious eye.
which come by night and by day; and every one who writes and hangs upon himself thy Holy Name,
[11]
M.
GOLLANCZ.
thy servant George,
87
my name,
may
him neither
nor surprise, nor visions of hard dreams, nor dark phanbut let there be bound, toms, nor the evil and envious eye
:
doomed, and expelled all pains and sicknesses and calamities from off him who carries these writs, and grant him his goodly
requests from out of the treasure-house of thy Compassion, by the prayers of those on high and the supplication of those below and by the anathema of Mar George , the glorious mar,
and Mar Simon Peter, and Mar Babi and Mar Cyprian, tyr, and Mar Sassan, and of all the martyrs and saints of our Lord,
for ever
-n
-v_vi *<?
y v
~->
^\
'A r^y
"
-VO- A T^^x-jJo
I
'v
^o\\\ y^\\\s
-^j-Aja
^ro
THE FOLD
-OF
CATTLE.
Seven accursed brothers, accursed sons! destructive ones, sons of men of destruction Why do you creep along on your
cr
!
knees and move upon your hands ?T> And they replied ccWe go on our hands, so that we may eat flesh, and we crawl
:
88
SECTION SEMITIQUE.
A.
[12]
may
drink blood.
As soon
I
saw
it,
cursed
name
your journey, and may God break your teeth, and cut the veins of your neck and the sinews there of, that you approach not the sheep nor the oxen of the person who carries
[sc.
these
I
wt'fe]!
the woman that bind you by that angel combed (the hair of) her head on the eve of Holy Sunday.
chael.
May
ever,
they vanish as smoke from before the wind for ever and
Amen!
II.
FROM CODEX
B.
\^
\^
j-A
w_r^ >ncvA_ik. A \V
^*<>
[13]
M.
GOLLANCZ.
89
cv_
[PRAYER] WHICH
is
In the
name
Son
mount the lion and the young dragon. Save us, Lord, from man of wickedness by the word and commandment of our the
Lord Jesus-Christ, who overthrew kings, (depriving them) of their crowns, and chiefs, magistrates, rulers and governors,
(depriving them) of their thrones. By that power which was with Joseph in the land of Egypt, may the beauty of the one who beareth these writs shine before kings and rulers, as the
sun in the days of Nisan, and as the moon in the nights of Ellul and as the garden in the hands of the gardener. By the
,
men, men of power and violent, judges and chiefs, from off the one who beareth these formulae, Gabriel (being)
on his right, and Michael on his left, I Am that I Am, Almighty God, Adonai (being) above his head, the Cherubim in front
of
nor
will
he fear the
man
of wickedness.
light
In
all
the
earth
mercy
upon him, and may they favour him with gifts and worship him from afar may he hold the sword in his right hand, and the bow in his left, so that his head may be exal:
may
upon the
chiefs.
children of Israel, so
may
who
carrieth (these)
commanders, and
As the crown of Pharoah before Joseph, so may there bow down to him the rich and the poor, the base and the wicked
90
SECTION SEMITIQUE.
-- A.
[14]
ones, the
men
of
power and
from him
who beareth
my
Lady,
Amen
o.snj\je.
WHICH
In the
IS
and
in
Am
that
Adonai,
Lord of Hosts. King Solomon was building the House to the name of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit was handing him the
stone
:
Solomon stooped
to take
Where-
What
voice of crying
they replied unto him celt is that of Solomon, the son of David, who hath builded the terrific, blessed House,
this?n
And
AmenN
[15]
M.
GOLLANCZ.
91
WHICH
In the
IS
name
The
(sic)
Mar George
for forty
(t.
e.
who
lived in the
mountain
years.
He was
them
the rents
rO and he prayed and said Lord, God of Hosts, I beseech thee and supplicate thy grace, and ask the same request which was common to Peter, Paul,
made
and Gabriel, chief of the angels, on account of the Lunacy. I bind you away from the three hundred and
spirit
of
sixty-six
members
of the one
who
bound by me,
and you have not the power to reside in the body and soul of the one who carrieth these writs, but you will needs go forth from the bones, from
Evil Spirit of Lunacy,
the sinews, from the flesh, from the skin, and from the hair
unto the ground, and from the ground (passing on) to iron, and from iron to stone, and from stone (you will pass on) to the mountain. This writing must be sealed, Amen! Amen
crArtoao T^AJCTTJ
v\
92
SECTION SfiMITIQUE.
S ox_\
--
A.
[16]
to
drink (of
and the Holy Ghost. Our Lord and his disciples were walking on the way, and they heard the sound of an exclamation, and our Lord said trWhat
In the of the Father, the Son,
:
name
sound
is
this?
It is
cramp
and
in
have said in the case of teeth (which have from the mouth, and in the case of a child fallen from fallen) its mother ctGo to the garden of our Lord, and cut three
his
I
:
members.
branches
name of our Lady, the blessed Mary, and the other in the name of Gabriel, chief of the angels, [do so now] and smite the cramp at the heart of the one who carries these writs, by the prayer of the blessed Mar Eugenius, Amen n
second in the
!
M.
GOLLANCZ.
93
and the Holy Ghost. My brother Moses, the servant of God, was tending the sheep between seven mountains, and there met him three evil forms
In the
of the Father, the Son,
:
name
(the other) an evil wolf, and (the third) an evil lion. In the name of the Father, may the evil man be
one was an
evil
man,
bound by me in the name of the Son may the evil wolf be bound by me; in the name of the Holy Ghost, may the evil lion be bound by me so that they may not approach the per;
,
:
Amen
WHICH
In the
Evil
IS
name
and the Holy Ghost. The from the stone of the rock, and the angel
94
SECTION SEMITIQUK.
met
her.
A.
[18]
Gabriel
He
<r
daughter of destruction ?
She replied unto him rrl am going to destroy men and women, boys and girls, the souls of cattle and the fowl of heaven. The angel Gabriel said unto her
:
been
to Paradise
One who
is
myriads upon myriads of angels who sanctify him? By His Name Evil and Envious thou art bound by me, and I bind tliee,
Eye, and Eye of seven
evil
neighbours!
It is
power
in the
to
or
frame of the one who carries these formulae, through the prayer of my Lady, the blessed Mary, and of Mar John the
Baptist,
AmenN
IN
THE HOUSEHOLD.
name
Son and the Holy Ghost. those above and the great Best of those
below,
my
among
this
household of those who worship thee May they be in peace and harmony with each other! As the line in the soil is to the
husbandman,
is
as the servant
is
to the master,
and
as the
maid
to the
mistress, so
may
the
members
of the
household
of the one
who bears
[19]
M.
all
GOLLANCZ.
95
Amen!
In the
name
Son
(.)
God
of
Abraham,
and
Israel!
God
and righteous ones' God, Father of our Lord Jesus-Christ, we beseech thee and supplicate thy Greatness for the hour in which the one bearing these charms sets out on the way. May
thy care accompany him, thou preserving his body and soul from all dangers, and delivering him from all obstacles. As
thou wast with Joseph in the land of Egypt, and with Daniel in the lions' den, and with those of the house of Hananiah in
the fiery furnace, and with Jeremiah in the pit of mire, so be
96
SECTION SEMITIQUE.
A.
[20]
thou with this thy servant who bears these writs! Lighten off from him the tedium of the journey on which he sets out and
is
taking; cause
him
to
abound with
support and redeemer. Grant him a winning countenance in the sight of all men; and as regards the land whither he is going, suffer him, o my Lord, to return with his mouth full
of thanksgiving,
and
his
tongue
full of
praise
so that
he may
and
glory,
and
to
adoration,
(0 thou who
thy glorious Name thanksgiving and the Protector of his servants, and art)
fear
who
Him Amen
,
was stopped. So may the blood of A., the son of B., be stopped, Amen! Write with the blood of him (whose nose forehead with a stalk of wheat.
is
bleeding) on his
and the Holy Ghost. In name of Jamlicha, and Maxinos, and Martlos, and Serapion,
In the
of the Father, the Son,
name
[21]
M.
GOLLANGZ.
97
slept the sleep (of)
877
years, so
may
may be
man
it,
Amen!
<nra tj^^T.^.n xir^
*^*. :v_w
^_x_a.<n
c*xvv_> rs^st-vyi
WHOM
Jannes and Jambres practised the magical arts, but they were unable to stand against Moses, the prophet.
So may there be annulled divination and the bonds of magic from off A., the son of B. So be it, Amen! Amen!
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