I was chatting to a good friend and blog contributor Andy B recently about his work in archaeology and he mentioned an interesting phrase - '
amuletic pendants'. The word amulet itself comes from the latin '
amuletum' which Pliny described as "an object to protect a person from harm" . I was reminded of an image I saw in The Guardian of a find at Pompei recently which showed a collection of divinatory and oracular charms discovered in the home of what was assumed to be a mystic or seeress, including all kinds of gems, bones, figurines and carved objects used in augury and divination.
I am really superstitious and believe in a small way in 'lucky charms' and 'good luck' and keep all manner of bits and pieces which I feel have some kind of significance, either practically or mystically. I honestly can't say if they do me any good, but it is fundamentally satisfying to collect them.
My dad was a bit of a magpie and after he died I would find tins and boxes crammed will all kinds of bits and pieces, a lot of which I kept, for the sense of attachment and the memories they brought back of him.
Besides all the bits and pieces ive inherited from my parents and grandparents, Ive accumulated quite a few odds and ends myself, finding things on walks, in jumble sales, on holiday or stuffed away in the back of drawers. Its these ephemera, these little things, which would be generally overlooked or discarded, which I feel hold a subtle magic and significance.
My 'key ring' is so crammed with charms and symbols, it s too heavy to carry around with my door key on!
As my dad was a joiner, I gathered up all the old cardboard boxes of screws from his workroom and kept them safe, tiny little boxes 2" across full of tiny brass and steel screws.
Metal puzzles from the 1920's make nice keyrings with their snake and fish symbols, linking together with a satisfying strength.
My mother had a drawer full of knitting and sewing materials and going back to it years later, I discovered a box of old thimbles, something rarely seen today, but loaded with fond memories from my childhood as she would sew up my ripped pants!
Perhaps there is something in these small things, these charms and amulets, even if the magic or protection is imagined and only actually a buffer in the mind to defend us from the very real terrors of the modern world.
