Enchanted and Magical Rings

Rings were made use of by way of charm and talisman in remote ages.

Their potency was directed against fascination of every kind, but more particularly the evil eye, against demons and witches, to excite debility, against the power of flames, against wounds in battle and, indeed, every danger and most diseases. Nor was it the ring alone, for the supposed virtue existed also in the material or in some device or magical letter engraved upon its circumference.

Shakspeare is thinking of the fascination of the eye in "Titus Andronicus," when he makes Aaron say:

"And faster bound to Aaron's charming eyes."

It has been observed that even Solomon was not exempt from the dread of the fascination of the evil eye, and reference is made to Proverbs xxiii. 6: "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, nor desire thou his dainty meats." A writer, however, remarks how the context clearly shows that nothing more is intended than to express the disquiet with which a niggardly person regards what another consumes at his table. This dreaded fascination still perplexes the minds of Orientals; and is not banished from Spanish and Neapolitan superstitions. Naples is the headquarters for charms and amulets. All the learning has been collected by the Canon Jorio and the Marques Arditi.

We read of the Samothracian talismanic iron ring, engraved with magical characters, inclosing an herb cut at a certain time or small stones found under particular constellations. Samothrace is an island of the AEgean sea, opposite the Trojan territory, and celebrated for its mysteries. An initiation into those mysteries was supposed to have efficiency in preserving persons from dangers by sea.

It has been observed that inscribed rings, commonly called talismanic or cabalistic rings, are improperly so designated. The mixed term is much more appropriate, annuli virtuosi. Perhaps mystical might be a suitable name.

Although true "Abraxas" stones have that word engraved upon them, and most of these are as old as the third century, yet this term is now applied to gems which bear supposed talismanic emblems, although it would be most proper to call them Abraxoids.

According to Caylus, amulets were always made with a double object: to flatter the superstition of the people and serve for seals; thus holding on to the charm itself, while they were able to spread a supposed effect through impression; and this idea, he observes, is strengthened by the fact that the subjects cut upon them never appear in relief.

Philostratus says: "The Indian Brahmins carry a staff and a ring, by means of which they are able to do almost any thing." Here may be the origin of similar articles received by Christian kings and ecclesiastics as emblems of power?

Stones and conglomerated earth were mostly used for amulets.

Wherever the living man turns up the remains of past ages, superstition is shown to belong to them through the appearance of amulets; and no matter whether the subjects be Pagan or Christian--for still we find this proof of weakness. Even in our own day, men will carry these things under some creed that allows or custom which defends their use. It is a pity such persons do not feel, as they must know, that he is nearest heaven whose conduct is his talisman.

Many of the ancient amulets are in other shapes than rings; often in the form of perforated cylinders, worn round the neck; and we presume they were set in rings for convenience.

Werenfels, in his Dissertation on Superstition, where he speaks of a superstitious man, says: "He will make use of no herbs but such as are gathered in the planetary hour. Against any sort of misfortune he will arm himself with a ring, to which he has fixed the benevolent aspect of the stars and the lucky hour that was just at the instant flying away, but which, by a wonderful nimbleness, he has seized and detained."

A ring, being a circle, was given to the initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries as an amulet possessed of the power to avert danger.

We find amulets referred to in Isaiah: "In that day will the Lord take from them the ornaments of the feet-rings and the net works and the crescents, the pendents and the bracelets and the thin veils, the tires and the fetters and the zones and the perfume boxes and the amulets."

Fosbroke says that the makers of talismanic rings generally used to have the sealing part made of a square shape; we, however, find many of an oval form.

"Amulet" with us, is talisman with the Arabians. The Jews were extremely superstitious in the use of them to drive away diseases; and the Mishna forbids them, unless received from an approved man who had cured at least three persons by the same means.

The use of charms and amulets to cure diseases or avert danger and mischiefs, both from the body and the fruits of the earth, was even common among ignorant and superstitious Christians: for Constantine had allowed the heathen, in the beginning of his reformation, for some time, not only to consult their augurs in public, but also to use charms by way of remedy for bodily distempers, and to prevent storms of rain and hail from injuring the ripe fruits, as appears from the very law where he condemns the other sorts of magic (that tended to do mischief) to be punished with death. St. Chrysostom thundered against the use of amulets and charms, as did St. Basil and Epiphanius, which shows that this piece of superstition, of trying to cure diseases without physic, was deeply rooted in the hearts of many Christians.

We here (see image) give an enlarged specimen of one of these complicated amulets--an amulet against evil, to act favorably and fortunately.

The emblems are thus made out. The hare, rustic head and head of a goat are to be considered as representing the god Pan, and to be a guard against fear and certain sudden terrors called panics, which were thought to be occasioned by this god. The cornucopia (erect) is to confirm abundance and happiness. In Memphis a white cock was held to be a sacred animal. He was consecrated to the sun: according to the Egyptians, to Osiris. It was made an emblem of the soul. When Socrates hoped to be able to unite the divinity of his soul with the divinity of the greater world, he ordered a cock to be sacrificed to AEsculapius, as to the physician of souls. This animal was sacrificed to Annubis, who was the sailor's Mercury. The dolphin, fed from food thrown away by sailors, is to represent those seeming friends who swim with and follow our fortunes until they get depth of water sufficient for themselves. Here the cock, by treading upon a dolphin, with a palm branch over him, represents the power of wisdom in the soul over a feigned or evil friend.

We are inclined to present the reader with another of these remarkable combinations (see image), which is said to be an amulet of health.