Erotic Magic

@eroticmagic

Erotic Magic in Greece, Mesopotamia, and Renaissance Italy

15 posts

Sex and Alcohol

*Although this is not about magic, I think there is some type of link to this, which is why I addressed it. When I first googled Erotic Magic in Mesopotamia, these taverns were what I found. I think it is safe to assume that Mesopotamia was a region were sex was openly spoken about. It was not considered to be a bad or shameful activity. One of the most common forms of indulgence we see from this culture is sex. (Sex can be a reference to gender or activity.) On many taverns there is often a women who is standing, drinking beer from a jug through a long straw, behind her stands a man who seems to be "making love" to her. "(Penetration is probably vaginal, although it is impossible to be sure; anal sex is a common theme in the texts.)" http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sex+and+Eroticism+in+Mesopotamian+Literature.-a017422810

-Osi

http://cis.uchicago.edu/outreach/summerinstitute/epidemics/readings/farber_witchcraft.pdf

From this website a lot of information was pulled

Medicine = Magic

Magic and medicine go hand in hand is Mesopotamia. Herbalists used a variety of different plants in order to create their potions. These potions were used not only to heal someone but also for charms, amulets and exorcisms.

-Osi

#doessheloveme #illmakeherloveme

Erotic Magic in Mesopotamia

Majority of the erotic magic that was done because one person was trying to get another person to fall in love or be attracted to them. (In order to not get confused lets name our two parties, Esperanza and Juan.) Juan is trying to get Espi (that's Esperanza's nickname) to fall in love with him. Juan will use a figurine that represents Espi. He will stab her eyes, hands, heart etc. with sticks. These locations are picked because Juan wants Espi to look at him, reach out to touch him, love him... and all that jazz. The figure above is an example of what Juan might do.

-Osi

#doesheloveme #illmakeherloveme

Ashipu

Healer or Magician?

Ashipu was considered to be both a healer and a magician. There were three steps this God would take when approaching ones sickness.

1.) Discover the illness

2.) Find out if it was caused by the patients sin/ human error or by the Gods

3.) Fix the patients sickness (through charms and spells)Ashipu thought most of the people's sicknesses were caused by the Gods. (Maybe the person did something to disrupt or disrespect the Gods.) In order to get rid of the "demon/s" or "bad/ negative spirits" Ashipu would praise the Gods through charms, chants, shines etc.

http://best.berkeley.edu/~mesa/comm/group_1/angela.html

-Osi

#magician #ashipu

Innana/ Istar

The Goddes of Love

I found it as no surprise when I googled “Erotic Magic in Mesopotamia” that Innana/ Istar was one of the first characters I saw. Innana/ Istar is the goddess of “love.” Often times there are stories of humans, such as Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, who pay their respect to Innana/ Istar by praising her. Specifically in “Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta” Innana/ Istar is highly loved by both of the men. These men are so crazy for her that they play this back and forth riddle game with one another, just to prove themselves to her.

-Osi

Binding Passion: Tales of Magic, Marriage, and Power at the End of the Renaissance: by Guido Ruggiero

This is a collection of 5 tales from the end of the Renaissance, compiled in 1993. In one of the stories, titled “That Old Black Magic Called Love,” a man sells his soul to Satan to win the affections of a girl, but then backs out, throwing his actual, physical contract down a toilet. The contract ends up in a river, the local townspeople spot it, and the Church takes interest. During these times, love was seen as somewhat dangerous, a black magic that could indeed cause one to give up one’s soul.

In another part of that same story, Ruggiero talks about the story of Paolina, a woman accused of using magic to bind someone to her passions. The method of her witchcraft was apparently soaking her menstrual blood with a sponge and putting it in her alleged target’s wine. Certainly, there were many ways to use magic to seduce and ensnare others, granting the “caster” special power over their targets.

Music as Erotic Magic in a Renaissance Romance: by Jeanice Brooks

In this study of the works of one Jacques Gohory, an occult philosopher who lived during the late-15th and early-16th centuries, particularly his additions to the 11th book of his serialized romance, Amadis de Gaule, the writer examines Gohory’s attitudes toward music in relation to self-improvement and advancement towards spiritual goals. He differed from his contemporaries in that he took music much more seriously, while others thought of music as trivial and only for leisure.

In his 11th book in particular, where he describes his young god Diane’s performance in a garden, he alludes to Diane’s music actually having a magical hold on those who hear it. Vocabulary involving actual, physical bonding, like chains, etc. is used to describe a well-done musical performance. In other contemporary works, listeners are imagined to have their ears nailed or even chained to the instruments, so demonstrating the power of music. Eloquence, through speech or music, is seen as binding. He draws parallels of the enrapturing power of music and the nature of love.

In Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature: by Gwendolyn Leick

In the beginning of this book, which I did not really focus on too much, spoke about couples, or characters, that are considered to erotic. One example the text used was Ea and his wife, Damkina. The author suggests that these two are the start of the eroticism in Mesopotamia. Leick states that this couple is the first god and goddess that we are seen through a “sexual” lens because they are the start of creation. Although Leick carries on by explaining that although this is the start of “life” the exorcism is just a metaphor for sexual procreation.

This reading also jumps into the text by explaining the value to the Mesopotamian script. It explains how important it is to analysis the scrolls, he uses the reasoning for some of the oldest love incantations come from Old Akkadian and Sumerian. Leick also expresses the importance if Gilgamesh, which is some of the earliest texts that we find about eroticism. It slowly transitions into Istar/ Innana because she is the goddess of love. Often times these love incantations are written about her or to her. This was not only a sign of respect but also a symbol of one’s pride and appreciation to her. There is an interesting comparison between Innana and Amiditana. Both goddesses are expressed within love incantations- but the way it is done it completely different. Innana is described as a more sexual being, using love as a sexual tool, while Amiditana is explained as a goddess of love but who is gentle, soft and sweet.

When referring to different types of erotic what was also incredibly interesting were bridal songs. In these texts young woman speak of her own genitals. The authors states, “In the love-songs, the male lover sometimes describes the vulva as being as sweet as honey or beer, but even in the most intimate situation the woman does not talk of her bodily parts other than in poetic allusions.” (187) Bridal texts usually never have graphic details that go into discussing love sexually.

There is also a section in this reading that is very open regarding homosexuality. Leick explains how some stories and poems have misunderstood language translation that hides the message of homosexual interaction. He also shines light on other types of genders and sexual preferences such as “genital malformation, hermaphroditism, or absence of external genitals.” (158) These sexual defects are not ignored nor considered to be shameful- they are actually considered to be normal and embraced. There also is a brief explanation of the roles that homosexual men play- they engage in sexual activity with heterosexual men. Some of these men also engage in homosexual prostitution with heterosexual men and the price is much cheaper. “Prostitutes did in fact marry, and were encouraged or even forced by their future husbands to do so. On the other hand, if a woman engaged in prostitution without his consent and knowledge, he could divorce her or, in some places and times, put her to death.” (163)

Sorcerers, exorcists and diviners can be male or female.

-Osi

A Callimachean Case of Lovesickness: Magic, Disease, and Desire in Aetia: by Nicholas Rynearson

One thing talked about in this reading is love apples, or poised apples. The reading describes how after receiving a love apple the women is then bound to the man that sent it to her and will fall ill is she tries to be with anyone else. She is bound to marry to person who sent the apple no matter what other arrangements have been made. It is more than just a love token; it is more of a marital contract that if broken horrible things happen. The person under the love apple will go through different illnesses until they submit to the apple and go to the lover.

Ancient Greek Love Magic: by Christopher Faraone

The book Ancient Greek Love Magic was split into two main parts. The first part was about spells for inducing uncontrollable passion and the second was spells for inducing affection. The first kind of magic is called Eros and the second Philia.

The first kind of magic, Eros, is mostly about having women come to men. The men will put spells on the women that will not let the women take part in everyday life until she presents herself to the man that put the spell onto her. It deals with a man “binding and torturing” the women with spells. Which is why Eros magic induces uncontrollable passion. Eros is thought to be a disease and the magic of is a curse. It attacks the heart and the mind with emotion. Another kind of erotic magic is used in traditional marriage and courtship. To use this kind of magic a man presents is by throwing enchanted apples or other seeded fruit to a women. If the women catches the apple and then eats it, it promotes sexual desire between the man and women.

The second kind of magic, Philia, is all about inducing affection. Women mostly used these spells in order to generate affection or more affection from a spouse or lover. The most common devices of Philia magic were a special ring, a knotted cord, or an ointment. They were used as charms or spells to be placed on the man to increase their love and want for the women who placed to spell. Philia magic was sometimes confused with poison. Women would use these love potions to gain affection, but would accidentally use too much of the potion and kill their lovers instead. It was often hard to determine if the women was trying to gain love from their husband or lovers, or trying to kill them since it was such a fine line between love potion and poison. One example of this is the wife of Hercules: Deianeira. Deianeira was use to her husband having affairs, but when Hercules brought one home with him she got worried. Having remembered a love potion, that would never let Hercules look or love another women more than he loves Deianeira, she spread it on his robe and sends it to him. Having put too much of the potion on the robe in instead kills Hercules instead of gaining Deianeira his love.

Both kinds of magic are used to gain love and affection from another that they are interested in. The distinction between the two is that one causes uncontrollable passion and is thought of as a disease, while the other is used to gain more affection and love from someone who is thought to be losing their love for the spell maker.

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