#medieval charms

[velvetmasonry]

Gold ring with a heart-shaped bezel set with a wolf's tooth, England or France, 13th century

Later inscribed c. 1375-1425 to use as a charm against toothache and to calm storms

[timespanner]

Medieval charms are like puzzles—ancient traditions, archaic names, corrupted words, blended languages, and numerous abbreviations. To decompose or interpret them, one has to learn about historic religious practices, both eastern and western, and to study hundreds of charms so that the general patterns become more evident.