Sheela-na-gigs are stone carvings of naked women found mainly in the British Isles and most espec... more Sheela-na-gigs are stone carvings of naked women found mainly in the British Isles and most especially Ireland. The women are portrayed in a stylized fashion, with their legs apart, at once revealing and drawing attention to their, often over-sized, genitals. The upper bodies of Sheelas, usually skeletal-like in appearance with the rib cage showing, tend to be in marked contrast with their more rounded and feminine lower bodies. Sheelas are thought to originate from the 12th century onwards. They are mainly found in churches, monasteries and castles, usually near doors or windows. Their origin, meaning and function have been widely speculated about as there are no written records mentioning these enigmatic statues before the 19th century. The name Sheelana-gig possibly derives from the Irish language, but there is no consensus of its’ meaning. Sheelas have been analysed to portray: an old Celtic, or possibly Scandinavian, goddess, an apotropaic amulet, a patron of women, a fertility...
Throughout history, people have used a variety of recourses to battle everyday illnesses such as ... more Throughout history, people have used a variety of recourses to battle everyday illnesses such as fevers, headaches, toothaches, bleeding and sprains, as well as minor ailments including curing hiccups or soothing a nettle sting. One such healing technique is the use of charms (orthaí in modern Irish, sg. ortha).2 Here, I follow the definition used by current charm scholars such as Jonathan Roper, who defines a charm to be ‘a traditional form of words thought to have a direct effect in the world, usually of a protecting, healing kind’. In order for a charm to work, it usually needs to be performed by a ‘legitimate’ person who often uses special accompanying actions and accessories (Roper 2005, 15). This article will focus on the Irish tradition of one of the best-known wound charms in Europe, called Tres Boni Fratres, or the Three Good Brothers.3 This is a very popular charm to stop bleeding, and has been documented in written and spoken sources in various languages across the Europe...
Incantatio. An International Journal on Charms, Charmers and Charming, 2013
St. Gall MS 1395, a collection of fragments from various periods, includes a page of Irish origin... more St. Gall MS 1395, a collection of fragments from various periods, includes a page of Irish origin and apparently ninth-century date, containing four healing charms known as the St. Gall Incantations, each followed by instructions concerning its ritual performance. A close study of this single vellum folio examining the characteristics of the text, scribal practices and the cultural setting in which the document was compiled, provides a basis for theorizing about Old Irish magical practices and their multidimensional performative context. By highlighting the investigation of the liaison between the words of the charm and the associated ritual, an attempt will be made to elucidate how the textual register of the manuscript translated into physical performance. Accordingly, questions of mise-en-page performance and the manuscript as a material amulet are addressed in order to understand the written environment of magical language as well as the practices of charming in early medieval I...
Sheela-na-gigs are stone carvings of naked women found mainly in the British Isles and most espec... more Sheela-na-gigs are stone carvings of naked women found mainly in the British Isles and most especially Ireland. The women are portrayed in a stylized fashion, with their legs apart, at once revealing and drawing attention to their, often over-sized, genitals. The upper bodies of Sheelas, usually skeletal-like in appearance with the rib cage showing, tend to be in marked contrast with their more rounded and feminine lower bodies. Sheelas are thought to originate from the 12th century onwards. They are mainly found in churches, monasteries and castles, usually near doors or windows. Their origin, meaning and function have been widely speculated about as there are no written records mentioning these enigmatic statues before the 19th century. The name Sheelana-gig possibly derives from the Irish language, but there is no consensus of its’ meaning. Sheelas have been analysed to portray: an old Celtic, or possibly Scandinavian, goddess, an apotropaic amulet, a patron of women, a fertility...
Throughout history, people have used a variety of recourses to battle everyday illnesses such as ... more Throughout history, people have used a variety of recourses to battle everyday illnesses such as fevers, headaches, toothaches, bleeding and sprains, as well as minor ailments including curing hiccups or soothing a nettle sting. One such healing technique is the use of charms (orthaí in modern Irish, sg. ortha).2 Here, I follow the definition used by current charm scholars such as Jonathan Roper, who defines a charm to be ‘a traditional form of words thought to have a direct effect in the world, usually of a protecting, healing kind’. In order for a charm to work, it usually needs to be performed by a ‘legitimate’ person who often uses special accompanying actions and accessories (Roper 2005, 15). This article will focus on the Irish tradition of one of the best-known wound charms in Europe, called Tres Boni Fratres, or the Three Good Brothers.3 This is a very popular charm to stop bleeding, and has been documented in written and spoken sources in various languages across the Europe...
Incantatio. An International Journal on Charms, Charmers and Charming, 2013
St. Gall MS 1395, a collection of fragments from various periods, includes a page of Irish origin... more St. Gall MS 1395, a collection of fragments from various periods, includes a page of Irish origin and apparently ninth-century date, containing four healing charms known as the St. Gall Incantations, each followed by instructions concerning its ritual performance. A close study of this single vellum folio examining the characteristics of the text, scribal practices and the cultural setting in which the document was compiled, provides a basis for theorizing about Old Irish magical practices and their multidimensional performative context. By highlighting the investigation of the liaison between the words of the charm and the associated ritual, an attempt will be made to elucidate how the textual register of the manuscript translated into physical performance. Accordingly, questions of mise-en-page performance and the manuscript as a material amulet are addressed in order to understand the written environment of magical language as well as the practices of charming in early medieval I...
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