The first comprehensive illustrated study of the use of amulets
around the world and throughout history. Explores not only the
substances and symbolism from which amulets derive, but also the
people and objects they protect. Explains the differences between
and the purposes of amulets, talismans, charms, and fetishes. All
over the world and throughout history amulets have offered protection
against negative forces, whether witchcraft, the evil eye, enemies,
sickness, or accidents. Intricately beautiful or starkly simple, they
come in an astonishing variety of guises: from stones, shells, and
seeds, through animal tails, teeth, and claws, to beads, mirrors,
needles, and bells. With over 400 lavish color photographs, this book
explores amulets from every angle, including their symbolism and the
diverse material used to craft them as well as the people and objects
they protect. Sheila Paine traveled all over the world--from
Afghanistan, Russia, and Albania, to Cameroon, Tunisia, and
Mexico--to research the form, properties, and use of amulets, whether
for health and safety or as channels for spiritual or magical powers.
Worn as necklaces, sewn to clothing, painted on buildings, or hung in
vehicles, amulets guard babies and brides; warriors, hunters, and
travelers; livestock, crops, and homes through magical, not physical,
means. Malign spirits and hobgoblins at crossroads have been feared
since ancient times, but modern dangers--car crashes, new diseases,
even cell phones--have ensured an abiding faith in the magical
protection that amulets afford us that is still widely evident today.
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