Magic and the Supernatural in the Ancient World

Discussion Questions

Feb. 26: Curses and Prayers

• Kate Bolin--kbolin@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • Is there any evidence of the curse tablets actually working?
  • The binding ritual mentioned in Faraone's essay seems to resemble binding rituals mentioned by modern day pagans. Is there a connection?
  • I loved the idea of cursing the chariot races. Is there a modern day correlation? (Cursing the football game, maybe?)

• Derek Pepiak:dpepiak@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • What is the difference between a curse and a prayer?
  • The dolls that are mentioned in the readings were used to paralyze but not kill. Do modern practitioners of voodoo use voodoo dolls simply to paralyze or are they used to kill? Do they use the dolls for the same purposes that were described in the readings?
  • Is there any real difference between a prayer for justice and a prayer for revenge? There seems to be a blur between the two in some of the passages depending on the idea of justice/revenge in the mind of the injured individual.

• Bradley Laye: blaye@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • In Luck and the other texts, it is mentioned often how the Judeo-Christian G-d is invoked with the Greek gods. I find this interesting and puzzling as to why?
  • After reading the texts for today and the past class, it seems that "magic for hire" was common. Was persecution not involved during these time periods that someone could practice magic as a living?

• Nick Backer
  • What opinions are there on Graf's statement that many scholars believe curses were written on lead tablets because of their cold and lifeless nature?
  • I believe that the fact that binding curses were used for sporting events and actors, shows us that the belief in magic was widespread, and actually commonplace in the Greek and Roman times.
  • Are there any thoughts as to where the very complicated and unusual ingredients for magic potions/drugs originated? Texts from the Hellenistic time period describe magicians using strange and almost silly ingerdeients and directions for spells and drugs.

• Nick Backer
  • What opinions are there on Graf's statement that curse tablets never once mentioned death to the victim prior to the Roman era, despite popular feelings that these were very violent and ruthless times?

• Jason S. Lapkin: LovestarSI@aol.com
  • When and on whom are erotic spells most commonly used? What sort of people employ them? What sort of people are they aplied upon? For what reasons?
  • How effective are erotic spells? What is their success rate? Are the effects of the spells always what was aimed for?
  • Why are representitive/contiguous objects so commonly used in erotic spells? What purpose do they serve?

• Michelle Arens marens@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • What sorts of objects did practitioners of magic use to pray and curse? Are these different than those used for other types of magic?
  • Who were the people practicing magic who prayed and cursed? What were their physical, mental, and psychological characteristics?
  • From the readings, does it seem that curses and prayers were a common form of magic or a higher form? Were curses and prayers practiced by any specific goup of people or by all? What are the characteristics of the magic behind curses and prayers (are they learned, innate, secret, subject to interpretation, etc.)?

• Bradley Laye: blaye@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • 1) Can anyone do a binding spell (in antiquity)? It seems that a connection to the divine or supernatural is not necessary to perform these curses.
  • 2) With binding spells and curses being "magic," I find it particularly interesting that they permeated Christianity and Judaism (according to Strubbe). He does not, however, explain how or why?