Apotropaic

Latest News for: apotropaic

Archaeologist: We have evidence of the presence of Roman legionaries in Poland

The Am-Pol Eagle 31 May 2018

Roman soldiers were present in the area of Kujawy 2,000 years ago. This is evidenced by discovered fragments of equestrian gear and legionnaire outfits. Many of them were discovered for the first time outside the borders of the Roman Empire, says Dr. Bartosz Kontny ... "These amulets were believed to ensure happiness and protect against evil forces, they had apotropaic meaning," said Dr. Kontny ... PAP - Science in Poland, Szymon Zdziebłowski ... ....

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Pool: Time travel in a world of words

Longview News Journal 26 Sep 2017

I needed to look up a word the other day, and that led me to a pleasant jaunt that took centuries to complete ... Instead, I tried to guess the word from context ... So when I looked up "apotropaic," I typed the word into my browser and chose the Merriam-Webster online dictionary ... For example, "apotropaic" dates to 1883 ... And "apotropaic"? It means something having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck ... Good luck with that ... RELATED ... ....

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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #3-3: Wheel Of Corruption: The Curse Of The Black Pearl Edition

Democratic Underground 21 Jun 2017

Early use can be seen in India, as an apotropaic gesture very commonly used by Gautama Buddha (who was born in Nepal) as Karana Mudra which is synonymous with expulsion of demons and removal of obstacles like sickness or negative thoughts ... With fingers pointing down, it is a common Mediterranean apotropaic gesture, by which people seek protection in unlucky situations (It is thus a more Mediterranean equivalent of knocking on wood)....

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Spells that guard my home from WITCHES: Suffolk was once a hotbed of witchcraft hysteria and when MICHAEL COLE bought a barn there, he made a chilling discovery that opened a door into a very dark world

This is Money 12 Jun 2017

Our home is protected against witches. It always has been, but I did not find out until I discovered the secrets hidden beneath the black paint on an old door ... These ‘apotropaic’, or evil-averting, markings were intended to ward off domestic misfortune, harm or the malevolent influences of witches in past centuries ... ....

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What’s It Worth?: How to identify Japanese, Chinese ivory figures

East Bay Times 01 Jun 2017

In my column of May 7 I identified a group of ivory figures as the Japanese Seven Lucky Gods and promised to identify them, their attributes and their apotropaic properties. These gods are an amalgam of figures from Hindu, Taoist and Shinto religions representing Indian, Chinese and Japanese cultures ... From left to right are.. Jurojin, a Chinese sage and god of longevity ... ....

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What’s It Worth?: Midcentury ivory figurines

The Mercury News 04 May 2017

Q I inherited a small collection of ivory figurines that were purchased in China in 1947 or ’48. My understanding is that these items cannot be sold, but do you know where, in the San Francisco Bay Area, we might be able to donate them?. A Laws regulating the sale of ivory have evolved over the past few decades ... (In my May 21 column, I’ll explain who is who, their attributes and their apotropaic functions.) ... ....

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The 100 best nonfiction books: No 50 – Eminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey (1918)

The Observer 16 Jan 2017

“Gordon’s fatalism … led him to dally with omens, to search for prophetic texts, and to append, in brackets, the apotropaic initials DV [Deo volente – God willing] after every statement in his letters implying futurity, led him also to envisage his moods and his desires, his passing reckless whims and his deep unconscious instincts, as the mysterious manifestations of the indwelling God.” ... Cardinal Manning ... andante; Dr Arnold ... rondo....

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Donald Trump’s Inauguration Described as ‘Twilight Zone’ in Paper TV Listing

The Wrap 15 Jan 2017

Donald Trump’s approaching inauguration as the 45th President of the United States has evoked a variety of reactions, but Damien Love of Scotland’s The Herald sums up his opinion of the event simply as “The Twilight Zone.” ... Also Read. Trump Inauguration. Who's Performing, Who Backed Out, Who Hung Up the Phone (Updating) ... Here are just a few. ... pic.twitter.com/OanCZdznGJ ... If only it were really apotropaic fiction....

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Powerful symbols chiselled into a shepherd's shelter

The Guardian 16 Dec 2016

Stanage, Derbyshire On a bleak night, with a folk memory of wolves and belief in evil spirits, who wouldn’t need protection?. @calmandfearless ... I am at a buttress at the crag’s southern end known, paradoxically, as Apparent North, near a short tough climb called Hamper’s Hang ... Twitter ... One is an M, formed by two inverted Vs, a symbol termed apotropaic, meaning to ward off evil, which can be read as “Virgin of virgins” or Mary ... ....

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Halloween hunt for the witch carvings of England

CNN 31 Oct 2016

Historic England, a government body tasked with protecting the historic environment of England, is calling for help in finding these so-called apotropaic marks and start a comprehensive record of where they can be found ... The meaning of apotropaic comes from the Greek for averting evil ... Witch or apotropaic marks hit the news today @HistoricEngland Here are some at the base of a main crossing column in Salisbury Cathedral....

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Public Invited To Record Witches’ Marks On Halloween

Huffington Post 31 Oct 2016

Apotropaic, or witches’ marks, were carved into churches, houses, barns, caves and even the Tower of London between the 1550 to 1750 ... Daisy wheels comprise a single, endless line which supposedly confused and entrapped evil spirits. Pentangles, which are five-pointed stars, were often used as ritual symbols and the letters AM for Ave Maria, simply M for Mary or VV for Virgin of Virgins are also a common type of apotropaic mark ... ....

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British Public Urged to Look for Witches’ Marks on Doorways This Halloween

Time Magazine 31 Oct 2016

These apotropaic marks also took the form of letters that evoked the power of the Virgin Mary, such as M for Mary, AM for Ave Maria or VV for Virgin of Virgins. “Witches’ marks are a physical reminder of how our ancestors saw the world ...   ....

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photo: Creative Commons / Adrian Pingstone

St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London, England. To the left is the Clock Tower of Big Ben, to the right is a corner of Westminster Abbey.

Public encouraged to help record 'witches' marks'

ITV 31 Oct 2016

Members of the public are being encouraged to help record strange carvings known as "witches' marks" which can be found in medieval houses, churches, and barns ... The marks, also known as apotropaic marks, were carved on to wood or stone near entrances like doorways and windows, to protect inhabitants and visitors from witches and evil spirits....

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