Talismans - Magical gems: Horus, triads of animals (A) triads of vowels (B) χαβραχ-logos (C)

Magical gems: Horus, triads of animals (A) triads of vowels (B) χαβραχ-logos (C)

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CBd-Number:

CBd-525

ID-Number:

GB-BM-MMEu_G 558, EA 54278

Collection:

GB_London, The British Museum

Inventory:

G 558 (EA 54278)

References:

Michel, BM, no. 125; Michel, DMG, no. 19.4.a_8

Former Collections:

Rose, Rev. W. J., M. A.

Material:

heliotrope

Dimensions:

26 x 21 x 3 mm

Dating:

3rd c. AD (Michel)

Iconography:

gesture, hand raised to mouth; crown, of Upper Egypt?; animal: goats (3); snakes (3); scarabs (3); bird: falcons (3); crown, of Lower Egypt; solar disk; side-lock of youth; star; moon, crescent; boat, papyrus; plant: lotus buds (2); Harpocrates seated with knees drawn up; flail

Divine Names & Voces:

vocales, triads of

Logoi:

χαβραχ-logos

A: Horus-Harpocrates sitting to left on a lotus flower in the middle of a papyrus boat; under the flower two lotus stalks with buds. The god’s knees are drawn up, his right hand raised to his mouth, his left holds a flail. A long side-lock of youth is falling to his neck, on the top of his head the solar disk. Above the god an eight-pointed star and a crescent. Around Harpocrates triads of animals: scarabs; falcons (two of them wearing the crown of Lower Egypt - S. Michel: the crown of Lower Egypt and the crown of Upper Egypt); crocodiles; uraei and goats.
B: Inscription in seven lines: ααα|εεε|ηηη|ιιι|οοο||υυυ|ωωω → triads of vocales.
C: Around, the inscription is damaged: χα[...]χ[...]σχηρφιχροφνρωφωχωβωχ[- -] → χαβραχφβεσκηρφικροφνυρωφωχωβωχ.">χαβραχ-logos

A praxis known from a papyrus (PGM LXI 1-38) specifies that love charms had to be incised with the image of Horus on a lotus flower and the magical name Abraxas. Pieces with the Horus-scheme used as love charms: CBd-533, CBd-534.

Bibliography
Michel, BM on CBd-525
The British Museum Collection database on CBd-525

Last modified: 2020-12-29 21:18:52

Link:cbd.mfab.hu/cbd/525

CITE THIS PAGE

CBd-525. The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database (2010-), developed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, editor-in-chief: Á. M. Nagy. Retrieved from: cbd.mfab.hu/cbd/525 on 09-03-2025.