Whose Soul Is It?—Destinative Magic in East-Central Europe (14th–18th Centuries)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16901792 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Berel Lang (0000-0003-2154-363X, Eötvös Loránd University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 377 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel15030377 |
| OpenAlex | W4393044613 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
This study explores destinative elements in late medieval and early modern learned magic in East-Central Europe, focusing on names, images, characters, invocations, and addresses facilitating communication with transcendental entities. It contends that a thematic shift occurred in the early modern era, witnessing a decline in destinative talisman texts, replaced by a surge in treasure-hunting manuals. Drawing from legal cases and treasure-hunting manuals, the research aims to categorize the “souls” frequently invoked in these practices. The term “souls” is interpreted as either spirits or the souls of the deceased, reflecting the significant role of the dead in treasure hunting, often conducted in cemeteries. This shift is linked to changes in the sociocultural background of practitioners, marking a transformation in magical practices from destinative talismans to treasure hunting, revealing a nuanced evolution in East-Central European magical traditions
Ancient history · Art · East-Central Europe · Epistemology · Physics · Political science · Soul · Culinary Culture and Tourism · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious Tourism and Spaces
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |