ANCR-401 Lessons

Introduction
 Now that we have most of the basics covered, I’m sure you’re wondering what all this has to do with magic. It’s actually quite complicated. Rest assured, however,  with the help of Professor Morgan --who will join us today-- and myself, we will get to the bottom of it.

Egyptian Magic
Earlier this year, Professor Morgan gave us a brief introduction to the ancient Egyptian culture. Today, she is back to go into a little more detail with regard to Egyptian magic.The floor is yours, Liria.

Guest Lecture
Hello, students! I’m so pleased that Professor Wessex has invited me back to speak with you today. For those of you who are also taking Ancient Studies, some of this may be a review, but I promise it is still as fascinating the second time around!

Egyptian magical theory is quite different than the theory you have learned in your Hogwarts classes thus far. In fact, it is much simpler to refer to Egyptian magic by its proper name - heka - to keep the theories separate. Heka can be interpreted as the catalyst of change. That is, magic has a source, and that source is used to create change. In order to access that source, you need to be a magical practitioner - something you were born with, or something you gained during a certain aspect of your life such as breastfeeding, becoming the pharaoh, or ascending into the afterlife.

Heka is broken down into two pieces that work together to create magic: sia and hu. Hu is the easier of the two pieces to understand - it is the “divine utterance,” or more simply, the words of the spell. Sia is a slightly more complex idea and translates as the “divine knowledge.” That divine knowledge encompasses a few aspects of magic - understanding the concept of the spell, the will, intent, and focus needed to complete the spell, as well as any wand movements or other features, such as engraving runes needed to anchor the spell.

You may be wondering if the theory behind magic really makes an impact on the effectiveness of a spell or potion. In truth, we are not completely certain. Sadly, much of the greater magical knowledge that the ancient Egyptians amassed throughout the dynasties was forgotten or destroyed at Alexandria. We do know that some aspects of the magic that was practiced was far superior to what we can do today. Much of the charms work and even the potency of potions has lasted thousands of years after they were cast or created, which far exceeds our current abilities. Whether these abilities were based on theory, some magical element or charm component we have lost, or simply a skill level we have yet to achieve, we may never know.

One thing to remember about ancient Egyptian magic is how intertwined it was with everyday life. For example, the ancient Egyptians saw no distinction between magic and medicine - they were part of the same thing. It was quite common for an average citizen to have an enchanted amulet or two for protection (usually engraved with hieroglyphs to anchor the magic), and much of their magic was also blended into their religious practices by invoking the names of gods and goddesses who had undergone similar trials. Simply put, in ancient Egypt, magic was everywhere.

Hieroglyphs and Magic
Thank you for that fascinating introduction, Liria. Now that we have some basic principles of Egyptian magic under our belt., let us take a closer look at how this translates to the use of hieroglyphs in combination with magic. Remember, script-based magic, also called runic magic, is often quite different from your everyday spellcasting. It is as separate an art as transfiguration and potion making. Both require skill, knowledge, and magic, but they achieve their goals in very different ways.

Last week, when we talked about the potential use of hieroglyphs as ideograms, I mentioned that ideograms are particularly suited for magic because the concentration of meaning into a single graphic symbol can help to concentrate the magic and thus give it more power. This can be seen in a number of places, including tombs, palaces, and even in day-to-day items, like amulets used for protection.

There are several hieroglyphic symbols that are most often used on amulets. These symbols carry a very strong association with protection and positive influences, and they are still seen across Egypt and further afield even today. The first of these is the symbol called “ankh.”

Last week, when we talked about the potential use of hieroglyphs as ideograms, I mentioned that ideograms are particularly suited for magic because the concentration of meaning into a single graphic symbol can help to concentrate the magic and thus give it more power. This can be seen in a number of places, including tombs, palaces, and even in day-to-day items, like amulets used for protection.

There are several hieroglyphic symbols that are most often used on amulets. These symbols carry a very strong association with protection and positive influences, and they are still seen across Egypt and further afield even today. The first of these is the symbol called “ankh.”

This symbol is something called a three consonant sign, or triliteral sign, something we will be studying in more detail next year. For now, it is sufficient that you know that this symbol is used to write the Egyptian word for “life/live,” and was very popular not just as part of inscriptions but also frequently used as a symbol associated with the gods in paintings, decorations, and even statues.

Used as an amulet, the “ankh” is meant as a protective charm, guarding the life force of the wearer. This was achieved by using the hieroglyph of the word as a focal point for the magic, where the caster used his sia or knowledge of magic while focusing on the name (and therefore the meaning) of the hieroglyph, the hu, to place the protective charm on the amulet. This process of using hieroglyphs as amulets is very common in Egyptian magic, and one of the reasons why the hieroglyphs played such an important role in Egyptian magic. 

Moving on, the other famous Egyptian amulet is the scarab beetle. It is based on the symbol of a beetle, the dung beetle. The dung beetle is best known for its habit of rolling around balls of dung several times their size.  This gave rise to the Egyptian myth of the sun god Ra being rolled across the sky by a scarab each morning. In this form, the sun god was known as Khepri or kheper, and this is also the meaning of the hieroglyph of the scarab beetle. Thus, this hieroglyph acquired the meaning of “to come into existence,” just as the sun rises each morning, and more generally means “form” or “being.” The scarab was a very common symbol in everyday use in Egypt, not just for its protective qualities as a deity, but also because it could quite literally “bring forth” something. Small amulets in the shape of the scarab were often engraved with the names of pharaohs and used as seals. They could quite literally be used to seal something, that is, to bring a decree into effect.

I’m not just talking bureaucracy here. Skilled wizards often used the scarab to put the finishing touches on a magical work or enchantment, which is one of the reasons you will find them pretty much everywhere in Egypt, but particularly in the pyramids and other highly protected places.

Amulets are perhaps one of the oldest forms of runic magic. They probably evolved from early forms of sympathetic magic (remember back to the principle of “like attracts like”), and originally the glyphs engraved, carved, or painted onto amulets would have been likenesses and symbols associated with deities and emblems associated with protection.  Additionally, in some inscriptions, birds can be found depicted without their legs so that they couldn’t run away. Even more obvious are the inscriptions of what must have been a charm to get rid of snakes. They show snakes with their heads separated from the main part of the body. No need to ask how those were meant to work. While much of the theory behind this has been lost over time, it is clear that many Egyptians considered these hieroglyphs as something inherently magical, even without activating them.

As cultures began to develop more sophisticated systems of writing, these depictions began to take on more abstract forms, until at some point ideograms and logograms became the standard form used on these protective charms and amulets. While we don’t know for certain how effective these charms were, they certainly persisted for a long time, and some of them remain in use even today.

We will talk more about various trends in amulet usage next year as well as start focusing much more on the magic of hieroglyphics.

Closing
Today, we have seen how the ancient Egyptians used the power of their hieroglyphs to focus their magic. Using the sia of the trained wizard, the hieroglyphs could be used to enforce the hu of magic and thus prolong its effect and enlarge its power. Though much knowledge has been lost over the centuries, evidence can still be seen today, although we are not always sure of their exact mechanisms and effects.

Your assignments today will be another transcription exercise to keep you in practice, as well as an essay where you will have the chance to be creative and make your own hieroglyphic charms or enchantments. To allow for more detailed grading, your transcription exercise will also be in the essay format this time, as it will be on your final exam next week.

Next time will be our last lesson of the year already. We won’t be covering any new material, but make sure you are prepared for a review of the whole year as you prepare for your finals.Until then, goodbye and may the marks be in your favor.

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Vocabulary
Ankh: an Egyptian symbol often used in amulets which represented life and, by extension, protection.
Heka: what ancient Egyptians called magic. It is broken down into two parts, the hu and sia.
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Original lesson written by Professor Mathilda Stevens
Guest lecture by Professor Liria Morgan