Magic
By one definition, magic is the apparent
manipulation of supernatural forces to change the form of things or
influence events. The Egyptians believed that magic was the “key”
that enabled them to attain wisdom, and there was no real
distinction between magic and religion. Magic was regarded not as
low-level sorcery but as a sacred science and creative force that
had existed prior to the establishment of the universe. The Egyptian
word for magic, heka, probably meant “to control powers.”
Magic existed at all levels and permeated most aspects of the society. State and private magic were not contradictory methods but were believed to influence two different areas. Through the temples cosmic magic sought by means of the daily rituals to maintain the balance and order of the universe and to prevent the return of chaos. By offering to the gods the priests attempted to renew the process of creation, to ensure immortality, earthly fame, and success for the king, and to bring fertility and prosperity to the land. This great temple magic (designed to preserve the world order) was regarded as an exact science and was revealed only to the elite body of temple priests. On the other hand, private magic executed by local magicians was practiced to protect individuals against their own fears, which included sickness, harmful animals, drowning, hunger, thirst, aggression, and asphyxiation. Using simple spells, these magicians possessed secret techniques and probably some basic healing skills. One of their first duties would be to try to overcome these perils and afflictions, believed to be caused by negative energy, by blocking off the negative forces. Within the temples magical forces were believed to be present in the architectural forms of the building (which re-created the “Island of Creation”), the representations of the rituals depicted on the temple walls (which were activated by the performance of the “Ceremony of Opening the Mouth”), and the god’s cult statue (which his spirit entered to receive the food offerings). The temple inscriptions placed on the temple walls or written in the great ritual books also provided a potent source of magic. By writing the sacred words or reciting the ritual spells the priests made the temple magic alive and effective. In medical treatment magic played an important role alongside more objective methods. In cases where the cause of the illness or affliction was visible or evident scientific methods were usually employed based on observation of the patient’s symptoms, but where the cause was not apparent the malady might be attributed to vengeance of the dead, malevolence of enemies, or punishment of the gods and consequently treated by magical methods. These involved the use of spells and rituals that could include dances, musical instruments to create a particular mental state, dolls or waxen images, and agents such as water, oil, wine, perfume, and incense. Magic obviously also played an important role in funerary beliefs and customs; tomb wall scenes were magically activated, as were the tomb models, statues, and mummy, to provide the deceased with all the requirements for the next world. Special jewelry, particularly the sacred charms known as amulets, gave the owner magical protection as he journeyed to the next world. For the living magic permeated almost every aspect of their beliefs. The colors and jewelry they wore were believed to influence their fortune, and magic even played a role in the law courts where oracles were used to obtain verdicts in some legal cases. To the Egyptians magic was the thread that linked everything, because all things were regarded as potentially animate if the correct magical procedures were performed. .
The Priest-Magician
The summit of the magician’s skill was to possess the ability to control the forces of nature. It was believed that they knew and could control the supernatural force that created and maintained life. The magician could use this power to achieve results in this world and in the afterlife. Magicians were regarded as priests and scholars who could read and write the hieroglyphs, which gave them ultimate knowledge and control. They were trained for many years, and as apprentice magicians were instructed by masters at special schools and temples. In the House of Life attached to many of the temples the priest-magician would be taught to read and understand the sacred texts. Here the official Books of Magic were kept as part of the royal archive. Magic was thus an integral element of the state system, and magicians were never regarded as “strange” or abnormal. Their activities, whether for the state or for the individual, were part of mainstream belief and practice. It was thought that since they were in direct contact with the architect of the universe and knew the secrets that went back to earliest times, magicians could re-create the conditions of the time of creation. With their unique knowledge the magicians were expected to guide others along the path of wisdom. Although the events of an individual’s life were believed to some extent to be predestined, magic could be used to influence and change the course of destiny and to avoid some of the dangers. .
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Magical Tools and Objects
Two interesting groups of objects have been discovered that clearly belonged to two magicians. One was found in a hole in the floor of a room in a house of Kahun (the pyramid workmen’s town) and included a wooden, masked figurine (representing a magician in a costume with a tail) and a pair of ivory clappers. In the next room there was a full-size cartonnage mask representing the god Bes. It is likely that these items were worn and used by a local magician in some kind of ritual ceremony in which he sought to imitate Bes and take on his magical powers. The other group was discovered in a tomb near to the funerary temple of Ramesses II at Thebes. This probably belonged to a temple priest and was of the same date as the Kahun material (Dynasty 12). It included a wooden box containing papyri; figures in glaze, stone, wood, and metal, which were probably used as substitutes for living persons once they had been magically animated; ivory wands with which magic working circles were delineated; and ivory pieces incised with figures of animals, designed to expel evil forces and capture the animals’ strength and power. These two groups provide a unique opportunity to compare contemporary sets of equipment; one probably belonged to a priest-magician who practiced his art in a temple, while the other was owned by a magician who used his skills to help his community. .
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Magic
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