Ethiopian magic scrolls, also known as healing scrolls, are a unique art form with deep roots in Ethiopian history and culture. These sacred rolls, inscribed on parchment paper, serve as prayers and protective formulas, reflecting a blend of Judeo-Christian traditions and indigenous African beliefs.
This article delves into the history, symbolism, and cultural significance of Ethiopian magic scrolls, exploring their creation, purpose, and enduring legacy.
Ethiopian Magic/Healing Scroll, Gondar, Amhara, Ethiopia, 18th century, Ink on Goat Vellum
Historical Context
Ethiopia has a complex religious history, experiencing Christian rule in the 4th century and increasing Islamic influence in the 8th century. The earliest extant Ethiopian talismanic scrolls date to the 16th century, but are thought to be in use since the 10th century.
There are still extensive models inscribed in Ge’ez, since Ethiopia kept on producing them throughout the 20th century, turning the sacred scrolls into a distinctly Ethiopian art form. However, both in form and in content, Ethiopian scrolls are similar to those of Judeo-Christian traditions, and consistent with other Christian models including Armenian, Assyrian, or Maronite.
Ethiopia entered the imaginations of Europeans by way of Prester John, a supposedly nearly immortal (by way of the Fountain of Youth) ruler and priest of a great Christian kingdom in Ethiopia. In 1441, a delegation from the King of Ethiopia arrived at the Council of Florence, who believed these men to be sent on a mission by the mythical king himself.
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This sparked an intense interest in this figure that lasted throughout the Renaissance. Jesuit missionaries traveled to Ethiopia in the 1550s in an attempt to minister and contact Prester John, though they did not find him. Nevertheless, countless European collectors in the Renaissance would have seen a scroll from Ethiopia as a piece of great importance from the realm of the great ruler himself.
This depiction of Prester John dates to 1558 and is found in an atlas given to Mary I, Queen of England and Ireland.
The Making of a Magic Scroll
The creation of Ethiopian magic scrolls is a deeply symbolic and ritualistic process. The scrolls are typically prepared by dabtara, who are variously described as scribes, cantors, and lay clerics.
The process begins with the selection and sacrifice of an animal, most often goats or sheep, that is selected through astrological reasoning. The client is then bathed in the blood of the animal for the sake of purification and the animal’s skin is then used for the parchment of the scroll. The scroll is made from animal skins, that are prepared by first soaking for several days, drying and stretching, and then repeated scraping, washing, and drying the skin to produce the parchment or vellum.
Ideally, a scroll is made to the same height as the individual it is intended for, although it may be made longer on occasion. The dabtara next draws the images onto the inner side of the scroll, then prayers and other appropriate text are written in black ink. Texts may be chosen based on astrological means, such as the numerical alignment of a name with an astrological sign; in so doing, inks, protective prayers, and talismans may be selected for use in a protective scroll.
Content and Symbolism
The content of Ethiopian magic scrolls is a blend of Christian prayers, biblical verses, and invocations of the Words incarnate, crucified, and resurrected. There’s no magic in the text either, as it consists of Christian prayers, biblical verses, and, above all, invocations of the Words incarnate, crucified, and resurrected.
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The iconography of the scrolls includes important symbols, common colors, and the association between gaze and eyes. Common figures in these scrolls are crosses and a face within an eight-pointed star. The cross is an object of veneration in Ethiopia, separating Christians from Muslims, while the eight-pointed star is a common ancient motif.
According to the respected iconographic code, the archangel armed with his sword is depicted in the super register, and the eyes that ward off the evil eye are placed in the median register. As for the cross of Christ, it always appears in the infer register.
The illustrations of the protective scroll revolve around the expressive power of the angelic eye that wards off the evil eye. As such, the vanishing perspective point does not lie within the painting but rather within the spectator, who becomes an integral part of the scene and the event.
Common Colors in Ethiopian Magic Scrolls:
- Black
- White
- Red
- Blue
- Green
- Yellow
Eyes and the ornamentation around them are frequently rimmed with red.
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Purpose and Use
Ethiopian Magic/Healing Scroll, Gondar, Amhara, Ethiopia, 18th century, Ink on Goat Vellum, 4.875 x 78.5 in, On loan from Michael J. Hobor, class of 1969 - This image depicts the featured image of the scroll on display in the physical exhibition.
Scrolls, though especially their talismans, are used in a variety of ways as part of folk medicine in Ethiopia. As many diseases are believed to be caused by the actions of demons and spirits, protective scrolls are believed to have the power to drive the evil entities out of the afflicted individual.
Some individuals, such as pregnant women, may wear the scroll on a string around their neck or shoulder. Others may place the scroll so that they may gaze upon the illustrations, praying until they feel better.
The scrolls are written in Geʽez, which has few remaining speakers, but is the official liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. To activate the scrolls, a third-party interpreter literate in Geʽez must read the scroll to the afflicted.
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Examples of Ethiopian Magic Scrolls
Several examples of Ethiopian magic scrolls offer insights into their diverse forms and functions:
- Bar-Jul Scrolls: Two Ethiopian scrolls from the Bar-Julius Library (Lebanon) date back to the 19th century. Bar-Jul. Eth. 2 measures 9 × 201 cm, while the size of Bar-Jul. Eth. 3 is 9 × 171 cm. These lengths correspond to the size of the person who used to put them on.
- Healing Scroll: This healing scroll is a parchment scroll that when unrolled, reveals extensive text and images. The scroll consists of three separate pieces of parchment that are stitched together. The healing scroll was likely created for a woman and was meant to enhance her fertility and protect her children.
The text invokes the name of “the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God” and includes many other prayers in order to safeguard the woman and her unborn child from demonic forces. The scroll’s two images also have an amuletic function.
This detail of Alexander the Great comes from a scroll dating to the late 1800s. The full image depicts Alexander on one leg of his journey to paradise.
