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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

A list of Spells from the PGM

PGM Spell Notes
PGM III. 1-164 Spell to deify a cat by drowning and make into a talisman/idol. Hekate is invoked together with Hermes and even as a syncretic Hermekate.
PGM IV. 1390-1495 Love spell performed in necromantic setting (with the help of “those who have died a violent death”). Invoked by herself (also as Hekate-Persephone) for three days while making the initial offering at the place of death. Later invoked with many other  Chthonic deities for a secondary offering.
PGM IV. 2006-2125 Necromantic spell to bind a spirit of the dead to service. Hekate is drawn on a flax leaf “with three heads and six hands, holding torches in her hands, on the right side of her face having the head of a cow; and on the left side the head of a dog; and in the middle the head of a maiden with sandals bound on her feet.”
PGM IV. 2241-2358 Hymn to the Waning moon. Though not mentioned directly, the hymn is without a doubt to Hekate (as Hekate-Selene) given the epithets, symbolism, and nominae magicae. 
PGM IV. 2441-2621 This spell is actually a series of smaller “slander” spells (of attraction, to send sickness, to destroy an enemy, to send dreams to others, and to procure a dream oracle). Hekate is invoked in the offering that precedes all the other spells. Here she is syncretized with Artemis, Persephone, Selene, and Aphrodite.
PGM IV. 2622-2707 Another spell similar to PGM IV 2441-2621. “For it attracts in the same hour, it sends dreams, it causes sickness, produces dream visions, removes enemies when you reverse the spell, however you wish.”  The phylactery for the spell is a heart-shaped magnetite carved with “Hekate lying about the heart, like a little crescent.”
PGM IV. 2708-2784 Full moon hymn. In this case the petition is to secure the affections of a lover, but could be used for any form of petition or prayer. Hekate is once again identified with Artemis, Persephone and Selene.
PGM IV. 2785-2890 Another hymn accompanying lunar offerings. Hekate is again associated with Artemis, Persephone and Selene. In this hymn there is a distinct Chaldean nature to Hekate who amongst omnipotent and cosmic imagery is called forth as “Mother of all things.” A protective charm accompanies this rite, it is to be a lodestone carved with ” a three-faced Hekate. And let the middle face be that of a maiden wearing horns, and  the left face that of a dog, and the one on the right that of a goat.”
PGM IV. 2943-2966 Love spell to cause a lover to “lie awake for me for all eternity”. In this spell it appears that  Iope (Cassiopeia) is called forth to perform the deed through the authority and power of Hekate.
PGM XII. 1-13 The maiden of the spell is Persephone; however that she appears at a crossroads holding two torches speaks to Hekate. This is an odd spell as the magician coerces the goddess by extinguishing her torches and only promising to relight them upon the petition being granted.
PGM LXX. 4-25 Spell titled “Charm of Hekate Ereschigal agains fear of punishment.” As stated in the title, the spell identifies Hekate with the Babylonian underworld goddess Ereschigal. Seems like two disjoint spells in one. The first is to avert being caught by authorities, the second is to cause insomnia on a target.
PGM XCIII. 1-6 Fragment, likely of a spell to acquire favor and victory. Mentions Hekate along with an blood offering.
PGM CXIV. 1-14 Fragment of a protection spell from evil attacks and epileptic fits. Hekate mentioned, though her role is uncertain.
PGM CXVII. Fragment of historical significance. It is is likely one of the earlier papyri of the collection and speaks to an already well established syncretic Greek and Egyptian tradition. Thought to be a love spell mentioning Hekate.
The following table lists the epithets used for Hekate in her various forms throughout the PGM (i.e. Hekate-Selene, Hekate-Artemis, Hekate-Persephone, etc.). The epithets are only listed once per spell, so even if an epithet occurs multiple times in one invocation it will only be listed once. However, if the same epithet is used in multiple spells it will be listed in each so that we can see how frequent certain epithets are across spells. There are no epithets listed for PGM IV. 2006-2125 since the invocations are all nominae magicae and all direct references to Hekate are in the construction of the phylactery. Nor are any epithets listed from the fragmented papyri (PGM XCII, PGM CXIV, PGM CXVII). The epithets were taken from the Preisendanz edition of the PGM and cross-referenced with the LMPG and the LSJ; most of these -and versions thereof – have been published by modern scholars and can be found elsewhere online.

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