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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Many thanks to all for your very helpful references! As for my speech, the European medieval properties of crystal do not seem to offer a suitable metaphor in the context, but I think I've found something "usable" in Hindu lapidaries: according to Mircea Eliade, the Hindu tradition considered crystal as an "unripe" diamond. Thanks again for your help :) Marjorie On 10 September 2013 23:15, Genevra Kornbluth <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > Thanks, Jim! Here's what I sent this morning to Mediev-L: > > Sorry not to get to this right away-- but it's been interesting to see who > else out there works on crystal! > There is one good secondary source that will give you most of what you > need: > Gerda Friess, *Edelsteine im Mittelalter : Wandel und Kontinuität in > ihrer Bedeutung durch 12 Jahrhunderte in Aberglauben, Medizin, Theologie > und Goldschmiedekunst* (Hildesheim : Gerstenberg Verlag, 1980). > A large part of the book is devoted to charts on each stone, setting out > who said what when about color and properties. > For the early medieval period, the healing and apotropaic properties of > crystal are clearly referenced in the material record-- see e.g. on my web > site http://www.kornbluthphoto.com/HistoricalPendants3.html . (Also, for > other images that may be of use for your talk, see multiple pages for rock > crystal linked from http://www.kornbluthphoto.com/Gemstones.html .) Such > properties are most fully referenced in the *Orphic Lapidary* (*Les > Lapidaires grecs*, ed. Robert Halleux and Jacques Schamp, Paris 1985). Of > crystal, the *OL* says that it can kindle fire; "This is what the > Ancients called 'sacred fire'. You will not need to wait, I think, for > flames of another sort to burn with greater effectiveness the thighs that > offer such joy to the immortal gods. And also bound around the kidneys it > relieves suffering." I will argue in my next book that linguistic evidence > points to interest in the protective powers of gems (including crystal) > among people outside the Empire. The *Life of Columba* written before 704 > mentions healing via a white stone that I interpret as crystal. *Bald's > Leechbook* says that "The white stone is good for stitch and flying > venom, and for all strange mishaps." In the ninth century, texts more > commonly reference the allegorical significance of crystal (innocence, > purity, miraculous transformation), than its healing powers. > Others have provided some good sources for later centuries-- but again, > you will find most of these charted in Friess. Incidentally, I have found > no crystal examples among the many childbirth amulets (with explicit > imagery) of the Abrasax group (mostly 3rd-6th c.). > For the classic articulation of the petrified ice theory, see Pliny, *Natural > History* xxxvii, 9-10. > best, > Genevra > > > On 9/10/2013 4:56 PM, James Bugslag wrote: > > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > One of the best people I can think of in the world to answer this is our > very own Genevra Kornbluth. Are you there Genevra? > Cheers, > Jim > > ------------------------------ > *From:* medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious > culture [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Marjorie Burghart > [[log in to unmask]] > *Sent:* September 9, 2013 5:55 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* [M-R] Properties of crystal? > > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and > culture > Dear list members, > > For a little speech I must deliver, I am trying to find the virtues > attributed to crystal in the Middle Ages. I have read that it was thought > to be petrified ice, and that it healed some sort of abdominal pains. > But I have also found mentions, without clear reference, of crystal > facilitating the delivery at childbirth. Would you know of medieval > references for this virtue? > > With my best regards, > Marjorie > > ********************************************************************** To > join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: > [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: > unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to > report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] For further information, visit > our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion > ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: unsubscribe medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/medieval-religion