medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and cultureThanks, 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 cultureOne 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 cultureDear 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?
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