The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-08-16
ALL JEWELRY ONCE AMULETS
Originally Connected with Various
Magical Practices.


All jeWeiry was worn originally as
an1ulcts o. connected in some way
with The magical practices and super
St;tionS OF unc;vilizcd progcnitnrS
says the Chicago Chronicle. acc"rd-
ing 20 Prof. Rdg"way. who recently
delivered lecture before the Brit
i>l1 association for the advanccnen5
OF SCIENCE
Most people have the idea that he
wearing OF jewelry originated in q lv
sire 10 display gems or minerals Of
unusual value. the professor said No
doubt that impulse had its influence.
but it does not account for the Gus
tom entirely. The wearing OF bau-
bles has also been laid TO the score
Of the vanity OF the fair sex.
The morsel OF quartz glit!ered pref
tily as she passed. it was thought. and
BY natural instinct she was moved
TO gather it up. to string it upon a
slender strip OF hide Tor a necklace
Small stones OF peculiar form. color
or properties we're. he says consider
ed mirac!e-working long before they
were adopted as ornaments.
In Australia and New Guinea crys-
tails are used for rain-rlaking. al
though the natives can not pertorate
them for use as ornaments. In Cgan-
da these same rock crystals are fas-
tened into leather ard worn as ANU
lets.
In Africa the sorcerer carries a
small bag OF pebbles as an essential
part OF his equipment. Modern
cylindrical glass beads are descended
from the beryl and quartz crystal.
Babylonian cylinders, Egyptian scar
abs and Nycenaean gems are not. as
has been generally supposed. pr;ma7-
:ly Signets. but aln!ilcts.
Ancient writings give clear &C
count OF the special virtue OF each
stone. and it is plain that they acted
chiefly by sympathetic ragic-that
IS. green jasper and tree agateS made
the vegetation grow. etc. Mithridates
had whole cabine, O: gems as anti
dotes to poison.
To enhance the natural power OF
the stone device was cut Oh it-that
is the AbraNaS cit OH green Jas
per the Specia! amulet Of the Gnostics
The use OF the stone ior sealing was
simply secondary and may have
arisen first Tor sacred purposes.
Cowrie shells are worn as amulets
by the modern savages in Africa.
Similar shells were wor', =. StraboS :
time to keep off the evil eye. Red
coral was a potent amulet TO the sea
iarer, as it is at the present day in
Mediterranean lands Ii powdered
it kept rusr from the grain.
Pearls are still potent medicine
in China. Seeds OF paints have magic
properties the banana seed having es-
pecially value in Uganda. Claws
Of lions are such important amuletA
OF Africa that they are quite generally
counterfeited.
So with the teeth Of jackals. which
are initiated in wood il the real Thing
is not to be had.
When gold first became known it
was regarded exactly as the stones
mentioned above. Thus the Debae.
an Arab tribe which did not wori;
gold, but had an abundance IN ,hei:
land. used only the nuggets. stringing
them for necklaces alternately with
perforated stones.
Magnets iron and hematite were
particularly priced, the belief being
that the former was endowed with
living spirit. 1t is thus clear that the
use of ali objects still employed in
modern ;ewelry has arisen primarily
from the magical powers attributed
to protect the wearer, says the new
theorist.