Roots Deep in Heaven Indo-Iranian ritual concepts in a cross ...

Velizar Sadovski, Indo-Iranian ritual concepts in a cross-cultural perspective, 18.09.2012 5
7.3. On (Greek) binding spells against competitors s. Chr. FARAONE, ‘The Agonic Context of Early Greek
Binding Spells’, in: Chr. A. FARAONE / D. OBRINK (eds.), Magika Hiera, 1991, 3–32.
● On form variation in the expressions of ‘BIND’ and ‘BONDS’ by using combinations of Cf. further on:
8. Amatory spells:
8.0. Erotic magic – φιλτρο-κατά-δεσμοι from whom to whom:
(A.) Greek evidence: above all, men in pursuit of women, but also other casūs:
1. women in pursuit of men: PGM XV, XVI, XIXb, XXXIX; DT 100, 230; GAGER no. 18.
2. women in pursuit of women: PGM XXXII; Jordan, ‘A Survey of Greek Defixiones…’ [SGD], Greek,
Roman and Byzantine Studies 26, 1985, 151;
3. men in pursuit of men: PGM XXXIIa; GAGER no. 25 ? ;
4. recipes to deliver men or women; PGM I, line 98; IV, line 2089; and GAGER no. 31.
(B.) Indian evidence:
1. men in pursuit of women: e.g., AVŚ. 2,30; 6,8; 6,77; 6,89 etc. etc.
2. women in pursuit of men: e.g., AVŚ. 6,130; 6,130; 6,60; 6,132...
8.1. Binding in amatory spells:
8.1.1. Greek tradition – almost always, (κατα-)δέω; also, κατ-έχω (Κάτ-οχος), on tablets: κατα-γράφω
● (GUARDUCCI, Epigrafia greca IV; GAGER 158f.): I record (κατα-γράφω) Isias, the daughter of Autoclea, with
Hermes the Restrainer. Restrain her near you. I bind (κατα-δέω) Isias before Hermes the Restrainer (Κατοχος)
— the hands, the feet of Isias, the whole body.
● Rich in spells for revenge for love rejection, cf. VERSNEL, Fs. Burkert, WINKLER, The constraints of Desire.
8.1.2. Indian – e.g., ápi + dyati:
● A pair of binding-and-unbind hymns – AVŚ. 6,138: to make the beloved (!) man impotent, and 4,4: to give
him his potency back, if he remains bound to the curser (!).
● AVŚ. 4,37,7:
ānr̥ ́tyataḥ śikhaṇḍíno
gandharvásyāpsarāpatéḥ |
bhinádmi muṣkā́ uv ápi + WL 1,212 (cf. also R. SENEVIRATNE, in prep.):
7. Of the hither-dancing, crested
Gandharva, Apsaras-lord,
dyāmi śépaḥ ||7||
I split the testicles, I bind fast (?) the member.
8.2. Seizing the mind and senses of the ‘beloved’ person – again, just like in hymns against enemies:
● AVŚ. 3,25,3–6: erotic spell.
● AVŚ. 6,94,2 – ‘defixio hostilis’ (GRABH i ):
aháṃ gr̥ bhṇāmi mánasā mánāṃsi
2. I seize [your] minds with [my] mind;
máma cittám ánu cittébhir éta |
come after my intent with [your] intents;
máma váśeṣu hr̥ ́dayāni vaḥ kr̥ ṇomi
I put your hearts in my control;
máma yātám ánuvartmāna éta ||2||
come with [your] tracks following my motion (WL).
8.3. “Corporeal binding”: lists of body parts in amatory spells (ā ́ + DĀ1; GRABH i ):
AVP. 2,35,3–4
yathā surā yathā madhu
yathākṣā adhidevane |
yathā ha gavyato mana
evā mām abhi te manaḥ ||3||
ā te padaṃ padenādiṣy
ā te manasā manaḥ |
pratyañcam agrabhaṃ tvā-
-aśvam ivāśvābhidhānyā ||4||
Like the Surā, like(/and) the honey (belong together)
like the dice (aim) at the playing board,
like the thought of a desirous (man),
so (let) your thought (aim) at me.
Your footprint has been taken by (a / my) footprint,
your thought has been taken by (a / my) thought,
I seized you as one turned to me (/ “frontally”),
as a horse by the horse-halter.
8.4. Further φιλτρο-κατά-δεσμοι – erotic(izing) prayers, amulets, pharmaka, technologies:
● Greek: J. J. Winkler, ‘The constraints of Eros’, in: FARAONE – OBBINK (eds.), Magika Hiera, 220ff.
● Indian evidence: BLOOMFIELD, AV.; J. MODI, Amulets.
8.5. Separation curse, Trennungszauber:
● Indian evidence: e.g., AVP. 2,58 – Separation of a woman from a man:
vi vāṃ yantu hr̥ dayāni
vi cittāni manāṃsi ca |
atho yat tanvoḥ saṃgataṃ
tad vām astu vidūrakam ||5||
asti vai vāṃ viduvikam
ubhau śayane antarā |
viṣvañcau pary ā vartethāṃ
yathā vāṃ na sahāsati ||6||
5. The hearts of you two shall go asunder/apart, asunder/
apart the intentions and the thoughts; and then that
of the two bodies which has been united, that of you
may be wide asunder/apart.
6. (Now) there is a separation in bed between you two:
turn (‘yourself’) in different directions, so that there will
be no (more) together(ness) (ZEHNDER 130–134; cf. ibid.
comm. J. HOUBEN: deconstruction of the last verse of the
RV, in the hymn about harmony [Eintrachtslied], to disharmony!).
● Greek evidence: separation of a woman from a man (and vice cersa); separation of two men.
– Separation of a woman from a man: