Binding Words: Textual Amulets in the Middle Ages (Magic in History Series) by Don C. Skemer (The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006) Paperback

Don C. Skemer. Binding Words:Textual Amulets in the Middle Ages, Magic in History Series. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006. Paperback. 327 pages.  Condition: New Description from the publisher: "In the Middle Ages, textual amulets—short texts written on parchment or paper and worn on the body—were thought to protect the bearer against enemies, to heal afflictions caused by demonic invasions, and to bring the wearer good fortune. In Binding Words, Don C. Skemer provides the first book-length study of this once-common means of harnessing the magical power of words. Textual amulets were a unique source of empowerment, promising the believer safe passage through a precarious world by means of an ever-changing mix of scriptural quotations, divine names, common prayers, and liturgical formulas. Although theologians and canon lawyers frequently derided textual amulets as ignorant superstition, many literate clergy played a central role in producing and dissem