Katadesmoi - Greek Curse Tablets

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: jesussa

Are they effective?
Any info about Katadesmoi charms?

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: Anathema_Oracle

Some Greek Curses:

curse tablets were known as defixiones

These curse tablets were thin sheets of lead and copper, sometimes clay, you wrote the curse on them with a nail from a shipwreck (shipwreaks considered potent because the seaman who died were considered not to have a proper burial and therefore still be malicious and active on our plain).

You then wrote or incised your curse on the tablet and stuck a nail through it. The first line you write left to write, then the second line right to left etc. Then as with all attractor style spells you get a persons hair or clothing, wrap the curse around it and chuck it into a deep well, lake or the sea, that way the curse will go to the underworld for demons/malicious spirits to read it and make your horrible dreams come true.

I'm not sure if it's the same thing, but it's the same concept perhaps.

[Occult Forum Archive]

Original post: nebhotep

hi

there are a number of curses to be found in the Greek Magical Papyri

nebhotep

[ΙΟΛΗ7]

Original post: jesussa

Are they effective?
Any info about Katadesmoi charms?

They are not just effective !!!!!! They are devine !!!!!! I have studied a lot about them...also studied a lot about katapassaleuseis (καταπασσαλεύσεις/καταπασσάλευση)...i guess you can find information on the internet about that also !!!!....oh guys i just love my country !!!!!!!!!!! [yay]

defixiones is almost the correct term...doesh't explain 100% all the magic of those rituals !!!!

i'll be back with more info !!!!

[ΙΟΛΗ7]

I just had to add this wonderful info here as an answer to the second post,but i'll need some time to translate my own research about defixiones...so for now,read this...The majority of the surviving curse artefacts are made of lead or lead alloys. Less costly was the popular papyrus and wax alternatives and some others favoured limestone, ceramics, and even semi-precious stones. Thin strips of gold or silver have been discovered on Roman spells limiting anger curses, but these metals were usually reserved for protective amulets or curative medicinal spells.
The apparent popularity of lead for making defixiones has a five-fold explanation.

Lead was one of the cheapest metals available.

It was easy to shape into writing sheets.
It was already a common writing material.
Its cold, weighty, sinister, dull appearance was well suited to its use, and
It was a material that would endure harsh climatic elements.

[Khelric]

According to Daniel Ogden's "Greek and Roman Necromancy", curse tablets were also often a part of necromantic ritual.

Libations in conjunction with a small pit served as an offertory and a summoning circle. After proper rites, the spirit to be contacted would appear from the pit and then be given the tablet. They were told what to do with it (or it was personally placed with the corpse) and were promised to either to be laid (to lay a ghost was to appease its restless spirit, usually by proper burial or vengeance for a murder!) or that their corpse/spirit wouldn't be exploited again and could rest eternally.

Sometimes incubation (a process in which necromancy through dreams occurred by sleep in the crypt or on the tomb) would commence after the tablet was laid with the corpse and the objective of the curse was told in detail to the ghost while conversing in sleep.

[ΙΟΛΗ7]

Dear friend Khelric i think you confused Greek methods with Ancient Egyptian methods...defixiones have nothing to do with Necromancy.

[Ambrosia Rose]

hey ΙΟΛΗ7 can you explain what katapeleusis are? i can't find info on them anywhere online ( at least in english ) and online translaters are failing me pretty hard on this one.