AMULET, a charm, generally, but not invariably, hung from the neck, to protect the wearer against witchcraft, sickness, acci dents, etc. (Late Lat. amuletum, origin unknown). Amulets have been of many different kinds, and formed of different sub stances—stones, metals and strips of parchment being the most common, with or without characters or legends engraved or written on them. Gems have often been employed and greatly prized, serving for ornaments as well as for charms. Certain herbs, too, and animal preparations have been used in the same way. In setting them apart to their use as amulets, great pre cautions have been taken that fitting times be selected, stellar and other magic influences propitious, and everything avoided that might be supposed to destroy or weaken the force of the charm. The belief in the prevalence of occult evil influences engenders trust in amulets and similar preservatives against them. There are references to, and appar ently correctives of, these customs in the Mosaic injunctions to bind portions of the law upon the hand and as frontlets be tween the eyes, as well as write them upon the door-posts and the gates.
Amulets were much used by the ancient Egyptians, among the Greeks and Romans, and in the early Christian Church; hence the emphatic protests of Chrysostom, Au gustine and others against them. Talis man, from the Arabic, is a word of similar use; but while talismans bring good luck or transmit qualities, amulets are preventive. A talisman, whose "virtues are still applied to for stopping blood and in cases of canine madness," gives name to one of Sir Walter Scott's novels.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. See P. F. Arpe, De Prodigiis Naturae et Artis Bibliography. See P. F. Arpe, De Prodigiis Naturae et Artis Operibus Talismanes et Amuleta dictis (1717) ; J. Emele, Ueber Amuletten (1827) ; M. F. Kopp, Palaeographica Critica, vols. iii. and iv. (1829) ; and E. W. Smith and A. M. Dale, The Da Speaking Peoples, vol. i. p. 250 (1920.