4326 – Holy Wafers

Physical description:

Three round pieces of holy wafer (not consecrated), with a charm written on them, fixed to a display card with an explanation of their use in magic.

Museum classification:

Magic in Christianity

Size:

30 diam each wafer

Information:

These pieces of wafer were purchased from a church supplies store for a display illustrating the use of holy wafers in magic at the time of the witch hunts.

The display card they are attached to reads: 'Holy wafers were often put in farm buidlings and even beehives to protect the animals from harm. They were also used for healing, as Reginald Scot describes in his book 'The Discovery of Witchcraft' (1584): "Charms against a quotidian ague [malaria]. Paint upon three pieces of a mass-cake, Pater pax + Adonai + filius vita + sabbaoths + spiritus sanctus + Tetragrammaton + and eat it."'

 

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Wafer

Copyright ownership:

MWM

These pieces of wafer were purchased from a church supplies store for a display illustrating the use of holy wafers in magic at the time of the witch hunts.

The display card they are attached to reads: 'Holy wafers were often put in farm buidlings and even beehives to protect the animals from harm. They were also used for healing, as Reginald Scot describes in his book 'The Discovery of Witchcraft' (1584): "Charms against a quotidian ague [malaria]. Paint upon three pieces of a mass-cake, Pater pax + Adonai + filius vita + sabbaoths + spiritus sanctus + Tetragrammaton + and eat it."'