Wax, Clay, and Figurines: Image Magic in Egyptian Love Spells

Ancient Egypt has long fascinated scholars and laypeople alike with its intricate religious system, elaborate funerary customs, and rich magical traditions. Among the lesser-known yet compelling aspects of Egyptian magic is the use of image magic—particularly wax, clay, and figurines—in the context of love spells. This article explores how Egyptians harnessed the symbolic and performative power of figurines in magical rites aimed at attraction, dominance, and desire.

The Role of Magic in Egyptian Daily Life

Magic, or heka, was not seen as supernatural in ancient Egypt but rather as a natural force that pervaded existence. It was a divinely sanctioned tool that could be wielded by both deities and mortals. Heka was often used in medicine, protection, curse-breaking—and crucially, in affairs of the heart.

Love Spells and Emotional Control

Love spells in Egypt often aimed not merely at inspiring affection but at controlling the will of another. This reflects a complex view of love that included desire, domination, and even coercion. Egyptian love magic involved verbal incantations, written spells, and most importantly, the use of symbolic representations such as figurines made from wax or clay.

Image Magic: Theory and Function

Image magic rests on the belief in sympathetic or mimetic connections between an image and its referent. By manipulating a figure representing a person, the magician could affect that individual in reality. This approach was deeply rooted in Egyptian magical thinking and found expression in funerary rites, execration texts, and erotic incantations.

Materials Used: Wax, Clay, and Other Substances

Two of the most common materials used for figurines in love magic were wax and clay. Each held symbolic importance:

• Wax—Soft and malleable, wax symbolized transformation and impermanence. It was often associated with the lunar cycle and feminine energies.
• Clay—Earthy and foundational, clay had connections to creation (as in the myth of the god Khnum who shaped humans from clay) and permanence when dried or baked.

Other materials sometimes used included bitumen, bread dough, or even animal fat, depending on availability and the desired magical effect.

Ritual Preparation and Activation

The creation of figurines followed ritualized procedures. First, the magician would determine the proper timing—often tied to astrological or lunar calendars. Then, the figurines were molded to represent both the target of the spell and the spell’s caster or commissioner. They might include engraved names or magical symbols.

Animism and Consecration

Once shaped, the figurines were consecrated through spoken spells and sometimes anointed with oils or blood. They were not seen as inert objects but as ensouled representations of the people involved. This animism was crucial to the spell’s efficacy.

Textual Evidence of Love Magic

Numerous surviving papyri and ostraca preserve love spells involving image magic. The most significant sources include the Greek Magical Papyri and various Demotic texts from late antiquity.

The Greek Magical Papyri (PGM)

Compiled in Roman Egypt, the PGM contains numerous spells blending Egyptian, Greek, and Near Eastern traditions. A well-known example is PGM IV.296–466, a spell to compel the love of a woman named Euphemia, which involves creating a wax figure of her, binding it, and reciting incantations to gods like Eros and Anubis.

Demotic Magical Texts

In contrast to the Hellenistic nature of the PGM, the Demotic texts retain more native Egyptian elements. These texts often use clay figurines and invoke deities like Hathor or Bes, the patron of childbirth, music, and love.

A Clay Figurine Love Spell

One Demotic text describes creating a clay figurine of a woman, writing her name on the chest, and burying it near her house to “heat her heart” until she comes to the spell’s caster. The emotional language used suggests not only a desire for union but also a wish for emotional suffering in the target until they capitulate.

Gender Dynamics and Ethical Considerations

While both men and women used love magic, most surviving spells appear to be male-authored or aimed at female targets. This reflects broader gender dynamics of control and possession in ancient societies. Some spells verge on what modern readers might consider emotional coercion or manipulation.

Protective Counter-Magic

Recognizing the threat posed by such spells, Egyptians also developed counter-magical practices. Amulets, household rituals, and purification rites were employed to ward off unwanted magical influence.

Magical Figurines Beyond Love

Though the focus here is on love magic, image-based spells were widely used for revenge, justice, and healing. The concept remained consistent: the figurine acted as a magical proxy, and what was done to it affected the person it represented.

Execration Texts and Curses

These texts often involved inscribing the names of enemies on clay figurines, which were then smashed or burned. The similarity in method to love magic highlights how image magic was a flexible tool—employed for both attraction and destruction.

Legacy and Modern Interpretations

Modern neopagan and magical traditions have revived elements of Egyptian image magic, albeit often decontextualized. Contemporary spells using poppets or wax dolls echo ancient practices, though stripped of their original cosmology and ritual nuance.

Academic Challenges

Understanding these spells today requires sensitivity to both linguistic translation and cultural context. Image magic was not just superstition—it was a sophisticated form of symbolic manipulation and psychological influence embedded in a rich religious worldview.

Conclusion

Egyptian love spells involving wax, clay, and figurines reveal a complex intersection of materiality, belief, and emotion. Far from mere curiosities, these objects were deeply meaningful instruments of magical praxis. Whether used to attract, bind, or inflame, the figurines of ancient Egypt stand as silent yet potent witnesses to the enduring human desire to shape and control the forces of love.

Bibliography

• Betz, Hans Dieter (ed.). The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells. University of Chicago Press, 1992. ISBN: 9780226044477
• Pinch, Geraldine. Magic in Ancient Egypt. University of Texas Press, 1995. ISBN: 9780292765598
• Smith, Mark. Traversing Eternity: Texts for the Afterlife from Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780198154656
• Ogden, Daniel. Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds. Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780195315890
• Ritner, Robert K. The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1993. ISBN: 9780918986434