Spellbound: Designed Magic, Spells, and Curses

It’s in human nature to feel protected. Safety is considered an essential and basic requirement in the hierarchy of needs. Humans would not have survived to the modern day if they had not recognized dangerous situations or prioritized safety. But how does this relate to magic? Perhaps incantations help alleviate the stress of being unable to protect oneself from anything from financial hardship to evil spirits. In the same way that humans have historically turned to religion, the existence of something such as a spell comes back to the natural instinct of self-preservation and finding hope.

The first iterations of magical rituals, writings, and objects emerged in Mesopotamia. However, curses, spells, and incantations exist in several different cultures in multiple forms.

One of the types of magic included in this exhibition is known as apotropaic magic. This practice aims to protect a user and whomever they wish to include. Magical utterances, objects, and texts serve as reassurance to individuals and be in charge of situations that would otherwise be out of their control. For example, there was a trend where Ancient Egyptian kings would have protective spells written in their funerary rooms. When these kings died, they had no way of knowing how they would be treated both on earth and in the afterlife. The addition of protective texts in their resting place gives comfort that their bodies would be treated on earth and their souls in the afterlife.

However, other types of magic, usually called a curse, would instead cause misfortune to an individual or group of people.