Chthonic Spells
Ancient Greeks often cast spells against personal rivals, but they also used spells to prevent acts of injustice against their communities:
“What motives induced persons to have recourse to a curse? The most common is the wish to punish or (by threat with punishment) prevent acts of injustice against or infringement of private or communal interests” (Versnel 2016: 456)
Pretend that you believed in the power of ancient Greek chthonic spells (katadesmoi; singular katadesmos). Pick a public figure (a celebrity, politician, a world leader, a CEO, etc.) who you think is using their fame and influence to cause harm to our society or to a vulnerable group in our society. Draft a spell that will make this public figure less famous and influential—and so less able to cause harm. Then inscribe the spell on a tablet; the best material to use is folded aluminum foil (more on this below).
Two important rules: (1) Do not formulate the spell to harm or injure the target, Remember that the worst (make-believe) outcome of the spell should be to make the target into an ordinary, private citizen without any special fame or influence.
Step 1: Formulate the spell
Write out a draft of your spell. A chthonic spell usually included three basic elements:
(1) Start with verbs of “restraining” in the first-person voice (“I”). These verbs declare how the spell is supposed to affect the target of the spell. They have a metaphorical and magical meaning (not a literal meaning): they mean that the target will be “restrained” from harming the person who makes the spell. Common verbs include “I restrain,” “I hold back,” “I register,” “I set down,” “I bind,” and “I consign.” Put together two or three of these verbs, like “I register and restrain….”
(2) Name the target or targets of the spell as the object of the verbs. The inscriptions often mention just the first name of the target, but they can also include the patronymic (the Greek equivalent of the last/family name) and the place of birth. If the target has any close associates (cronies, partners in crime), you could include them after the main target, either by name or collectively (“and anyone who aides X”).
(3) Name the chthonic gods who are supposed to carry out the spell. You can name specific gods (especially Hermes; also Persephone, Demeter, Hades, Hecate, Earth, and the Erinyes), and/or you can refer to the chthonic gods collectively as “the ones below.” Use at least a couple names/expressions for these gods. The chthonic gods are either …
(a) connected directly to the verb of restraining with the phrase “in the presence of…” (“I bind Aristaichmos in the presence the ones below” or “I bind Pythoteles in the presence of Hermes”);
(b) or you can mention the gods in a separate sentence as the recipients of the “letter” that you’re writing (i.e., the inscription of the spell): e.g., “I am sending this letter to Hermes and Persephone.”
Put these three elements together in a way that seems effective to you. If you start out with a simple expression (“I register and restrain X before Hermes and the ones below”), you can then add on more complicated embellishments. For instance, you can repeat the verbs of restraining, compose several sentences with different targets, and randomly invoke the chthonic gods (“O lord Hermes”). You can also give the chthonic gods epithets (“Hermes the restrainer”). You can restrain “the works” or the “hopes” of the target. You can throw in some wishes related to the spell (“let X be powerless to do harm,” “let X be of no account”). For examples of real katadesmoi, see below at the end of this doc.
Step 2: Plan your inscription
Sketch out your inscription in pen or pencil before inscribing it. Imitate the graphic style of the Greek katadesmos tablets:
(1) Greek script in this period had only uppercase letters and lacked punctuation marks. Use this same spelling style in English – all caps, no punctuation.
(2) Some inscriptions deliberately reverse the order of letters in some words (“of letters ni emos sdrow”) or write the letters backwards to make the text seem “spooky,” like the Chthonic gods themselves. Use a few misspellings and reversed words.
(3) You can organize the text of the inscription into a single paragraph, or you can divide it into several columns. You can also flip the tablet upside down when you write the second column, so that the columns run in opposite directions. Some inscriptions run in circles or spirals around the tablet.
Step 3: Inscribe the spell
To make the physical tablet, you’ll need (1) aluminum foil and (2) a “stylus” to write with (a ballpoint pen, dull pencil, or mechanical pencil work well). Fold the aluminum foil two or three times so that the sheet has at least four layers—see the picture below for an example. You can then etch your inscription on the surface of the folded foil. It’s useful to put the foil on a flat, solid surface when you’re making the inscription. Make sure that you’ll have enough room to fit the inscription on the tablet. Example is attached
Step 4: Explain your design
Write at least 300 words explaining your choices. Focus on why you chose the target of the spell, how you chose the particular language in your spell, and any design details that you want to explain.
