Amulet
An object worn or carried because it is believed to protect its bearer or bring good fortune.
Apotropaic magic: A practice intended to ward off harm or repel evil through symbolic acts or objects. Amulets are among the most widespread objects used to avert danger.
Magic: Practices that seek to influence events through supernatural forces or hidden correspondences. Amulet use often depends on a belief that an object can affect events beyond ordinary physical action.
Eye of Horus: An ancient Egyptian symbol associated with protection, healing, and restoration. It appeared as an amulet intended to protect the living and the dead.
Prehistoric religion: Religious beliefs and practices in human societies before written records. Prehistoric burials and ornaments provide evidence for early objects that may have held protective meaning.
Folk medicine: Health practices and healing knowledge developed and transmitted within communities outside or alongside formal medicine. Amulets have been worn or applied as remedies for illness and injury.
Talisman: An object believed to confer a particular power or benefit on its possessor. The terms overlap, but talismans are often distinguished by attracting benefits rather than warding off harm.
Ritual: A structured sequence of actions performed according to convention, often with symbolic or religious significance. Some amulets gain meaning through their preparation, blessing, or manner of use.
Scarab: A beetle, especially the scarab beetle, represented in ancient Egyptian art and religious symbolism. Scarab-shaped amulets linked protection and renewal with the beetle's life cycle and solar associations.
Ancient Egyptian religion: The beliefs and practices of ancient Egypt, centered on gods, the afterlife, and cosmic order. Egyptian burial goods and everyday jewelry include many objects identified as protective amulets.
Healing ritual: A prescribed symbolic practice intended to restore health or relieve suffering. An amulet can serve as a lasting object within a healing practice.