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| Athame From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. An athame or athamé is a ceremonial black-handled knife, one of several magical tools used in Wicca; other forms of modern craft have since adopted the term for various ritual knives. It is variously pronounced /ˈæ.θə.meɪ/, /ə.ˈθeɪ.miː/, etc. A black-handled knife called an athame appears in certain versions of the Key of Solomon, a grimoire originating in the Middle Ages. The athame is first mentioned in the writings of Gerald Gardner in the 1950s, who claimed to have been initiated into a surviving tradition of the craft called Wicca. The athame was their most important ritual tool, which had many uses, but was not to be used for actual physical cutting. There has been speculation that Gardner's interest and expertise in antique swords and knives, and in particular the magical kris knives of Malaysia and Indonesia, may have contributed to the tool's central importance in modern Wicca Appearance An athame can take many forms. It frequently has a double-edged blade with a sharp point, and a handle which is often black. The handle may be inscribed with particular symbols dictated by the tradition. Janet and Stewart Farrar in their "Bible" suggest that the point of an athame be dulled so as to prevent un-intended physical harm during ritual use. In "eclectic" forms of the craft the handle decorations range from astrological glyphs to runes, the symbols being chosen by the owner. Many fantasy-themed athames are also available from medieval and neopagan supply shops. Use The athame's primary use is for ritual and magical purposes only, to direct energy; if things such as herbs or cords need to be cut, another knife called a boline - a white-handled knife - is used. An exception is the "kitchen craft" philosophy, which actively encourages the use of magical tools for mundane purposes to increase the witch's familiarity with them. An athame may be employed in the demarcation of the Magic Circle rite. As a masculine principle, it is often used in combination with the chalice, as feminine principle, evoking the act of procreation, as a symbol of universal creativity. This is a symbol of the Great Rite in Wiccan rituals. Some modern craft traditions may prefer not to use iron blades, instead preferring alternatives such as copper, bronze or wood. This is most common amongst traditions that have a particular fondness of the Sidhe, to whom iron is supposedly harmful. Associations Many traditions associate the athame with the masculine principle and with the element of either air or fire. Janet and Stewart Farrar suggested this difference is due to the Golden Dawn releasing false information in the hopes of preventing its rituals being used in the correct way. They add that a wiccan should always choose the association which seems the most correct to them. Touching another person's athame without permission is considered an intrusion of the owner's personal space. Acquisition There are rituals of consecration for a newly acquired athame, be it new, or acquired from another person. When purchasing a knife for this purpose (or any ritual tool) it is considered important never to haggle over the price. Etymology Extract from a C16th version of the Key of Solomon. Note the Bolino (Boline) top left, Artavo (athame) below it.There is no proven etymology for this word, which does not appear in any European language. A ritual knife from the Key of Solomon (not however the main 'black-handled knife') is named in various manuscripts artavo, artavus, arthana, artanus, arthany or arthame. Idries Shah, who was personal secretary and close friend of Gerald Gardner, provides an etymology from an alleged Arabic al-dhammé "blood-letter", which was supposed to be the ritual knife of a medieval magical cult of Morocco and Andalusia. This etymology is controversial, however. It appears in his book The Sufis as a quote from A History of Secret Societies by Arkon Daraul (a probable pseudonym of Shah). Robert Graves (an acquaintance of Shah) suggests an Arabic derivation from al thame (or adh-dhame), which he translates as "the arrow". A Latin manuscript version of the Key of Solomon has a drawing that looks like a sickle, labelled Artavo. It is possible that Gardner's use of 'athame' come from reading from modern French versions of the same text which read "arthane" or "arthame". Historical parallels The Malay kris is a ritual knife regarded as having magical powers, and Gerald Gardner was a recognised authority on these knives prior to his involvement in Wicca. The Roman secespita was a ritual knife, however, it was used for sacrifice. Boline This Boline is a simple clasp-knife with a sharp steel blade and a bone handle.In Wicca the boline (also spelled bolline) is a white-handled ritual knife, one of several magical tools used in Wicca. Unlike the athame, which in most traditions is never used for actual physical cutting, the boline is used for cutting cords and herbs, carving candles, etc. It has a small, straight or crescent-shaped blade and a handle which is traditionally white in colour. The boline has been adopted by several other modern forms of the craft including Eclectic Wicca. Among these later traditions opinions vary as to whether the boline is truly a magical tool or is merely of utilitarian purpose. Sometimes a knife called a kirfane (spellings vary) is used, for roughly the same purposes as the boline. This is similar to the name Kirpan traditionally given to the sacred dagger of the Sikh religion. The sickle from the Key of Solomon.According to the Kitchen Craft philosophy, the use of magical tools for mundane purposes like cooking is actively encouraged, and as such there is little or no need for a boline as a separate tool from the athame. Some traditions, such as that of Robert Cochrane, also prescribe the use of a single knife for both ritual and practical purposes. |
| The sickle from the Key of Solomon. |
| Various representations Athames and Bolines From the Key of Solomon: The Artano and Bolino are top left of the image. Many of the bolines advertised in on-line 'magick shops' have a characteristic crescent shape, and are described as being for harvesting herbs. This crescent shape is reminiscent of the sickle described in the Key of Solomon, a medieval grimoire which is one of the sources for modern Wicca.. Confusingly, an Italian version of the Key of Solomon has a hook-shaped knife called an artano (a possible root for athame) and a straight, needle-shaped blade called a bolino. When the name 'boline' was first used to describe the crescent-shaped blade is not clear. |
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