Homer wrote about it, apparently Pericles dabbled in it. Love magic took many shapes. Today about the most radical, that is, strongly erotic spells cast by men against women, women against men, women against women and men against men. Adults only.
Let's start with Hermejas, son of Hermiones. This ordinary Egyptian, desperate for the lack of interest from his beloved heart, one Tigerus, wrote the following magic formula on a papyrus:
Anubis, god of earth and the underworld and heaven, Psie, Psie, Psie, gather all your strength and power against Tigerus, Sofia's daughter:stop with her shoe, with her common sense and modesty. Bring her to me, to my feet, burning with lust, at every hour of the day and night.
Always whether she eats or drinks, works, talks, rests, lies in her sleep, let her think of me until she comes, smacked by you, hungry for me, for with full hands, abundant being to give himself and everything that is for her as a gift; , pressing the womb to the womb, the pupil to the pupil, from where so great pleasure.
Surprised? There is absolutely no reason. In ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, magic and fortune-telling flourished. In the Roman Empire, the law of the twelve tables mentioned magic. When it was about witchcraft, it had to be about sex as well. Of all the preserved archaeological sources related to magic and divination, as many as one-third concern love spells.
The lips are silent, the papyrus speaks eloquently
This kind of witchcraft was most often practiced by the weak - the poor, the lower class, rejected, unhappily in love. Their spells radiate lust, jealousy, hatred, contempt and pride. All this is enriched with very juicy details and remarkably vivid comparisons.
The already quoted Hermejas was not afraid to give his name on the papyrus, but not everyone was equally brave. Many spells featured something like our "NN", and their creators apparently hoped that a mighty deity, or other supernatural being, would be able to figure out who it was on its own.
"Bring, bind NN, so that she loves, longs, wants ... and that she clings her body to her body, and that she brings her thigh to the thigh." Do I need to add anything?
Bring, bind NN so that she loves, longs, wants NN, for I beseech you, demon, on the terrible, great Iaeo [...] that you bring NN to me and that put her face to her face and bring her mouth to her mouth and let her body stick to the body and bring her thigh to the thigh and combine black with black and fulfill her love work with me , NN, for all eternity.
Details can be very important…
It was possible to go a step further and, following the example of a certain Theodore, not only use witchcraft to force the desired woman to love him. Magic words written in ink on a vessel buried in the cemetery were not only meant to attract her, but also to prevent her from having sex with everyone but the mentioned one.
In order for the summoned demons to know exactly what to prevent, Theodore listed it in detail ...
I urge all the demons of this place to come to the aid of this spirit. Rise for me from the rest that holds you [...] and bring back, bind with a spell the Matrona that Tagene bore, from which you have this particle - the hair from her head - so that she does not have [vaginal], anal or oral intercourse so that she does not make love to another, nor connect with any other man , only Theodore, who was born by Techosis, and never let Matron [...] be strong, enjoy health and sleep night or day without Theodorus, who was born by Techosis [...] , and sleep depriving the Matrona [...] that Theodore, born of Techosis, means, who loves him day and night.
The famous Turin papyrus, also known as the "erotic papyrus". Daily life of the ancient Egyptians in all its glory.
Ammonion son of Hermitaris wrote in equal detail:
I implore you, Teodotis, daughter of Eus, for a snake's tail, for a crocodile's mouth, for a ram's horns, for wasp venom, for a cat's whisker, never have intercourse with any man, whether in front or behind, or suckle him; that you would have no pleasure with anyone but me and only with me , Ammonion son of Hermitaris […].
Let Teodotis, daughter of Eus, try no more man but me, Ammonion, and let [me] be submissive as a slave, let her mad with lust, let her fly in the air looking for Ammonion son of Hermitaris; let the thigh be close to the thigh, keep the genitals close to the genitals, let them continue in lifelong intercourse.
Straight, homo, witchcraft and… everything is clear
People unhappily in love, rejected or betrayed also resorted to magic. Most often, the spell was to separate lovers or spouses and make them disgust one another. Alternatively, extinguish the flame of their feelings and push one of them into the arms of the conjurer. And no, gender and orientation didn't matter. Sometimes it was only necessary to enumerate parts of the body, as in a goblet cast on a homosexual couple, found on a plaque in the Greek Argolis ...
I reverse Euboles
from Aineas
from his face
from his eyes,
from his mouth,
from his breast,
from his soul,
from his belly,
from its member,
from his buttocks,
from all over his body.
I turn Euboles over
from Aineas.
Love (pornography?) In Roman. A famous painting straight from Pompeii.
Love spells aimed at attaching the desired person were often written in blunt language, not to say vulgar. Their authors used comparisons that can be boldly considered offensive both then and today. Apparently they were sticking to the principle that in love and in war all tricks were allowed. If bluntness added power to the magic of an ordinary formula, why not?
We came to you today, we entrusted you with NN, the daughter of NN
To give her your food
so that there is honey in it,
manna on her tongue,
that she would like me like the sun,
to love me like the moon
so that it clings to me like a drop clings to a jug,
to be like a bee looking for honey,
like a prowling female dog,
like a cat wandering from house to house,
like a mare going under a stallion mad with excitement,
right now, right now, for all the powers of the underworld!
Finally, we remind you - we are not messing about, we only cite historical sources.