Ancient Materia Magica – Bdellium

Sword of Dardanos (PGM IV, 1716-1870)

The Burnt Offering which endows Erosand the whole procedure with soul:

  • Manna: 4 drams
  • Storax: 4 drams
  • Opium: 4 drams
  • Myrrh: [4 drams]
  • Frankincense, Saffron, and Bdella: one-half dram each (…)

Mix this in rich dried fig and blend everythingin equal parts with fragrant wine. Employ itduring the performance. During the performance, first make a burnt offering and (then) use it in this way.
(PGM IV, 1829-1835)

Note: In the Greek magical papyri (PGM), bdellion (βδέλλιον) is also written bdella. Bdella in Greek usually means “leech” but the contexts in the PGM show that it refers to bdellium.

Ancient Materia Magica - Bdellium. Photo: Geethaka99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Infographik: KD Dzwiza, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ancient Materia Magica – Bdellium. Photo: Geethaka99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Infographik: KD Dzwiza, CC BY-SA 4.0