Amulets

[JM]

I've noticed in some history books that the Orthodox at one time used an Amulet with an icon inside. Can anyone explain what this is about, the practice or what it means?

Here's what I found on the net:
Hand Made Greek Orthodox Amulets, Pendants, Lockets ( filakto in Greek ) a traditional small good luck charm to prevent from the evil, made in the Greek Orthodox Monasteries. http://www.oramaworld.com/index.php/cPath/9048/c/Orthodox_Amulets.html

 

[Julio]

Dear Street Preacher,

It is my understanding that these "phylakti" are a pious Christian counterpart to the "phylacteries" worn by (Orthodox) Jews on their forehead and upper left arm even to this day. As you undoubtedly know, these contain miniature scrolls on which the Shema and other Pentateuchal quotations (chiefly Exodus 13) are written, and are in fact not an amulet, but rather, a physical way to keep the Law near the heart commanded by God himself (cfr. Deuteronomy 6). Since Christ, the Word of God, is the fulfillment of the Law, and since for Orthodox, his icon is a radical affirmation that the Word became incarnate, it made sense in the minds of many pious people that the phylacteries of the Jews would find their fulfillment in such "phylakti", which enclose, rather than the commandment of the Law, the precious icon of the Incarnate Word, who is the Passover Lamb that crucified the Law.

Unfortunately, the "traditional good luck charm to prevent from evil" bit is simply a piece of terribly misguided "folk theology", but not too far removed from the people who keep those little Gideon New Testaments in their pockets, glove compartments and purses as if they were some kind of lucky charm, but without ever opening them up to read the Word.

I hope this is helpful to you!

With love in Christ,
Julio

[I forgot to mention when I posted earlier that, unlike the phylacteries of the Jews, which are quite visibly worn externally, a "phylakto" is worn hidden, taking to heart the criticism of our Lord, who said of the Pharisees: "But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge borders of their garments..." (St. Matthew 23:5).]

 

[Suzannah]

Dear Street Preacher,

It is my understanding that these "phylakti" are a pious Christian counterpart to the "phylacteries" worn by (Orthodox) Jews on their forehead and upper left arm even to this day. As you undoubtedlty know, these contain miniature scrolls on which the Shema and other Pentateuchal quotations are written, and are in fact not an amulet, but rather, a physical way to keep the Law in the heart, and were in fact commanded by God himself (cfr. Deuteronomy 6). Since Christ, the Word of God, is the fulfillment of the Law, and since for Orthodox, his icon is a radical affirmation that the Word became incarnate, it made sense in the minds of many pious people that the phylacteries of the Jews would find their fulfillment in such "phylakti", enclosing the precious icon of the Incarnate Word, who is the Passover Lamb that crucified the Law, rather than the commandment of the Law.

Unfortunately, the "traditional good luck charm to prevent from evil" bit is simply a piece of terribly misguided "folk theology", but not too far removed from the people who keep those little Gideon New Testaments in their pockets, glove compartments and purses as if they were some kind of lucky charm, but without ever opening them up to read the Word.

I hope this is helpful to you!

With love in Christ,
Julio

An excellent post so I quoted it to preserve it for posterity! I think that oramaworld is not owned by Orthodox Christians and some of the items they have on their site are really badly explained....

Also, WRT "folk theology" we can find this everywhere that there are human beings. Witness the "Prayer of Jabez" craze of a few years ago....

 

[Oblio]

The thing that set alarms off for me was the 'Electric Vigil Oil Lamps' that they have for sale

Was it Никола Тесла in 18th c Russia ? Am thinking not !!

It does look like they have some good items for sale, though I would buy from a Monastery or 'Orthodox' shop first.

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

The thing that set alarms off for me was the 'Electric Vigil Oil Lamps' that they have for sale

Was it Nickolai Tesla in 18th c Russia ? Am thinking not !!

It does look like they have some good items for sale, though I would buy from a Monastery or 'Orthodox' shop first.

Is that the site that has those nasty brightly colored pro-Western pseudo-icons?

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Is that the site that has those nasty brightly colored pro-Western pseudo-icons?

YEP:

 

[Suzannah]

Personally I vote for this as the Eyebrow Raiser on that site:

Our very own "Aladdin" lamps!!!!

 

[Julio]

The thing that set alarms off for me was the 'Electric Vigil Oil Lamps' that they have for sale

Yeah, whodda thunk that oil would actually burn with electricity, right?

Was it Nickolai Tesla in 18th c Russia ? Am thinking not !!

IS OUTRAGE! You are to be missing point. The TRUE golden age of the Orthodoxy in the UNIVERSE is being the 19TH CENTURY RUSSIA! 18th century was okay, I am guessing. But was it Peter the so-to-be-called Great in 19th century Russia? No, it was not. So there!

Also, WRT "folk theology" we can find this everywhere that there are human beings. Witness the "Prayer of Jabez" craze of a few years ago....

NO KIDDING. Ugh. When the Prayer of Jabez came out, I lived in the holy city of GRusalem the New, Grand Rapids, MI, and worked for Baker Books. It was truly pathetic, especially in the capital of Christian publishing! Anyway, the point about folk theology (or superstition!) is absolute true, and this is what I was was referring to when I mentioned those poor Gideon New Testaments that end up as lucky charms.

Also, I'm gonna add something I forgot to mention to my post above.

 

[Julio]

Hey, GDE, Fr Peter refers to those kinds of things as "Orthodox early ug" style.

You'd be surprised to know how many Greek and Russian parishes are built and painted in "Orthodox early ug"! My godfather's Matushka, who is a wonderful iconographer, usually says, "Would I venerate such icons? Sure. Would I use them as models? Absolutely not!".

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Hey, GDE, Fr Peter refers to those kinds of things as "Orthodox early ug" style.

You'd be surprised to know how many Greek and Russian parishes are built and painted in "Orthodox early ug"! My godfather's Matushka, who is a wonderful iconographer, usually says, "Would I venerate such icons? Sure. Would I use them as models? Absolutely not!".

LOL. Is it Fr. Peter who is convinced he has seen everything, where "Is outrage!" types of things are concerned?

 

[Julio]

LOL. Is it Fr. Peter who is convinced he has seen everything, where "Is outrage!" types of things are concerned?

I shall reply with his very words: "Lookit, son, I've been priest for 25 years. I have seen everything in the Orthodoxy. And if there is something I haven't seen, I don't want to see it. I don't think I could take it!"

 

[Topaz]

I do keep a small Bible in my car, because invariably I'll be sitting in my car waiting for somebody because I'm picking them up - and a verse, or subject, will pop into my mind. Then I have a Bible available to answer my question. This just shows what goes through my mind while I have nothing else to do.

 

[JM]

The answer did help, thanks.

 

[Julio]

The answer did help, thanks.

You're quite welcome; anytime!

--Julio (who once upon a time himself attended an independent, fundamental, self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating, dispensational, premillenial, pretribulational, four-point Calvinistic, Baptist Church!)

 

[countrymousenc]

I do keep a small Bible in my car, because invariably I'll be sitting in my car waiting for somebody because I'm picking them up - and a verse, or subject, will pop into my mind. Then I have a Bible available to answer my question. This just shows what goes through my mind while I have nothing else to do.

That's a good habit to have, Topaz.

 

[Moros]

Some Greek Orthodox wear blue eye shaped amulets to ward off the "Evil Eye" (which they call Vaskania). A carryover from the Turks, no doubt.

Here's an interesting bit about that:

http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7079.asp

Vaskania
The exorcism of satanic powers is also performed by the Orthodox Church in other rites, such as that of the evil eye (vaskania).

Vaskania is simply a phenomenon that was accepted by primitive people as fact. They believed that certain people have such powerful feelings of jealousy and envy, that when they looked on some beautiful object or individual it brought destruction. Vaskania is recognized by the Church as the jealousy and envy of some people for things they do not possess, such as beauty, youth, courage or any other blessing. The Church essentially rejected Vaskania as contradicting the concept of divine providence. The prayers of the Church to avert the evil eye are, however, a silent recognition of this phenomenon as a morbid feeling of envy. The Church forbids people to go to "readers" or other individuals for use of magical rituals to overcome the evil eye. These readers take advantage of the weakness of superstitious people and destroy them spiritually and financially by playing upon their imagination.

There is also a secret rite performed by superstitious people to avert the evil eye, which verges on magic. Though the Church encourages even the laity to pray and exorcise evil, it rejects magical practices and rites. This secret rite is described as follows: "The exorcist (not a priest but an old woman) prepares a vial of olive oil and a small glass of water. She dips a finger in the oil, rubs it in a sign of the Cross on the victim's forehead and lets one drop fall onto the water; she repeats the process, making a cross on the forehead, on the chin and both cheeks. If the devil is indeed present, the four drops of oil in the water join to form the ellipsoid shape of an eye. The ritual then calls for the reading of prayers and repeating the four signs of the Cross; the drops of oil will not join in the water, but will disperse."

 

[Moros]

http://www.athensguide.com/journalists/articles/evileye.htm another article.

The Greek Orthodox Church has recognised the kako mati since the establishment of the faith. The church calls it Vaskania (pronounced Vas-ka-nee-a) and has a special prayer made especially to help cure those who have fallen under the curse.

In talking with members of the church, the Athens News found that a slight division of opinion surrounding Vaskania exists within the Greek Orthodox faith as well. Father Sotirios says that the evil eye is "a form of Satanism, or black magic, which can injure and even kill, " and that it comes mainly from a sense of "acute jealousy, or coveting of others. " Instead, Father Haralambos, from the church of Ag . Paraskevi, took a far more positive stance on it, saying that the evil eye is "an expression of extreme admiration", adding that "it can be compared to putting too much fertiliser on a plant, which will make it wilt rather than blossom." Both agreed that symptoms include dizziness, headache, pain and a loss of one's bearings, and that wearing a cross protects one from the evil eye, whilst wearing a charm can't do you any harm but is not recognised by the church as a form of protection.

As for the prayer that is designed to alleviate the symptoms, the priests were insistent in their belief that it should be done by a member of the church rather than a layman. Common practise in Greek society has it that people are taught the prayer by a priest and will use it themselves to 'treat' cursed friends and relatives, sometimes even over the phone. Father Haralambos says the prayer may work if done from afar, "as long as the spiritual connection and good intentions between the person doing the prayer and the person who is unwell is strong, but that such a phenomenon would be rare." Some believe that for a woman to be able to do the prayer she must be taught it by a man.

Father Sotirios is adamant that the prayer should be done by the church, "if someone outside the church does the prayer, it may have a negative influence. Also, it is a sign that you don't have enough faith in God to help you."

Sister Aimiliani, a nun at the Exaltation of the Holy Cross monastery in Thebes , presents a different view of the curse of the evil eye. She confirms that the church recognises it but adds "what one has to understand is that just as we recognise the existence of demons and the devil, we affirm that they have no more power than we give them."

Sister Aimiliani pronounces that the Vaskania is not just about what others do or feel, but also about what we draw towards ourselves. "We have to accept responsibility for our own passions and sins and what makes us vulnerable as the receiver. We are not just victims," she says. Being the target of the evil eye, she explains, means that there is something inside you that needs to be addressed at the heart. Having the prayer done for you each time you receive the kako mati may alleviate the superficial symptoms, but the process will be repeated and you will remain vulnerable within.