Talisman

“ They asked her to confer riches and happiness on them. The Goddess thereupon gave each of them a talisman, which was to be carried on the head. They were told to go in a northerly direction, and wherever the talisman fell from the head to dig there, and take whatever came to each person's lot. The four friends set out on their errand, and went a certain distance, when the talisman of the first person fell from his head. ”

“ For his part, he held that the true talisman was of the nature of a sacrament; it was an affirmation of a man's will, his protective will, just as sticking pins into the wax figure of an enemy, to destroy him, was an affirmation of his malefic will. If his will to destroy were strong enough, that action might, in some way which passed our understanding, work injury. If a man's will to protect were strong enough, the affirmation of it, the crystallization of it, as it were, in the making of a talisman might work good. ”

“ It was so in that phase of feticism which consisted in the blind reliance put on artificial talismans and amulets. The original significance of the talisman—the truth which was embodied in it as the emblem of the unseen powers that had produced it, in accordance with natural operations—was forgotten. The rows of lines and scratches, and the variegations of its colour, were only thought of; and the cunning of man—ever ready to make a god for himself—was exerted to improve upon them. ”

“ Magical talismans were inscribed with mysterious symbols, words of superstitious import, and the names of unknown angels; they were well adapted to inspire with awe the minds of the ignorant. The so-called mixed talismans bore various unintelligible devices and barbaric names. Some of the most ancient protective and healing charms were fashioned out of roots, twigs, and plants. Whatever its form, the talisman was believed to exert an extraordinary influence over the bearer, especially in warding off disease or injury. ”

“ While he lay senseless in this state, an aged man came up to him, and seizing his hand, raised him from the earth, and said to him, “Oh, Hatim! here you have no cause for despair; why do you not avail yourself of the talisman given you by the bear’s daughter?” Hatim collected his scattered senses, and speedily producing the talisman put it in his mouth, which was no sooner done than the heat of the Red Desert ceased to oppress him, and his blisters were healed. ”

“ Then Shrikantha told them the whole story of how it had come to pass, and moreover showed them the talisman. Then said the leader of the caravan, "Behold! we will give thee all our camels and horses and mules, together with all our merchandize and our stores, only give us thou the talisman in exchange." So he gave them the talisman in exchange, and they went on their way. But the Brahman's son went to sleep in his palace, on his soft couch with silken pillows. ”

“ The methods they take in forming these talismans are too long to dwell upon here. But the properties which they pretend belong to them are, that the first talisman or seal of the sun will make a man beloved by all princes and potentates, and cause him to abound with all the riches his heart can wish. ”

“ So saying, he kissed the talisman, wrapped it up in a ribbon, and tied it carefully about his arm. Till now he had been almost every night a stranger to rest, his trouble always keeping him awake, but the next night he slept soundly: he rose somewhat later the next morning than he was accustomed to do, put on his working clothes, and went to the gardener for orders. The good man bade him root up an old tree which bore no fruit. ”

“ As he sat thus, lost in thought, the moonlight sparkled upon something before him, and, bending forward, he grasped the Talisman. So he sat, with the armlet in his hand; and as he watched, the mists of the lake grew denser and drew closer; and there stepped at last from among their folds a maiden.”
Old Rollo bent towards the Talisman, so that his face was partly hidden from his audience.
“Very little has come down to us—only a few words in a tale. Yet even these halting words conjure up for me a wonder; a being, young, and proud, and fair, a form and grace surpassing all the beauty of women ”

“ It was thought to be a talisman of such heavenly efficacy, in the hands of an unspotted virgin, that no harm could ever come to her, who wore it upon her neck. For mine own part, though I could tell thee divers stories of its virtue, recorded in our house, yet was I ever inclined to think, that a natural purity of heart was, in all cases, a much better protection of innocence than even a holy talisman. ”

“ Early in the morning also, if thou goest out to the banks of the stream, thou shalt find a dead body brought down by the waters; fish it out, and cut it open, for in the right thigh is enclosed the jewel Tschin-tâmani8, and whoso is in possession of this talisman, has only to desire it, and he will become a mighty King, ruler of the four parts of the earth.’”
When Vikramâditja had heard these words, he gave up his marauding intention for that night also, his victims having been set upon their guard. But he was [281] satisfied with the prospect of having the talisman for his booty. ”

“ It has been asserted and maintained by some Rabins, that the brazen serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness, for the destruction of the serpents that annoyed the Israelites, was properly a talisman. All the miraculous things wrought by Apollonius Tyanaeus are attributed to the virtue and influence of talismans; and that wizard, as he is called, is even said to be the inventor of them. ”

“ If any one assail you with magic, turn round the staff, and the enchantment will be of no avail. In particular, the poison of the red dragon can have no power over you. Accept at the same time this talisman, and whenever you behold a serpent, whether red, or black, or green, or white, place the talisman in your mouth, and you will be safe. Again, when you come to a river, throw the staff into the water, and it will instantly become a boat.”
Hatim having taken the talisman and the staff, bade adieu to the king of the genii, and proceeded on his journey to Mazanderán. ”

“ Tschin-tâmani, Sanskrit, “thought-jewel,” a jewel having the magic power of supplying all the possessor wishes for. Indian fable writers revel in the idea of the possession of a talisman which can satisfy all desire. The grandest and perhaps earliest remaining example of it occurs in the Ramajana, where King Visvamitra = the universal friend, who from a Xatrija (warrior caste) merited to become a Brahman, visits Vasichtha, the chief of hermits, and finds him in possession of Sabala, a beautiful cow, which has the quality of providing Vasichtha with every thing whatever he may wish for. ”

“ Rollo Dangerfield’s face took on a faintly sardonic expression. He seemed to enjoy surprising the American.
“Not at all. The Talisman has never been insured. Why should we insure it? It always comes back. We have electric alarms on all the outer doors and the windows, of course; but they are merely put on because my wife is nervous. The Talisman can look after itself, I assure you.”
Wraxall looked at his host in amazement. ”

“ The diamonds were said to be very fine; and you can see the size of the stones for yourself.”
“I don’t think I’d trust it in a small safe like that, if it were mine,” said Westenhanger, glancing at the little iron door from which Rollo Dangerfield had taken the document. “Any man with a pocket crowbar could open that thing and get away with the Talisman.”
The old man laughed shortly.
“Don’t trouble about the safe. The Talisman is never put into that. The fact is, you have come up against another of the Dangerfield superstitions. The Talisman is never moved from its place by day or night. ”

“ O Fiend, whose talisman was that fatal symbol, wouldst thou leave nothing, whether in youth or age, for this poor sinner to revere?—such loss of faith is ever one of the saddest results of sin. ”

“ We’ve eliminated everyone except Eric. He’s the only one who fits the facts. And yet old Dangerfield spoke as if he had absolute certainty. What was it he said? ‘He knows what he knows.’ But what does he know? This Dangerfield Secret? Is there some deadly business connected with the guarding of the Talisman, so dangerous that no one would risk touching it ‘if he knows what he knows’? The old man, if I read him right, isn’t a mystery-monger for the sheer love of it. ”

“ Nobody can leave Friocksheim till this Talisman business is cleared up. Your ways are not ours, Conway. All the rest of us are still under suspicion and we’ve got to hang on until the ‘All Clear’ signal goes. ”

“ He took a pair of prismatic glasses from his pocket and slung them round his neck.
“We may want to watch from a distance. That’s why I had to go upstairs for these.”
Eileen nodded.
“It’s the Talisman affair, isn’t it?” she asked. “I don’t quite see what it all means, but you know something, obviously. Why are we scurrying after her just now? The Talisman’s back again. I don’t see what you expect to find out.”
“No questions, Eileen!” Westenhanger smiled. “If I’m right, you’ll see it all in a few minutes. I don’t want to put any pre-conceived notions into your mind.” ”

“ It was thought that demons abounded everywhere and that one was very likely to imbibe one of these spirits unless he took the precaution of making the sign of the cross, which they could not endure and from which they fled. This belief in the efficacy of a talisman, universal among all peoples from the most barbarous to so-called civilized communities, was not only countenanced but encouraged by Christianity, and even today we find orthodox Christians who—although they cannot be called educated in the highest sense, yet are not to be classed as illiterate—who are still practicing it. ”

“ And yet, given the conditions of the case, the elimination method seemed to promise results. If the servants were put on one side, and if no thief had got into the house in the darkness, then only thirteen persons remained who had any possible means of access to the Corinthian’s Room that night. One of them must be responsible for the vanishing of the Talisman. ”

“ The magic power was of course conferred on all talismans by the words which the conjurer spoke over them with the necessary ceremonies. One such long incantation is preserved entire. It is designed to impart to the talisman the power of keeping the demons from all parts of the dwelling, which are singly enumerated, with the consequences to the demons who would dare to trespass: those who steal into gutters, remove bolts or [Pg 167] hinges, shall be broken like an earthen jug, crushed like clay; those who overstep the wooden frame of the house shall be clipped of their wings ”

“ It is easy to understand that such a talisman as the naoratna, combining the favorable influences of all the celestial bodies supposed to govern the destinies of man, must have been highly prized, and we may well assume that only the rich and powerful could own this talisman in a form ensuring its greatest efficacy. ”

“ A Talisman is a natural object, containing the elemental forces of its own degree of life, in a state of intense activity, and capable of responding to the corresponding quality of life, OUTSIDE OF ITSELF, that emanates from the same spiritual state, either by sympathetic vibration or antagonistic currents, the nature, power, quality, and degree of life, which the various natural objects represent, being a part of the temple curriculum of initiation. Hence, the name, by which the latent power of these natural objects became known, was in strict harmony with the facts involved. ”

“ He glanced at his two guests as though he feared that he had wearied them by a long story; but their expressions encouraged him to continue to the end.
“People often wonder why we do not insure a thing of such immense value. How could we insure it? It would need to be valued—and the game would be up! So we have been forced into that second series of deceptions—the return of the Talisman after it has been stolen. ”

“ A description of a few typical talismans in detail will not here be out of place.
In The Key of Solomon the King (translated by S. L. M. MATHERS, 1889) (1) are described five, six, or seven talismans for each planet. Each of these was supposed to have its own peculiar virtues, and many of them are stated to be of use in the evocation of spirits. The majority of them consist of a central design encircled by a verse of Hebrew Scripture. ”

“ Naudé, indeed, has utterly ridiculed the occult virtues of talismans, in his defence of Virgil, accused of being a magician: the poet, it seems, cast into a well a talisman of a horse-leech, graven on a plate of gold, to drive away the great number of horse-leeches which infested Naples. Naudé positively denies that talismans ever possessed any such occult virtues: Gaffarel regrets that so judicious a man as Naudé should have gone this length, giving the lie to so many authentic authors ”

“ Then Morchard was only down here trying to persuade us to sell him Friocksheim. Nothing doing, of course; we’d as soon think of parting with the Talisman itself. After what’s happened, we shan’t press him to prolong his visit. He’s not a friend of ours, it was merely a matter of business.”
“I wondered how he came to be here at all,” confessed Westenhanger. “He seemed a bit out of his element. And who’s the third?”
“Freddie. I have an idea that my uncle will politely but firmly hasten his departure. He’s stirred up enough trouble to last us for a while, and we’ll be happier without him.” ”