Gemlore: Ancient Secrets and Modern Myths from the Stone Age to the Rock Age

226 Pages·2008·5.85 MB·English

by  Diane Morgan

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GEMLORE
i
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GEMLORE
Ancient Secrets and Modern Myths from
the Stone Age to the Rock Age
DIANE MORGAN
GREENWOODPRESS
(cid:1)
Westport,Connecticut London
iii
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Morgan,Diane,1947–
Gemlore:ancientsecretsandmodernmythsfromthestoneagetotherockage/Diane
Morgan.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN:978–0–313–34405–3(alk.paper)
1. Gems—Folklore. I. Title.
GR805.M46 2008
398.26—dc22 2008003282
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright(cid:1)C 2008byDianeMorgan
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2008003282
ISBN:978–0–313–34405–3
Firstpublishedin2008
GreenwoodPress,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.greenwood.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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ToBettePierson
v
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CONTENTS
Preface ix
Introduction xv
Agate:GoodnessandGrounding 1
Amber:Sun,Seas,andTrees 13
Amethyst:Temperance,Royalty,andSpirituality 23
Aquamarine:SeaNymphs,Tears,andTreasure 30
Bloodstone:Blood,Men,andMartyrs 33
Carnelian:TheMeccaStone 39
Cat’s-Eye:TheCryoftheDemon 46
Chalcedony:TheBeautifulWeapon 49
Chrysoprase:Grace-GivingGreen 53
Citrine:HappinessandWealth 56
Coral:TheAntidotetoTempests 59
Diamond:TheInvincible 65
Emerald:Peace,Wisdom,andImmortality 77
Garnet:TheMagicBullet 86
Hematite:BloodandIron 91
Jade:TheDragonSeed 95
Jasper:RejoicingtheHeartsoftheGods 102
vii
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viii Contents
Jet:SymbolofSorrow—andVirginityTester 108
LapisLazuli:BlueHeavenandGoldenStars 112
Malachite:EyeofPeacock,EyeofHorus 117
Moonstone:TheGoddessWithin 121
Onyx:TheLonelyStone 125
Opal:TheRainbowStone 130
Pearl:CulturedandPure 136
Peridot:Zabargad’sSecret 145
RockCrystal:TheVisionaryRainmaker 149
RoseQuartz:TheHeartofLove 156
Ruby:Precious,Passionate,andPowerful 159
Sapphire:TheStoneofHeaven 164
Sardonyx:ACureforStupidity 172
SmokyQuartz:DarkMagic 175
Topaz:ContainingtheDemons,ControllingtheWinds 178
Turquoise:TheBalancingStone 183
Zircon:TheRenegadeGem 190
SelectedBibliography 195
Index 197
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PREFACE
ANoteonNomenclature
Gem names are not scientific names. Scientifically, emeralds, for example, do not
exist. Emeralds are merely beryl with a dash of chromium added in. Aquamarines
are also beryl, with a different “impurity.” Rubies and sapphire are both varieties
of corundum. The terms “emerald” and “ruby” are widely used, however, both in
commonparlanceandinthegemtrade,andwillbesousedhere.Insofaraspossible,
Iwillbeusingtermsingeneraluse,whetherscientificallycorrectornot.
TheCommissiononNewMineralsandMineralNamesoftheInternationalMin-
eralogicalAssociationapproves,discredits,orredefinesnames.However,veryoften
gemologists and the general public continue to use the familiar names whether or
nottheyareapproved.
ChoiceofStonesandArrangement
Thisbookdiscussesthemythologyandloreof34stones.Manymorecouldhave
beenincluded,butdemandsofspacemadeitimperativetomakedifficultdecisions.
I have omitted minerals for which there seems to be little or no ancient lore.
(Tourmalineandalexandrite,forexample,werenotknowntotheancients,although
a few modern myths have grown up around each.) In several cases there are two
listingsforthesamemineral.Corundumforexample,comesintwogemforms(ruby
and sapphire), beryl (emerald and aquamarine), and so on. The stone simply called
“beryl” comes in a variety of colors, with different magical attributes attached to
each color. I made the painful decision to exclude beryls other than emerald and
aquamarine.
Otherminerals,suchaschalcedony,comeinavarietyofforms,includingonyx,
sardonyx,jasper,andagate.Chalcedonyitselfisaspecialkindofquartz.Agateitself
isfurtherclassifiedintoseveralforms(mossagate,banded agate,laceagate,andso
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x Preface
on), each with different gemlore; I have treated these separately. I have also given
mostvarietiesofquartz(citrine,amethyst,andsoon)theirownsections.
The gemlore for ruby and sapphire, for instance, are very different, and it has
only been in comparatively recent times that it was known they are both simply
varieties of corundum. In other cases, I have placed the varieties together. All the
agates,forinstances,arelistedunderagate,althoughallagateisconsideredavariety
ofchalcedony,whichisinitselfakindofquartz.Inthecaseofquartz,rockcrystal,
smokyquartz,androsequartzarelistedseparately,asisamethyst,anothervariety
ofquartz.Ihavealsoomitted“beryl.”Althoughthismineralisdiscussedextensively
by both ancient and modern writers, it is often difficult to know what precisely is
referred to. Pale blue beryl is aquamarine, and yellow beryl is heliodor or “golden
beryl,”andsoforth,butmostofthetimethewriterdoesnotclearlystatewhichkind
of beryl is meant. I have given aquamarine its own section; however, the ancients
neverreferspecificallyto“aquamarine”andpresumablemuchofitsputativepower
isassignedsimplytoberyl.Thewholeorganizationisbasedonwhatseemedtome
easiestforthereadertoaccess.
Eachstonelistedincludesseveralfeatures.Firstcomesgeneralinformationsuch
as:
(cid:1)
ChemicalComposition
(cid:1)
Hardness
(cid:1)
OriginofName
(cid:1)
Color
(cid:1)
Luster
(cid:1)
Transparency
(cid:1)
GeographicalDistribution
Theseareprettymuchself-explanatory.Secondcomesmystical(mythicalandfolk-
loric)associations,suchas
(cid:1)
AttendantAngelsandDeities
(cid:1)
Chakra
(cid:1)
DreamMeaning
(cid:1)
Element
(cid:1)
Number
(cid:1)
PlanetsandPlaces
(cid:1)
AuspiciousTimesandZodiacSigns
Thesecallforfurthercomment.
AngelsandDeities:Fromthemostancienttimes,angelshavebeenassociatedwith
magical powers. And from very early times angels were engraved on gemstones.
Charms,prayers,andincantationsalsomadeuseofthenamesofangels,whosenames
werethereforesometimesinscribedonmagicalgemstones,althoughmorefrequently
on pieces of parchment or metal rings. However, in 492 the first Council of Rome
forbade Christians to wear such inscribed objects, declaring that these inscriptions
were“notofangels,astheypretend,butratherwiththoseofdemons”andthepractice
fellaway.Fewpeoplepaidanyattentiontothis.Manyyearslater,St.ThomasAquinas
addressed the question of using divine words as talismans and finally decided that
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Preface xi
thepracticewaspermissibleonlyifnoevilspiritswereinvoked,noincomprehensible
wordsused,noagencyotherthanthepowerofGodbelievedinorinvoked,nosymbol
used except the sign of the cross, and no faith was placed in the particular way in
whichthetalismanwasinscribed.
The idea that gems are connected with angels is not a particularly new one. A
centuryandahalfagoMadameBarrerawrote,“Themorejewels,themoreguardian
spirits;and,surely,verysafemaybedeemedthefaironewhoseformisencompassed
byangels.”Withthecurrentrevivedinterestinangels,theirnamesareonceagain
associated with gems and their magic. Every writer, it seems, has his or her own
list—theredoesnotseemtobeanystandardmethodofpairingthemup.Formany
reasons, including expense, few modern gemstones are actually inscribed and the
associationbetweenangelsandgemsis“spiritual.”
FewangelsarementionedbynameintheBible(onlyGabriel,Michael,andRaphael
withJeremielandUrieladdedintheApocryphalIVEsdras),forinstance.However,a
multitudeofthemproliferatedintheimaginationofwriteracrossthecenturies.Most
of these Johnny-come-lately angels were later declared to be demons by the early
church. Raguel is an example of such a one. Such declarations, however, have not
stopped followers of various angel-cults from associating certain angels with gems.
Angelsaretraditionallyassociatedwithbothmonthsandzodiacsigns,asgemsare,
anditisthereforepossibletomakeaconnectionthatway.
April:Sh’efiel
May:Ragael
June:Didanor
July:Ta’anbanu
August:Tohargar
September:Morael
October:Hahedan
November:Uleranen
December:Anatganor
January:Mephniel
February:Tashnadernis
March:Abarchiel
Another(later)listcorrelatesbirthsigns:
Aries:Malchidiel
Taurus:Asmodel
Gemini:Ambriel
Cancer:Muriel
Leo:Verchiel
Virgo:Hamaliel
Libra:Zuriel
Scorpio:Barbiel
Sagittarius:Adnachiel
Capricorn:Hanael
Aquarius:Gabriel
Pisces:Borichiel
Both lists are quite fanciful; most modern “angelologists” have their own system,
whichworksequallywell—orill.