Call for contributions - Materiality, Language, Power. Talismans in Context - Civilisations Vol.76
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Organization: Civilisations
Call for Contributions (vol. 76|2027)
Materiality, Language, Power. Talismans in Context
Special issue coordinated by Pierre Petit, Alain Delattre, and Xavier Luffin
Talismans are attested in the most diverse societies, spanning every epoque from prehistory
to the present day, where they are being reinvented in the context of advanced capitalism
and the digital world (Jackson 2022; McBain 2024). However, Japanese omamori are neither
the hirizi of the Arab-Swahili world, nor the magical gems of Greco-Roman antiquity, nor the
Saint Benedict ‘exorcist’ medals: the historical trajectories and cultural contexts of talismans
are culturally specific. In the search for an Urreligion, many authors over the past two
centuries have ignored these trajectories and contexts, adopting a generic approach to the
topic (Lévy-Bruhl 1925, Marquès-Rivière 1938). By contrast, this special issue of Civilisations
seeks to highlight approaches rooted in ethnographic and historical contexts, engaging
reflexively in broader analytic considerations by comparing societies and periods.
Talismans – or amulets, as we will not distinguish between the two here – are generally
miniature objects belonging to the intimate sphere, easily carried, displayed, or concealed.
Whether or not they are figurative or inscribed, they possess protective powers and sometimes
enhancing properties (luck, charm, charisma) for their owner. These powers are conferred
through activation rituals or liturgical practices, but their status as personal objects tends to
remove their concrete uses from the control of religious authorities.
The issue intends on addressing three key questions to initiate dialogue between contributions.
First, it aims to question the materiality of these objects. Extending to a new category of
objects the material turn of studies on religion, we intend to demonstrate that materiality
matters (Cohen & Mottier 2016; Meyer & Houtman 2012). All religious practice depends on this
materiality and on the aesthetic (in the sense of sensory experience) it creates. A paper
talisman does not offer the same possibilities of use as a metal one. Having a talisman tattooed
or keeping one under clothing results in very different bodily experiences. The emotions
evoked by a very kawaii (“cute”) omamori are not the same as those generated by a demonic
apotropaic figurine. Studying materiality also leads to questioning the coexistence or
succession over time of different talismanic supports: this ‘intermateriality’ implies shifts or
ruptures in meanings and uses, providing a particularly fertile ground for exploring these
objects from a dynamic perspective.
Regarding language, talismans are often inscribed and always embedded in speech acts.
They give rise to various oral and written practices, whose modalities deserve to be explored
in relation to one another. The type of writing or symbols, the language or language register,
the textual or graphic layout often differ from everyday uses (Faraone 2012). This gives some
objects an esoteric dimension, particularly evident in the magic squares of Islamic talismans
or in the diagrams of Buddhist medals. The written characters of talismans are sometimes
illegible, sometimes invisible because they are hidden in a cloth pouch, or a glass or metal
cylinder. What form of communication do such singular inscriptions support? What role do
images – sometimes accompanying the text – play, and to what extent do they reinforce the
object’s performativity? What is the relationship between such inscriptions and orality or other
written texts, such as the Qur’an (Hamès 2007; Coulon 2017), at the moment of their activation
or use – moments that may be accompanied by prayers or incantatory formulas?
Finally, talismans bear power. This distinguishes them from other religious objects more
closely linked to representational, liturgical, or devotional functions. But where does their power
come from? To answer this question, their materiality and linguistic components must be
situated within a relational perspective (Gell 1998; Johnston 2024). The power of amulets and
talismans emanates from a network of relationships woven between the user and, depending
on the case, their entourage, the donor, the ritual specialist, the religious authority, or invisible
entities – whether a magical companion, a saint, a spirit, a deity, or a single god (Garcia Probert
& Sijpesteijn 2022; Galoppin 2021). Talismans receive their power both from social links and
from their relationship with fundamental alterity. They could be reappraised drawing on critical
approaches to the notion of ‘fetish’, which has led to the creation of alternative concepts, such
as that of the ‘power figure’ (MacGaffey 1994, Newell 2014, Valeri 2018: 103-120). Their power
comes as much from others as from Others.
These issues must be considered within specific contexts that contributors will situate
according to the relevance of their topics. Authors are expected to specify the vernacular
lexicon of these objects; to clarify the historical and religious context in which they evolve, often
marked by cycles of tension between authorities and users; and to place these objects in
context within both the economy of the gift – creating intimate bonds – and the broader
economy.
At the crossroads of anthropology, history and art history, archaeology, and philology, this issue
will pay particular attention to contributions from different disciplines. The editors will also value
regional and temporal diversity in studies in order to reassess the analytical paradigms of
different research traditions.
Article proposals, in French or (British) English, must include a title, an abstract (maximum 500
words) of the intended article, a provisional bibliography, and 4–5 keywords. Visual materials
supporting the argument are welcome. The journal also accepts proposals for book reviews
related to the theme, as well as review articles comparing several recent publications.
All proposals must be sent before July 15, 2026, to the journal’s mailbox
revuecivilisations@ulb.be and to its editorial director pierre.petit@ulb.be. The authors will
then be contacted again by email in August. The deadline for submitting the selected texts is
set for January 10, 2027, with publication of the volume scheduled for the end of 2027.
References
Cohen, Anouk & Damien Mottier, 2016. “Pour une anthropologie des matérialités religieuses”,
Archives de sciences sociales des religions 174, pp. 349-368.
Coulon, Jean-Charles, 2017. La magie en terre d’islam au Moyen Âge. Paris: Éditions du
Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques.
Faraone, Christopher A., 2012. Vanishing acts on ancient Greek amulets. From oral
performance to visual design. London: University of London.
Galoppin, Thomas (coord.), 2021. “La magie entre Antiquité et Moyen Âge : traditions,
innovations, autorités”, thematic issue of the Revue de l’histoire des religions 238, pp. 603
728.
Garcia Probert, Marcella A. & Petra M. Sijpesteijn, 2022. Amulets and talismans of the Middle
East and North Africa in context. Leiden: Brill.
Gell, Alfred, 1998. Art and agency. An anthropological theory. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Hamès, Constant (dir.), 2007. Coran et talismans. Textes et pratiques magiques en milieu
musulman. Paris: Karthala.
Jackson, Peter A., 2022. Capitalism, magic, Thailand. Modernity with enchantment. Singapore:
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute.
Johnston, Jay, 2024. Amulets in magical practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lévy-Bruhl, Lucien, 1925. La mentalité primitive (4th edition). Paris: Félix Alcan.
MacGaffey, Wyatt, 1994. “African objects and the idea of fetish”, RES: Anthropology and
Aesthetics 25(Spring), pp. 123-131.
Marquès-Rivière, Jean, 1938. Amulettes, talismans et pantacles dans les traditions orientales
et occidentales. Paris: Payot.
McBain, Paul (éd.), 2024. “The amulet culture of Thailand”, thematic issue of Journal of the
Siam Society 112(2), pp. 7-154.
Meyer, Birgit & Dick Houtman, 2012. “Material religion – How things matter”, in Dick Houtman
& Birgit Meyer (eds), Things. Religion and the question of materiality, pp. 1-26. New-York:
Fordham University Press.
Newell, Sasha, 2014. “The matter of the unfetish. Hoarding and the spirit of possessions”,
Hau: Journal of Ethnographic Theory 4(3), pp. 185-213.
Valeri, Valerio, 2018. Classic concepts in anthropology. Chicago: HAU Books.
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Laetitia Dedieu