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.
Information about the journal Civilisations is available at: https://journals.openedition.org/civilisations/
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.