The Book of the Magicians: Egyptian Magical Papyri in Nineteenth-Century Scholarship

Record summary

Nineteenth-century publication and interpretation of Egyptian magical papyri, including the Harris Magical Papyrus and related Theban material, made spells for protection, exorcism, love, illness, and hostile entities accessible to European scholarship. The lead matters because later paranormal literature often treats these texts as occult manuals connected to particular ruins or tombs. The papyri are ancient ritual documents, not modern hauntings, and their provenance, dating, translation, and ritual context have been debated. Researchers should consult facsimiles and current Egyptological editions.