Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London / [compiled] by Stefan Strelcyn.

  • Stefan Strelcyn
Date:
[1972]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London / [compiled] by Stefan Strelcyn. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    collection of the Wellcome Institute with its 16 scrolls follows and slightly exceeds in number the collection of scrolls belonging to the Bodleian Library (Ullendorff, Bodl., Nos. 86-99). The scrolls of the Wellcome Institute constitute a good and very representative collection of this kind of Ethiopian literature. Manuscript No. XVII is a fine example of Ethiopian divinatory literature containing various calculations (hasab) but also magical prayers and medico- magical recipes. Many of the hasab deal with health (sick person—XVII, 2, 4, 43, 44, 48, Remark 1; diseases—5, 45, 47, 48; sterile woman—16; preg- nancy—26, 47 ; birth—27 ; death—3, 48). This kind of popular literature is closely related to the magico-medical writings contained in the scrolls. Similar MSS may be found, amongst others, in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris (see Conti Rossini, ' Notice ' 236, 237 ; Strelcyn, BN-Griaule 390, 391, 405), in the British Museum (Strelcyn, Brit. Mus. 98 [= Or. 12034]) and the Univer- sity Library in Cambridge (Ullendorff-Wright, LVII). In order to make it easier for the non-specialist in Ethiopian studies to approach the subject, I have appended to this catalogue an index-glossary of the names of diseases, demons, magicians, and magic occurring in the description of the MSS (see pp. 43-53). This index-glossary gives the salient and up-to- date information with bibliographical references. It is based not only on edited sources but also on unpublished results of field research and inquiries carried out by the Mission Dakar-Djibouti (1932), by Professor Marcel Cohen, and by myself. Finally, I should like to express my gratitude to Dr. D. L. N. Poynter, to the Librarian, Mr. E. Gaskell, B.A., A.L.A., and to Miss M. Widner, M.A., A.L.A., Assistant Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts, for their courtesy and helpfulness during my work in the Library of the Wellcome Institute. I Eighteenth century. Vellum. 1,255 mm. X 120 mm. Scroll composed of three strips. The top of the first strip seems to be missing. Clear handwriting. Black and red ink. No. 36969. 1. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage : [.. .?] <\1^9° * (3 times) ^1^9° « (3 times) . . . 9°^C • £«7 ■ flft^h • [ ] : frhiT-nT^ «... T^C ' £7 * M\o»*X\ '•[ ] 2. ' The drowner of devils ' mastdmd agandnt. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage : flfl * . . . ft/Hh * nj^-f* « »(Viv» hp'i'i't J^fh-^AU * . . . '• . . . IxTWlo* •• £9° : tih<*°^h * [ ]. 3. Prayer against barya: ITCl « ITGI « . . . ■ txTiW^oo ' h<n>1-Yi • [ J. 4. Prayer against malicious demons, evil spirits, and magical action: hhfrifol • (3 times) flc&tfrt • (3 times) . . . <Crh* - flJ+rtA^- * hp!!* * » 5. Magical square against vaginal haemorrhage. Below : ft.fc-'W ■ h^Wl**0 * £9° : (ihaofrh • [ ].