Antaura

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antaura is a female demon from Greek and later Roman mythology who causes migraines . She rises from the sea to haunt people. Antaura is often equated with a wind. Antaura goes back to Abyzou , a Sumerian female demon who kills children.

Antaura is known u. a. since the discovery of a gold tablet from the 3rd century AD, which was found in Carnuntum, the Austrian Petronell-Carnuntum , in a Roman grave. It describes how Antaura rises from the sea to haunt people and the Greek goddess Artemis prevents this.

This representation was changed in Christian times, from Artemis, the preventer of migraines, became Jesus Christ or in the Eastern Church also Saint Gregorius. The migraine is asked to turn to animals or inanimate nature in order to spare people ( harmful magic ).

Mythological roots

The root of Antaura is to be found in the female demon Abyzou, which occurs in myths and tales of the Sumerian Middle East. Abyzou is often blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality because she, being sterile herself, envies mothers.

In the Jewish tradition Abyzou is identified with Lilith , in Coptic Egypt with Gylou. Other names (Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, Byzou, Alabasandria) exist, as it is said to have ten thousand names.

Abyzou is often depicted with fish or snake attributes.

In the will of Solomon Abyzou is described with a greenish glowing face with snake-like hair. Abyzou testifies to Solomon that she is not sleeping, but wandering the world in search of women who are about to give birth and, if possible, strangles the newborns. She cannot sleep until she kills one child a night. Abyzou also describes itself as the cause of other harm, e.g. B. Numbness, eye problems and pain. Solomon then lets her hang by her hair in front of the temple.

Antaura in ancient times

In ancient times , Antaura was used to refer to a female demon that causes headaches. The name Antaura denotes an evil headwind, e.g. B. the Scirocco or the hair dryer (both are classic triggers for migraine attacks ).

Attempts were made to ward off the demon by wearing protective amulets (phylactery) on the body .

In the vicinity of ancient Carnuntum, today's Petronell-Carnuntum, the important Limes town on the Roman border on the Danube, a small gold plaque was found during an excavation of a stone sarcophagus. The Greek text dates from the 3rd century AD and is supposed to help against migraines (at that time many soldiers from the Greek-speaking eastern part of the Roman Empire were stationed on the Danube).

The text says:

Antaura rose from the sea,
she screamed like a deer,
she roared like a cow.
Artemis Ephestia met her:
"Antaura, where are you leading the headache?
But not in the" -----

Here the text breaks off due to damage to the board.

The text can be further reconstructed from analogies: Antaura wanted to settle in people's minds and cause migraines. Artemis forbade her to do so and banished her to another place.

Continuing to work in the Christian Middle Ages

The Middle Ages also followed the tradition of combating diseases with amulets and corresponding sayings and incantations.

The ancient representation of the Antaura was embedded in Christian ideas. Now it is Jesus Christ or an archangel like Saint Gregorius who asks the demoness "where she takes the one-sided headache, the pain that hits the head and eyes and causes inflammation, tears and dizziness". He also warns her, should she not give up, she will be bound in the deserted mountains, "where no dog barks and no rooster crows".

In medieval texts, the Greek antaura becomes either " aura " ("bride of the wind") or the neutral form " migraine ".

Web links

supporting documents

  1. ↑ AA Barb: Antaura. London 1966, OCLC 462166649 , pp. 2-5.
  2. ^ Georg Luck : Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds. A Collection of Ancient Texts. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985/2006, ISBN 0-8018-8345-8 , p. 281 (online)
  3. ^ Otto Weinreich: Selected writings. III: 1937-1970. John Benjamin Publishing Company, 1979, ISBN 90-6032-116-2 , p. 217 (online)
  4. ↑ Real Lexicon of Germanic Antiquity. Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 3-11-015455-2 , p. 422.
  5. ↑ Michael Hagner: The mind at work: Historical studies on brain research. Wallstein Verlag, 2006, ISBN 3-8353-0064-4 , p. 77 (online)
  6. ^ Otto Weinreich: Selected writings. III: 1937-1970. John Benjamin Publishing Company, 1979, ISBN 90-6032-116-2 , p. 218.