woven paces and of waving hands."

They were all used for defensive purposes, _i. e._, to keep away evil,
in the form of demons, disease, or misfortune, but they might,
especially the talisman, also attract good. Their power was of a
magical character, and was exercised in a supernatural manner.

The idea of the talisman probably originated from the belief that
certain properties or virtues were impressed upon substances by
planetary influences. "A talisman," says Pettigrew, "may in general
terms be defined to be a substance composed of certain cabalistic
characters engraved on stone, metal, or other material, or else
written on slips of paper." Hyde quotes a Persian writer who defines
the Telesm or Talismay as "a piece of art compounded of the celestial
powers and elementary bodies, appropriated to certain figures or
positions, and purposes and times, contrary to the usual manner."

We are told by Maimonides that images or idols were called Tzelamim on
account of the power or influence which was supposed to reside in
them, rather than on account of their particular figure or form.
Townley has opined that the reason for the production of astrological
or talismanic images was probably the desire of early peoples to have
some representation of the planets during their absence from sight, so
that they might at all times be able to worship the planetary body
itself or its representative. To accomplish this purpose, the
astrologers chose certain colors, metals, stones, trees, etc., to
represent certain planets, and constructed the talismans when the
planets were in their exaltation and in a happy conjunction with other
heavenly bodies. In addition to this, incantations were used in an
endeavor to inspire the talisman with the power and influence of the
planet for which it stood.

Pettigrew says: "The Hebrew word for talisman (magan) signifies a
paper or other material, drawn or engraved with the letters composing
the sacred name Jehovah, or with other characters, and improperly
applied to astrological representations, because, like the letters
composing 'The Incomparable Name,' they were supposed to serve as a
defence against sickness, lightning, and tempest. It was a common
practice with magicians, whenever a plague or other great calamity
infested a country, to make a supposed image of the destroyer, either
in gold, silver, clay, wax, etc., under a certain configuration of the
heavens, and to set it up in some particul