An Egyptian Curse Recipe Against Charioteers

with Translation, Notes, and Introduction by Barbara Takács

Abstract

This publication presents, with introduction and notes, a late antique Graeco-Egyptian magical papyrus (P. Louvre 2391) containing a curse recipe directed, among others, against charioteers. A notable feature of the text is the central role of the cat, whose body, soul, and energy are employed in a strikingly diverse range of ritual functions. The introduction places particular emphasis on the editor’s markings preserved in the manuscript—features previously unexamined—that provide rare insight into the process of recording the recipe. With its full translation and commentary, this is the first time the text has been made accessible to a Hungarian readership.