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Description: | A copper alloy and gilded pendant of medieval date. It has a lozenge shaped centre with slender arms projecting from it. Two of the arms are missing, and the surviving ones are circular in section. They have a spherical knop with a smaller projecting terminal at the ends. The pendant would have been gilded and much of this is surviving. There are four incised letters in two lines on the centre. These are badly formed, but appear to be "AGLA" which was a magical formula popular in the medieval period. The top arm of the crucifix is missing, so there is no evidence to show that it was used as a pendant, but it does seem most likely that this was its function. The reverse of the object is rough and seems damaged, so it may have been fixed something else. The incomplete pendant is 21.1mm long, 18.8mm wide and 3.3mm thick.AGLA is a kabbalistic acronym formerly used by rabbis for exorcisms of the evil spirit. It is made up of the initial letters of the Hebrew words, Athah gabor leolam, Adonai, meaning, "Thou art powerful and eternal, Lord." AGLA was believed to be a name of God by magicians of the middle ages. It could be used by Christians to combat the evil one. (http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefsagla.htm and http://www.answers.com/topic/agla-2)A pendant which is similar in style but made of silver gilt can be seen in the 2003 Treasure Annual Report, number 2003 T214. This is dated to the thirteenth or fourteenth century. The AGLA example is probably a little earlier than that.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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