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Ch. 7: Magic Talismanic Rings

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VII
MAGIC AND TALISMANIC RINGS
F ROM their close contact with the person as well as from their symbolic form, the significance of many designs engraved upon them, and the supposed virtues of stones set in them, some rings have enjoyed the repute of possessing magic powers, both in ancient and mediaeval times, and even much later. In a num­ber of cases, we can find some clue to the attribution of a special virtue to a magic ring; in other cases, how­ever, the circumstances leading to this are no longer to be ascertained, and we must content ourselves with the fact that such and such a ring, or type of rings, has been thought to have such and such a mysterious influence.
No ancient talisman enjoyed a greater repute in mediaeval legend than the "Ring of Solomon" or "Solo­mon's Seal" as it was often called. An Arab legend tells that by means of the power inherent in his ring, the Hebrew King was able to succeed in all his undertak­ings. However, for the space of forty years he was deprived of its aid, as he once thoughtlessly took it off his hand when he was in the bath and it was carried away by a malevolent genius. At the end of the forty years it was found again in the body of a fish served on the monarch's table. In Rabbinical legend this ring is said to have been set with a marvellous precious stone, per­haps a diamond, which served as a magic mirror wherein Solomon was able to see reflected the image of any
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Ch. 6: Religious Use of Rings Page of 513 Ch. 7: Magic Talismanic Rings
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