Egyptian Magic

Egyptian Magic is a book by E. A. Wallis Budge, first published in 1901. It collects and explains the magical practices of ancient Egypt — the use of amulets and magical stones, figures and wax images, names and spells, incantations, magical ceremonies, and beliefs about demons, ghosts and dreams — and shows how magic was woven into everyday religion, burial practice and medicine. The text draws on papyri, inscriptions and museum collections to present a panoramic survey of rites, talismans and popular superstition from pharaonic times. Budge wrote from the vantage of a late-Victorian/Edwardian museum scholar, and his book helped popularise knowledge of Egyptian ritual and amulets for both general readers and later occultists. Modern Egyptology treats some of his translations and interpretations as out of date, but the work still serves as a lively introduction to the subject and a window into how ancient Egyptians understood the practical power of names, images and objects.