Amulet
object that is typically worn on one's person, and is alleged to have the magical power to protect its holder
An amulet is a spiritual object believed to confer protection or grace upon its possessor. The word amulet comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's Natural History describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble". Anything can function as an amulet; items commonly so used include statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and written words. The word phylactery is sometimes used as a general synonym likewise referring to any unspecified amulet, but also has a specific definition within Judaism. Certain amulets may also qualify more specifically as a devotional article, good luck charm, or even both in rare circumstances, but those categories represent only subsets of amulets (the proper, inclusive term).
Amulets are sometimes subdivided into two classes: those purported to carry extraordinary properties or impart fortune (these are typically part of folk religion including shades of paganism) and those that are not believed to have any inherent properties of their own without a qualifying faith or lifestyle (these are most common within Catholicism and usually involve a formal blessing by a clergyman). Lines in this area blur almost from the immediate outset: many from the latter group are not officially described as providing any preternatural benefit to a bearer who does not have an appropriate disposition or sacred objects of formalised mainstream religion as in Christianity, but the very text inscribed on others (such as the Brown Scapular) appear in conflict with this sanctioned definition (as do early practices involving the Green Scapular, which was believed to gain favor for someone of any faith if it was planted in their home by a member of the Catholic faithful, even secretly).
Talismans and amulets have interchangeable meanings. Amulets refer to any object which has the power to avert evil influences or ill luck. An amulet is an object that is generally worn for protection and made from a durable material (metal or hard-stone).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Amulet” as object that is typically worn on one's person, and is alleged to have the magical power to protect its holder. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as object that is typically worn on one's person, and is alleged to have the magical power to protect its holder. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q131557. The Library of Congress control number is sh85004685. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Amulet” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.