In popular traditional jewelry, the jewelry, in addition to fulfilling an aesthetic function and representing the social and economic position of the wearer, had a high symbolic and protective value.
The rich filigree works, accompanied by rhinestones, jets, etc., were very frequently completed with medals, tablets, reliquaries, bells, figs, blood stones, milk stones..., which puts us before a set of ornaments that transcend the mere aesthetic fact and the desire to show a high social status; We are referring specifically to the protective elements that lead us to a superstitious and, for our mentality today, surprising world.
This, which is surprising to us, was a typical structure of the mentality of past times and of large groups of the population of our country. It is, therefore, logical that this mentality was reflected in the ornaments, and hence the profuse amount of them identified as amulets (figs, coral, agates of different colors, glass beads, Caravaca crosses, tablets, etc.) that They can be seen in, to mention a museum, the Museum of Jewelry of the Vía de la Plata, of La Bañeza, or the Costume Museum. CIPE, from Madrid.
First of all, it would be advisable to focus on the concept of an amulet. To put it in a few words, an amulet is an object that is believed to have great powers as a protector, for the wearer, against a significant number of evils. Their relationship with the human species is very old and they can be made with different materials: of mineral origin (silver, copper...), animal (badger claws, rabbit feet, teeth and many others) or vegetable (different plants). And they can be: elaborate (figs, silver objects, coral beads, etc.) or obtained directly without altering the environment (roots such as mandrake, etc.). It is necessary to point out that, on many occasions, a certain amulet serves the same purpose as others, thus expanding the arsenal to counteract evils.
The need to protect themselves against different evils led people to incorporate amulets into the different ornaments and necklaces (which in many cases weighed several kilos) that our ancestors wore in many regions of the country, and thus became part of the jewelry. with which they adorned themselves.
In this sense, it must be noted that in past times, with a regrettable health situation and socio-economic development, mortality was very high and ignorance of diseases was marked, which pushed people to seek remedies where medicine or personal financial means could not reach. In this context, amulets were revealed as the last instruments against evil.
In most of the necklaces from the regions that we have indicated above appear: strung beads made of coral (which was considered very effective against the evil eye and, in some regions, also as a protector against lightning; it also provided a good dream), alternating with others in silver filigree (alconciles) or gold (metals that have been protective since ancient times); medals dedicated to different saints and virgins with protective powers against illness or misfortune; bells to scare away witches and evil beings; crescent moles suitable to protect against moonshine or bad air (diseases that led to the progressive withering of the person and that, if not stopped, led to death; and Caravaca crosses that, regardless of their meaning and religious value , they fulfilled a function that consisted of ensuring good births, and were also useful against storms, rage and fire.
In relation to what was mentioned, in many jewelers in some Spanish region, for example in the León area, certain semi-precious stones appear, such as agate in two shades, white and red. They are the well-known “milk stones” and “blood stones”, which, while serving as decoration, fulfilled an essential function in the upbringing of children and the problems of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. The “milk stone” was placed on the chest by mothers who were raising their offspring, in the belief that it would help them produce an abundant amount of milk, and also healthy (growing moles were also used for the same purpose). or keys, to name one of the many existing examples). Red agate (“blood stone”) was also worn by women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, as it was thought to be protective or prevent hemorrhages, thus ensuring offspring.
Offspring was considered great wealth for the couple, whose essential purpose was to have children. Infertility thus became an enormous misfortune that had to be warded off, and to do so certain amulets were used, some of which appear among pendants and necklaces as part of the adornments of women in many areas of the country, such is the case of cowrie shells, conch shells, St. Lucia beans, pineapples in different materials and sizes, date stones, etc.
In a world like the one we describe (and this has been the case until relatively recently), plagued by threats and diseases with causes unknown to people, and therefore attributable to the action of witches and other evil beings who basically preyed on With small children, an enormous variety of protective elements were deployed for them, which were reflected in charms (a kind of more or less beautifully crafted belt, from which a certain number of amulets hang), many finely crafted (depending on the position). social and economic), of which our painters have left beautiful examples. Such is the case of the portrait that Pantoja de la Cruz made of the Infanta Anne of Austria (currently in the Descalzas Reales museum in Madrid), which also indicates the breadth and scope of this type of superstitions, which even reached the wealthiest and most cultured classes. If the reader stops to examine the aforementioned painting, he will see that in the pendant there are bells (which also appear in the necklaces, from León to Extremadura) that were intended to scare away witches and bad influences, as well as a large fig. made of jet whose primary purpose was to protect the infanta against the feared evil eye. Such was the fear that they had, that mothers avoided people's gaze on their children as much as possible, and therefore both were always accompanied by their corresponding amulets.
This entire arsenal was reinforced or enhanced by small wallets, often beautifully crafted, that contained writings considered to be of great force against evil, as was the case of certain passages of the Gospels and the texts related to the Rule of Saint Benedict, so widely used by the people of our towns based on the protective value attributed to them against a significant number of calamities.
It is worth highlighting as surprising elements the amulets of animal origin, such as the badger's claw (which was used to repel bad influences and envy, which was believed to be the trigger for the evil eye) or the wild boar's tusks (which, in addition to being a protector, were considered essential as favoring the teeth), set in silver and used as a pendant that were frequently incorporated as companions to necklaces and other ornamental decorations, and which They were used to avoid the evil eye and other misfortunes.
In jewelry boxes, hearts appear with a certain frequency, generally made of silver, which brides placed on the left side of their chest and which would serve to protect the couple's relationship from any malefic influence. We have also seen figs made of red coral and set in silver, which were intended to protect against the well-known evil eye and jealousy, a function also fulfilled by the medals of Saint Helena and the badger's claw.
It is curious the abundant variety of protective objects that popular culture incorporated into their personal adornment, to fulfill the double function of amulet and piece for self-beautification. Even more surprising is that they adorned images that in principle would be outside the influence of this type of things, as is the case of some saints and virgins, to whom these necklaces and protective elements were donated by will, and that in many engravings and paintings from past times appear with them as magical-protective complements... There are even representations in which images of the Child Jesus can be seen carrying their corresponding protective objects, which underlines how widespread this type of beliefs was and the great importance that For important layers of our past society there was this whole issue of evil and witchcraft.
® Americo Lopez
