Wiccan Mysteries: Athame and Boline (or Bolline)

fearn · 4th February 2005, 01:14 PM

Thanks Alam Shah,

I was searching for it on a couple of university library websites, and I see what Nechesh means about it being rare.

Personally, I'm hoping that one of our Arabic speakers will give us a translation of "blood-letter" or at least tell us whether adh-dhame is Arabic.

F

Alam Shah · 4th February 2005, 03:59 PM

Keris and other Malay weapons (re-print).
is availabe at:
http://www.selectbooks.com.sg/titles/28038.htm

If you're thinking of getting this in a library...then it will take a long time, if you can get it.

Alam Shah · 4th February 2005, 04:36 PM

The Athame
The athame is a magick knife. It is not used for cutting, but to direct energy raised during rites and spells. It is usually a dull, double-edged knife with a black or dark colored handle. Black absorbs power. Athames are sometimes engraved with magickal symbols. The knife absorbs power from you and the area around you. The symbolism of the knife is change. It is linked with the Element of Fire. Its straight phallic shape links it with the God.

The Athame is used in salutes to gods, goddesses and the Ancient Ones, and for a variety of other purposes. None of these purposes, interestingly enough, include the traditional function of a knife as a tool. As a penetrating tool, the Athame represents the masculine aspect of divinity, just as the Chalice represents the feminine aspect. The term, of unknown origin, was first seen in Medieval grimoires.

The Boline
A boline is used to actually cut herbs, cloth and many other magickal items. You need a knife that will hold a sharp edge. This is the Witches working knife.

nechesh · 4th February 2005, 05:16 PM

Alam Shah's descriptions are fairly accurate, althought the athame is also attributed to the element of air in many traditions, specifically in what is known as Ceremonial Magick. This is one of the aspects that Gardner changed when "creating" modern Wicca.
The reprinted book that Alam has posted a link to is NOT Gardner's book, though there is an article by Gardner in it. It is a compliation articles from many different authors, definity worth having (in is a fairly cheap book) even if it is filled with some contradiction and many inaccuracies. i understand the confusion because it does bear the same title.

fearn · 4th February 2005, 09:02 PM

Again, thanks for the info Alam and Nechesh. That's the EASY part.

The HARD part, and the reason I asked the question, is that if you ask a Wiccan where the terms "Athame" and "Boline" came from, you turn up a blank.

Similarly, "Athame" could be pronounced "Ath-ame" "A-tham-ee" or "A-tharm-ey" that I've heard (boline is either "bollin" or "bow-line").

A number of people know about Grave's derivation of athame (Arabic Adh-dhame), I wanted to check that, but since I don't speak Arabic, my attempts to transliterate this into Arabic script and to compare it to an online English-to-Arabic dictionary failed miserably.

Also, I don't know why a Muslim would call a knife a "blood-letter" as opposed to, say, a jambiya or some other term. Since the Athame's symbolic, "Blood-letter" doesn't make a lot of functional sense (unless Gardner was being romantic, which is possible).

So, any Arabic speakers out there who can at least answer whether Graves was right?

F

nechesh · 5th February 2005, 02:41 AM

Hi Fearn, one thing i am fairly sure of is that modern Wicca is NOT a debasement of Sufi tradition. Gardner took the ritual format he learned studying with the Golden Dawn and Crowley and combined it with the old Celtic pantheon and seasonal based cyclic holidays (Sabbats) with a strong emphasis of worship of the Goddess.
Graves may or may not be correct about the etymology of the word, but it is meaningless to the reality of the religion and certainly to the purpose of the athame in the context of ritual use. I think it is more likely that it was Graves who was being romantic in this case, not Gardner. As it has been said, the athame is used for more spiritual acts such as casting circles and tracing sigils in the air. Blood letting would NEVER be one of it's uses, even if such acts were performed in Wiccan ceremony, which i can assure you it is not. Wiccans DO NOT make animal sacrifices.

If anyone is interested, a very good book for understanding Gardnerian/Alexandrian Wicca and how these knives are used in their ritual sense, i would highly recommend "A Witches Bible Compleat" by Janet and Stewart Farrar, ISBN # 0-939708-09-4

4th February 2005, 03:59 PM	#2
Alam Shah Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,248	Book available for purchase... Keris and other Malay weapons (re-print). is availabe at: http://www.selectbooks.com.sg/titles/28038.htm If you're thinking of getting this in a library...then it will take a long time, if you can get it.

4th February 2005, 04:36 PM	#3
Alam Shah Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,248	The 2 types of knives... The Athame The athame is a magick knife. It is not used for cutting, but to direct energy raised during rites and spells. It is usually a dull, double-edged knife with a black or dark colored handle. Black absorbs power. Athames are sometimes engraved with magickal symbols. The knife absorbs power from you and the area around you. The symbolism of the knife is change. It is linked with the Element of Fire. Its straight phallic shape links it with the God. The Athame is used in salutes to gods, goddesses and the Ancient Ones, and for a variety of other purposes. None of these purposes, interestingly enough, include the traditional function of a knife as a tool. As a penetrating tool, the Athame represents the masculine aspect of divinity, just as the Chalice represents the feminine aspect. The term, of unknown origin, was first seen in Medieval grimoires. The Boline A boline is used to actually cut herbs, cloth and many other magickal items. You need a knife that will hold a sharp edge. This is the Witches working knife.

4th February 2005, 01:14 PM	#1
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Thanks Alam Shah, I was searching for it on a couple of university library websites, and I see what Nechesh means about it being rare. Personally, I'm hoping that one of our Arabic speakers will give us a translation of "blood-letter" or at least tell us whether adh-dhame is Arabic. F

4th February 2005, 05:16 PM	#4
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Alam Shah's descriptions are fairly accurate, althought the athame is also attributed to the element of air in many traditions, specifically in what is known as Ceremonial Magick. This is one of the aspects that Gardner changed when "creating" modern Wicca. The reprinted book that Alam has posted a link to is NOT Gardner's book, though there is an article by Gardner in it. It is a compliation articles from many different authors, definity worth having (in is a fairly cheap book) even if it is filled with some contradiction and many inaccuracies. i understand the confusion because it does bear the same title.

4th February 2005, 09:02 PM	#5
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Again, thanks for the info Alam and Nechesh. That's the EASY part. The HARD part, and the reason I asked the question, is that if you ask a Wiccan where the terms "Athame" and "Boline" came from, you turn up a blank. Similarly, "Athame" could be pronounced "Ath-ame" "A-tham-ee" or "A-tharm-ey" that I've heard (boline is either "bollin" or "bow-line"). A number of people know about Grave's derivation of athame (Arabic Adh-dhame), I wanted to check that, but since I don't speak Arabic, my attempts to transliterate this into Arabic script and to compare it to an online English-to-Arabic dictionary failed miserably. Also, I don't know why a Muslim would call a knife a "blood-letter" as opposed to, say, a jambiya or some other term. Since the Athame's symbolic, "Blood-letter" doesn't make a lot of functional sense (unless Gardner was being romantic, which is possible). So, any Arabic speakers out there who can at least answer whether Graves was right? F

5th February 2005, 02:41 AM	#6
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Hi Fearn, one thing i am fairly sure of is that modern Wicca is NOT a debasement of Sufi tradition. Gardner took the ritual format he learned studying with the Golden Dawn and Crowley and combined it with the old Celtic pantheon and seasonal based cyclic holidays (Sabbats) with a strong emphasis of worship of the Goddess. Graves may or may not be correct about the etymology of the word, but it is meaningless to the reality of the religion and certainly to the purpose of the athame in the context of ritual use. I think it is more likely that it was Graves who was being romantic in this case, not Gardner. As it has been said, the athame is used for more spiritual acts such as casting circles and tracing sigils in the air. Blood letting would NEVER be one of it's uses, even if such acts were performed in Wiccan ceremony, which i can assure you it is not. Wiccans DO NOT make animal sacrifices. If anyone is interested, a very good book for understanding Gardnerian/Alexandrian Wicca and how these knives are used in their ritual sense, i would highly recommend "A Witches Bible Compleat" by Janet and Stewart Farrar, ISBN # 0-939708-09-4