Written in blood? Decoding some red inks of the Greek magical papyri

Abstract

In the procedures described within Greek magical papyri, it is common to find indications about the use of specific inks, usually characterized by the presence of peculiar substances. One such substance is blood, whose use is often interpreted in connection to the symbolic dimension of magic. A perusal of the relevant passages, however, reveals that some instances of “blood” have a different meaning. This paper analyses these formulas in the light of other sources in order to disclose the complicated network of Decknamen (code names) and to unveil the misunderstandings and erroneous inferences that have occurred in the course of their textual transmission.