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An amulet might relate to a specific god - placing the wearer under the protection of that god - or to an animal, in which case a special quality of the animal would become helpful to the wearer. Archeologists have discovered amulets worn by prehistoric man. It seems obvious that a non-scientific mind would find it sensible to wear a symbol of power or significance as protection.
The Ancient Egyptians made great use of amulets, and many have been found in the Pyramid burial hoards. They were often made from faience, a ceramic used for many centuries afterwards and found in many museums. It is made from crushed quartz or sand, lime and ash, coated with a glaze. Copper was often used in the making of the glaze, giving it a bright blue-green color. Faience is characterized by its iridescent sheen and is very beautiful, and no doubt these amulets were considered to be attractive pieces of jewelry. Amulets were also often made out of, or decorated with, glass, semi-precious stones, and occasionally gold or silver. Lapis lazuli, much prized for its deep blue color and beauty, was popular. It could also be carved.
Scarabs, as beautiful as jewelry in their own right, were the inspiration for many amulets. A scarab amulet symbolized rebirth. The Eye of Horus was another very popular amulet, protecting the wearer from evil in life and in the Afterlife. Frogs aided fertility, a symbolism derived from their ability to disappear in the dry season and 'magically' reappear when the Nile flooded. The Ankh was a symbol of eternal life, and consequently a popular one to be buried with the dead. The ouroboros was a popular symbol of rebirth after death - a snake curved in a circle with its tail in its mouth, having no beginning or end.
The Babylonians and Assyrians used cylindrical seals as amulets, containing precious stones. They also attached specific qualities to certain animals, and wore amulets to acquire these qualities. Rams and bulls symbolized virility, for instance.
The actual word 'amulet' is derived from a Latin word meaning 'a method of defense'. Pliny describes three kinds of amulets, so they were obviously used widely by the Romans. Some 'amulets' were actually used as medicines, while others symbolized medical protection of some kind. There were also amulets to protect the wearers against other problems in their lives. Often an amulet consisted on a piece of parchment with specific protective words written on it, rolled up and carried in a small metal tube.
Eyes are supposed to provide protection against evil spirits, a bouncing back of the Evil Eye perhaps, and symbolic eyes are found as amulets, on the walls of tombs and dwelling places, in tools and on jewelry. Phallic symbols are also very commonly found, often symbolized by horns or hands; possibly as protection against the Evil Eye also, or as the more obvious fertility symbol.
Writings have also long been used to provide protection. The name of a god, or magical words or number combinations, might be made into an amulet. Although these have been used since time immemorial, they became especially popular throughout Europe from the late middle ages to as late as the nineteenth century. These amulets often took the form of a scrap of parchment (or, later, paper) with the magic word or words written on it, and then enclosed in some form of outer covering. Quotes from the Bible, the Torah or the Koran might be carried in little decorative boxes or other containers, and fulfilled the same function for their wearer as the more primitive figurines of gods had done to early man. Or semi-precious stones such as jade or amethyst might be fashioned into jewel shapes and intricately carved with a verse or other quotation from a religious text. These make beautiful jewelry pieces in their own right. Many Catholics still wear medals such as St Christopher medals as protection - the practice is not dead even in the twenty-first century.
Modern day pagans and Wiccans also wear amulets as protection against evil. There is a thriving trade in making pagan jewelry, often based on ancient Celtic designs, that produces amulets also.
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