Overview

This essay in cultural anthropology provides a comprehensive view of the way primitive people in all parts of the world once utilized knots; mnemonic knots—to record dates, numbers, and cultural traditions; magic knots—to cure diseases, bewitch enemies, and control the forces of nature; and practical knots—to tie things and hold things together. In his discussion of mnemonic knots, the author analyzes the Peruvian quipus (or knot-calendars and knot-records) and suggests that the Inca astronomer-priests, known to have been accurate observers of the movements of the planets, may also have been able to predict the dates of lunar eclipses; and he shows how it is possible to manipulate the Ina abacus in accordance with the decimal system. His treatment of magic knots includes instances from Babylonian times to the present, with curious examples of the supernatural power attributed to the Hercules knot (i.e., the square knot) in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. His analysis of a little-known treatise on surgeons’ slings and nooses, written by the Green physician Heraklas, is the first detailed account of the specific practical knots used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Quipus and Witches’ Knots, which is abundantly illustrated, often surprises the reader with the unexpected ways in which the once universal dependence of men on knots has left its mark on the language, customs, and thought of modern peoples.

Full Product Details

Author:   Cyrus Lawrence Day
Publisher:   University Press of Kansas
Imprint:   University Press of Kansas
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 0.90cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.245kg
ISBN:  

9780700631469

ISBN 10:   0700631461
Pages:   168
Publication Date:   30 October 2021
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

"Acknowledgments Chapter One: Mnemonic Knots 1. Knot-Calendars 2. Lee Boo and His ""Line"" 3. Polynesian Knot-Records 4. Miscellaneous Knot-Records 5. Phylacteries and Fringes 6. Abacus, Rosary, and Log Line 7. The Peruvian Quipu (Locke's Analysis) 8. The Peruvian Quipus (Nordenskiöld's Hypothesis) 9. Quipu 14-3866 (An Inca Astronomer's Notebook) 11. Statistical and Cultural Quipus Chapter Two: Magic Knots 1. Homeopathic and Contagious Magic 2. Wind and Rain 3. Sickness and Disease 4. Miscellaneous Cures 5. Knot Amulets 6. The Hercules Knot 7. the Slip Knot 8. Miscellaneous Amulets 9. Maleficium 10. Love Knots 11. Religious Knots Chapter Three: Practical Knots 1. The Age of String 2. The Oldest Knots 3. A Physician Names Haraklas 4. Proprietary Exclusiveness 5. The End of an Era Notes Appendices: Oribasius De Laqueis Index"

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Author Information

Cyrus Lawrence Day (1900–1968) was professor emeritus of English at the University of Delaware. His publications include The Songs of John Dryden and The Art of Knotting and Splicing.

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