Magic images are considered to possess an inherent power which protects against malign influences (usually described as “evil eye”, more precisely “shadow eye”; Buda). In general it seems that such images on magic scrolls are not in direct connection with the content of the accompanying text, but contribute to its impact by their own power, and they are therefore neither simple illustrations, nor “religious art”, but a therapeutic and/or protective instrument. The effect of a magic scroll is produced by the combination of the power of magic texts (sometimes with asmat) and paintings or Tälsäm (cp., e.g., Burtea 2001: 96; Mercier 1976: 232).
The local tradition divides paintings on mag- ic scrolls into two categories: Tälsäm and séél (lit. picture, image). Tälsäm images depict an “invisible” sphere, different from íéél, narrative pictures, which usually show saints or angels, which are considered to belong to the visible world (Merci er 1979: 24). The séél depicts what “can be seen” and tells a story of a person, such as St. George of Lydda fighting the dragon or illustrates a narrative, like Susényos killing Wérzélya. On the other hand, Tälsäm depict symbols from the world of magic such as magical squares (with different designs, like lofham mähaflon némlos Sälomon which are the secret names of Solomon; s. magic square in EAE vol. 3, 778a, or with geometrical patterns, s. ill. 1, left), other figures or “seals” (such as the ‘Seal of Solomon’ which is depicted as an eightpointed star, s. ill. 1, right; cp. Mercier 1997: 49) or the ‘Net of Solomon’ (Märbäbtä Sälomon).
One peculiar element in Tälsäm pictures is repre- sented by drawings sometimes (misleadingly) called “spectacle scripts/Brillenbuchstaben”, or even “secret script”. Despite being referred to as “script” and looking like letters of an “alphabet”, they do not represent a writing system. These signs are composed of curious combinations of curves, lines and arches with small loops (hence the term “charactères à lunettes”). In manuscripts they rarely stand alone but mostly accompany other illustrations (s. ill. 1, top right; s. also ill. EAE vol. 3, 637). Similar characteres can be found in other magic traditions, esp. He- brew, Arabic and Coptic but also in Greek and Latin and even texts in Egyptian hieroglyphs. The tradition of these characteres in Ethiopian Tälsäm seems to be adopted from the Coptic and Arabic magic tradition (cp. Strelcyn 1955: xxxiii–xxxix). In a few cases, Tälsäm pictures can be combined with a written text: cp. the prayer Mäshetä Sälomon (‘Mirror of Salomon’) presented by Euringer (1937). Here the text is written in a helix around a stylized ‘Net of Solomon’ and surrounded by “charactères à lunettes” and other drawings (Euringer 1937). One more discernable element of Tälsäm pictures is the stylized representation of the cross, believed to possess strong magic defensive power. In the Islamic magic tradition of Ethiopia amulets are called (Arab.) higab, hirz, or iilsam. They consist of Qurýanic verses, or the beautiful names of God, illustrated by geo- metrical figures and drawings.
