Ethiopian healing or "magic" scrolls were tailored/ measured to the height of the person seeking cures and protection from local healers. Most often, the scroll would be ordered by the healer, who would prescribe the sacrifice of a specific animal, and its skin would be used to prepare one or more scrolls. The subjects of these scrolls are always Christian, but actual content and imagery varies. Prayers covering the scroll are written in Ge'ez (Ethiopic), a Semitic language that is no longer spoken, but is still used for liturgical and other religious purposes by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Prayers and figurative images adorn the scroll, intended to protect the owner from invisible and harmful forces. Scrolls like this are usual hung on the wall. The patient would look at the scroll and would recite prayers invoking the healing process to begin. Sometimes, scrolls were hung in home entrances in order to prevent evil spirits from accessing the house.
Findings Crash Course
