What: One of five healing scrolls from Magdala. Part of a wider collection that includes 11 other scrolls that might also be from the same source

Where: The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE

Details in: Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London / [compiled] by Stefan Strelcyn, published in 1972

“As far as one can tell from the notes preserved in the registers of the Library, the provenance of these scrolls is heterogeneous. As one might expect, some of them certainly come from Magdala, brought back by members of Lord Napier’s expedition in 1867-8 (Nos. I, VII, VIII, XII, XIV). This is probably also true for No. XIII and perhaps for a few others as well. All these MSS were acquired by the Library between 1913 and 1930.”

Catalogue entry:
I
Eighteenth century. Vellum. 1,255 mm. X 120 mm. Scroll composed of three strips. The top of the first strip seems to be missing. Clear handwriting.
Black and red ink. No. 36969.

1. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage
2. ‘ The drowner of devils ‘ mastdmd agandnt. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage
3. Prayer against barya
4. Prayer against malicious demons, evil spirits, and magical action
5. Magical square against vaginal haemorrhage.
6. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage, barya, and legewon
7. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage given by God to Eve.
8. Prayer against vaginal haemorrhage
9. Another prayer against vaginal haemorrhage
10. Salam to Phanuel, the expeller of devils.

Two coloured magical pictures, the second representing legeivon bound with a red cord
Three consecutive owners are named : Woson Dassata, 3hta Maryam, and
Walatta Mika’el.
Taken at Magdala in 1868. Bought in 1915.

What: One of five healing scrolls from Magdala. Part of a wider collection that includes 11 other scrolls that might also be from the same source

Where: The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE

Details in: Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London / [compiled] by Stefan Strelcyn, published in 1972

“As far as one can tell from the notes preserved in the registers of the Library, the provenance of these scrolls is heterogeneous. As one might expect, some of them certainly come from Magdala, brought back by members of Lord Napier’s expedition in 1867-8 (Nos. I, VII, VIII, XII, XIV). This is probably also true for No. XIII and perhaps for a few others as well. All these MSS were acquired by the Library between 1913 and 1930.”

Catalogue entry:
VII
Nineteenth century (?). Vellum, partly damaged and mounted with blue paper. 2,030 mm. X 130 mm. Scroll composed of three strips. Careful script. Black and red ink. Two columns. No. 88613.

1. Prayer for undoing charms, maftdhe hray.
2. ‘Solomon’s net’, prayer for catching devils.
3. Prayer for undoing charms.
4. Prayer for binding devils by the virtue of the secret names pronounced by the king Alexander before Gog and Magog.
5. Prayer against devils
6. Prayer against blacksmiths, barya, legewon, chest pain, rheumatism, migraine, colic, zar, tdgrida, mdtliat, afdfta, and pleurisy
7. Prayer against barya and legeivon containing the legend of Susenyos.
8. ‘Solomon’s net’, prayer for catching devils.
9. Prayer for anathematizing devils.
10. Prayer against the evil spirit, for people possessed by buda and barya, against dga sabd\ sorcerers, and magical action, against barya, legewon, chest pain, rheumatism, migraine, colic, magganna, and qwdranna.

Four coloured magical pictures.
The first owner was Walda Maryam Marra, the second Walatta Giyorgis.
Taken at Magdala in 1868. Bought in 1924.

What: One of five healing scrolls from Magdala. Part of a wider collection that includes 11 other scrolls that might also be from the same source

Where: The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE

Details in: Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London / [compiled] by Stefan Strelcyn, published in 1972

“As far as one can tell from the notes preserved in the registers of the Library, the provenance of these scrolls is heterogeneous. As one might expect, some of them certainly come from Magdala, brought back by members of Lord Napier’s expedition in 1867-8 (Nos. I, VII, VIII, XII, XIV). This is probably also true for No. XIII and perhaps for a few others as well. All these MSS were acquired by the Library between 1913 and 1930.”

Catalogue entry:
VIII
Nineteenth century. Vellum. 2,180 mm. X 75 mm. Scroll composed of four strips. Large, fluent, and rather careful handwriting. Black and red ink.
No. 88612.

1. John i, 1-5. Prayer against devils, barya, and magicians
2. Prayer for expelling devils, ahaza sabd\ and magical action
3. Prayer for expelling Satan, barya, legewon, togrida, sotolay, chest pain, colic, ‘aynat, migraine, and different kinds of demons
4. Prayer against legewon by the virtue of the names of the nails of the Cross.
5. Prayer against chest pain.
6. Prayer against colic.
7. Mark i, 23-6. Prayer against devils.
8. Prayer for undoing charms, mdftdhe foray.
9. Prayer against blacksmiths.

Three coloured magical pictures.
The owner was Nasara Ab.
Taken at Magdala in 1868. Bought in 1924.

What: One of five healing scrolls from Magdala. Part of a wider collection that includes 11 other scrolls that might also be from the same source

Where: The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE

Details in: Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London / [compiled] by Stefan Strelcyn, published in 1972

“As far as one can tell from the notes preserved in the registers of the Library, the provenance of these scrolls is heterogeneous. As one might expect, some of them certainly come from Magdala, brought back by members of Lord Napier’s expedition in 1867-8 (Nos. I, VII, VIII, XII, XIV). This is probably also true for No. XIII and perhaps for a few others as well. All these MSS were acquired by the Library between 1913 and 1930.”

Catalogue entry:
XII
Nineteenth century. Vellum. 715 mm. X 120 mm. Medial strip of a longer scroll. Large, mediocre handwriting. Black and red ink. No. 36971.

1. Prayer against malicious demons and evil spirits, barya, legewon, ndgdrgar, the demon of the noon, dash, gudale, mdrmdg, mdc, mdtat, mdgganna, pleurisy, /era, malarial fever, bddbdd, cdndfdr, fdgen, .plaivdgi, buda, dgd sdbd\ chest pain, colic, migraine, rheumatism, ‘ayndt, nddoft, zar, tdgrida, tdlawas, sdra’el, blacksmiths – male and female, and diviners – male and female.
2. Prayer against migraine.
3. Prayer against chest pain. The end is missing.

Two coloured magical pictures.
Three consecutive owners are named : Sabana Giyorgis, Walatta >§ollase, and Walatta (?) Hoywat.

What: A healing scroll that was very likely taken from Maqdala. Part of a wider collection.

Where: The Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BE

The online catalogue calls it MS Ethiopian 14 and says it was taken at Maqdala.

The 1972 print Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts of the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London says:

“As far as one can tell from the notes preserved in the registers of the Library, the provenance of these scrolls is heterogeneous. As one might expect, some of them certainly come from Magdala, brought back by members of Lord Napier’s expedition in 1867-8 (Nos. I, VII, VIII, XII, XIV). This is probably also true for No. XIII and perhaps for a few others as well. All these MSS were acquired by the Library between 1913 and 1930.”

Catalogue entry:
XIV
Vellum. Scroll. 575 mm. X 65 mm. Poor handwriting.
Black and red ink. No. 14622.

1. Prayer against barya and legewon.
2. Prayer against colic.

Two coloured magical pictures.
The owner’s name is Yomam.
Taken at Magdala in 1868. Bought in 1913.