what is a "Athame"

[CondurerMan]

i have searched many languages for this traslation but came up with zip, so if you can pleas explain is a bit

[MystyPines]

Hello Condurerman!

An athame is a ritual knife used for casting a sacred circle, cutting/opening the circle, directing energy, calling the quarters, consecrating objects and cakes and ale, performing the symbolic great rite, etc. Some say it should be black handled, double edged and never used for actual physical cutting of herbs, etc. They say you should use a white handled knife called a boline (blade shaped like a crescent moon) for cutting herbs or inscribing candles, etc. But, mine is not black handle, the handle is made of various gemstones and I use my athame for everything even inscribing candles, etc. Although my blade is not sharp, it has been dulled. Oh, the athame is masculine, represents the element of fire in some traditions and air in other traditions.

Hope this helps! :D

[GoddessofWisdom]

The atame (also known as an "air dagger") is a ritual knife with a black handle and a double-edged blade whick is traditionally engraved with various magickal and/or astrological symbols. It represents the ancient and mystical element of air, is symbolic of the Life Force, and is used by Witches to draw circles, to exorcise evil and negative forces, to control and banish elemental spirits, and to store and direct energy during magickal rituals.
An athame with a white handle is used only for cut-ting wands, harvesting herbs for magick or healing, carving the traditional Samhain jack-o'-lantern, and carving runes and other magickal or astrological symbols on candles and talismans.

[Lilu]

I think I have heard the descriptions about what one should be - ie. black handle, double blade etc before but I forgot about the black handle - thanks for posting that Mysty and GoW.

Do people think that an athame has to be a specific description, or can it be anything so long as it's a knife?

I have a ritual blade which has a mummy on the end of it and scarab wings. But it is called a kris knife - so I am wondering if an athame is a specific knife or a general name? What do you think?

BB
Lilu

[CondurerMan]

thenks for you answers, it was getting wierd seeing the worg evrywhere and not knoing what it means.

thenks a-lot:)

[loopy]

Do people think that an athame has to be a specific description, or can it be anything so long as it's a knife?

Lilu-- I got my athame in an online store under the section of "athames." It's gold-handled, adorned with color and jewels, with this little red tassel at the bottom. So I don't think athames should have to adhere to any descriptions; it's what works best for the person.

[Lilu]

Originally posted by loopy


Lilu-- I got my athame in an online store under the section of "athames." It's gold-handled, adorned with color and jewels, with this little red tassel at the bottom. So I don't think athames should have to adhere to any descriptions; it's what works best for the person.

:D Thanks Loopy,

So you are saying that ANY ritual knife we choose to use - regardless of it's appearance is an athame :) So my kris blade could also be called an athame? An athame is therefore a concept, not a specific object? *grin*

Just for the record - my understanding has been that any ritual blade you have is called an athame. But now I'm wondering if, like the kris blade - which is specific in it's appearance (the blade specifically, not the handle design) an athame is another name for a double edged blade (ie. then we are incorrect in calling a single-edged blade an athame)? Understand what I'm getting at?

Are we all incorrect in calling any knife an athame so long as we use it in ritual? Or is it like I said, a name for a *concept* as in ritual knife - regardless of appearance?

Anyone out there have an idea?

BB
Lilu

[MystyPines]

Lilu,

I am so confused!, he he he. I understand an athame is a knife used during ritual. I have other knives in the house, swiss army knife for camping, I do have a boline, but do not use it. I use my athame for all my magickal workings. I think some people use whatever knife they choose, doesn't have to be a black-handled double edged, but I guess that all depends on what tradition you follow. One of my friends uses a very ornate letter opener. Another friend's daughter who is 12, uses an all wood athame, because her mother doesn't want to her have anything sharp. And, some people use no athame, but just their own fingers. I am one of those people who likes to use props to help me focus, and some people do not need any props whatsoever. It's called: "whatever floats your boat", he he he.

Bright Blessings! :p :p

[Lilu]

Mysty! I agree, whatever makes you happy! I have used a letter opener before.

But that's not what I want to find out. :) I think the problem is, no one knows the answer to my question! haha ;) Oh well, it doesn't really matter.

BB
Lilu

[MystyPines]

Oh, I am researching right now the word Athame to see what the word actually means and where it came from. In the meantime, I came across this funny little ditty:

The Top 10 Reasons Why Athames Are Black:

-So they'll go with any color of robe.
-So you can cover up nicks&scratches with shoe polish.
-It's slimming (can't have fat athames, can we?)
-It doesn't show dirt.
-Because finding a dropped athame in an outdoor ritual in the dark is a test of loyalty to your faith.
-It's so much more dignified than chartreusse.
-Seemed like a good idea at the time.
-Someone spilled all the paints together and that's what ended up.
-No, no! Black is for winter rituals--use white before Labor Day!

And the #1 reason athames are black....

-So that we'd have something to argue about other than how "athame" is pronounced!

[loopy]

Lilu-- uuummmmm..... I don't know! :crazy: I certainly can't speak for everyone, but I would consider the double-edged part what makes an athame, not the color of the handle, which is kinda what I was trying to say in the first post, but it was late, so.... :D

But, that's just me. I think it's a good rule in the Craft to just go with your instincts. Whatever feels right. But I'm a still a Seeker myself, so...

Maybe someone with a bit more experience could shed some light on it for us? :)

[MystyPines]

I found the following:

------------------------------

The term 'Athame' probably originated in Ceremonial Magick (see The Witches Way/The Witches Bible) from the word 'Arthana'. In Ritual Magick their are two knives; the black handled knife used for ritual within the circle and the white handled knife for actual cutting. It is from here that Gardner took the idea of the two knives which we find in Wicca today. Quite simply, they are imports from Ritual Magick, although the roots of the knife in Pagan magical practice are far older.

Farrar/Bone 1997

website: http://gofree.indigo.ie/~wicca/athame.htm

[loopy]

Ok, from Margot Adler, Drawing Down the Moon, p. 109:

"The circle is cast with a ritual sword, wand, or athame (a small, usually black-handled and double-bladed dagger that is used by almost all covens, whatever their tradition."

Silver Raven Wolf, To Ride a Silver Broomstick, p 18:

"athame: a cleansed and consectrated ritual ceremonial knife used in ritual work by Witches. The knife is never used for blood-letting, and rarely used for cutting anything on the material plane."

From Teresa Moorey's Witchcraft: A Beginner's Guide, p. 50:

"Athame: (Ath-AY-mee) A knife, which must be blunt and never used to cut anything. It is used similiarly to the wand. I think of the athame as something to direct concentration, whereas the wand confers inspiration and invocation. The athame is associated with East and Air, although some traditions reverse the meanings of wand and athame, associating the latter with fire. The 'cutting' symbolism of the knife relates to the intellect's cutting edge."

From Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner:

"Athame: A Wiccan ritual knife. It usually has a double-edged blade and a black handle. The athame is used to direct personal power during Ritual workings. It is seldom, if ever, used for actual, physical cutting. The term is of obscure origin, has many variant spellings among Wiccans, and an even greater variety of pronunciations. American East-Coast Wiccans may pronounce it as "Ah-THAM-ee" (to rhyme with "whammy"); I was first taught to say "ATH-ah-may" and later "ah-THAW-may." For various purposes currently unknown to me I decided to substitute the term "magic knife" for athame in The Standing Stones Book of Shadows. Either term, or simply "knife" will do."

From all of these, I would gather that the appearance isn't as important as the way it's used, which is for focusing or directing energy.

[MystyPines]

I found the following regarding the origin of the word ATHAME:

In some Celtic traditions, the athame is called the Dagger, Dirk or Scian (Irish).

http://www.pagancommunitychurch.org/dictionary.htm

The word "athame" is of unknown origin. James W. Baker suggests that it may come from the Old French "attame" (to cut or pierce). Other writers suggest that "athame" comes from Basque, or the Arabic phrase "Al-dhamme". While we can't rule these possibilities out, "attame" seems to be a much more likely source. There's no evidence that such a Basque or Arabic phrase was ever used in the English language, while the loan-word "attame" does indeed pop up occasionally in early English.
The history of athames is equally unclear. We don't have any evidence that Witches used athames before the 20th century. They don't appear in the Witch trials. Witches did occasionally use knives, but there's no indication that these knives were especially blessed, called "athames", or had to be of a specific color. On the other hand, many 19th century Irish spells call for a "black-handled" knife. This knife is never referred to as an "athame", but it is an important tool in Irish folk magick.
It seems more likely that athames were adopted from the ceremonial (or "high" magickal) tradition. The _Clavicula Salomonis_ (Key of Solomon), one of the earliest and most famous grimoires of high magick, lists black- and white-handled knives amongst the various instruments a mage must possess. The black handled knife is used to cast the magickal circle, just as it is in Witchcraft. Other cutting tasks are performed with the white-handled knife.
When did these traditions merge? It's hard to say. We have no solid evidence that Witches used black- and white-handled knives before the 20th century. So the simplest explanation is that athames are not traditional -- Gerald Gardner picked them up from ceremonial magick. On the other hand, we know that Witches have been using the _Clavicula Salomonis_ for centuries. Laura Malipiero, a 16th century Venetian Strega, was arrested by the Inquisition for making copies of this text, which the Church had placed on its list of banned books. Thus we can't rule out the possibility that athames entered into Witchcraft traditions during the Burning Times.
However this still doesn't explain where the word "athame" came from. In ceremonial magick the black-handled knife has no special name. One 16th century copy of the _Keys of Solomon_ (Sloane ms. 3847) does call a white-handled knife an "arthana". Aiden Kelly also points out that in "The Master of the Crabs", a 1934 horror story by Clark Ashton Smith, the magician's ceremonial knife is called an "arthame".
So the possible histories for the word "athame" seem to be: 1) Athame is an ancient but rare word that has entirely disappeared from the historical record. 2) Athame is a misunderstanding/variation of "arthana", an uncommon English name for a ceremonial magician's white-handled knife. 3) Athames were invented by Gerald Gardner, and were inspired either by "The Master of Crabs" or the English translation of the _Key of Solomon_ which mentioned arthanas. Gardner chose to apply the name to the "Witchier" black handled knife, rather than the more "mundane" white-handled one.

http://www.summerlands.com/crossroads/remembrance/burning/secA.htm

[Lilu]

Thanks for all the info guys!!! You've pretty much answered my question! I think I had the right idea all along, just wanted to make sure. hehe

:) BB
Lilu