Chapter Talismans to Tammany of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Talismans to Tammany

Talismans. (1) In order to free a house of vermin, the figure of the obnoxious animal should be made in wax in “the planetary hour.”—Warburton: Critical Inquiry into Prodigies … (1727).

He swore that you had robbed his house,
And stolen his talismanic louse.
   —S. Butler: Hudibras, iii. 1 (1678).

(2) The Abraxas stone, a stone with the word ABRAXAS engraved on it, is a famous talisman. The word symbolizes the 365 intelligences between deity and man.

(3) In Arabia, a talisman, consisting of a piece of paper containing the names of the seven sleepers of Ephesus, is still used, “to ward the house from ghosts and demons.”

(4) A stone with a hole through it is sometimes hung on the handle of a stable key to keep off evil spirits.

(The subject is a very long one.)

The Four Talismans. Houna, surnamed Seidel-Beckir, a talismanist, made three of great value: viz. a little golden fish, which would fetch out of the sea whatever it was bidden; a poniard, which rendered invisible not only the person bearing it, but all those he wished to be so; and a ring of steel, which enabled the wearer to read the secrets of men’s hearts. The fourth talisman was a bracelet, which preserved the wearer from poison. —Comte de Caylus: Oriental Tales (“The Four Talismans,” 1743).

Talking Bird (The), called Bulbulhezar. It had the power of human speech, and when it sang all the song-birds in the vicinity came and joined in concert, It was also oracular, and told the sultan the tale of his three children, and how they had been exposed by the sultana’s two jealous sisters.—Arabian Nights (“The Two Sisters,” the last tale).

(The talking bird is called “the little green bird” in “The Princess Fairstar,” one of the Fairy Tales of the comtesse DAulnoy, 1682.)

Tallboy (Old), forester of St. Mary’s Convent. —Sir W. Scott: Monastery (time, Elizabeth).

Talleyrand. This name, anciently written “Tailleran,” was originally à sobriquet derived from the words tailler les rangs (“cut through the ranks”).

Talleyrand is erroneously credited with the mot, “La parole a été donnée à l’homme pour l’aider à cacher sa pensée [or déguiser la penser].” (See Speech, p. 1035.)

Talos, son of Perdix, sister of Dædalos, inventor of the saw, compasses, and other mechanical instruments, His uncle, jealous of him, threw him down from the citadel of Athens, and he was changed into a partridge.

Talos, a man of brass, made by Hephaistos (Vulcan). This wonderful automaton was given to Minos to patrol the island of Crete. It traversed the came near, made itself red hot, and squeezed him to death.

Talus, an iron man, represe nting power or the executive of a state. He was Astræa’s groom, whom the goddess gave to sir Artegal. This man of iron, “unmovable and resistless without end,” “swift as a swallow, and as a lion strong,” carried in his hand an iron flail, “with which he threshed out falsehood, and did truth unfold.” When sir Artegal fell into the power of Radigund queen of the Amazons, Talus brought Britomart to the rescue.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, v. 1 (1596).

Talût. So the Mohammedans call Saul.

Verily God hath set Talût king over you … Samuel said, Verily God hath chosen him, and hath caused him to increase in knowledge and stature.—Al Korán, ii.