Cyprian of Antioch, the sorcerer saint

Cyprian of Antioch (of Pisídia) is a historic polemic figure whose biography lost itself in the distance of the centuries that produce the mix between legend and reality.

Paradoxal, during his life he was a powerful sorcerer and, later, a saint christian martyr. He is famous like a Saint but much more famous like a black magician.

The mistery about this sorcerer saint begins with uncertainty with regard to his biography: where he was born, when he born, his family name etc.. Only the arduous research and comparative study can provide some reliable facts.

According the Ortodox Christian Information Center, Cyprian lived at Antioch of Pisídia but was born at Cartago, north of Africa. Cartago may be an unlikely option. 

This information seems to be another result of a confusion among the saints Cyprian, especially with St. Cyprian of Carthage, (Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) that was born and became a bishop in this city, a Christian martyr who lived in the same period of Cyprian, the sorcerer, century three after Christ.

The key of the birth's place could be in the own name "Cyprian" that can mean someone or something from island of Cyprus, Aegean sea, inner Mediterranean.

In his occultist education, which began in early childhood, since then, encouraged by his parents, that were rich pagans. 

He traveled to many countries and kingdoms studying with the masters of the ancient schools of magic: in temple of Mitra, at Greece, at the mount Olympus in Cyprus, Egpty, India and and schools of Babylon in Mesopotamia, with priests heirs of the ancient Chaldean magi. 

by Lygia Cabus

Cyprian, Christian

At 30 years Cyprian was a famous and powerful sorcerer, well versed in various wonders of magic like astrology, necromancy, the science of filters, oracles, potions, the dominion over the elements of nature. He had the subservience of a legion of demons, protected from the devil himself of whose was a server and a partner.

However, seeing that his demonic tricks of witchcraft were unsuccessful against a Christian virgin. 

Perceiving that Devil himself was being defeated by faith in Christ, Cyprian, disappointed with Satan, converted to Christianity. Later, he died like a martyr in the name of his new faith.

Justina, was the name of the girl who faced the devil and his servant, Cyprian using only the name of Jesus and the sign of the cross. 

After the convert Cyprian and Justina became friends-brothers missionaries of the Christianism. In a time of great confusion around religious policies, both Cyprian and Justina were persecuted, arrested, convicted, martyred and killed for being Christians. Historically, a curious fate: centuries later, Cipryan could be tortured and burned alive for being a sorcerer.

Cyprian was martyred along with Justina. First they were beaten with whips wich were gifted with iron nails. The Saints, both stayed impassive. 

The executioner was angry and ordered that both were immersed in a boiler of boiling oil. Once more there was no drama or screamings. Without no more solution, the Emperor Diocleciano, chose to simply behead Cyprian and Justina.

The Book of Saint Cyprian

The sorcerer died like a saint. The saint passed to the history like a sorcerer. Cyprian repented of the practice of black magic, converted to Christianity, died wretchedly in the name of Christ but, despite all that, today, 

Saint Cipriano is famous, very famous, not for his saintity but by the book that has his name on the cover. It is a popular book on witchcraft. 

A prayer book, yes; but they are exotic prayers to satisfy desires that, often, are nothing Christian. The true is that the saint went into history as sorcerer.

The historic search indicates that the Book of Saint Cyprian was not written by Saint Cyprian. There are some reasons for support this idea. Cyprian had destroyed his notes and pagan studies in his act of conversion. He burned all them.

Considering more than 30 years of training and practice in arts or sciences occult, 

Cyprian should be considered an occultist, a scholar of magic and not just mere sorcerer versed in popular sympathies, filters of love and prosperity cause this is the material that constitutes the contents of all of The St. Cyprian Books that were published even today. However, it isn't impossible that some material has escaped of the flames.

The sorcerer Cyprian was also an scholar. He wrote and drew formulas and signs everywhere: as on walls and furniture of the houses where he lived. In addition, prior to conversion, the master sorcerer had disciples who preserved his teachings.

Even so, the authorship of the Books of St. Cyprian is doubtful. He died in 304 AD. The most important historical reference on its existence and his biography is a written confession of the repentant sorcerer. 

This document was rescued by the scholar Marques De Mirville (1802-1873). He found the parchment in the Vatican Library (Rome, Italy).

About the Grimoire whose authorship is attributed to St. Cyprian, it first appeared in a German monastery. The text would have been found by a monk named Jonas Sufurino, who translated the original Hebrew to German. However, the first printed editions appeared only a few centuries later, in 1460, in France.

Soon, the superstitious mindset of the people, the yearning for magic solutions for the problems of the life, turned the Book of Saint Cyprian in a popular literature. 

The profane prayers, printed in pamphlets were circulated throughout Western and Eastern Europe. The book were translated for English, Portuguese, Spanish.

In 1510 the canadense editor Jean Jacques Kean published a edition with the title El Libro de San Cipriano: Tesoro del Hetichero, in spanish. 

At european east countries, the Cipriano scrolls or rolls, printed in Constantinople in 1712, were used as talismans in the modern period [Modern Age]. 

These panflets contained an account of the life of the saint, popular prayers and enchantments for all occasions.

In 1849, appeared the first complete edition in Portuguese of The Book of Saint Cyprian: transcript of the manuscript written by the saint who teaches how to undo all the enchantments of the Moors in the kingdom of Portugal. 

It was in the Iberian Peninsula that the myth of the saint sorcerer remained with greater force. As the new world settlers, the Portuguese and Spaniards brought to Americas the belief in the magical powers of the Cyprian and the first copies of Grimoire or The Famous and truly Great Book of Saint Cyprian.

In the Iberian peninsula, the cultural hybridism produces the association among the saint magician early Christianity to the demonic arts of the Moors, the enchantments of the Arab alchemists, the mysteries of gypsy witches of the East.

Cyprian, like black magician, has transcended the historical condition to establishing itself definitively as a legendary figure and folk, archetypal representative of the image of any powerful wizard, master of the enchantments and magic potions. By L. Cabus – August, 2010

TEXTS CONSULTED

DAVIES, Owen. Ancient and medieval grimories. IN Grimoires: a history of magic books. Oxford University Press, 2009. Google Books.

MISSLER, Peter. Las Hondas raíces del Ciprianillo, 2ª parte: Los Grimórios. IN Culturas Populares Revista Eletrônica, 2006. [http://www.culturaspopulares.org/textos3/articulos/missler.pdf]

SUMMERS, Montague. Witchcraft and Black Magic. Courier Dover Publications, 2000. IN Google Books.

The Lives of Sts. Cyprian and Justina. IN Ortodox Christian Information Center. [http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/cyprian_justina.aspx]

Indigenous Rite: The proof of ants

Glove prepared for the tucandeira ritual. 

fonte: Wikimedia Commons

AMAZONAS state – At the region of Andirá river, that borns in the state of Para and empties into the Amazon, north of Brazil, are situated the lands of the indigenous tribes of the Sateré-Mawé people. 

There are 38 villages recognized by FUNAI (National Foundation of Indigenous) along the River Andirá.

The Sateré-Mawé, like many peoples of all the cultures of the world, including the post-modern culture, they have a iniciation ritual by wich all the young have to pass when they reach a certain age. In the case of indigenous Sateré-Mawé this ritual is the tucaneiras ants proof.

The tucandeiras ants (Paraponera clavata), that are also named cabo-verde ants in portuguese, Bullet-ants in english, "Hormiga Bala" or, still, "Hormiga 24 horas" in spanish (ants 24-hours), this specie is famous for their extremely painful bite. The Spanish name refers to the duration of the pain caused by the bite of this insect.

The initiation ritual of Sateré-Mawé consists in suffer the extreme pain of the bites of many of these ants. 

For the occasion, ants are stored in a cylinder of bamboo. The insects can not leave because the cylinder is sealed with leaves of white-cashew. 

The ants hate it. In the preparation of the ceremony, the ants are introduced, one by one, inside a sleeve made of straw-caranã.

The heads of the animals remain at the side out of the gloves, the stingers, inside the glove. The whole process irritates the ants. 

When the gloves are ready, beginners should wear these gloves and keep them for 15 minutes while the hands are being bites by these ants, hostiles. While the boys are suffering from pain, the tribe sings and dances.

The ceremony of the Tucandeira is a religious rite. Besides being a test of courage is an act of bravery and a protection for the body. 

The indigenous Sateré-mawé believe the sting of ant-tucandeira has medicinal properties, like a kind of vaccine.

 

The people says that if someone that is with a fever wears the tucandeiras gloves, the fever goes away.

The ritual must be repeated twenty times in twenty different days. If it miss a single day, the protection of the rite is broken, and the curse falls on the defaulter.

For the afraid youngs, who desire avoid the proof, the Tucandeira's curse is a thing to consider. He will be tormented by the Tucandeira. 

The elders say that the tucandeira is a woman. She appears in the dream of the men as a beautiful woman and offers a food that is not of this world. Who eats of this food becomes very ill. 

A native who made his twentieth ritual this month (August 2010) says, relieved: If I had not finished, I would die, I become ill and paunchy, because she "impregnates" (the person). You stay like a pregnant but, in true, begin to grow tucandeiras within the man.

FONTES:

Ritual leva meninos a colocarem mão em luva com formigas.

IN Portal MS – published in 16/08/2010

[http://www.portalms.com.br/noticias/detalhe.asp?cod=959587514]

Tribo Sateré-Mawé. IN Missão Novas Tribos do Brasil MNTB

[http://www.mntb.org.br/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128&Itemid=242]

Poisoned water

AMAZÔNIA – At Rolim Moura city, in the rivers Bambu and São Pedro, the waters stand empoisoned. Since early July (2010) thousands of fish have been found dead. And the fishes are not the only victims. Other animals are suffering of the mysterious evil. Capivaras (or capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), jacarés (Alligatoridae), oxes and other species have been also found dead.

Environmental authorities believe that this is a case of pollution by pesticides. Analyses will be made to determine the cause of the disaster. The population was warned not to use the waters of those rivers. Even baths and other hygienic practices can be dangerous to health.

According to technicians from IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e Recursos Naturais) the mere contact with the water of these rivers can cause skin changes. Many fish were found still alive but the bodies structures stood necrosed. The poison acts slowly decomposing body mass of animals.

SOURCE: Mortandade ainda é mistério.
IN DIARIO DA AMAZÔNIA published in 07/30/2010
[http://www.diariodaamazonia.com.br/diariodaamazonia/index2.php?sec=News&id=4522]

The Mistery of Crater of the Macaws

MATO GROSSO DO SUL – At the region of the town Rio Bonito, in a locality named Alegria Farm (Fazenda Alegria) there is a huge crater. It has 512 meters of diameter and its depth is unknown. It's the Macaw's Hole (Buraco das Araras), a place of difficult access (look the photo). The explorers that managed arrive there confirmed that the crater is indeed an enigma.

The vertical walls of the abyss have terraces, tunnels and caves that hide amazing scenarios. All things there is very strange, macabre and unexplained. The tunnels seem to be work of human hands or other intelligent agent.

In the 1970s the Brazilian Army sent an expedition to the site. Technicians reached only 90 meters deep. They found a collection of the strangest objects: many human bones and carcasses of cars destroyed. No one knows how the cars were stopping there. It's as if they had fallen from the sky.

Other explorers, using techniques of rappelling, down more there are 124 meters deep (the equivalent of a 41-story building) found a lake of green waters, dark and dense. There was not observed any form of animal life except a strange reptile, like a kind of crocodile. Also in the vicinity of the lake were found human bones and more one car destroyed.

Some scientists believe that the crater can be result of the fallen of a meteorite at a very ancient geologic epoch. However, there are many legends that recur the fantastic and the supernatural as an explanation for the mysteries of the crater. At the place, would have fallen a UFO.

Others say the that the abyss leads to a shelter of extraterrestrial or maybe that the crater could to be a kind of laystall where cars and people abductees are buried in secret, in this strange cemetery, the crater of Araras. And still, others, think that the crater is one of the entrances to an underground world inhabited by a race of intelligent beings unknowns of the mankind.

by L. Cabus