The purpose of this study is to analyze the distribution, forms, and function(s) of iron amulets deposited in the late Iron Age gravefields of Lovö, with the goal of ascertaining how (and so far as possible why) these objects were utilized in rituals carried out during and after burials. Particular emphasis is given to re-interpreting the largest group of iron amulets, the iron amulet rings, in a more relational and practice-focused way than has heretofore been attempted. By framing burial analyses, questions of typology, and evidence of ritualized actions in comparison with what is known of other cult sites in Mälardalen specifically– and theorized about the cognitive landscape(s) of late Iron Age Scandinavia generally– a picture of iron amulets as inscribed objects made to act as catalytic, protective, and mediating agents is brought to light.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the role that magic and medicine played in the lives of ancient Egyptian women and children. In a time when giving birth often ended in the death of the mother and child, and child mortality was extremely high, a variety of protective measures were undertaken by the ancient Egyptians. Medicine as the scientific treatment of ailments and women's health in general did exist in Egypt, however, life in Egypt was determined by religion and especially magic. The health of the ancient Egyptian woman and her child was studied by looking at the way in which magic influenced medicine, as well as by looking at how this connection between magic and medicine influenced the life and health of ancient Egyptian women and children. The research model followed was that of an interlinking society in which each aspect of Egyptian life had varying impacts on each other. The degree of impact of magic on aspects such as menstruation, conception and pregnancy was investigated, as well as, the magico-medical spells, amulets and other devices that were used to protect a woman and her baby. A catalogue of sources is given, including written and non-written sources. The first included the medical papyri and magical spells against evil forces and sickness. The second group were visual representations, divine statuettes, amulets and the specialized magical stelae (cippl) and "magical wands" ("Zaubermesser"). This thesis attempts to better understand how feminine issues such as menstruation, pregnancy, and giving birth were perceived and contended with, as well as to shed some light on the medical and magical treatment and protection of the women and children in ancient Egypt. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die rol wat magie en medisyne in die lewens van vrouens en kinders in antieke Egipte gespeel het. In 'n tyd toe die geboorte van 'n kind baie keer die dood van die ma en haar baba veroorsaak het, en kindersterftes uiters hoog was, het die antieke Egiptenare 'n verskeidenheid beskermingsmaatreëls gebruik. Medisyne as die wetenskaplike behandeling van siektes en vroulike gesondheidsorg het in Egipte bestaan, maar die lewe in Egipte was egter bepaal deur die godsdiens en veral die magie. Die gesondheid van die vroue en kinders van antieke Egipte is bestudeer deur te kyk hoe magie medisyne beïnvloed het, sowel as om te kyk hoe die verband tussen magie die medisyne die lewe en gesondheid van vroue en kinders in antieke Egipte bepaal het. Die navorsingsmodel wat gevolg is, is van 'n samelewing waarbinne elke aspek van die lewe in Egipte 'n impak op die ander het. Die graad van impak van magie op aspekte soos menstruasie, konsepsie en swangerskap is ondersoek, sowel as die "magies-mediese" spreuke, amulette en ander middels wat as beskerming vir die vrou en haar baba gebruik is. 'n Katalogus van bronne is ingesluit en sluit beide skriftelike en nie-skriftelike bronne in. Onder die eerste groep val mediese papiri en magiese tekste teen bose magte en siekte. Die tweede groep gee aandag aan visuele voorstellings, godebeeldjies, amulette en die gespesialiseerde magiese stelae (cippl) en "toorstaffies" ("Zaubermesser"). Hierdie tesis poog om beter te verstaan hoe vroulike sake soos menstruasie, swangerskap en geboorte gesien en hanteer is, sowel as om meer lig te werp op die mediese en magiese behandeling en beskerming van vrouens en hulle kinders in antieke Egipte.

La thèse propose une lecture postcoloniale des romans de Margaret Atwood s'articulant sur le thème du mensonge. A travers l'étude de six aspets communs aux romans (l'intertextualité, le mensonge, le réalisme magique, le "trickster", l'hybridité et la quête), la thèse démontre l'importance du motif du mensonge dans une lecture postcoloniale de l'auteur. The thesis produces a postcolonial reading of Margaret Atwood's novels, based on the concept of deception. Articulated on six major elements of analysis (intertextual parody, deception, magic realism, trickster figures, hybridity, and quest pattern, the thesis shows how Margaret Atwood's novels can be read from a postcolonial point of view, within which the motif of deception plays a central role.

德國投資大師科斯托蘭尼（Kostolany）曾用主人牽狗散步來形容股價跟基本面的運行關係，主人從甲地到乙地的路徑像是公司的基本面，而狗跟隨著主人的步伐忽前忽後、亦步亦趨就像是股價，兩者之間短期間不一定會同步，但最終必將一致。這個現象說明了股市投資的一個不變的真理：長期而言，股價必將反映公司經營的基本面。作為一個投資人如果無法掌握基本面的走向，而只知道一味的追逐股價的走向，則無異於捨本逐末，緣木求魚了。 從基本面來分析公司的價值，最直接正確的方是就是現金流量折現模型，但這個方法對於如何預估公司未來產生的現金流，及如何採用折現率存在著相當大的歧異。再者，一經估算出公司的內在價值後，要在什麼價格買進是另外一個要面對的問題。葛林布雷（Joel Greenblatt）選擇從另外一個角度切入，他藉著資本報酬率（Capital return）來篩選經營績效傑出的公司，加上盈餘報酬率（Earning Yield）來選出便宜的標的，兩者結合在一起過濾出的組合可充分發揮出價值投資者選股的精神。 本研究應用他所提出的方法，選擇MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan指數做為樣本，實際驗證用這兩個神奇公式所選出的投資組合在2002-2007年的表現，結果得到年化報酬率超過指數表現高達40%的績效。對於一般非專業的投資人，可以利用這個低成本及有效的方式建構一個價值型的投資組合，避免跟隨市場波動而頻繁地交易，達到投資而非投機的目的了。 / Andre Kostolany, Germany guru investor, explains the relationship between stock price and fundamental by an example of a man walking a dog. The master’s route expresses the company’s operation fundamental while the follow-up path of the dog is the stock price movement. Their paths are not sure synchronizing at short period of time but it will be corresponding in the long run. Admittedly, this phenomenon tells us the truth that the stock price finally should reflects the operating result of the company. Therefore, it’s in vain if an investor cannot manage to understand the business development but only chase technical price information. Basically, the discount cash flow, DCF, is the first and foremost method to evaluate the value of the company. However, how to forecast the future cash flow of the business as well as how much the discounting rate be used are still among debatable. Secondly, when to buy the stock is another dilemma after the intrinsic value is calculated. Joel Greenblatt takes the topic from a different angle. He points out those stocks with high capital yield and earning yield that depicting not only superior capital spending but also relatively inexpensive compare to others. In short, his two magic formulas combine major value investor components indeed. This thesis applies his findings to eqiuty portfolio construction in Asia Pacific markets. From 2002 to 2007, the magic 30 basket, composed of 30 constituents with highest capital and earning yield, outperforms the MSCI Asia Pacific ex- Japan benchmark by astonishing 40% p.a. For non-institutional investors, the model is particularly useful in construction a value-oriented portfolio that refrains from frequent transactions in face of market volatility.

This thesis focuses on the significance of blood and the perception of the body in both learned and popular culture in order to investigate problems of identity and social exclusion in early modern Europe. Starting from the view of blood as a liminal matter, manifesting fertile, positive aspects in conjunction with dangerous, negative ones, I show how it was believed to attract supernatural forces within the natural world. It could empower or pollute, restore health or waste corporeal and spiritual existence. While this theme has been studied in a medieval religious context and by anthropologists, its relevance during the early modern period has not been explored. I argue that, considering the impact of the Reformation on people’s mentalities, studying the way in which ideas regarding blood and the body changed from late medieval times to the eighteenth century can provide new insights about patterns of social and religious tensions, such as the witch-trials and persecutions. In this regard the thesis engages with anthropological theories, comparing the dialectic between blood and body with that between identity and society, demonstrating that they both spread from the conflict of life with death, leading to the social embodiment or to the rejection of an individual. A comparative approach is also employed to analyze blood symbolism in Protestant and Catholic countries, and to discuss how beliefs were influenced by both cultural similarities and religious differences. Combining historical sources, such as witches’ confessions, with appropriate examples from anthropology I also examine a corpus of popular ideas, which resisted to theological and learned notions or slowly merged with them. Blood had different meanings for different sections of society, embodying both the physical struggle for life and the spiritual value of the Christian soul. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 develop the dualism of the fluid in late medieval and early modern ritual murder accusations against Jews, European witchcraft and supernatural beliefs and in the medical and philosophical knowledge, while chapters 5 and 6 focus on blood themes in Protestant England and in Counter-Reformation Italy. Through the examination of blood in these contexts I hope to demonstrate that contrasting feelings, fears and beliefs related to dangerous or extraordinary individuals, such as Jews, witches, and Catholic saints, but also superhuman beings such as fairies, vampires and werewolves, were rooted in the perception of the body as an unstable substance, that was at the base of ethnic, religious and gender stereotypes.

Zero Magic is a trick for the financial markets, which has the capacity to undermine the perceived value of a publicly traded company and profit from this. Short selling is a way of profiting from loss: Making money if and when a target company loses in value. It is a fundamental market activity that goes as far back as the first stock, yet to this day little is publicly known about the strategies employed by short sellers. On the US exchanges there is no requirement for hedge funds to disclose short positions, and in other jurisdictions such requirements are very limited. Zero Magic was developed by covertly infiltrating a secretive hedge fund specializing in short selling, and reverse engineering its methods. In brief, the hedge fund’s trading strategy is based on identifying suitable short selling targets through analyzing networks of corruption, and then framing critical newsworthy stories about these target companies that can be anonymously distributed among journalists. Profit is gained when a target company loses in value. Rigorous measures are taken by the fund never to be identified as the source of a negative campaign.Access to the hedge fund was gained through the art world. The founder and co-director routinely supports artists and art institutions and is said to have gotten the idea for his fund when looking at a Mark Lombardi drawing (an artist known for mapping networks of power and corruption). It is hard to tell whether the founder’s engagement with art merely entertains personal vanity, or if it functions more strategically as a means of “secret publicity” for the fund; giving access to investors, while staying under the radar of more mainstream public relations. Covert techniques such as hidden recordings and proxy researchers were used to uncover the fund’s methods. With the assistance of Théo Bourgeron, sociologist of finance, Zero Magic not only reconstructs the workings of the trading strategy, but offers a fully operational magic gimmick. The magic gimmick is a computer program providing non-expert users the means to identify relevant short selling targets (companies with weak “valuation conventions”), and a step-by-step guide to undermining their perceived value. With this gimmick one can execute a successful short sale without any previous contacts in the investor community or access to insider information. A US patent application for the trick was filed in January 2016.The artistic PhD “Zero Magic: Shifting the Valuation Convention” concludes with a stage performance and a magic box:The stage performance, “On a Long Enough Timeline the Survival Rate for Everyone Drops to Zero” with magician Malin Nilsson, performed on May 11 and 12, 2016, at Cirkus Cirkör, Stockholm. Through the ticket sales, audience members are drawn into the Zero Magic trick, buying into the predicted future loss of a target company. The magic box, prepared for public archives, contains the Zero Magic computer software, a US patent application for a “Computer Assisted Magic Trick Executed in the Financial Markets” and four historical examples of magic tricks played out beyond the stage, in the world at large.

This thesis investigates the concept of leadership in four comedies of Aristophanes. In the first chapter (Lysistrata) I focus on the relationship of the female leadership with religious rituals and medical pathology, and I show that the power of women lies in their important biological role and their ability to conceive and (re)produce life in the context of marriage. In chapter two (Knights) I examine the operation of leadership through the alimentary and sacrificial codes of the play. I argue that the Sausage-seller gradually manifests himself as the sacrificial cook Agorakritos who sacrifices Demos. In this way he puts an end to the politics of savage, raw consumption as they were employed by Paphlagon (and, occasionally, by Demos himself), and saves the day by inaugurating a new era of political practice. In chapter three (Birds) I focus on the political competition between the former leader of the Birds, Tereus, and the newcomer Peisetairos. I argue that Peisetairos captivates his audience through the abuse of rhetoric and sophistry, and gradually adopts more brutal ways, by perverting the ritual of hospitality, committing cannibalism, and becoming sexually aggressive. In this respect, Peisetairos is assimilated to the tragic Tereus of the Sophoclean tragedy, but finally emerges as a more successful version of both the comic and the tragic Tereus. In the fourth and last chapter (Ecclesiazusae) I discuss the women’s disruption and overturn of the normal social order by focusing on the practice of cross-dressing and on love-magic rituals: the exchange of costume between the two sexes, as well as the control of magic practices by the women over men, empower women and, by contrast, disempower and ridicule men, who are finally reduced to a state of impotence, infertility and almost death.

La notion d'un esprit étranger et invisible qui prend possession d'un corps est, croit-on, sémitique. Les peuples proche-orientaux et juifs avaient développé des rituels et des pratiques spécifiques pour s'en débarasser. Les Grecs, pour leur part, avaient parfois à composer avec différentes entités, des daimones, des morts ou des apparitions et parfois des divinités dont les actions pouvaient s'avérer très nuisibles, si ce n'est nettement invasives. Toutefois, la communis opinio maintient que les concepts de la possession et de l'exorcisme ne furent chez eux, que tardivement introduits, et ce, sous l'influence des sémitiques. Pourtant, la littérature et les sources épigraphiques, papyrologiques et archéologiques semblent démontrer que les Grecs avaient déjà, dès l'époque classique, dans leur propre culture et religion, les éléments caractéristiques de la possession et de l'exorcisme. Une analyse approfondie de textes d'auteurs anciens, de formulaires de magie,dont les très connus Papyri Grecs Magiques et de diverses amulettes, apporte des arguments décisifs en ce sens. / The notion of an alien and invisible spirit who takes possession of a person is believed to be Semitic. The Near East and Jewish people had developed rituals and specific practices to get rid of them. The Greeks, meanwhile, had to deal with numbers of entities, daimones, dead or apparitions and sometimes with the gods themselves, whose actions could be very harmful, if not clearly invasive. Nevertheless, the communis opinio holds that the concepts of possession and exorcism where belatedly introduced, and this only under the influence of Semitics. However the literature and the epigraphic, archaeological and papyrological sources seems to show that the Greeks already had, from the classical period, in their own culture and religion, the characteristic elements of possession and exorcism. A detailed analysis of some ancient texts, of magical formularies, including the well-known Greek Magical Papyri, and of various amulets, provides decisive arguments in this direction.

My installations are propositions for an imaginary world that relies on its own internal logic, a world of believability without recognition. While the work references landscape it also emphasizes its contrivance, as it is automatically estranged in an "unnatural" gallery setting. I subvert or de-familiarize the materials and processes that I use in the service of creating a fictitious environment. My places are impossible places. They are irregular, illogical, and unstable. Our imagination can be one of most dangerous things to psychological stability as it is an inventory of all things possible, no matter how irrational or improbable. The irrational is always an option, a lingering threat. The imagination seems to hate permissions and limitations, but is nevertheless lodged within them. I want to create a sense of nonsensical logic. If all things that can be imagined are logical possibilities, I want to find the place where fantasy seems to be just barely reality. If I can't have an inherent contradiction, I'll take an apparent one.

La production lyrique de Peter Huchel condense les ambivalences et les tensions d’un moment de l’histoire littéraire allemande où s’opposent l’univers magique hérité du romantisme et le désir de focaliser l’attention à la fois sur les apories d’une forme de lyrisme devenue caduque et sur une poésie en devenir. Elle s’enracine dans le réalisme magique de l’entre-deux-guerres qui prône paradoxalement le retour au concret et la recherche de l’harmonie perdue, rendant ainsi le pouvoir à l’imaginaire et invitant l’artiste à faire oeuvre de magie. L’étude porte sur les tensions entre écriture poétique et réalité extra-littéraire qui font l’objet de la réflexion constante du poète, non dans des écrits théoriques, mais à travers ses poèmes. Après une « première manière de dire », reflétant les distorsions entre une démarche conventionnelle et la conscience des nouveaux enjeux du lyrisme, le poète inverse dans une « seconde manière » le sens des procédés magiques pour faire table rase des codes classiques de la représentation et fonder une nouvelle magie. Univers sensible, corps, logos et mythe sont mis en pièces. Parallèlement, s’esquisse un nouveau projet esthétique qui tend vers le laconisme et s’adresse davantage à l’imagination qu’à la perceprtion, sans pour autant s’enfermer dans l’autoréférentialité. Le nouveau domaine de la poésie est un lieu instable et ouvert où la parole demeure inachevée, mais peut sans cesse être renouvelée. / In the lyric work of Peter Huchel the ambivalences and tensions of a certain moment in German literary history intensify when the contrast between the magic world – a legacy of romanticism- and the desire to focus on the apories of an old-fashioned lyricism on the one hand and on a newly-developing poetry on the other hand becomes obvious. Huchel’s poetry has its roots in the magic realism of the time between the two wars which – paradoxically –advocates the return to the concrete and the quest for a lost harmony giving power to the imaginary and inviting the artist to create a work of magic. The study evolves around the discrepancies between the poetic style and the reality outside literature, a topic the poet keeps reflecting on but not in his essays but in his poems. After a « first way of expression », which mirrors distortions between a conventional approach and the consciousness of a completely new starting point in the poetry, the poet changes in a « second way of expression » the sense of the magic method and leaves behind the classical codes of presentation giving way to a new magic. Physical universe, body, logos and myth are tom apart. At the same time a new esthetic programme becames visible which is directed at laconism and which addresses imagination more than perception without being caught in self-referentiality. This new domain of poetry is an instable but open field where the lyric language remains incomplete though renewable.