In today’s instalment of my ongoing series, Weird S%*t I Read, occult researcher and author Claude Lecouteux takes us on a wild ride through the realm of sacred stones that will seek their vengeance upon you, if you aren’t careful.
@robinriversauthor #booktok #novel #historicalfantasy #magic #magick #ancienthistory #ancient #stones #bookrecommendations #sibyls ♬ Creepy Song – False Memories
I first discovered French occult researcher and author Claude Lecouteux in late 2019. I’d started researching ancient beliefs about the magical properties of stones (think the choshen (breastplates) of the kohen gadol (high priests) of the Old Testament). I’d read so much about these choshen mishpat and the twelve gems in them that are said to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. That gave me an idea. What if the Sibylline had a similar artifact that represented the different Orders of the Sibylline? I also wanted it to come apart so that the pieces could be separated in times of trouble, protecting the powers contained within each stone and the artifact.
Lecouteux, a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the Sorbonne, surfaced. He proved to be the most prolific academic and writer on the topic, along with many, many others that fascinate me. I ordered Lapidary of Sacred Stones and six (yes, six. I have issues) other books from him. As soon as they appeared on my doorstep, I broke into them. I knew Lecouteux and I understood one another.
I pored through the Lapidary, fascinated by Claude Lecouteux’s discoveries:
In La Réponse du Seigneur (The Lord’s Answer: II), Alphonse de Châteaubriant declares, “People say that stones do not speak, they do not feel. What an error!” The stone has been regarded as a living being, a male or female creature capable of reproducing, believing, and having feelings.
– Claude Lecouteux – Lapidary of Sacred Stones pg. 4
Mah ghad! At that point, I found myself geeking out in a huge way.
Some stones, such as the aetites, are pregnant. Some cry out for vengeance (Habakkuk 2:11) . . . They open to conceal the fugitive from her pursuers, as in the case of Saint Dietrine and Saint Odile.
Apparently, stones often only give up their secrets or powers to the worthy, make themselves seen to those who need to see them. Jacob slept on stones to bring about divine visions while he slept. The Council of Arles condemned those who worshiped or gathered around stones.
Then, this:
As mediators between man and the supernatural powers, stones held a very important place in the mental world of our ancestors.
That being said, the importance of stones proved such a key to power that many a king, priest, and religion sought to eradicate all worship of them, while embedding those stones in their own artifacts.
Take the crown of Charlemagne and the coronation sword of French kings on display at The Louvre:
I got to see both sets of artifacts for myself on my trip to France in 2019. The use of stones as symbols of invulnerability, protection, and divine power proved so very evident. Clearly, stones never really lost their appeal, men (as usual) just got selfish about who could use them for, you know, magical stuff. (gasp, heresy.)
Stones in Storytelling Are Nothing New, But . . .
I get it, lots of folks use stones in their fantasy storytelling (Thanos, hello). However, when you get into the legends of it all and you see the potential for stones to have carried with them some real magic, those stones take on a whole new level of meaning. Finding a new and interesting way to integrate that sort of ancient belief into the world of the Sibylline proved exciting for me.
A majority of the book after this provocative opening is all about different stones and the powers they contain. I picked nine and crafted what would become the Seals of Annach from them.
If you want to learn more about The Seals of Annach and other elements of the Sibylline world, sign up for the newsletter for exclusive subscriber-only content.