Eagle stone amulet, seventeenth century, from the Bavarian and Austrian amulet collection of W. L. Hildburgh, originally gifted to the Wellcome Museum.
In the magical tradition of Europe and the Near East (see: Magic in the Greco-Roman world), the aetites (singular in Latin) or aetite (anglicized) is a stone used to promote childbirth. It is also called an eagle-stone,[1]aquiline, or aquilaeus. The stone is said to prevent spontaneous abortion and premature delivery, while shortening labor and birth for a full-term birth.[2]
From Theophrastus onwards, the belief is also recorded that the stone had the ability to "give birth" to other stones, based on the crystals found within. This fed into the belief that at least some minerals could be gendered into male and female forms.[3]
^The eagle-stone is defined as "the common name of the aetite" by Thomas Wright, Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English (London, 1886), p. 414 online.
^Sarah Iles Johnston (3 May 1999). Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece. University of California Press. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-520-21707-2. OCLC 1000963626.
the Near East (see: Magic in the Greco-Roman world), the aetites (singular in Latin) or aetite (anglicized) is a stone used to promote childbirth. It is...
Mycena aetites, commonly known as the drab bonnet, is a species of mushroom in the family Mycenaceae. First described as Agaricus aetites by Swedish mycologist...
Eaglestone may refer to: Eaglestones or Aetites (Latin) are hollow geode stones, once with a reputation for protection in child birth and other properties...
contain only one species. M. abramsii M. acicula M. adonis M. adscendens M. aetites M. albidocapillaris M. alcalina M. alnicola M. alphitophora M. amicta M...
called "axalla" which cures fits of "quartan-ague" [river] stone called "aetites" which allows for nearly painless childbirth [mountain] precious stone...
aōros being a term employed by Zenobius and Hesychius. The eagle-stone or aetites were originally used as an amulet to prevent miscarriage and promote healthy...
the genus Mycena, along with other similar-looking mushrooms, such as M. aetites, M. austera, M. parca, and M. aronsenii. Some of these have a nitrous smell...
Gello, who was blamed for miscarriages and infant mortality, and says that aetite can be worn as an amulet against miscarriage. Olympidorus provides a summary...
this treatment method. Another treatment at the time involved wrapping aetites, which were magic stones used to protect the fetus and ease childbirth...
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