Lion of Judah ? Considerations on The Amulet Found at the Princely Court of Târgoviște. Interpretations Regarding the Symbolism of The Artefact

Faced with unseen dangers, the mediaeval man resorted to an arsenal of practices, gestures, rituals, as the church and religious faith were a powerful wall against malevolent forces. To ward off evil, Christians would generally wear sacred objects, such as wafers, relics, crosses, but especially unconventional items with so-called magical powers, such as amulets. Their use was widespread in almost all ancient civilisations and belief in their powers has been known since the beginning of history of humanity. People would attribute prophylactic and apotropaic qualities to them, but the protection granted to the community was also very important, as amulets sheltered it from perils, catastrophes, seen and unseen enemies. In addition to their intrinsic magical significance, these items were often the bearers of a special kind of imaginary and of a set of cultural symbols. The artefact which is the subject of this study falls under this category of amulets and was found in 2020 on the archaeological site of the Princely Court of Târgoviște, in a mediaeval habitation complex dated to the 15 th -16 th centuries. The amulet, which is small in size, is made from bone and catches the eye through its anthropozoomorphic representation that combines human and lion traits. Such an item, particularly unusual due the deep meaning of representation, challenges the historian to penetrate into and often remain captive inside the tempting and complex maze of symbols and mediaeval imaginary.