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 Onyx is the mineral of the chalcedony family, well-known
from the old times, extremely admired and magnificent. Onyx was used to make tableware
and decorations, statues and talismans, cameo and charms. The Solomon legend
says that the walls of the building were made from thin layer of white onyx.
The opaque walls admitted the light and the temple looked as if sunlit. The
noble people of India especially favored for the tableware from onyx, bowls and
plates, vases and jars. Such tableware was believed to intensify the love and
joy if used during the fists. Onyx was though to be the stone of men from the
ancient times. And here the leadership features dominated, not the physical strength.
Our ancestors were sure that onyx jewelry was not good to
present the spouses (especially necklaces), since a man would become a henpecked
husband in the soonest time after. And what if a man presented an onyx necklace
to the mother-in-law? Some nations
proposed that onyx threatens with the parting if used by the couple.
The onyx is believed to intensify the features of the
leader, it gives the power, it hones the mind, it helps to reveals the plans of
the counter party. It was called the Stone of Leaders. And onyx was the stone
for men, leaving women alone.
The exclusion is Georgia when the brides were presented
jewelry from onyx. The stone was too
luxury to be afforded by anyone and thus, it was gifted to brides from wealthy
families. And the Caucuses men were not afraid for the marital position.
By the way, Transcaucasia nations believed that the onyx
helped to stop wars and protect from evil eyes and witchery. The onyx was the
stone difficult to mine and the developments were time-consuming, and only
hones, modest and innocent person was believed to find the onyx easily.
Onyx charms were highly validated and the legends told that
they protect from attempts on life and from sudden death. Ancient lithotherapeutists
used onyx trimmed in silver to strengthen the memory, to treat the cardio-vascular
diseases, and in particular, as the means from insomnia. Also the stone helped to
get rid of unreasonable anxiety, typical with vessels instability (one of the
features of onyx is to throw bad thoughts away). Striped onyx was used as the
pain-killer to be places on inflamed areas. Also these stones were practiced
with abdominal pain. Onyx earrings were the unique substitution for the deaf
aid, they were believed to make the hearing higher.
One of the ancient annalistic digest tells the description of
the big church bowl from onyx which is stored in the Uspensk cathedral. The
ancient chronicles state that people would get healthier when sipped some water
from the bowl. That item, called potir, was brought from Rome to Novgorod in 1106,
and it appeared in Moscow during the reign of John IV, when the Emperor seized
the town while joining the government and the onyx bowl became the trophy.
Biruni, the Arab scientist and philosopher, stated when
describing the features of the onyx that a Numan found the onyx of black color
on one of the islands of the Red Sea with round dots on the surface. The
governor of that time, Valid ibn Abd al-Malik presented Numan with the entire
island, while the onyx was placed in the Kaaba wall, just opposite the door. This
stone was thought to be the second stone to worship in Mecca.
Biruni also stated that onyx was «eldjozo» (sad), and that
the stone caused superstitious fear and it attributed with gloomy features. The
stone was described as if the onyx wearers felt unreasonable fear, and the
stronger was fear, the lesser reasons were there. Onyx was also though to
multiple the problems of the stone owner, and cause nightmare. Onyx was
believed to use as a poison, if grinded with the wine and drink to destroy the
lungs. The present specialists believe it could happen since siliceous onyx is
known for higher rigidness.
By the stating of Biruni, the Chinese treat the stone to
bring many problems and concerns. At the same time the poet adds that the statement
was taken from the doubtful book with the anonymous author. Though, people in
China tried to avoid onyx to protect them from the bad omen.
The East is incredible. The white-and-black onyx was
depicted by poets comparing the stones with eyes of their beloved. And the stone
was though to look like the eyes of the dead woman in Yemen and they put every
attempt to sell the onyx just mined.
The onyx was highly demanded n Judea, though. Onyx was used
as the trimming for the efud, the solemn breast shield of the higher priest. In
fact, the listing of the efud semi-precious stones in the Bible is one of the
first references of the stone in writing. By the way, efud was also decorated
with carnelian and agate.
The Aztec Indians considered the green-to-yellow marble onyx
as the sacred stone.
Present lithotherapeutists suppose that onyx is able to «extract
diseases», especially when talking about the cardio-vascular system, insomnia
and anxiety.
Business men were advised to wear jewelry from onyx, either
a stone in the pocket as a charm. And the onyx they need should be of black color,
which intensifies the leadership features, makes the owner vigorous and enterprising.
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