Disclaimer: The following document fragment is presented from an in-character perspective, it should not be taken as the truth of the setting.
Context: There are many tools mages use to perform their craft. Among them there are blades… but the reality of the magical arts can sometimes clash with the mundane perception of magic. Just as true magic exists in the world, fake magical practices still exist. Even if some of them have a basis in true arcane lore, the details may not match up.
The ceremonial knife known as the athame has a curious history. For one, no such tool existed historically. Instead, it emerged in modern times, the XXth century, stemming from a misinterpreted and mistranslated mention in the True Key of Solomon.
But, the provenance of a magic tool is meaningless; only the image it holds in the mind of the user matters after all. Thus, though the common understanding of the athame being a traditional tool, dating back through centuries is false, it is nonetheless a widely used implement.
A worthy athame is one that holds value and meaning to the user. Thus they are usually made to order from noble materials. Forged of silver and a handle of horn or ivory is the most popular, often inset with a single gemstone on the blade or the pommel. However, as a highly personal item, it is crafted to subjective standards, even if influenced by traditions and trends of the time.
Where though did the mistranslation come from and what was referred to in that manuscript?
The term athame stems from the French term arthame, which appears to be a corruption of the Latin artavus. This word refers to nothing more than a quill knife, a short blade used for the preparation of a quill. Back when their usage as a writing implement was common, mages would oft have their own dedicated quill knives which could hold double duty as a ritual blade. After all, as we have established, what matters is what holds meaning to the practitioner.
A wide range of different blades was used throughout history for this very reason. However, when we examine the current form of the athame, it bears a striking resemblance to a popular style of ritual dagger from Europe’s ancient history.
The secespita was a copper, or preferably brass, blade with a similar horn or ivory handle. The handle and blade were then joined with a ring of precious metal, often inset with a gem. It bears noting that for this style of blade, the jewel would not be inset anywhere else. To this day it remains popular in Europe. Some of them have been passed from master to student, from father to son or from mother to daughter, across hundreds of years.
The athame of today resembles these blades much more than the smaller, more humble artavus of the medieval period.
Esoteric Musings... 