Hellblazer #14 (2016)
Written by Tim Seeley
Artwork by Jesús Merino
Colors by Carrie Strachan
Chef’s Note: Food is a common element of many occult traditions and animal fat is, indeed, a common magical solvent across many cultures.
Estonia: She treated injuries, erysipelas, snake-bites, various infant diseases, and various ills caused by the evil eye. She also cured domestic animals. An inseparable part of her séance was spell-casting. Usually she recited her spells over unsalted pork fat or other traditional substances.
South Africa: …and they were told by the traditional healer to spread pork fat on the walls and doors of the house to overcome the curse put on them.
Arabia: Here are seven confections given to men in food so that they cannot perform with women. The first is this. Take two ounces each of horse brains, pig fat, and black cat’s blood. Mix all these with one ounce of powdered colocynth, adn give a little of this mixture in food to whomever you wish.
Hong Kong: Once the paper is tattered and pulpy, she takes a cut out of a white tiger (representing ‘Bai Hu’, the ‘bringer of misfortune’) and wraps it around what’s left of the paper effigy, before smearing pork fat over the tiger’s mouth. Both are then set alight, and…poof! My enemies (whomever they may be) have been vanquished.
Greece: Then the men raised the heifer’s head from the ground
And held it for Peisistratus to cut the throat.
When the black blood had flowed out, and the life
Left the bones, they butchered the heifer,
Jointing the thigh pieces in ritual order
And covering them with a double layer of fat
And with bits cut raw from the rest of the carcass.
These the old man burned on split logs
And poured bright wine over them.
Chef’s Note: Happy International Bacon Day!