An email this evening asks where the Greek text of the Greek Magical Papyri might be found. The wikipedia article tells me that Karl Preisendanz published them between 1928-31, and that a revised edition came out in the 70’s.
Interestingly someone has placed the first edition online here. I wonder whether they are indeed out of copyright?
This is a scan of a photocopy of the copy of Preisendanz in the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago. It was made available online some yesrs ago from the Oriental Institute Research Archives:
Papyri Graecae Magicae: Die Griechischen Zauberpapyri I (http://www.etana.org/node/11024)
Papyri Graecae Magicae: Die Griechischen Zauberpapyri II (http://www.etana.org/node/11025)
I have no idea how it made it to the server you cite.
Ha, ha, ha …
what a funny reading!
Eating the heart of a hoopoe sticked into honey at full moon. 🙂
Thanks!
Out of copyright? Yes and no. You probably know this well enough already …… but worth making the point again.
I understand that works before 1964 which did not renew copyright are since in the pulic domain in the USA. In UK the copyright is author’s death date + 70 years, so it will not be usable here in UK until 2038 !!!!
It seems another absurd example of how UK law stifles use of knowledge which is freely circulating elsewhere in the world.
Fortunately, the internet gives us access to non UK sites.
In the meantime another copy has appeared online at Universität Heidelberg:
http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/heidhs3763IIA-51
And see also the Léxico de magia y religión en los papiros mágicos griegos, at:
http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2012/12/open-access-lexico-de-magia-y-religion.html
UK copyright law seems to act against the public interest.
Thank you Chuck for the extra copy!