Theboline (also spelledbolline, pron.: boh-leen) is a white-handled ritual knife, one of severalmagical tools used inWicca, mainly for the cutting of herbs and inscribing candles.
Unlike theathame, which in most traditions is never used for actual physical cutting, the boline is used for cutting cords and herbs, carving candles, etc. It has a small, straight or crescent-shaped blade with, traditionally, a white handle.[1]
The boline has been adopted by several other modern forms of witchcraft includingEclectic Wicca. Among these later traditions[specify] opinions vary as to whether the boline is truly a magical tool or is merely of utilitarian purpose. Similarly, sometimes a white-hilted knife called akirfane (various spellings) is used, for roughly the same purposes as the boline.[2][3]
According to theKitchen Witchcraft philosophy, the use of magical tools for mundane purposes like cooking is actively encouraged, and as such there is little or no need for a boline as a separate tool from the athame. Some traditions, such as that ofRobert Cochrane, also prescribe the use of a single knife for both ritual and practical purposes.[4]
Many of the bolines advertised in on-line "magick shops" have a characteristic crescent shape, and are described as being for harvesting herbs. This crescent shape is reminiscent of thesickle described in theKey of Solomon, a medievalgrimoire and one of the sources for modern Wicca.[5]
Confusingly, an Italian version of theKey of Solomon has a hook-shaped knife called anartauo (a possible root for athame) and a straight, needle-shaped blade called abolino. When the name "boline" was first used to describe the crescent-shaped blade is not clear. InThe Book of Ceremonial Magic published byArthur Edward Waite in 1911, Waite references a number of early works on magic which mention thebolline orsickle, saying
"Among the necessary properties mentioned by the Book ofTrue Black Magic are the sword, the staff, the rod, the lancet, the arctrave or hook, the bolline or sickle, the needle, theponiard, a white-handled knife and another knife, with a black handle, used to describe the circle. The most important to make is that called the bolline..."[6]
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