Many magical practices of the early modern period promised to confer invulnerability. In German-speaking Europe from the early 17th century, the field was generally referred to as the “Passauer Kunst” (“art of Passau”). Soldiers making use of this form of magic hoped that it would make them “hard” or “frozen” (i.e. impossible to wound). Traditionally, magical or religious amulets and medals were used [11] to protect the wearer from injury, a…