In the early days of man the world was an extremely dangerous place and men needed some type of good luck amulet to ensure their safety and survival. The men who delved closely into the nature and essence of life noticed that everything possesses an invisible energy, which can be intensified or deployed by certain words or rituals. Some things simply possess more energy than others and these things came to be employed as sacred amulets. Many of the first amulets were made from stones, herbs and even small dried out animals.
These objects were chosen to be protective amulets due to their unusual form and color or because they came from an animal whose characteristics man wished to emulate. The parts of the body in which an animal used to kill its prey were viewed as extremely potent magical objects and created a sort of unique amulet. The fang of a wolf or the claw of a bear are two examples of protective amulets created from the body parts of an animal. American Indians often wore the body parts of animals as a form of good luck amulet.
In addition to using only natural objects for good luck amulets, men began to create charms of their own. The Egyptians were the first group of people to make sacred amulets from durable materials. Other civilizations followed suit. The most common form of manmade amulets were small-scale models of animals and talismans or medallions containing a sacred inscription. Today, however, most good luck amulets are usually graphic representations of divine powers or symbolic signs. Protective amulets with images of the Buddha or revered monks can be seen in almost every country of the world.