Spell (paranormal)

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"Spellcraft" redirects here. For the videogame, see Spellcraft: Aspects of Valor.

Manuscript with the Merseburg Incantations.

A spell, charm or hex is a set of words, spoken or unspoken, which are considered
by its user to invoke some magical effect. Historical attestations exist for the use of
some variety of incantations in many cultures around the world. Binding a person
with a spell by the use of spoken word formulas is known as an incantation, and
involves the use of evocation.
[1]

Contents
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1Historical spells
o

1.1Europe

1.2Ancient Egypt

2Modern uses and interpretations

3See also

4References

Historical spells[edit]

Surviving written records of whole magic spells were largely obliterated in many
cultures by the success of the major monotheistic
religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, which label some magic activity as
immoral or associated with evil. Spells would generally be distinguished from magic
symbols, words, patterns, recipes, practices and other forms of magic that were not
directly exercised by a collection of words. However, some spells were combinations
or repetitions of words that were considered to have magic power, but which were
not in sentences or verse.
Europe[edit]
Surviving examples from northern Europe include For a Swarm of Bees, the Nine
Herbs Charm and the Merseburg Incantations.
Ancient Egypt[edit]

"Magic spells" inhieroglyphs.

Due to the surviving written record of ancient Egyptian culture, a number of
references to magic and complete examples exist. In particular the embalming and
interring process involved the use of many documented spells, for example from
the Book of the Dead.
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Modern uses and interpretations[edit]
The performance of magic almost always involves the use of language. Whether
spoken out loud or unspoken, words are frequently used to access or guide magical
power. In "The Magical Power of Words" (1968) S. J. Tambiah argues that the
connection between language and magic is due to a belief in the inherent ability of
words to influence the universe. Bronisaw Malinowski, in Coral Gardens and their
Magic (1935), suggests that this belief is an extension of man's basic use of
language to describe his surroundings, in which "the knowledge of the right words,
appropriate phrases and the more highly developed forms of speech, gives man a
power over and above his own limited field of personal action." [2] Magical speech is
therefore a ritual act and is of equal or even greater importance to the performance
of magic than non-verbal acts.[3]
Not all speech is considered magical. Only certain words and phrases or words
spoken in a specific context are considered to have magical power. [4] Magical
language, according to C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richards's (1923) categories of speech,
is distinct from scientific language because it is emotive and it converts words into
symbols for emotions; whereas in scientific language words are tied to specific

meanings and refer to an objective external reality. [5] Magical language is therefore
particularly adept at constructing metaphors that establish symbols and link
magical rituals to the world.[6]
Malinowski argues that "the language of magic is sacred, set and used for an
entirely different purpose to that of ordinary life." [7] The two forms of language are
differentiated through word choice, grammar, style, or by the use of specific
phrases or forms: prayers, spells, songs, blessings, or chants, for example. Sacred
modes of language often employ archaic words and forms in an attempt to invoke
the purity or "truth" of a religious or a cultural "golden age". The use of Hebrew
in Judaism is an example.[8] Another potential source of the power of words is their
secrecy and exclusivity. Much sacred language is differentiated enough from
common language that it is incomprehensible to the majority of the population and
it can only be used and interpreted by specialized practitioners (magicians, priests,
shamans, even mullahs).[9][10] In this respect, Tambiah argues that magical
languages violate the primary function of language: communication. [11] Yet
adherents of magic are still able to use and to value the magical function of words
by believing in the inherent power of the words themselves and in the meaning that
they must provide for those who do understand them. This leads Tambiah to
conclude that "the remarkable disjunction between sacred and profane language
which exists as a general fact is not necessarily linked to the need to embody
sacred words in an exclusive language." [8]