What is magic?
Much of my time is spent with my head in the clouds. I often wonder "what if" and the most common is "what if magic really existed?" I've come to a great number of conclusions and each of them is contradictory to all the others. That is the allure of magic. It does not exist so it is up to us and our imaginations to create it as we see fit. Magic can mean to each and every one of us something different. Any view or concept of magic is no less valid, no less fantastical and no less, well, magical than any other.
Ancient cultures, without fail, used the supernatural to explain the world around them. Gods, spirits, demons, sorcerers, witches, and countless other practitioners of magic or beings of power pervade our cultural consciousness. I am fascinated by the similarities and differences between cultures and their perception of magic or god(s). Take the ancient Greeks, for instance. Magic largely flowed from the gods. They were capable of great feats beyond the reach of mere mortals. The gift of prophecy was bestowed by Apollo. The Fates controlled the lives and deaths of every living thing. Zeus could hurl bolts of lightning and his many progeny were gifted with their own magical or near magical abilities. Potions could be concocted but there is no evidence of spells being cast without a potion. In Greek mythology the gods were the children of the evil forces of the universe.
View this now against the Norse mythology. You certainly have similarities, the Norse gods were no less capable of fantastical feats. Thor drinks from the sea and visibly reduces its water level. Loki is a shape-changer and assumes many guises in the stories. The major difference, as far as magic and divine power is concerned, is when Odin learns twice-nine charms and runes which he can use at his command. These are most definitely spells of a sort and anyone with knowledge of them may use them. The secret of these runes is the most closely guarded secret in Norse mythology. It is only by sacrificing an eye and crucifying himself for nine days and nights that Odin is able to learn them. This is a great thematic statement. It states that power is earned by great effort and sacrifice rather than by the providence of the gods. Another thematic difference is that the gods in Norse mythology were the children and parents of evil forces. Many of the creatures of Ragnarok are the brood of Loki.
Modern authors have many different concepts of magic. It can be mysterious, rare and unknowable as in Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire." Magic can involve shouting pseudo-Latin and waving about a wand like Harry Potter. Spirits may need to be brought forth in the proper balance, Dave Duncan's "King's Blade" series, or even a field of energy created by life that permeates all of creation, such as the Force found in Star Wars. I mention the Force because it is a form of magic. It is not traditionally identified as such but it has all the characteristics of magic. It stems from a source beyond human control, only select people may use it and it allows otherwise normal beings to accomplish fantastical feats.
What is your conception of magic?
Ancient cultures, without fail, used the supernatural to explain the world around them. Gods, spirits, demons, sorcerers, witches, and countless other practitioners of magic or beings of power pervade our cultural consciousness. I am fascinated by the similarities and differences between cultures and their perception of magic or god(s). Take the ancient Greeks, for instance. Magic largely flowed from the gods. They were capable of great feats beyond the reach of mere mortals. The gift of prophecy was bestowed by Apollo. The Fates controlled the lives and deaths of every living thing. Zeus could hurl bolts of lightning and his many progeny were gifted with their own magical or near magical abilities. Potions could be concocted but there is no evidence of spells being cast without a potion. In Greek mythology the gods were the children of the evil forces of the universe.
View this now against the Norse mythology. You certainly have similarities, the Norse gods were no less capable of fantastical feats. Thor drinks from the sea and visibly reduces its water level. Loki is a shape-changer and assumes many guises in the stories. The major difference, as far as magic and divine power is concerned, is when Odin learns twice-nine charms and runes which he can use at his command. These are most definitely spells of a sort and anyone with knowledge of them may use them. The secret of these runes is the most closely guarded secret in Norse mythology. It is only by sacrificing an eye and crucifying himself for nine days and nights that Odin is able to learn them. This is a great thematic statement. It states that power is earned by great effort and sacrifice rather than by the providence of the gods. Another thematic difference is that the gods in Norse mythology were the children and parents of evil forces. Many of the creatures of Ragnarok are the brood of Loki.
Modern authors have many different concepts of magic. It can be mysterious, rare and unknowable as in Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire." Magic can involve shouting pseudo-Latin and waving about a wand like Harry Potter. Spirits may need to be brought forth in the proper balance, Dave Duncan's "King's Blade" series, or even a field of energy created by life that permeates all of creation, such as the Force found in Star Wars. I mention the Force because it is a form of magic. It is not traditionally identified as such but it has all the characteristics of magic. It stems from a source beyond human control, only select people may use it and it allows otherwise normal beings to accomplish fantastical feats.
What is your conception of magic?