The arts of the Bard-Enchanter... lost? Found? Recreated?
Very catchy title, eh? *grins* You guys are all as dramatic as I am.
I've always been a fan of magical song for a very long time now- since I was a boy, really. Ever since I was young, I've been enthralled by the power of music to bend and change the world. The image of the bard held great personal value to me- Mercedes Lackey and L.E. Modesitt aside, it's always been a strong idea to me.
And no, I'm not talking about the lore-masters and mnemonic incanters of Old Celtic and European history, either- while their practices have always intrigued me, there was nothing in the historical references I read which explained what called me.
I'm talking about those who could call down the storms with a song, raise the seas, and heal the sick. Magicians of voice, enchanters and witches of melody and rhythm. There are hundreds of stories in old literature about such people- Orpheus, Gwydion and Taliesin, the seidhkona and the ban-drui, and who could forget the galdsmen and the vardh-lokkr?
But, where are the techniques and practices of these people? Where are the methods of learning the songs of enchantment and bewitchment? There are legends, but no explanations. Like the witch in her true elements, it all amounts to superstitions and stories, which we have to unravel like riddles.
So, I've been working at this for over a decade now. It's been a long struggle, and really I've sort of treated it as a hobby. I can't honestly tell you if I'll treat it more seriously from this point, but I've made a breakthrough, and I'm writing this blog to remember it.
Let me tell you how I started.
...
As a young kid, I was always a singer. I have what my early teachers called 'perfect pitch' and 'exquisite aural memory.' My dad's side of the family were all Mormons, and they are nothing if not greatly enthralled by music. So, I had teachers from very young.
However, I was shy, and had the most horrid stage fright. I rarely ever sang in public, and really I tended not to like singing when I knew other people were listening. My music was for me, and for nobody else. That's still how it is for me- I share my music with others very rarely, and those who've heard me sing are usually people I trust very well.
Still, I kept singing and studying music, which wasn't really that hard to do in a family full of singers. My grandmother used to sing, my sister and mother both sing, and while my dad was a waste of a good baritone, he still appreciated music and used to play in a band when he was young (do not ask me about it further, it's a total embarrassment brought on during the sixties, and we don't speak of it).
So, I was encouraged to pursue singing- I also (vaguely) learned the piano, and picked up the clarinet briefly (and with disastrous results to my family's eardrums- damn reeds just wouldn't cooperate). I continued with my music, and I excelled, joining the various honor choirs and jazz ensembles I could find. My favorite music was acapella, because there was nothing but the voice.
Anyway, during that time, I read a lot about bards and magical singers in fantasy fiction. And, naturally, I stumbled across a few stories where the singers were able to use magical persuasion and bewitchment through their songs. Some of those were blatantly fictional, and I was smart enough to see that. But, some music I read about in those stories were essentially spells of fascination, and I already knew I had a talent for those. I didn't think anything of it, really- it was a story I was reading, and I knew the difference between fact and fiction. Still, the image stuck with me, resting in the background of my imagination for a while.
It all sort of came to a head when I was called upon and forcibly volunteered for a solo at a local gig my choir had in town. I was out of my head with fear- I didn't mind singing with everyone else, but I was going to be singing all on my own. I was terrified.
I practiced nigh-religiously day and night, in every place I could- walking home from school, in the bathroom and shower, any time I had a moment to myself. I memorized the song, and got really familiar with the various vocal and breathing tricks needed to sing it well. And really, I was ready to sing it in public, if not for one small problem.
No confidence. I was terrified, and my guts turned to water any time I thought about it.
And then the day came. We were on stage, and the music was going well. We moved through our various numbers, and everyone in the audience seemed at least pleasantly bored, if not really interested. And suddenly (too soon, if you had asked me), it was time. I was pushed up to the front, and suddenly I was in the spotlight.
I could barely see. I couldn't tell whether anyone was watching, much less what they were thinking. I was frozen.
And that's when I felt something turn and rise within me, roiling up from within.
And I began to sing.
I didn't see what happened, but from what the others said, it was as if everyone in the audience suddenly turned at once and were transfixed- they never once looked away, and barely seemed to breathe, not even blinking.
All I remember about the experience was my utter feeling that this was me, this was my voice, this was my magic, and I was pouring it over them like a wave. I felt this warm push, and a flow, and tingles all over my body, like I could literally feel the waves of force and influence coming from me. My music had a taste, a feel, a real and palpable texture.
That night, I realized why they told stories about music which could stop the sun, call the beasts, end a battle. Music like that was magic, and it could change the world.
I'll admit, I got a bit discouraged after that. I had tasted heaven, and I wanted more, and nothing I read and nobody I spoke to had any clues as to where I could find it.
I didn't give up, but I did become less... persistent. After all, I knew it was possible, and that I could do it, so it could wait.
But it didn't go away, that hunger inside me. That vision just wouldn't die. It just made it harder for me to be satisfied with half-descriptions and rumors.
Now, more than ten years later, I finally have somewhere to begin. I've found small pieces of lore: the three magical styles of old Celtic music, for example. Geantrai, the songs of joy and passion, which arouse and summon; goltrai, the songs of sorrow and expiation, which end strife and provoke memory; and suantrai, songs of fascination and sleep (yes, I named my Second Life character after these). I even learned the basic ideas behind making such music- geantrai is usually in major keys, while goltrai is usually in minors, and suantrai is usually done in arpeggios of either key, ascending and descending.
But that wasn't good enough. Where was the basic theory behind the music itself? How did one use it for spellcasting??
Last night, I was having one of my rare conversations with Random about magic- I tell you, these conversations are the biggest reason why Random is utterly indispensable in my life.
We were discussing music, and magic, and I mentioned my obsession with barddry and magical song, and he told me a curious thing. "One of my students studied this," he said, "and the key seemed to him to be changing mode in the song. That's what creates the change."
That's when it hit me- I'd been looking at this all wrong. I'd been seeing musical magic as something apart from other kinds of magic, sort of enshrining it in memory like a precious thing, instead of letting it really enter my life. Instead of seeing it as some sort of sacred religious thing, I should have looked at it with my witch's eye. I should have stopped looking at song magic as different from other magic, and instead, just looked at it like any form of spellcrafting.
So, this is what I've come up with. Call it Rune's Guide to Songspelling. Please keep in mind, this is not 'ancient tradition' or whatever you wanna call it- it's entirely cobbled together from my own experience. But, I've tested it, and it works- I put my friends to sleep with very little effort, and they even knew what I was doing and didn't believe it would work.
So. The Guide begins:
1. Songs which are spells operate on three levels. The first level most close to the surface is found in the lyrics- the lyrics guide the forebrain and the conscious Waking forces, lulling them into relaxation, getting them to let their guard down.
2. The second level or layer of the spell is the melody, the vocal sound sung by the singer. This is the main push of the spell, where the power is wielded. The words are nothing without sound and rhythm- they are merely words. Singing a spell is an act of feeling- the melodic release of your voice is the wave of influence, moving the world to your will in harmony with your desire. In fact, the melody can carry nearly all of the spell, with the words barely even mentioning the intent of the magic, so long as the words don't contradict the message of the spell.
3. The third level of the spell lies in the accompanying environment. The setting, the situation, the audience, these are all part of the song, and will either help or hinder it. If the environment around you cannot help you, you must create your own environment to work in. This is found in the accompanying instrumental work of the musician- your solo instrument or the accompanying music performed by the other players of your band. The music of your supporting instruments is like your magic circle, cutting away dissonant forces and setting you apart so you can work without interference.
4. Songs are like any spells- they must describe and express all parts of what is changed, and what changes occur. Begin by letting the first part of your music set the stage, drawing the world in by describing and naming it. Then, shift your song to create the change- change speed, or the key, or add in some other singers. That's what the bridges and choruses are for in songs- they create the change intended by the spell, carrying the message of the music. The other verses merely explain and deepen the spell by further naming the world. Finally, finish your music by reinforcing the change you have made in some way- change key again, and sing the chorus in the new key, or change to a reinforcing verse.
I'm writing this down, because I never want to forget it, and I want others to be able to take it and use it if this has been something they have sought after too. We can use this to enrich our rituals, our spell work, our entertainment of our loved ones, and maybe bring magic to the world in a more all-encompassing way.
Hopefully, this helps you, like it's helping me. *smiles*