www.florid.org
|
www.florid.org
|
|
|
Magic Magic: Short for “ magic art,” from Greek nagein the science and religion of the priests of Zoroaster; or, according to Skeat, from Greek megas, great, thus signifies the “great “ science. Theories of the Origin of Magic—Many theories have been advanced regarding the origin of magic—some authorities believing that it commenced with the idea of personal superiority; others through animistic beliefs (See Animism); and still others through such ideas as that physical pain, for which the savage could not account, were supposed to be inflicted by invisible weapons. This last theory is, of course, in itself, merely animistic. It does not seem, however, that writers on the subject have given sufficient attention to the great influence exerted on the mind of man by odd or peculiar occurrences. We do not for a moment desire to advance the hypothesis that magic entirely originated from such a source, but we believe that it was a powerful factor in the growth of magical belief. To which, too, animism and taboo contributed their quota. To cult of the dead too and their worship would soon become fused with magical practice, and a complete demonology would thus speedily arise. Scientific Theories regarding the Nature of Magic. — General agreement as to the proper definition of magic is wanting, as it depends upon the view taken of religious belief. According to Frazer, magic and religion are one and the same thing, or are so closely allied as to be almost identical. This may be true of peoples in a savage or barbarian condition of society, but can scarcely apply to magic and religion as fully-fledged, as for example in medieval times, however fundamental may be their original unity. The objective theory of magic would regard it as entirely distinct from religion, possessed of certain well-marked attributes, and traceable to mental processes differing from those from which the religious idea springs. Here and there the two have become fused by the super-imposition of religious upon magical practice. The objective idea of magic, in short, rests on the belief that it is based on magical laws which are supposed to operate with the regularity of those of natural science. The subjective view, on the other hand, is that many practices seemingly magical are in reality religious, and that no rite can be called magical which is not so designated by its celebrant or agent. It has been said that religion consists of an appeal to the gods, whereas magic is the attempt to force their compliance. Messrs. Hubert and Mauss believe that magic is essentially traditional. Holding as they do that the primitive mind is markedly unoriginal, they have satisfied themselves that magic is therefore an art, which does not exhibit any frequent changes amongst primitive folk, and is fixed by its laws. Religion, they say, is official and organized, magic prohibited and secret. Magical power appears to them to be determined by the contiguity, similarity and contrast of the object of the act, and the object to be effected. Mr. Frazer believes all magic to be based on the law of sympathy, that is the assumption that things act on one another at a distance because of their being secretly. Linked together by invisible bonds. He divides sympathetic magic into homeopathic magic and contagious magic. The first is imitative or mimetic, and may be practiced by itself; but the latter usually necessitates the application of the imitative principle. Well-known instances of mimetic magic are the forming of wax figures in the likeness of an enemy, which are destroyed in the hope that he will perish. Contagious magic may be instanced by the savage anointing the weapon, which caused a wound instead of the wound itself, in the belief that the blood on the weapon continues to feel with the blood on the body. Mr. L. Marillier divides magic into three classes: the magic of the word or act; the magic of the human being independent of rite or formula; and the magic which demands a human being of special powers and the use of ritual. Mr. A. Lehmann believes magic to be a practice of superstition, and founds it in illusion. The fault of all these theories is that they strive after too great an exactness, and that they do not allow sufficiently for the feeling of wonder and awe, which is native to the human mind. Indeed they designate this “ strained attention.” We may grant that the attention of savages to a magical rite is” strained,” so strained is it in some cases that it terrifies them into insanity; and it would seem therefore as if the limits of” attention” were over passed, and as if it shaded into something very much deeper. Moreover it is just possible that in future it may be granted that so-called sympathetic magic does not partake of the nature of magic at all, but has greater affinities (owing to its strictly natural and non-supernatural character) with pseudoscience. The Dynamics of Magic —Magical practice is governed by well-marked laws limited in number. It possesses many classes of practitioner; as, for example, the diviner or augur, whose duties are entirely different from those of the witch doctor. Chief among these laws, as has been already hinted, is that of sympathy, which, as has been said, must inevitably be sub-divided into the laws of similarity, contiguity and antipathy. The law of similarity and homeopathy is again divisible into two sections: (1)—the assumption that like produces like an illustration of which is the destruction of a model in the form of an enemy; and (2) the idea that like cures like for instance, that the stone called the bloodstone can staunch the flow of bleeding. The law dealing with antipathy rests on the assumption that the application of a certain object or drug expels its contrary. There remains contiguity, which is based on the concept that whatever has once formed part of an object continues to form part of it. Thus if a magician can obtain a portion of a person’s hair, he can work woe upon him through the invisible bonds which are supposed to extend between him and the hair in the sorcerer’s possession. It is well known that if the animal familiar of a witch be wounded, that the wound will react in a sympathetic manner on the witch herself. This is called “ repercussion.” Another widespread belief is that if the magician procures the name of a person that he can gain magical dominion over him. This, of course, arose from the idea that the name of an individual was identical with himself. The doctrine of the Incommunicable Name, the hidden name of the god or ‘magician, is well instanced by many legends in Egyptian history, the deity usually taking extraordinary care to keep his name secret, in order that no one might gain power over him. The spell or incantation is connected with this concept, and with these, to a lesser degree, may be associated magical gesture, which is usually introduced for the purpose of accentuating the spoken word. Gesture is often symbolic or sympathetic; it is sometimes the reversal of a religious rite, such as marching against the sun, which is known as walking “widdershins.” The method of pronouncing rites is, too, one of great importance. Archaic or foreign expressions are usually found in spells ancient and modern; and the tone in which the incantation is spoken, no less than its exactness, is also important. To secure exactness rhythm was often employed, which had the effect of aiding memory. Alzheimer, alternate health, alternate cure, artheritis, brujeria, back pain, carpaltunnal, demon, exorcism, ghost removal, head aches, magic, metaphysic, orisha, paranormal, santeria, shaman, sorcellery, voudou, vodou, voudoo, wicca. |
|
Send mail to
tjkent@hotmail.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
