"Magic Circle" by John William Waterhouse

Magic in fiction is the endowing of fictional characters or objects with magical powers. Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is storytelling of imagined events and stands in contrast to non-fiction, which makes factual claims that can be substantiated with evidence. ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ...

Such magic often serves as a plot device, the source of magical artifacts and their quests. Magic has long been a component of fantasy fiction, where it has been a mainstay from the days of Homer and Apuleius, down through the tales of the Holy Grail, Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene, and to more contemporary authors from J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis to Mercedes Lackey and J. K. Rowling. A plot device is a person or an object introduced to a story to affect or advance the plot. ... This article is about artifacts in fantasy and roleplaying. ... This article is about the word, for other meanings see Quest (disambiguation) A quest is a journey towards a goal with great meaning and is used in mythology and literature as a plot device. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Homer (Greek: , ) was an early Greek poet and aoidos (rhapsode) traditionally credited with the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ... Lucius Apuleius (c. ... For historical artifacts associated with the cup of the Last Supper, see Holy Chalice. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Una and the Lion by Briton Rivière The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser, published first in three books in 1590, and later in six books in 1596. ... John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) was an English philologist, writer and university professor who is best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. ... Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Lackey (born June 24, 1950) (also known as Misty Lackey) is a prolific American author of fantasy novels. ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965[1]) is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. ...

Plot function

Within a work of fantasy, magic can function to move the plot forward, providing both power for the hero of the story, and power for those who oppose him. The use of magic is often transformative of the char, if not the world.^[1]

In order to carry out this function, magic often carries a price, equal to its value. ^[2] (See "Limits to magic") oh and by the way HENRY.RULES

Historical beliefs and fiction

The Alchemist, by Joseph Wright of Derby

Historically, many writers who have written about fictional magicians, and many readers of such works, have believed that such magic is possible -- in William Shakespeare's time, witches like the Weird Sisters in Macbeth and wizards like Prospero in The Tempest (or Doctor Faustus in Christopher Marlowe's play) were widely considered to be real -- but modern writers, and readers, usually deal with magic as imaginary.^[3] Download high resolution version (678x870, 136 KB)The Alchemist in Search of the Philosophers Stone (1771) by Joseph Wright of Derby. ... Download high resolution version (678x870, 136 KB)The Alchemist in Search of the Philosophers Stone (1771) by Joseph Wright of Derby. ... An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump (1768). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by Théodore Chassériau. ... Prospero and Miranda by William Maw Egley Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Prospero Prospero is the protagonist in The Tempest, a play by William Shakespeare. ... The Tempest is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Doctor Faustus could refer to: The character of Faust Christopher Marlowes The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus Thomas Manns Doktor Faustus Ferruccio Busonis opera Doktor Faust A 1967 film directed by Richard Burton and Nevill Coghill, see Doctor Faustus (movie) This is a disambiguation page — a... Christopher (Kit) Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593?) was an English dramatist, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. ...

Such magic may be inspired by non-fictional beliefs and practices, but may also be an invention of the writer. Furthermore, even when the writer uses non-fictional beliefs and practices, the effect, strength, and rules of the magic will normally be what the writer requires for the plot. There may be a well-developed system in fictional magic, or not, but when the writer does not systemize the magic, there is always the difficulty of ensuring that it is not merely used when convenient for the writer. Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as fact. ...

It is by no means impossible, moreover, for fictional magic to leap from the pages of fantasy to actual magical practice. The Necronomicon was invented as fiction by H. P. Lovecraft; other authors such as August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith also cited it in their words, with Lovecraft's approval, as he believed such common allusions built up "a background of evil versimiltude." Many readers have believed it to be a real work, with booksellers and librarians receiving many request for; pranksters have listed it in rare book catalogues, and one smuggled a card for it in the Yale University Library.^[4] There have been several attempts by modern authors to produce it as a grimoire, such as the Simon Necronomicon. The Necronomicon is a fictional book from the stories of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. ... Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893-August 14, 1961) was a poet, sculptor, painter and author of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories. ... This design for an amulet comes from the Black Pullet grimoire. ... The Simon Necronomicon (or Simonicon) is the best-known of the many Necronomicon claimants. ...

Terminology

Magic is called by many names, usually derived from non-fictional terminology: magic, wizardry, witchcraft, sorcery. The usage varies widely, and terms have different meanings in different settings.

Scene from Orlando Furioso: knights futilely seek through an enchanted castle

Enchantment is normally used in one of two senses. One is a permanent magical effect on an object, so that the object can be used without reference to any person who enchanted it. The other is a form of magic that affects minds, producing sometimes illusions but more often affecting thoughts and emotions.^[5] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 469 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (946 × 1210 pixel, file size: 315 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gustave Doré’s illustration of Ludovico Ariosto’s “Orlando Furioso”. +/- File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 469 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (946 × 1210 pixel, file size: 315 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Gustave Doré’s illustration of Ludovico Ariosto’s “Orlando Furioso”. +/- File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other... Ruggiero Rescuing Angelica by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. ... To be enchanted is to be under the influence of an enchantment, usually thought to be caused by charms or incantations. ... An incantation is the words spoken during a ritual. ...

Terms derived from more specific magics, such as voodoo, alchemy, or necromancy, generally remain closer to their real-world inspirations. Fantasy necromancers often work magic that has something to do with death, although the exact connections vary widely from work to work. Alchemy is the study of magical transformation of materials -- sometimes, as in Teresa Edgerton's Green Lion trilogy, using the actual historical terminology -- although fantasy alchemists tend to be involved with exactly those branches of alchemy that were not incorporated into modern chemistry. Voodoo (Vodou, Vodoun, Vudu, or Vudun in Benin, Togo, southeastern Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Senegal; also Vodou in Haiti) is a name attributed to a traditionally uten West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... This article is about necromancy in fiction. ... Teresa Edgerton (born Van Nuys, California, in 1949) is an author of fantasy novels and short stories set in worlds that parallel the Middle Ages and the 18th century. ...

The archaic term "gramarye" (in any of its various spellings) is sometimes used to indicate magic in fiction as it was historically, but generally in a context where it is as archaic to the characters as to the readers. Similarly, Latin terminology may be used, as in ars arcana -- the arcane art, the art known by few -- to indicate magic as an exotic subject.

Terms for illusions

Related to gramarye, "glamour" is sometimes used to indicate magic that is illusionary in nature, causing changes only in appearance -- a historical usage, and in fact, the source of the modern meaning of the term.^[6] The original meaning of the word glamour was the act of casting a spell over someone. ...

The term "illusion" is generally used in fantasy, as it was not historically, to refer not to the illusion of having performed magic when none was performed, but to a magical effect that is not what it appears: a mist to look like a wall, but not to actually obstruct; a person to look like an ogre but lacking its strength; or a horse to look like a donkey, but still need space enough to fit through as a horse.

Such magic, though not termed illusions, is common in the folklore from which fantasy magic derived. In The Tempest, Ariel can assume illusionary forms, and the fairy folk are notorious for their deceptive magics. The Tempest is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Ariel taking on an illusionary form, at Prosperos command Ariel is a fictional sprite who appears in William Shakespeares play The Tempest. ... by Sophie Anderson For other uses, see Fairy (disambiguation). ...

Features of magic

Users of magic

"The Crystal Ball" by John William Waterhouse: studying the magic

In some works of fantasy, anyone who can learn the arcane knowledge necessary can practice magic, but in many writers, the use of magic is an innate talent, equivalent to perfect pitch.^[7] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (540x836, 83 KB) John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball (1902, oil on canvas) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scrying Magic (fantasy) Magician (fantasy) ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (540x836, 83 KB) John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball (1902, oil on canvas) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Scrying Magic (fantasy) Magician (fantasy) ... John William Waterhouse. ...

There is wide variation on how spontaneously a person (or other being) with such a talent can use it. Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series at one point depicts a toy that will gradually lose its enchantment and teach any talented child using it to perform the magic instead; it is used to test for children who can learn it, in a process that takes months. Barbara Hambly depicts a character in her Darwath series attempting to practice magic on hearing how it is done, and succeeding. Harry Potter, like many young wizards in his universe, accidentially casts spells before he is taught to do it properly.^[8] The unicorn in The Last Unicorn possesses her magical abilities without any effort on her part, as do magical girls in shōjo anime and manga; using such spontanously generated powers means that a character is seldom called a "magician" or "wizard" or such term, which is usually reserved for those who have to learn to wield magic (although in Xanth, magicians and sorceresses are people whose spontaneous power is very powerful). Randall Garrett (December 16, 1927 - December 31, 1987) was a prolific writer for Astounding and other science fiction magazines in the 1950s. ... Lord Darcy is a detective in an alternate history. ... Barbara Hambly (born August 28, 1951) is an award winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction. ... Barbara Hambly (born August 28, 1951) is an award winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel written by Peter S. Beagle. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Shōjo or shoujo (少女 lit. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Manga )   (pl. ... Xanth is a fantasy world created by author Piers Anthony for a series of novels. ...

Such variation can sometimes occur within the same work. In Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, wizards and magicians must study their magic, but a fire-witch can spontaneously have her hair burst on fire from her talent, and in Operation Chaos, a werewolf depends only on a light trigger to master his powers, but his wife, a witch, must study to acquire hers. Patricia Collins Wrede (pronounced REED-ee) is an American fantasy writer, born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois; she is the eldest of five children. ... The Enchanted Forest Chronicles is a series of four books by Patricia C. Wrede entitled Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons. ... For the CIA intelligence project, see Operation CHAOS. Operation Chaos is a 1971 science fiction/fantasy fixup novel by Poul Anderson. ...

Talents that occur spontaneously frequently need training to work more than sporadically, or at major effects, or in a controlled manner -- and sometimes all three. Harry Potter, first hearing that he is a wizard, remembers occasional odd things that appeared to just happen; school is necessary to have them happen at his intention, and to produce more effects. Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea novels were among the first to include a now-common fantasy trope: a school where magic is taught. This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Ursula K. Le Guin at an informal bookstore Q&A session, July 2004 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (born October 21, 1929), is an American author. ... Cover to 1991 Bantam Books paperback edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, illustrated by John Jude Palencar Earthsea is a fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story The Word of Unbinding, published in 1964, but that became more famous in her novel A Wizard of...

Besides innate talent and study, a third source of magic is the granting of it by supernatural beings. The personal nature of this distinguishes it from other types of magic: a being chooses to grant the power. Joy Chant's Red Moon and Black Mountain depicts several classes of people whose powers are divinely granted: the Earth Witches, the Star Enchanters, the Wild Magicians. Sword and sorcery heroes may not only face sorcerers, but crazed cults where summoned demons grant powers. This type, owing to the cleric class in Dungeons & Dragons, is very common in Role-Playing Games, such as Final Fantasy, and Legend of Zelda. Joy Chant (born January 13, 1945 [1]) is the pen name of British fantasy writer Eileen Joyce (Joy) Rutter (nee Chant). ... This article is about a fantasy sub-genre. ... The demon Satan In folklore, mythology, and religion, a demon is a supernatural being that is generally described as an evil spirit, but is also depicted to be good in some instances. ... The cleric is a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. ... Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) currently published by Wizards of the Coast. ... A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. ... For the first installment in the series, see Final Fantasy (video game). ... Legend of Zelda may refer to: The Legend of Zelda, the 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System best seller, and the first game in a very popular, influential video game franchise. ...

Another form is of such granted power may be the Pact with the Devil, or other trafficking with spirits, common in folklore.^[9] This motif was used in Ladyhawke. It is not necessarily so. The deal with the demon may be for the demon to give the wizard books or other knowledge that he can use to learn. Conversely, the pact may be for the devil to do the magic on the wizard's behalf, but the wizard must have first studied magic in order to summon it, and in some versions, to compel it to act. Saint Augustine and the Devil A Pact with the Devil or Faustian Pact is a widespread cultural meme, most familiar in the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles but an element in many folktales. ... Ladyhawke is a 1985 film starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer, directed by Richard Donner. ...

A fourth way to use magic is to use an enchanted item. This may require that someone with the appropriate abilities create it, but the item may have been enchanted long before the work in which it appears, and the means of its acquiring its powers may be unclear.

Use of language and names in magic

Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea novels feature a magic driven by words. The true language can name things and by these names control them, an ability shared by both the wizards who study the language, and the dragons whose native tongue it is.^[10] Two aspects of this are common to other stories. Ursula K. Le Guin at an informal bookstore Q&A session, July 2004 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (born October 21, 1929), is an American author. ... Cover to 1991 Bantam Books paperback edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, illustrated by John Jude Palencar Earthsea is a fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story The Word of Unbinding, published in 1964, but that became more famous in her novel A Wizard of...

One is the notion of true names whereby a person's true name is a powerful magical weapon against them; this seldom applies to objects, but in works from Larry Niven's The Magic Goes Away to Andre Norton's Witch World, wizards and witches keep their names secret to keep from their being used against them, and even in the Discworld, the Librarian hides his name to keep from being turned back to a man. ^[11] True Names was the science fiction novella which brought Vernor Vinge to prominence in 1981. ... Laurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938 Los Angeles, California) is a US science fiction author. ... The Warlocks Era (The Magic Goes Away) The fictional setting of Larry Nivens logical (as opposed to high) fantasy series. ... Andre Alice Norton (February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005), science fiction and fantasy author (with some works of historical fiction and contemporary fiction), was born Alice Mary Norton in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. ... The Witch World series by Andre Norton is a long series of fantasies laid in a parallel universe where magic works, and at the beginning at least, is the exclusive property of women. ... // This article is about the novels. ... The Librarian of the Unseen University is one of the most popular characters in Terry Pratchetts Discworld series of fantasy novels. ...

Another is the use of a strange language to cast spells. Many works -- such as the Harry Potter novels, in which the spells are cast in a Latinate jargon -- use this without offering an explanation. Patricia Wrede, in The Magician's Ward, described it as a technique to prevent power from overflowing the spell; Poul Anderson, in Operation Chaos, explained it as a natural consequence of the laws of similarity governing magic, because a magician can not produce extraordinary effects from ordinary language. In many stories, there is a magical "Speech" that can be used to perform feats of magic, such as Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" Sequence and Diane Duane's "Young Wizard" series. in Eragon and Eldest, Christopher Paolini's novels, this language is used to simply define one's desire. for example, one would be able to use magic with out the speech, but it is infinitely easier and more controlled to use it to direct one's magical power. This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Pat Wrede Patricia Collins Wrede (pronounced REED-ee) is an American fantasy writer, born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois; she is the eldest of five children. ... Patricia Collins Wrede (pronounced REED-ee) is an American fantasy writer, born 1953 in Chicago, Illinois; she is the eldest of five children. ... Poul Anderson portrayed on the cover of a special edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction; painting by Kelly Freas. ... For the CIA intelligence project, see Operation CHAOS. Operation Chaos is a 1971 science fiction/fantasy fixup novel by Poul Anderson. ... Susan Mary Cooper (born May 23, 1935) in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England is a British author. ... Diane Duane (b. ...

Magical Objects

a magic carpet, by Viktor Vasnetsov

An often used plot generator is a powerful magical object or artifact, a thing so dangerous that it can defeat the hero, or allow the villain to conquer the world. This can ensure that the plot of a fantasy novel, or role-playing game, is the quest to obtain or destroy this terrible item. Perhaps owing to the defining influence of The Lord of the Rings and the One Ring it contained, this particular plot device is so common in fantasy as to be termed plot coupons. Image File history File links Flying_carpet. ... Image File history File links Flying_carpet. ... Self-portrait 1873 Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов) (May 15 (N.S.), 1848—1926) was a Russian artist who specialized in mythological and historical subjects. ... A plot generator is either: a fictional plot device which permits the generation of plots for an extended serial without requiring a great deal of logical connection between the episodes, or a literal device (such as a computer program) used by writers to generate plot ideas. ... The term, magic item can be used to refer to several historical and fictional topics: // Historical In a historical context, magic items are those artifacts which have been reputed to contain magical properties such as the Holy Grail. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. ... This article is about the word, for other meanings see Quest (disambiguation) A quest is a journey towards a goal with great meaning and is used in mythology and literature as a plot device. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ... The One Ring, also known as the Ruling Ring, the Great Ring of Power, The Ring, or Isildurs Bane, is an artifact from J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional Middle-earth universe. ... In narratology, a plot coupon is an object whose possession or use is necessary in order to resolve the conflict upon which the plot hangs. ...

Lesser magical objects are also common, more so in role-playing games than novels, to lend characters such abilities as they need. Besides the One Ring, The Lord of the Rings contained magic swords that did not determine the plot; the invisibility cloak in Harry Potter and the magical map of Hogwarts; The Thief of Bagdad, an array of magical items from Arabian Nights including a magic carpet. The term magic sword refers to any kind of mythological or fictional sword imbued with magical power to increase its strength or grant it other supernatural qualities. ... This article needs cleanup. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... This is about the 1924 film starring Douglas Fairbanks. ... Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryar. ... Riding a Flying Carpet, an 1880 painting by Viktor Vasnetsov. ...

Such items may be created by magicians or powerful beings, but sometimes in the past, with no such items being possible today. Many fictional magical objects have no explained past.

Wands and staffs often feature, usually in wizards' hands.^[12] The first magical wand appeared in the Odyssey: Circe used it to transform Odysseus's men into animals. Italian fairy tales put them into the hands of the powerful fairies by the late Middle Ages.^[13] These were transmitted to modern fantasy. Gandalf refused to surrender his in The Lord of the Rings, and breaking Saruman's broke his power. Magical wands are used from Andre Norton's Witch World to Harry Potter. One element of this is the need to limit a wizard, so that opposition to him (necessary for a story) is feasible; if the wizard loses his staff or wand (or other magic item on which he is dependent), he is weakened if not magically helpless.^[14] In the Harry Potter setting, a wizard can only perform weak and uncontrolled magic without a wand.^[15] This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... // A staff is a large, thick stick or stick-shaped object used to help with walking, as a status symbol, or as a weapon. ... Beginning of the Odyssey The Odyssey (Greek Οδύσσεια (Odússeia) ) is one of the two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to the Ionian poet Homer. ... Circe, a painting by John William Waterhouse. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... For other uses, see Gandalf (disambiguation). ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ... Saruman is a character in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ...

Magical places

Illustration of the woods in A Midsummer Night's Dream: fairies dancing a roundel

Sometimes, too, a place will have magic; perhaps a certain location is "close to the spirit realm" or there are residues from powerful spells once cast here, or a place is magical by nature, as in the case of an enchanted forest. Ancient battlefields may be haunted. When the battles were fought by magic, on civilizations erected by magic, the location can be dangerous indeed; in Patricia A. McKillip's Riddle-Master trilogy, the ruins left behind by the powerful Earthmasters contain dangers. Image File history File links Come, now a roundel. ... Image File history File links Come, now a roundel. ... Enchanted Forest entrance The Enchanted Forest is a now-closed theme park in Ellicott City, Maryland, on U.S. Highway 40 near the intersection with Bethany Lane. ... Patricia A. McKillip (February 29, 1948—) is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels. ... Patricia A. McKillip (February 29, 1948—) is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels. ...

Such places are often the homes of powerful beings. The woods in A Midsummer Night's Dream is haunted by fairies, including Oberon and Titania, their king and queen. In Earthsea, the wizards hold their school on Roke Island, which contains such magical locations as Roke Knoll and Immanent Grove. Lórien in Middle-earth was also a magical location, but its magic stemmed from the powers of those who lived there. This is true of other apparently magical locations in many fantasies, and in many more, it may not be clear whether a place is magic because of its inhabitants, or its inhabitants have chosen to live there because it was magic. Within one work, as in Andre Norton's Witch World series, there may be all three types of apparently magical places. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Oberon, also Auberon, King of the Fairies, is most well-known as a character in William Shakespeares play, A Midsummer Nights Dream, written in the mid-1590s. ... For other uses, see Titania (disambiguation). ... Cover to 1991 Bantam Books paperback edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, illustrated by John Jude Palencar Earthsea is a fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story The Word of Unbinding, published in 1964, but that became more famous in her novel A Wizard of... Cover to 1991 Bantam Books paperback edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, illustrated by John Jude Palencar Earthsea is a fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story The Word of Unbinding, published in 1964, but that became more famous in her novel A Wizard of... In Ursula K. Le Guins Earthsea series of novels, Roke Knoll is a hill near the center of the island of Roke, the headquarters of wizardry. ... In Ursula K. Le Guins Earthsea series of novels, the Immanent Grove appears to be a small grove of trees near the center of the island of Roke, the headquarters of wizardry. ... location of Lórien in Middle-earth marked in red This article is about the Lórien of J. R. R. Tolkiens works. ... A map of the Northwestern part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Arda. ... Andre Alice Norton (February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005), science fiction and fantasy author (with some works of historical fiction and contemporary fiction), was born Alice Mary Norton in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. ... The Witch World series by Andre Norton is a long series of fantasies laid in a parallel universe where magic works, and at the beginning at least, is the exclusive property of women. ...

One such magical place is Faerie or Elfland. Its location may not be fixed -- in some cases it acts as a parallel world -- but magic is both found and occurs there. Though it stems from folklore, it is found in such works of fantasy as Hope Mirrlees's Lud-in-the-Mist, or Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter. Parallel universe or alternate reality in science fiction and fantasy is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. ... Helen Hope Mirrlees (1887-1978) was a British translator, poet and novelist. ... Lud-in-the-Mist (1926) is the third novel by Hope Mirrlees, and the only one still in print as of 2005. ... Best known as Lord Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (July 24, 1878–October 25, 1957) was an Irish writer and dramatist notable for his work in fantasy and horror. ... The King of Elflands Daughter is a 1924 fantasy novel written by Lord Dunsany. ...

Limits to magic

In any given fantasy magical system, a person must have limits to his magical abilities, or the story has no conflict: the magic can overwhelm the other side.^[16]

One of the most common techniques is that the person has only a limited amount of magical ability. In The Magic Goes Away, Larry Niven made it a factor of environment: once the mana is exhausted in an area, no one can use magic, and innately magical beings, such as centaurs, die or lose their magical aspects, such as werewolves, which revert to being entirely wolves.^[17] A more common use is that a person can only cast so many spells, or use an ability so many times, in a day, or use a measured amount of magic. This is the most common use in role-playing games, where the rules rigorously define them.^[18] Similarly, in Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, the One Power is limitless but each individual user can only channel a limited amount of it at any one time. The Warlocks Era (The Magic Goes Away) The fictional setting of Larry Nivens logical (as opposed to high) fantasy series. ... Laurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938 Los Angeles, California) is a US science fiction author. ... Mana is a traditional term that refers to a concept among the speakers of Oceanic languages, including Melanesians, Polynesians, and Micronesians. ... In Greek mythology, the centaurs (Greek: Κένταυροι) are a race of creatures composed of part human and part horse. ... A werewolf (also lycanthrope or wolfman) in folklore is a person who shapeshifts into a wolf or wolflike creature, either purposely, by using magic, or after being placed under a curse. ... Magic: The Gathering. ... For other persons named Robert Jordan, see Robert Jordan (disambiguation). ... This article is about a fantasy series. ... In The Wheel of Time fantasy series by Robert Jordan, the One Power is the force that maintains the continuous motion of the Wheel of Time. ...

An alternative form of magical limitation provides theoretically unlimited power, but restricts what a user can do to what that user is capable of imagining, comprehending and understanding. In this scenario, magical ability may often be increased through scientific study of the world in order to better understand its working, something observed in The Belgariad by David Eddings. The Belgariad is a five-book fantasy epic written by David Eddings. ... David Eddings (born July 7, 1931) is an American author who has written several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels. ...

Powers can also be restricted to a certain kind of ability. This is more common for innately magical beings than for those who have learned it. The person can be rendered defenseless by a situation to which his powers do not apply.

Magic can also require various sacrifices. Blood or life can be required, and even if the magician has no scruples, obtaining the material may be difficult.^[19] Harmless substances can also limit the magician if they are rare, such as gemstones.

The need for learning may also limit what spells a wizard knows, and can cast. When magic is learned from rare and exotic books, the wizard's ability can be limited, temporarily, by his access to these books. In Earthsea, the changing of names weakens wizards as they travel; they must learn the true names of things in their new location to be powerful again.^[20]

Magic may also be limited not so much inherently as by its danger. If a powerful spell can cause equally grave harm if miscast, wizards are likely to be wary of using it.^[21]

Various genres

In science fiction plots (especially the "hard" variety), while magic tends to be avoided, often extraordinary facts are portrayed that do not have a scientific basis and are not explained in that fashion. In these cases the reader might find it useful to remember Arthur C. Clarke's "Third Law": Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British science-fiction author and inventor, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name. ...

Psionics is often used to endow science fictional characters with abilities, which, if they were called "magic", would make the story fantasy.^[22] Psionics is the practice of using a variety of psychic abilities. ...

Magic has been portrayed in numerous games, in which magic is a characteristic available to players in certain circumstances. Magic: The Gathering. ...

Sorcerers and sorcery are a staple of Chinese wu xia fiction and are dramatically featured in many martial arts movies. Wǔxiá (Traditional Chinese: 武俠, Simplified Chinese: 武侠) literally meaning martial arts chivalry, is a distinct genre in Chinese literature and cinema. ... Martial arts film is a film genre that originated in the Pacific Rim. ...

It is possible to say that The Force from Star Wars canon is a type of magic, with Jedi and Sith being seen as wizards and sorcerers.

See also

• Necromancy in fiction
• Discworld Magic
• Magic (Discworld), magic in the Discworld series
• Magic (Earthsea), magic in the Earthsea series
• Magic (Harry Potter), magic in the Harry Potter series
• Magic (Inheritance), magic in the Inheritance Trilogy
• Magic (Middle-earth), magic in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien
• Magic (Imagicators), magic in the Imagicators series
• Final Fantasy magic
• Kidō, magic in the Bleach manga series
• Magic in the Bartimaeus trilogy
• Magic in Negima
• Magic in the Realm of the Elderlings

This article is about necromancy in fiction. ... The Discworld is the setting for all of Terry Pratchetts Discworld fantasy novels. ... The Discworld in Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels runs on magic. ... Cover to 1991 Bantam Books paperback edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, illustrated by John Jude Palencar Earthsea is a fictional realm created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story The Word of Unbinding, published in 1964, but that became more famous in her novel A Wizard of... In the Harry Potter books, magic is depicted as a natural force, one that can be used to override the usual laws of nature while still being approached entirely scientifically. ... Magic is an integral part of Alagaësia, the world in which the Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini is set. ... The concept of Magic in Middle-earth is hard to define: one definition is that it is the defining property that sets J. R. R. Tolkiens imaginary or secondary world (Arda) apart from the real or primary world. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916. ... Magic according to The Imagicators, a fantasy novel by Brad Marshland, requires no spells, no magic words. ... The Imagicators is a fantasy novel by Brad Marshland, published in 2006. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline for Fiction. ... In the manga and anime series Bleach, kidō (鬼道, lit. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Original run August 2001 – (ongoing) No. ... Magic in The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is created by 2 entities, the magician and the magical entity coming from the Other Place. ... This page discusses the magic and magic systems in the manga and anime series Negima!: Magister Negi Magi. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

References

• John Grant and John Clute, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
• Philip Martin, ed., The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature: From Dragon's Lair to Hero's Quest, ISBN 0-87116-195-8
• Lawrence Watt-Evans, "Watt-Evans' Laws of Fantasy", Starlog
• Patricia C. Wrede, "Magic and Magicians", Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions