thumb|19th century book of incantations, written by a Welsh physician
An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rituals or prayers. In the world of magic, wizards, witches, and fairies are common performers of incantations in culture and folklore. The English language borrowed the term "incantation" from Old French in the late 14th century; the corresponding Old English term was gealdor or galdor, "song, spell", cognate to ON galdr. The weakened sense "delight" (compare the same development of "charm") is modern, first attested in 1593 (OED).
Words of incantation are often spoken with inflection and emphasis on the words being said. The tone and rhyme of how the words are spoken and the placement of words used in the formula may differ depending on the desired outcome of the magical effect.
Surviving written records of historical magic spells were largely obliterated in many cultures by the success of the major monotheistic religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), which label some magical activity as immoral or associated with evil.
Etymology
right|thumb|The Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo by [[Marie Spartali Stillman]]
The Latin , which meant “to consecrate with spells, to charm, to bewitch, to ensorcel” among other meanings, is the source of the English verb (“to chant solemnly or recite an incantation”) as well as the derived noun . From the same Latin word via Old French also comes English (the original meaning of is the casting of a magic spell or the effects thereof (on a person), now less common than the more figurative and positive meaning due to semantic drift), making it a doublet with incant. Latin incantāre is a prefixed form of the root word , which meant “to sing or chant”, itself going back to the Proto-Indo-European root “to sing, to cry out”, likely onomatopoeic for the sound of a calling voice.
Magic words
thumb|Classic magic words
Magic words or words of power are words which have a specific, and sometimes unintended, effect. They are often nonsense phrases used in fantasy fiction or by stage prestidigitators. Frequently such words are presented as being part of a divine, adamic, or other secret or empowered language. Certain comic book heroes use magic words to activate their powers.
Examples of traditional magic words include Abracadabra, Alakazam, Hocus Pocus, Open Sesame and Sim Sala Bim.
In Babylonian, incantations can be used in rituals to burn images of one's own enemies. An example would be found in the series of Mesopotamian incantations of Šurpu and Maqlû. In the Orient, the charming of snakes have been used in incantations of the past and still used today. A person using an incantation would entice the snake out of its hiding place in order to get rid of them.
Udug-hul
In Mesopotamian mythology, Udug Hul incantations are used to exorcise demons (evil Udug) who bring misfortune or illnesses, such as mental illness or anxiety. These demons can create horrible events such as divorce, loss of property, or other catastrophes.
In folklore and modern fiction
thumb|The enchantress Alcina makes herself appear beautiful, in [[Orlando Furioso.]]
In traditional fairy tales magical formulas are sometimes attached to an object. When the incantation is uttered, it helps transform the object. In such stories, incantations are attached to a magic wand used by wizards, witches and fairy godmothers. One example is the spell that Cinderella's Fairy Godmother used to turn a pumpkin into a coach, "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", a nonsense rhyme which echoes more serious historical incantations.
Modern uses and interpretations
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. Bronisław 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." Magical speech is therefore a ritual act and is of equal or even greater importance to the performance of magic than non-verbal acts.
Not all speech is considered magical. Only certain words and phrases or words spoken in a specific context are considered to have magical power.
- Mesopotamian incantations were composed to counter anything from witchcraft (Maqlû) to field pests (Zu-buru-dabbeda).
==See also==<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
- Carmen, a term for an Ancient Roman incantation
- Curse (disambiguation)
- Dharani, common term for Mahayana Buddhist mantras
- Finnic incantations
- Hex (disambiguation)
- Incantations in the Harry Potter series
- Incantation bowl, an ancient Middle Eastern protective magical tool
- Jinx (disambiguation)
- Kotodama, the Japanese belief in the power of words and names
- Lorica, Irish protective prayer
- Mantra, a sacred sound, word, or phrase, often repeated multiple times, in meditation
- Paritta, common term for Theravada Buddhist mantras
- Yajna, Hindu sacrificial offering
- Zagovory, East Slavic spells