Post by Arthur on Dec 28, 2010 18:00:12 GMT -6
Magic in “Unto Britannia”
Magic, or sorcery, is the value in focusing on the perception of magic lies in the importance of perceptions, which can exist independently from beliefs in magic's
reality, or in the practice of magic by specific groups or individuals. It is the belief that perceptions of magic can more easily be established through survey, than could any real understanding of the variety of magical beliefs, or varieties of magical practice.
Both of these aspects of magic rely on an initial belief about the quality of magic. A definition of magic must exist in the mind of the individual before belief in magic can grow or fade, and of course before any practice that is considered magical can be performed or persecuted.
“There is no evil in sorcery, only in the hearts of men.”
People who practice magic often offer a variety of services to their community including health care, the removal of bad spells, the manipulation of weather for good crops, and so forth. These people are figures of veneration and respect because of their perceived abilities. They are also associated with less practical things like enchantments; many folk tales incorporate enchantments in which people are bewitched or tricked into doing things, for example.
“In order for something to be taken, something must be given.”
While practitioners of magic are sometimes venerated, they are also feared. Many cultures experience periods in which witches and other practitioners are hunted down and punished, tortured, or killed. People believe in the power of magic, feeling that the spells cast by someone could have a real-world effect, and sometimes blaming events like famines, plagues, and crop failure on witches and others.
Magic is a natural force, albeit a very powerful one. As such it is neither good nor bad, but simply a force that exists and may be used however the user sees fit. Magic is a discipline in which people learn to physically manipulate their environment to create illusions.
“Magic is all around you… it is woven into the very fabric of the world.”