Words Can Break My Bones: Difference between revisions

A subtrope of [[Language of Magic]]. Compare to [[I Know Your True Name]] (which was split from this). Contrast and compare [[Magical Incantation]]. Compare to [[Brown Note]], which includes sounds, images and larger written works that have powerful negative effects on the audience. See also [[Ritual Magic]]. [[Harsh Word Impact]] is a metafictional version. Also compare [[Speak of the Devil]] and [[The Scottish Trope]].

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== Anime ==

* The Lotis and Maram Words from Yuu Watase's manga ''[[Alice 19th]]''.

* A more literal version of this is in ''[[Six Six Six Satan]]'' where the character [[Punny Name|Spika]] has an [[Applied Phlebotinum|O-Part]] that can materialize words she shouts into them that are like what she says (for example, when she yells "Spikey" the word "Spikey" in Japanese will appear in block letters with spikes coming out).

* In the anime (and original manga) ''[[Loveless]]'', characters participate in Spell Battles where words do exactly what they say, restraining, cutting, burning, or banishing opponents. The effectiveness of an attack seems to be directly related to the floweriness or complexity of the spoken "spell".

* In ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', one psychic has the ability to create a territory in which no one can say a taboo word. Anyone who does has their soul ripped out.

** [[Elite Mook]] Yomazu can to this as well, only he writes his in Japanese with his sword. As a result he can abruptly change the effect without rewriting simply by declaring a different meaning of the Kanji.

* The Words of Awakening in ''[[Madlax]]'', which induce homicidal insanity.

* This appears several times in [[To Aru Majutsu no Index (Anime)|Toaru Majutsu no Index]]. In its first form, magicians must first state their magic name to begin using their actual magic. We later see {{spoiler|Index in her Johan's Pen mode}} utter the words "Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani?" literally "God, God, why have you forsaken me?" to power up a spell specifically to destroy Stiyl's [[Elemental Powers|Flame Summon]]. Towards the end, this trope is again invoked when {{spoiler|Index}} interferes with the control spells in place on a golem simply by uttering [[Gratuitous English|English letters]] in certain sequences. This scene also borders on a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|crowning moment of awesome]].

* An interesting variation in [[Mx 0]]: Fumi Izuno's magic object is a calligraphy brush, and her ability is that everything she writes with it acquires reality. For example, in the last Magic Class Match, she and another student are seen fighting a golem, and in a given moment, she writes the word "Defense" in the air with her brush; the words immediately turn into a magic shield that stops one of the golem's fists in front of her.

*** In the [[Elenium]]/Tamuli, the magic turns out to be nothing more than a prayer to the gods for assistance, which takes the form of magic. The Church Knights, given special dispensation to take on non-church tutors in mystical arts are the primary users. This leads to the hilarious revelation later that they probably didn't have to go outside their own religion.

* In Christopher Paolini's ''[[The Inheritance Cycle]]'' the elven language is the [[Language of Magic]] and spells are more or less words of power taken from it. Want a big fire or an explosive arrow? Just yell "Brisingr!" and you're all done. (So long as you've got access to magic, that is. It won't do you much good otherwise.)

** Then, in the final book, [[Big Bad|Galbatorix]] learns {{spoiler|the name of the ancient language, giving him complete control over all magic. Good thing he uses it stupidly.}}

* In ''[[Snow Crash]]'' by [[Neal Stephenson]], words literally ''can'' break bones - the human body and brain can be traumatized by carefully selected words. Of course, it's not that simple - not just ''any'' words can kill, but only those linked to "deep connections" in the brain. The language Sumerian works on anyone; {{spoiler|binary also works on computer hackers.}}

* ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'', "The Shakespeare Code": The Carrionites use words to shape reality; the right words said in the right way at the right time have dramatic effects. Unfortunately for them it works both ways and The Doctor's enlisted the best wordsmith around: ''Shakespeare''. They get an assist from [[JK Rowling]] too, via Martha: turns out that ''Expelliarmus!'' just happens to fit the end of his incantation to banish them nicely.

* An episode of ''[[Samurai Sentai Shinkenger]]''/''[[Power Rangers Samurai]]'' has a monster that can read a person's mind, find the most derogatory and damaging insult that person has ever been called, and repeat it to them, converting the emotional pain they suffer from the insult into physical pain. He's only defeated when it's revealed one of our heroes has gotten so used to being insulted in her life that the monster's power can't affect her. Interestingly, the monster is based on a Japanese [[Obake]] that, itself, suffers from [[Words Can Break My Bones]]...in reverse: it "feeds" off of a person's inner thoughts, repeating them in the open when they latch onto someone, and only by emptying your mind of all thoughts can you drive away (or even ''kill'') the creature.

* A variation on ''[[Babylon 5]]'': Telepaths, in addition to scanning minds and planting thoughts or visions, can also effectively hit the target's "pain button", making every nerve in their body burst with blinding pain for a few moments. This is typically accompanied by them simply glaring at the other person and hissing ''"Pain!"'' It is only allowed to be used in self defense, and it is only used when more effective means, such as [[Muggles Do It Better|guns]], are unavailable.

 

*** [[The Sandman|"And before it was ever spoken aloud it was written in this book."]]

*** [[Illuminatus|"And it was written by a baboon."]]

* One of the ideas behind Ancient Egyptian magic was the very real potency of words and especially names. Their religious rituals also made use of the principle.