Words Do Not Make the Magic: Difference between revisions
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|''[[Jackie Chan Adventures]]'', "The Chan Who Knew Too Much"}}
Alice sees Bob successfully accomplish a spell or [[Magic and Powers|mystical feat]] and later attempts to accomplish the same spell or feat by merely copying or repeating their words and/or actions and fails for the [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|titular reason]]. Usually occurs when it takes more than the [[Magical Incantation]] and [[Magical Gesture]]. The magic be in [[Language of Magic|another language]] that requires understanding before use. It may be because as a [[Muggle]], Alice ''can't'' cast magic. Or [[By the Power of Greyskull]] only works for Bob since only ''he'' has the power of Greyskull. [[Magic Prerequisite|Maybe the sun wasn't at the right height.]] Whatever the case, even if the character
The results of when a character uses a spell where more than the [[Magical Incantation]] matters will vary. There may simply be no effect or the [[Magic Misfire|spell could backfire]]. If a villain tries to use a [[Hero]]'s spell and fails due to lacking something necessary for success like [[The Power of Friendship]], expect a [[Reason You Suck Speech]]. Aversion of this trope are rarely examples since then words '''''do''''' make the magic and it is a case of [[Magical Incantation]] works for anyone.
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{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* In ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', a mook tries the Hokuto Shinken on [[The Hero|Kenshiro]] of all people, even daring to tell him [[Catch Phrase|"You're already dead"]] and count down the seconds to Kenshiro's death. Of course, it was the mook the one [[Your Head Asplode|who was already dead]].
* In ''[[Fairy Tail]]'', [[Psycho Electro|Luxus]] attempts to use Marakov's, {{spoiler|his grandfather}} spell, Fairy Law, which targets anyone the user considers an enemy, to eliminate the entire guild. When it fails, despite having enough power and invoking it to activate, one of his friends reminds Luxus that his heart can't lie to his magic and the guild members are still his [[True Companions]].
* In ''[[Bleach]]'', Kido spells are spoken, but they only have effect if used by spiritual beings such as Soul Reapers.
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* In [[The DCU]], Johnny Quick's sidekick Tubby Watts tried reciting Johnny's [[Formulaic Magic|magical formula]] of [[E=MC Hammer|("3X2(9YZ)4A")]]<ref>It is a nonsense formula, do not bother searching for it.</ref> in order to give himself [[Super Speed|superspeed]] like Johnny's. It failed. A later [[Retcon]] established that the 'formula' was actually a personal mantra that would only work for Johnny (and eventually his daughter).
* One [[Story Arc]] in ''[[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]]'' features [[Doctor Doom]] using [[The Magic Versus Technology War|magic against Reed Richards]]. At one point he [[Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard|locks Richards in the spellbook library]], [[Evil Gloating|secure in the knowledge that Mr. Fantastic cannot manage even the apprentice-level spell that would unlock the door]]. And he's right. Turns out, following the instructions exactly [[Magic Misfire|pisses]] [[Wild Magic|magic off]].
== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[Fright Night]]''
{{quote|'''Jerry Dandridge''': You have to have ''faith'' for that to work, Mr. Vincent!}}
* ''[[Bedknobs and Broomsticks]]'', the [[Con Artist|man]] who [[Achievements in Ignorance|invented the spells from what he thought was a nonsense book]] could not use them, but [[Angela Lansbury]]'s character, Miss Eglantine Price, could because she actually believed in magic. It took a great deal of concentration before he could finally get one to work after being shown numerous times that magic existed.
* In ''[[Hellraiser|Hellbound: Hellraiser II]]'', the psychotic psychologist uses a traumatized girl to open the puzzle box, thus summoning the Cenobites to Earth, figuring that this way it'll be the girl who get's dragged to Hell and not himself. But as Pinhead puts it, "It is not hands that call us, it is desire". They leave the girl in peace and go off in search of the one who ''truly'' summoned them.
== [[Literature]] ==
* ''[[Discworld]]'' series
** Mentioned in ''[[
** Also, the actual chanting done by the Wizards in the [[Necromancy]] department is meaningless, any old chanting will do as long as it sounds the part.
** Same thing in ''Wyrd Sisters'' as the names of instruments of demon summoning are immaterial as long as the general sound and intent is there.
** In ''[[
* Present in ''[[The Dresden Files]]'', but the words are still an important ''part'' of the spell. The incantation is as much a part of the spell as pointing and drawing up power, so wizards will use nonsense—but consistent—words rather than real ones, to avoid the risk of accidentally misfiring.
** The words are part of a personal, mental construct that a given mage uses to make the spell, and they seem to need a personal connection to the wizard. In a flashback scene, Harry is trying to start a fire with magic, and is using his teacher's words, and can't manage the actual spell until he makes up his more familiar "Flickum Bicus" incantation. At the same time, they keep the forces used in magic at one remove from the caster's mind, protecting him from possible damage.
* ''[[Harry Potter]]'':
** The [[Agony Beam|Cruciatus Curse]] Harry tried using on Bellatrix Lestrange did work, but due to his own lack of desire to hurt her, it was really weak in effect. It applies to all Unforgivable curses, as their user has to desire to hurt others for them to work at all, and without pure malice their effect will be lesser than desired.
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** Parseltongue (the ability to speak with snakes) apparently is not magical as such. Ron is able to {{spoiler|open the Chamber of Secrets}} by just making the same sounds that Harry did when he opened it. A subversion since it was the sounds rather than the knowledge of the actual words that were required opened the door.
*** But then again, Ron is still a wizard, even if he wasn't born with that power. That might not work for a muggle.
* ''The Dark is Rising'', the
* In ''[[The Bible]]'', is [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2019:15&version=NIV an account of non-believers who attempts to cast out a demon] by repeating the words Paul used to successfully excorcise one. The demon, being a bit of a [[Deadpan Snarker]], replies "Jesus I know about, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"▼
▲* ''The Dark is Rising'', the 2nd novel in ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' series. Before Will Stanton reads the Book of Gramarye, Merriman tells him that only an Old One can use the spells and Words of Power in the book. Even if a human being could read the Book he couldn't use them.
* John Bellairs' ''The Face in the Frost'' has a scene in which a wizard casts a spell by reciting silly verse which has '''nothing''' to do with the effect he wants to produce (turning a vegetable into a coach ''a la'' [[Cinderella]]) -- it's implied but never spelled out that it's the rhythm rather than anything in the words' meaning that gathers the magical power, and the wizard's unspoken will that focuses it.
* ''[[Worm]]'': It's strongly implied, though never confirmed, that [[Gadgeteer Genius|Tinkers]] have an additional component to their power beyond the beyond-conventional-science engineering and technical knowledge they use to build stuff, because attempts by muggles to replicate or even maintain said stuff almost always fail.▼
== [[Live
* ''[[Charmed]]'' only a magical being, such as an actual, magical, witch, can cast spells. If a mortal tries it, the mortal is just speaking a rhyme. A subversion occurs in the episode ''Animal Pragmatism'': a group of [[Muggles|mortals]] (mortal= non magical "normal" human) cast a spell by playing a tape recording of Phoebe chanting a spell, and it worked, because Phoebe did the rhyming.
* ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'': In a [[Subversion|variation]], several people attempt to cast a magic spell from a scroll, to no effect. Gabrielle deduces that they are using the wrong meter and accidentally casts the spell herself. [[Hilarity Ensues]].
*
== [[Oral Tradition]], [[Folklore]], Myths and Legends ==
▲* In ''[[The Bible]]'', there is [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2019:15&version=NIV an account of non-believers who attempts to cast out a demon] by repeating the words Paul used to successfully
== [[Tabletop
* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'': verbal spell components, are sometimes required. A mundane person speaking the words will have no effect at all: you have to have magical power/knowledge for the spell to work.
* Verbal spell components spoken by [[Muggles]] have no effect in ''[[Mage: The Ascension]]'' and ''[[Shadowrun]]''. In the former case, this also extends to other things that can be passed off as coincidental rather than vulgar and therefore don't attract Paradox; an Awakened can do action movie stuff and other things that
* In the default magic system for ''[[GURPS]]'', incantations are just a tool for focusing your will to perform the magic. The better you get at a spell, the less you have to actually ''do'' to cast it; at a certain level of skill you can dispense with a spoken incantation entirely.
== [[Video Games]] ==▼
▲== Video Games ==
* ''[[Myst]]'': Gehn tries to use the D'ni art of writing linking books without really understanding the full effects of the phrases that he uses, resulting in links to unstable worlds.
* In ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'', Tear needed to understand the meaning of the fonic hymns before she could use them whether she knew the words or not.
== [[Web Original]] ==▼
▲== Web Original ==
* This [[Ice Cream Koan|koan]] from the [[Jargon File]]:
{{quote|A novice was trying to fix a broken Lisp machine by turning the power off and on.
Line 73 ⟶ 72:
The machine worked. }}
** In [[Real Life]] of course, millions of people fix machines just this way, every day. Half the trick to successfully solving a problem by power-cycling is remembering that there is a difference between power-cycling and rapidly hitting the power switch/button; the other half is knowing when you've got a problem you can solve by power-cycling.
▲* ''[[Worm]]'': It's strongly implied, though never confirmed, that [[Gadgeteer Genius|Tinkers]] have an additional component to their power beyond the beyond-conventional-science engineering and technical knowledge they use to build stuff, because attempts by muggles to replicate or even maintain said stuff almost always fail.
== [[Western Animation]] ==▼
▲== Western Animation ==
* ''[[Jackie Chan Adventures]]'':
** Jade attempts to use [[Magic Missile|a cult's spell]] against them by repeating the words they use to cast it, and fails because she's not a member.
** In another episode, [[Bald of Awesome|Captain Black]] once read Uncle's books and in trying to perform a spell turned himself into a [[Frogs and Toads|frog]].
== [[Real Life]] ==▼
* [[wikipedia:Cargo cult|Cargo cults]], Pacific island tribes whose islands were used as bases by various militaries in [[WWII]]. From the islanders' point of view, these military people didn't have to farm their own food - instead they built an airbase and called for food and other supplies to be brought down in cargo planes. After the soldiers left, the islanders tried to call for supplies themselves and built their own airbases; but since they were only copying appearance and didn't understand the underlying technology, the planes never came.▼
▲== Real Life ==
▲* [[wikipedia:Cargo cult|Cargo cults]], Pacific island tribes whose islands were used as bases by various militaries in WWII. From the islanders' point of view, these military people didn't have to farm their own food - instead they built an airbase and called for food and other supplies to be brought down in cargo planes. After the soldiers left, the islanders tried to call for supplies themselves and built their own airbases; but since they were only copying appearance and didn't understand the underlying technology, the planes never came.
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[[Category:Magic and Powers]]
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