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An incantation or incantations are the words spoken during a ritual
Ritual

A ritual is a set of repeated actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community by religious or political laws because of the perceived efficacy of those actions....
, either a hymn
Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities, a prominent figure or an epic tale....
 or prayer
Prayer

Prayer is the act of communicating with a deity or spirit in worship. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting divine providence, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's emotional expression....
 invoking or praising a deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
, or in magic
Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
, occultism, witchcraft
Witchcraft

Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or Magic powers....
 with the intention of casting a spell or an object or a person. The term derives from Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 incantare (tr.), meaning "to chant (a magical spell) upon," from in- "into, upon" and cantare "to sing".

In medieval literature
Medieval literature

Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works....
, folklore
Folklore

Folklore is the body of expressive culture, including tales, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, superstitions, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group ....
, fairy tales and modern fantasy
Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of Plot , Theme , and/or Setting . Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of technological and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three ....
 fiction, enchantments (from the Old French
Old French

Old French was the Romance languages dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300....
 enchantement) are charm
Charm

Charm or charms may refer to:In paranormal magic:* "Lucky charms" such as amulets, Touch Pieces and Painted pebbles* Charm bracelet, an item of jewelry worn around the wrist that carries personal charms...
s or spells.






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An incantation or incantations are the words spoken during a ritual
Ritual

A ritual is a set of repeated actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community by religious or political laws because of the perceived efficacy of those actions....
, either a hymn
Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities, a prominent figure or an epic tale....
 or prayer
Prayer

Prayer is the act of communicating with a deity or spirit in worship. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting divine providence, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's emotional expression....
 invoking or praising a deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
, or in magic
Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
, occultism, witchcraft
Witchcraft

Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or Magic powers....
 with the intention of casting a spell or an object or a person. The term derives from Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 incantare (tr.), meaning "to chant (a magical spell) upon," from in- "into, upon" and cantare "to sing".

In medieval literature
Medieval literature

Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works....
, folklore
Folklore

Folklore is the body of expressive culture, including tales, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, superstitions, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group ....
, fairy tales and modern fantasy
Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of Plot , Theme , and/or Setting . Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of technological and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap between the three ....
 fiction, enchantments (from the Old French
Old French

Old French was the Romance languages dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300....
 enchantement) are charm
Charm

Charm or charms may refer to:In paranormal magic:* "Lucky charms" such as amulets, Touch Pieces and Painted pebbles* Charm bracelet, an item of jewelry worn around the wrist that carries personal charms...
s or spells. The term was loaned into English since around AD 1300. The corresponding native English term being galdor
Galdr

Galdr is one Old Norse word for "Spell , incantation", and which was usually performed in combination with certain rites. It was mastered by both women and men and they chanted it in falsetto ....
 "song, spell". It has led to the terms enchanter and enchantress, for those who use enchantments.

The weakened sense "delight" (compare the same development of charm) is modern, first attested in 1593 (OED).

Some collections of charms


  • The Old English Metrical Charms
  • The Carmina Gadelica
    Carmina Gadelica

    The Carmina Gadelica is a collection of prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, runes, and other literary-folkloric poems and songs collected and translated by amateur folklorist Alexander Carmichael in the Scottish Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland between 1855 and 1910....
    , a collection of Gaelic oral poetry, much of it charms
  • The Atharva Veda, a collection of charms, and the Rigveda
    Rigveda

    The Rigveda is an ancient Indian subcontinent sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to the Rigvedic deities . It is counted among the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas....
    , a collection of hymns or incantations
  • Hittite ritual texts


In folklore and fiction

In traditional fairy tale
Fairy tale

A fairy tale is a fictional story that may feature folklore characters such as Fairy, goblins, Elf, trolls, giant , and talking animals, and usually enchanted, often involving a far-fetched sequence of events....
s or fantasy fiction, an enchantment is a magical
Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
 spell that is attached, on a relatively-permanent basis, to a specific person, object or location, and alters its qualities, generally in a positive way. The most widely-known example is probably the spell that Cinderella
Cinderella

Cinderella , is a well-known classic folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world....
's Fairy Godmother uses to turn a pumpkin
Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a gourd-like Squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It is a common name of or can refer to cultivars of any one of the following species: Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata....
 into a coach. An enchantment with negative characteristics is usually instead referred to as a curse
Curse

A curse is any manner of adversity thought to be inflicted by any supernatural power, such as a spell , a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic , witchcraft, a god, a natural force, or a spiritual being....
.

Conversely, enchantments are also used to describe spells that cause no real effects but deceive people, either by directly affecting their thoughts or using some kind of illusions. Enchantresses are frequently depicted as able to seduce by such magic. Other forms include deceiving people into believing that they have suffered a magical transformation.

Examples are "Abracadabra
Abracadabra

Abracadabra is a word used as an incantation....
" as might be said by a magician during a trick
Trick

Trick may refer to:* Trick , a 2009 album by Japanese urban singer Kumi Koda* Trick , a 1999 American movie* Trick , a Japanese TV/movie series...
, or the Stunning Spell in the Harry Potter
Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a Heptalogy fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous adolescent wizard Harry Potter , together with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his friends from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry....
 books.

Effects of incantations

the Enchanted Garden of Messer Ansaldo By Marie Spartali Stillman (1889)
To be enchanted is to be under the influence of an enchantment
Incantation

An incantation or incantations are the words spoken during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer invoking or praising a deity, or in magic , occultism, witchcraft with the intention of casting a Spell or an object or a person....
, usually thought to be caused by charms or spells.

The Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 incantare, which means 'to utter an incantation
Incantation

An incantation or incantations are the words spoken during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer invoking or praising a deity, or in magic , occultism, witchcraft with the intention of casting a Spell or an object or a person....
', or cast a magic spell
Magic (paranormal)

Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a conceptual system that asserts human ability to control or predict the nature through Mysticism, paranormal or supernatural means....
, forms the basis of the word "enchant
Enchant

Enchant may refer to:*Enchant , a progressive rock band*Enchant , a 2003 album by Emilie Autumn*Enchant , a spell-checker...
", with deep linguistic roots going back to the Indo-European
Indo-European languages

The Indo-European languages are a Language family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau , Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ....
 kan- prefix. So it can be said that an enchanter or enchantress casts magic spells, or utters incantations, similar to what are called Mantra
Mantra

A mantra can be defined as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation. Their use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra....
 in Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
.

See also

  • Carmen (verse)
    Carmen (verse)

    In Ancient Rome, the term "carmen" was generally used to signify a Verse ; but in its proper sense, it referred to a Spell or prayer, form of expiation, execration, etc....
    , the term for an Ancient Roman incantation
  • Mantra
    Mantra

    A mantra can be defined as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation. Their use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra....
  • Prayer
    Prayer

    Prayer is the act of communicating with a deity or spirit in worship. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting divine providence, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one's emotional expression....
  • Yajna
    Yajna

    In Hinduism, Yaj?a is a ritual of sacrifice derived from the practice of Historical Vedic religion times. It is performed to please the Deva or to attain certain wishes....