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Lesson 1 é = alt0233 |
Summary The discovery of magic and
ancient magic. Reaction of non-magical people to this discovery. How magical
people were integrated into different non-magic societies (Celtic, Egyptian,
Indian, Chinese, Aboriginal, Inca) Introduction In the very begining of civilization, societies began forming, with religions and mythologies. With these societies came the discovery that some people had powers that no one else had. These people were not feared, as they are by some today, but instead were embraced for their special abilities. While in modern-day society we know that these people were witches and wizards, back then, depending on the society where they lived, they had many different names and many differet jobs. Unfortunatly, with the separation of the two socities, many Muggles today believe that these are merely legends, and the wizards and witches of the past have often become Gods and Goddesses. Below, some of these jobs are outlined, as are some of the more prominent figures in specific soceties. Celtic In the ancient Celtic tradition, magic was a very important part of daily life. They had both good and evil magic, with Carman being a destructive witch and the goddess of evil magic. 'Lady of the Lake' was a name given to human women who had particularly strong magical powers. Egyptian Ancient Egypt had wizards that functioned in everyday jobs as a part of Egyptian society, and thus were fully integrated.. Due to their ability with magical powers, they were held in high esteem. One of these jobs was putting curses on tombs. In many cases, these curses were so complex that curse-breakers for Gringotts are still trying to find the counter-curse and claim the treasure locked in these tombs. Skeletons found in tombs have shown us what some of these curses did; those who attempted to break in often grew extra apendiges, including heads, arms, and legs. Indian In Indian and Hindu mythology two of the major figures were Aditi (the endless sky) and Diti (the earth). The children of Diti were non-gods, but still magical. Thus, those with magical powers, were considered to be children of Diti. They were especially known for their ability as warriors. Chinese In ancient China, magic and magical people were held to different opinions depending on the dynasty. Durring the Shang Dynasty (1766-1050 BC) the religion emphasized magic highly. Magic was closely tied to religion and astronomy, believing that those with magical powers were stronger durring certain celestial occurances. However, the Western Chou (1122-711 BC) de-emphasized magic, and focused more on rationalistic thought. Aboriginal For the Aboriginals of Australia, one of the most popular forms of magic was yilpinji or "love magic." The aboriginal society had a deep respect for "country" which included not only the land on which they lived, but also everything that depended on the land... the people, the animals, the plants, the water, everything. In yilpinji songs or chants were centered on the power country or nature. Though it is called "love magic" it doesn't have to do with making people fall in love with them, but instead harnessing the energy that comes from love of country. Inca In the Incan society of Peru, magic people took advantage of the pesants, leading to the first problems between muggle/magic relations. Magical people made up the preistly class of Incan society, and made the pesants believe that they were responsible for bringing up the sun each day. They threatened to stop bringing up the sun, resulting in the death of everyone, if the pesants did not give them 40% of their annual crops.
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