Post by Albus Dumbledore on Sept 14, 2004 22:47:54 GMT -5
History of Magic Volume 2
Some great witches and wizards of our time:
Merlin
Circe
Morgana
Hengist of Woodcroft
Alberic of Grunnion
Paracelsus
Agrippa
Ptolemy
Druidess Cliodna
Albus Dumbledore
Merlin: Merlin was a magician and prophet who was an adviser to the legendary King Arthur. Various stories about Merlin are often told. According to some, Merlin educated Arthur as a youth. The story goes that a noble man once wanted to "spend the night" with the wife of another man, and asked Merlin to help him so that no one would know. Merlin agreed but asked that the child born out of this liason should be given to him. This child was named Arthur.
In order to determine the true king of England, the legendary sword of excalibur was embedded in an enchanted stone. Only the true king would be able to pull it out. Many tried, and failed, to do so. One day, when Arthur was sixteen, Merlin allowed him an attempt at pulling out the sword. He succeeded, and hence became king.
Merlin helped Arthur throughout his reign. He also helped establish the Round Table at which King Arthur's knights sat. He foresaw events of Arthur's reign, including the quest for the Holy Grail and the destruction of King Arthur's castle, Camelot. In addition, Merlin was said to have created the ancient British monument known as Stonehenge.
The story of Merlin probably originated in legends of a Celtic poet and prophet who lived in the 500's. The earliest legends describe Merlin as a wizard and prophet whose father was a devil. In later stories, Merlin falls in love with Vivian, also known as the Lady of the Lake. She uses her magic to imprison him forever in an enchanted thorn bush.
Circe: Circe, a beautiful enchantress in Greek mythology, had the power to turn men into beasts. She lived on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. When Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) landed on her island, Circe turned most of his men into pigs and drove them into a pigsty. But the god Hermes had given Odysseus a magic herb which protected him from Circe's power. Odysseus forced Circe to give his men their human form again. After that, Circe became friendly. She loved Odysseus and persuaded him to stay with her on the island for a year. When he prepared to leave, she warned him about the dangers that awaited him, and told him how to overcome them. For example, Circe told Odysseus that by plugging his sailors' ears with wax he could safely pass the island where the Sirens lived.
: Morgana: Morgana, the sorceress of the desert, causes mirages known locally as the Fata Morgana. Fata Morganas are the most beautiful of all mirages. Objects such as rocks or chunks of ice appear to be towers of a fairy-tale castle. Muggles, of course have found another way to explain away her work. Their definition is such: "A Fata Morgana occurs when a layer of hot air traps rays of light coming from the distant objects." This is, of course, nothing but Morgnana having some fun at their expense.
Hengist: Hengest and Horsa, were two wizards invited to England by a local king named Vortigern to help repel invaders from northern Britain. They settled in southeastern England in about A.D. 449. In about 455, they turned on Vortigern and defeated him in battle, possibly at Aylesford, in Kent. Horsa was killed, and Hengest established a kingdom in Kent. Hengest is also spelled Hengist.
Albus Dumbledore: Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts, he is considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times. Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys tenpin bowling, and chamber music.
Medeival Witch Hunts: Non magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it.On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing Charm and pretend to shriek with pain, while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than 47 times under various disguises.
Some great witches and wizards of our time:
Merlin
Circe
Morgana
Hengist of Woodcroft
Alberic of Grunnion
Paracelsus
Agrippa
Ptolemy
Druidess Cliodna
Albus Dumbledore
Merlin: Merlin was a magician and prophet who was an adviser to the legendary King Arthur. Various stories about Merlin are often told. According to some, Merlin educated Arthur as a youth. The story goes that a noble man once wanted to "spend the night" with the wife of another man, and asked Merlin to help him so that no one would know. Merlin agreed but asked that the child born out of this liason should be given to him. This child was named Arthur.
In order to determine the true king of England, the legendary sword of excalibur was embedded in an enchanted stone. Only the true king would be able to pull it out. Many tried, and failed, to do so. One day, when Arthur was sixteen, Merlin allowed him an attempt at pulling out the sword. He succeeded, and hence became king.
Merlin helped Arthur throughout his reign. He also helped establish the Round Table at which King Arthur's knights sat. He foresaw events of Arthur's reign, including the quest for the Holy Grail and the destruction of King Arthur's castle, Camelot. In addition, Merlin was said to have created the ancient British monument known as Stonehenge.
The story of Merlin probably originated in legends of a Celtic poet and prophet who lived in the 500's. The earliest legends describe Merlin as a wizard and prophet whose father was a devil. In later stories, Merlin falls in love with Vivian, also known as the Lady of the Lake. She uses her magic to imprison him forever in an enchanted thorn bush.
Circe: Circe, a beautiful enchantress in Greek mythology, had the power to turn men into beasts. She lived on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. When Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) landed on her island, Circe turned most of his men into pigs and drove them into a pigsty. But the god Hermes had given Odysseus a magic herb which protected him from Circe's power. Odysseus forced Circe to give his men their human form again. After that, Circe became friendly. She loved Odysseus and persuaded him to stay with her on the island for a year. When he prepared to leave, she warned him about the dangers that awaited him, and told him how to overcome them. For example, Circe told Odysseus that by plugging his sailors' ears with wax he could safely pass the island where the Sirens lived.
: Morgana: Morgana, the sorceress of the desert, causes mirages known locally as the Fata Morgana. Fata Morganas are the most beautiful of all mirages. Objects such as rocks or chunks of ice appear to be towers of a fairy-tale castle. Muggles, of course have found another way to explain away her work. Their definition is such: "A Fata Morgana occurs when a layer of hot air traps rays of light coming from the distant objects." This is, of course, nothing but Morgnana having some fun at their expense.
Hengist: Hengest and Horsa, were two wizards invited to England by a local king named Vortigern to help repel invaders from northern Britain. They settled in southeastern England in about A.D. 449. In about 455, they turned on Vortigern and defeated him in battle, possibly at Aylesford, in Kent. Horsa was killed, and Hengest established a kingdom in Kent. Hengest is also spelled Hengist.
Albus Dumbledore: Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts, he is considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times. Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys tenpin bowling, and chamber music.
Medeival Witch Hunts: Non magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it.On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing Charm and pretend to shriek with pain, while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than 47 times under various disguises.