Ancient “binding magic” was a practice that used spells to direct energy and influence the world around us. Practitioners of magic in ancient Greek and Rome used spells to “bind” people up to different outcomes in sporting events, business, and personal affairs. In the ancient world, magic could be used by the living, the dead, and even the gods. Making magic work often involved a combination of ritual actions, symbolic actions, and the use of expensive runes like death and blood runes.
The Greek Magical Papyri contains many different spells and rituals one can perform, as well as the necessary ingredients required to cast them. Geomancy is an ancient divination technique that involves interpreting patterns formed by stones, sand, or soil, offering guidance for spellcasting.
In a five-part live, remote class on Zoom, the author explores ancient Egyptian magical practice through a close reading (in translation) of the Greek Magical Papyri. The ancient magicks, a branch of magic aligned with the gods Zaros and Seren, form one of the three spellbooks in RuneScape. Auto-casting ancient spells requires right-clicking on the spell and selecting the auto-cast option.
The ancient magicks are a branch of magic aligned with the gods Zaros and Seren and form one of the three spellbooks in RuneScape. To cast the chosen spells as rituals, one must have learned the binding curse on the thin lead tablet, which was then folded or rolled up, pierced with a nail, and deposited in a container.
📹 History of Ancient Magic – Harry Potter Explained
Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today, we’re going to be discussing ANCIENT MAGIC- a phenomenon that has recently become …
How do you cast God spells?
God spells are combat spells that require level 60 Magic and completion of the Mage Arena minigame. To cast these spells, you must equip the corresponding God Staff and God Cape. To cast a god spell outside Mage Arena, it must be successfully cast inside the arena 100 times, requiring 600 blood, 700 fire, and 900 air runes. The status of each spell can be checked by Kolodion in the bank chamber of the side building. If you have level 80 Magic and cast the Charge spell, god spell effects are doubled and the maximum hit increases from 18 to 25.
How do you cast ancient magic?
Ancient Magic is an essential spell in Hogwarts Legacy that deals massive damage and breaks Shield Charms when at least one segment of the Ancient Magic Meter is full. Unlocked during the main quest Welcome to Hogsmeade, it is used to deliver a finishing blow to an Armoured Troll. As you progress through the game, you can fill up your Ancient Magic meter by casting spells and dealing damage to enemies.
Once the meter is full, you can unleash an Ancient Magic Finisher, which decimates most opponents. The main character can execute various finisher moves, some of which are exclusive to specific enemies.
What is the oldest form of magic?
In ancient Egypt, the magician Dedi performed the first known conjuring effect (balls) around 2700 B. C., along with other effects like decapitating a bird and reattaching its head. However, there is no evidence that Dedi performed these effects for anyone, and the Westcar Papyrus does not mention him performing the cups and balls.
In ancient Greek myths, magic was prevalent among the classical founding pagan cultures of Europe, connected to Egyptian and Persian cultures. Magic, divination, and necromancy were intertwined with chthonic Gods, monsters, oracles, and heroes.
In ancient Rome, the Acetabularii performed the Cups and balls using stones and small vinegar cups, a group of magicians specializing in the effect. However, there is no certain evidence for the existence of the cups and balls during this period. The Beni Hasan tomb painting is considered unlikely to represent the effect, and the Westcar Papyrus does not provide any evidence for the Cups and Balls.
Can Dumbledore use ancient magic?
Dumbledore, a talented wizard, was able to learn some ancient magic skills, despite not starting Hogwarts late. Ancient magic was a mysterious and powerful form of magic that had been forgotten by the late 19th century. Those who could perceive and wield it were considered to have a unique and rare ability. Ancient magic appeared in traces or “whispers” and could also access unique expressions of more ordinary magic, augmenting their spells with increased power and potency.
Three known inherent wielders of ancient magic began schooling at Hogwarts only in their fifth year, linking the ability with late-blooming. Xenophilius Lovegood believed that love was a great blessing bestowed upon the world by practitioners of ancient magic.
How do Warlocks cast spells?
In the 3. 5 Edition source book Complete Arcane, 18 Warlocks were introduced, who received their abilities through supernatural beings like demons or feys. They are either born with these powers or receive them through a fell pact, turning their soul into a dark font of eldritch powers. Warlocks do not cast spells but use spell-like abilities called “invocations”, which represent the tapping of the power granted to them. The most important of these abilities is the “eldritch blast”, which is their main offensive ability, firing a blast of magical energy at the target.
The major difference between warlocks and other Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition magic users is their ability to use their invocations “at will”, without a limit on the number of times an invocation can be cast. In contrast, Vancian magic users, such as wizards, cast a set number of spells every day from a wider selection of spells than a warlock.
The warlock’s biggest advantage is no real limit on the number of times per day they can use their powers. They have a few powers with limited uses per day, but 90% of their powers have no such restriction. However, they give up spell versatility, knowing only a handful of different tricks, which are all spooky, creepy, and oozing with flavor.
Is it possible to cast a spell without saying an incantation?
Nonverbal spells are those performed without saying the incantation out loud, which is a challenging skill that requires concentration and mental discipline. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry begins teaching nonverbal magic to students in their sixth year, and students are expected to use spells nonverbally from then on. Some spells, like Levicorpus, are easier to perform nonverbally than others. However, most spells seem to be less effective when the incantation is not said.
For example, the curse that injured Hermione Granger during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries might have been fatal if Antonin Dolohov had been silenced when he used it. In 1996, Harry used a nonverbal spell to open the Hogwarts gates, but it is unlikely that this was Alohomora, as he had tried this before.
How do Witchers cast spells?
Witchers, despite not being warrior mages, can cast simple spells called Signs that can be effective when used properly. These Signs are typically used against monsters and have non-combat applications. Witchers prefer single-handed weaponry, leaving their other hand free to cast. Some Signs can be cast by arranging fingers in specific ways, while others must be drawn on a solid surface, such as Supirre or Yrden.
Signs can be shouted, but this is uncommon and only used in emergency situations. Shouting a Sign requires significant muscle memory, which comes from years of training and practice. The power of the Sign can be amplified due to the force of the shout and the urgency of the situation. However, the precision required for a successful cast is much higher, and witchers only resort to shouting Signs when absolutely necessary.
There are 26 confirmed Signs, but five basic Signs—Aard, Axii, Quen, Igni, and Yrden—are used by all witchers.
How does spell casting work?
The casting of a spell entails a character meticulously removing invisible magic strands, arranging them in a particular configuration, initiating a vibration, and then releasing them. This process allows for the desired effect to be achieved in a matter of seconds. This process is typically conducted through the use of an extension, such as ad blockers or a browser that does not support cookies.
What is the ancient magic format?
Ancient is a casual Magic: The Gathering format that exclusively allows cards from the original border sets. It employs modern rules in contrast to QL Magic.
How do clerics cast their spells?
The Cleric table indicates the number of spell slots available for casting 1st-level and higher spells. To cast a spell, one must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. All expended spell slots are regained after a long rest. To prepare a list of cleric spells, choose a number equal to your Wisdom modifier and your cleric level, with a minimum of one spell. For example, a 3rd-level cleric with a Wisdom of 16 can have six spells of 1st or 2nd level in any combination. Casting a 1st-level spell, like Cure Wounds, doesn’t remove it from the list. To change the list, one must spend at least 1 minute in prayer and meditation per spell level for each spell on the list.
How do monks cast spells?
Monks in Baldur’s Gate 3 are unarmed combatants who use Ki Points to cast spells. They can use Ki while silent due to their abilities not requiring verbal components. Their key abilities are Wisdom, Dexterity, and Constitution, with their core ability being Unarmed Strike. Some reach enlightenment through languid meditation, while others do so in battle. Monks manipulate Ki to empower their own strikes and debilitate their foes. The proficiency bonus is based on character level.
📹 Inside Ancient Rome’s Magical Practices: Superstitions- Witchcraft – Love Spells – Curse Tablets
Magic, Witchcraft, and Superstition in Ancient Rome: A Journey Through the Mystical World of the Roman Empire\n\nWelcome to our …
I have a theory that Dumbledore could see ancient magic. He could see through the invisibility cloak, which was no doubt infused with a mysterious ancient magic, and he explained to Harry while hunting for a horcrux, that magic leaves traces, while he examined the entryway into the chamber that supposedly held a horcrux. He saw magic in a way that no other wizard of that time could, besides Voldemort perhaps.
I’ve theorized that Ancient Magic is simply magic in its purest form. It’s not a spell, it needs no incantation, it is simply manipulating the magical energy in the world directly and without altering its nature. The uncontrolled natural magic young witches and wizards are prone to accidentally unleashing would be similar in nature. But The Ancient Magic is doing so with actual control and intent. I also theorize that Ancient Magic Echos, like seen in the game, would be concentrated spots where the energy has accumulated after powerful Ancient Magic has been used. And those few who are able to visibly perceive it being capable of harnessing the residual energy for themselves.
Even in the Goblet of Fire during Voldemort’s monologue, he mentioned love as an ancient magic in the movie: “It was love. You see, when dear sweet Lily Potter gave her life for her only son, it provided him with the ultimate protection, I could not touch him. It was old magic, something I should have foreseen.”
If you’re looking for objects that were made from ancient magic, the deathly hallows would be prime candidates. It would explain why they seem to be on a level far above regular magical items Added to that i’d probably also include the veil archway. That was said to have been super old and looks remarkably similar to magic portals created from ancient magic in the game Plus i think maybe a pensieve too could be another possibility. They’re said to be powerful and very rare, and if you’ve played the game you’ll know they pop up quite a bit
I want to point out that in the movies, that Molly uses a move on Bellatrix thats almost exactly like what the protagonist does as an Ancient Magic finisher. They both turn blue then explode into what looks like paper. And this fight was also when Molly was pissed because her daughter was threatened. The power of love. As well as in the plot, Ancient Magic is shown its capable of manipulating emotions and turning it into raw power.
I just finished my second read of book 6 last night and in the cave scene, I’m pretty positive Dumbledore was seeing traces of at least old magic. Harry described how dark it was and that Dumbledore was moving as if he knew exactly where to go, as if he could see traces of magic that Harry could not.
If I had to pin down ancient magic it would be similar to a thing we have in the regular world when talking about ancient beliefs about magic. Ley lines. In HL we see that the magic accumulates seemingly naturally at many locations around the valley. One thing I do remember from my mythology class is that there are major and minor ley lines. Hogwarts would seem to be a nexus of major ley lines which is why the magic of its defenses is extremely strong and the propensity of ghosts is so high. Some of the old lore about ley lines is that they are a combination of all magic of life and the magical energy of the planet. If you think about it, ley lines behave almost like gravity and pools into locations but the cycle of life and death is the source that keeps replenishing the magical energy. Ancient magic could also begin to accumulate in places that magic is used constantly or some kind of powerful single event happened. I think that those who can see the ley lines and ancient magic are just an even more rare version of magic user. It’s like the other rare gifts, parselmouths, metamorphmagi, and the creatures and magic users that are born with legilimency. Like so many other things there could be levels to this rare gift, having a slight sense of how magic and ancient magic flows and moves could explain how Dumbledore could feel dark and regular magic without using a spell. Lilly could tap into the magic in a moment of crisis to give Harry sacrificial protection but otherwise be unaware of it and unable to see it.
Ancient magic is very esoteric as seen in the love protection of Harry’s mother. It’s seen in the many tropes and themes that humans all share such as redemption and self sacrifice. These are also seen in most ancient fables such as Sleeping Beauty where she is delivered from evil by the warrior prince.
I think ancient magic has to atleast be somewhat tied to emotions like love, like with harrys mom, and since in the game we learn that the containers of ancient magic is actually peoples pain and emotions extracted from them but it left the people emotionless and gave who ever harnessed the emotions op powers. Also, maybe the ancient magic is within every person and is part of their soul somehow, since the removal of peoples pain resulted in them acting as if they had the dementors kiss. So if ancient magic is tied to the soul then perhaps voldemort could use it since he was able to split his soul and was presumably the first to do it in ages.
I love your content, it helps me to understand the series (books/movies) more deeply. I like the idea of ancient magic, I feel it’s no different from cultural traditions that get passed from generation to generation, like music or food. You honour your ancestors by eating a lovingly prepared meal, and in the HP universe, you do the same by using and passing on a spell that took great effort to create.
There’s something I’ve been confused about since finishing the game. At one point, someone recounts the memory of Prof Rackham and his colleagues saving a hamlet and describes it as “four wizards using ancient magic to save a hamlet” or something along those lines. The writing suggests that even though Prof Rackham is the only one of the four who can see and freely manipulate ancient magic, the other three also “wielded” it too? Did anyone else catch this?
I like to think of ancient magic as coding. Ancient magic is like coding in its original form one’s and zeros. It’s very powerful and efficient but very difficult. Over time easier and more streamlined versions were created like c++, python, so more people are able to use it. Now lots of people can code but a very very few can actually bust out the old ones and zeros to code. That’s why ancient magic doesn’t need a wand but modern day magic does.
My theory is that Ancient Magic is the foundation for all magic. It’s instinctual, even primal. Before wands, sceptres and the like magic users wielded magic through emotion and instinct. Then witches and wizards honed their abilities through magically imbued tools, which caused this primal magic to recede. I believe it exists in all magic users (humans, goblins, elves etc). Their bodies were the conduits for this magic and now there are secondary conduits like wands. Some are more connected to this ancient magic probably due to their lineage.
One of my favorite ways that magic has been portrayed in literature comes from the Night Watch series from Russian author Sergei Lukyanenko. In his novels, magic is something that blooms “only in rare souls” like Grindelwald claimed, and when a witch ir wizard reach a certain age they are either claimed by the light or dark side (magic is neutral, but the person is influenced by either aspect), so to maintain balance both sides agreed to oversee each other, the Night watch keeps Darksiders in check and the Day watch keeps Lightsiders in check with even numbers and power. In one of novels, the main characters discover the true origin of magic when one of the villains tries to artificially create more magicians: that magic itself is created everyday by ordinary humans, and magicians can sense and use magic because they draw power from humanity. So the magician’s strength is determined by their body temperature, since regular humans are 98 degrees and produce magic unknowingly, magicians have a much lower body temperature and therefore absorb magic, so the lower the body temperature, the more magic they absorb and are able to use, so the villains plan of creating many magicians would inadvertently weaken magic for all magicians since there would be less humans producing it. When playing Hogwarts Legacy, and how they talk of ancient magic, this is what kept coming up in my mind. Pretty interesting concept.
Ancient Magic feels a lot like the Force from Star Wars. It is a part of the natural world, connects the world of the living and the dead, it can only wielded by a select few, it exists independently of a witch or wizard, it is almost alive in a way, and it is heavily linked to emotions and intuition. I also feel like it is extremely difficult to bend it to your will because it is technically beyond you and if you want to utilize it you have to work with the flow instead of against it.
I think the fidelius charm is also a form of ancient magic. As with ‘love’ it is to do with another strong human emotion, ‘trust’ / and ‘betrayal’. I am pretty sure in one of your articles about the fidelius charm you have mentioned its cryptic nature as an ancient curse. I feel like ancient magic can be pictured as very primal, unrefined magic, sort of the magic that early witches in the middle ages might have used. On that notion, trust and love magic, make so much sense because they are both very primal in their nature.
The framing of ancient magic seems to be that it’s more instinctive and primal, and less something you use but more something that happens when it’s needed. Hopefully not in a The Force sort of way. The fact that it’s called ancient seems to imply it was the only form of magic in prehistory, until people began to categorize and form its use intentionally rather than from instinct. Legacy represents its effects as being fairly random, even if called upon. All of them seem to draw on life and the natural world, though. Having access to it seems to be a bit like having a car race, but your ride is a zoo animal you didn’t get to pick.
I always viewed ancient magic as nothing more than the raw and untapped power of magic in its purest form. It’s the source of all magic, and so connecting to it would be unpredictable, dangerous and most definitely powerful. Connecting to it would mean doing so through powerful means, such as emotions, memories, tools or rare genetics. It makes sense that love, emotions and powerful memories would bolster someone’s connection to magic, as they can be the rawest and most pure parts of ourselves – hence a connection to a form of ancient magic.
If love is a form of ancient magic, then hear my theories/headcanons: Children are born with the innate ability to use Ancient Magic. In hogwarts legacy, invoking Ancient magic may reveal or hide objects (as if they’re in paralel universe). The spontaneous magic cast by children who has no control of their magic, is most likely some form of magic chat is tied to their emotions. Remember when angry harry causes the mirror Dudley leans on disappear? Only for it to reappear? Thus, ancient magic born from rage/anger. Ancient Magic is the ability to harness flow of magic OUTSIDE the self, manipulating nature, time, emotions, existence. The basic form of everything. While normal magic uses inherent magic from oneself (thus the existence of Obscurus in Fantastic Beasts). As witches/wizards grew up relying on their “core self” magic, they somehow forgot how to use Ancient Magic. Let’s see my other headcanons about some Ancient Magic attacks in the game: Ancient Magic Throw where the protagonist throws objects to the enemy, what’s the difference with other object-manipulating spells (accio, depulso, wingardium leviosa, levioso)? Ancient magic throw manipulates the very atoms of the object, that’s why you see no magical effect when the object is thrown. While spells like wingardium leviosa conjures an invisible hand that lifts the object. That’s why you see some “windy flow effect” around the object. Ancient Magic that kills/deals damage to enemies from the inside, what’s the difference with Avada Kedavra?
I think that it could be a natural law (3:44) because as you point out the fact that some creatures are more magical than others (4:18), and I suggest, because of that, that it’s like how primates (humans included), are the best animals at grabbing things because we have opposable thumbs. The proof for my theory is this: genetic mutations of our ancestors are what gives us our powers (4:45), and that the earliest real humans are what we could relate to early wizards (5:13), and that other primates are just regular humans. In summary, I think that magic is what we could consider as the difference between us and other primates, but instead of genetics and evolution (in the standard form), it’s more about abilities and chance.
I think that ancient magic is probably a mix to theory 1 and 4. That is it’s exist and a part of every living thing and pools in a ancient location. And was control by the first magic users and over time as magic is getting more formalised and taught. Witch’s and wizards have lost the ability with the more ethereal ancient magic.
I think that Dumbledore could use ancient magic as well. Either he may have been able to use it himself or the elder wand might function as some sort of conduit for ancient magic (as one of the mentioned artifacts its bound to be infused with it). I mean some of his spells are just way more powerful than regular magic spells (at least in the movies they look that way).
Dumbledore displayed ancient magic practices quite a few times .. it all has to do with how much a wizard or witch knows… Main thing about ancient magic, no need for a wand… Quite a few times Dumbledore didn’t use a wand to perform magic… Example, when they were going to take him to Azkaban and his phoenix flew over him and he clapped his hands together and aparated…
Considering the end goal and powers of the villains of the games, along with the fact that “love” is considered ancient magic. I’d say the best theory is that ancient magic has to do with emotion, and the raw fabrics between the spirit world and mortal world, this is somewhat tied with the dementors kiss, and how they steal all emotion from you, and in doing so take your “soul”, linking emotions and spirits. Also, for those who have beaten the game, you know why emotions are relevant to the “ancient magic” discussion brought up in the game. It’s likely ancient magic that made dementors. It may also play a role in the 3 unforgivable curses, that require someone to “truly mean it” when they attempt to cast them, as they may require the true emotional response needed to cast. Also, the deathly hallows are tied to emotion, the elder wand being pride (Antioch wanting the prove he was the most powerful wizard, with a wand to beat all others), the stone being greed (Cadmus wanting to humiliate death even further, and get back something he felt was taken from him), and the cloak being humility (Ignotus literally being called “a humble man” in the story). Dragons are considered prideful creatures, implying pride might be the ancient magic affecting their scales. etc. These feelings and concepts and emotions are all seemingly tied to the most powerful spells, artifacts, and creatures in the HP universe.
As a practitioner of ancient magic most of this is spot on. Others in my family could practice their psychic abilities in a somewhat easy way. I was a late bloomer and got got started in magic not until i was in my thirties. I realized at some point that my psychic abilities were different than others around me and the way i did magic/do magic doesn’t require tools in the same way as others. They talk to the Gods and Goddesses. I tap into the fabric of the universe, the dead, elementals and some other forces that appear to be inaccessible by most other people around me. I didn’t realize i was doing it differently until i heard others talk about their magical practices. Oh well.
I’m just assuming it’s something similar to The Witcher series where there is a base level magic where people can tap into it and then you have “sources” people who can fully manipulate it/become one with it either based on genetics, or whatever they came up with in the last Star Wars where it chooses who can control it which would imply it’s at least semi conscious.
I read from somewhere (sorry I forgot where I read it), that Rowlings read a book called The Wizard of Earthsea, which inspired her to write her own book. In the aforementioned book, wizard uses magic by calling their names, the name of typhoon, the name of waves, and so on, basically the name of natural force of the universe. Maybe, ancient magic is some form of this kind, since unlike in the Harry Potter universe, the ability of the magician in Wizard of Earthsea measured by the knowledge of the true names of multiple phenomenon, in which they call forth in battle. The book ended after the main character call forth a name of something that kept on following him, presumably, death, which.. you can find something similar in Harry Potter. Correct me If I am wrong.
I actually wrote a fan fiction on a (now defunct) blog site some years back on ancient magic. This was my fan theory: Ancient magic is simply primordial magic not from this plane of existence. It’s more powerful because humans were never meant to have it. Humans could only wield it either through Divine intervention (i.e. God granting power to Old Testament figures like Moses) or from infernal beings (deal with the devil). I imagined the latter was more common, which is what caused muggles to view magic as evil. However, one witch/wizard managed to trick the infernal being into granting ancient magic not only to them, but all their descendants. This would explain how some wizards and witches can wield it, while others can’t. The Peverells, Potters, Dumbledores, and Voldemort are all descendants from that one particular witch/wizard. I’m not butthurt that Avalanche introduced ancient magic on a grander scale. But perhaps my idea will turn out to be similar to future explanations 😅
I kind of like a combination of the first theory and last theory for example the magic comes from the universe and in the early days done people began to realize they had the gift of being able to control the forces of the universe and that’s why it’s so dangerous and wands are not necessarily needed
Personally I wonder if Ancient Magic weilders are the founding members of Wizarding Families. After all, if magic is a genetic trait, with Muggle-borns having at least some Squib ancestry, then where did the pure-blood families come from? If a random human is born with the potential to see and weild Ancient Magic, that would explain why the trait doesn’t appear until near the end of puberty, and why the wizards we know are actually inheriting a watered-down version of magic.
ancient magic can only be one thing… it’s the life energy emanating from all living beings and the world is saturated with said life energy, which is why it’s so powerful. it can also be extracted from living beings, i remember a topic about wizarding world can’t use technology of muggles because of their magic but is it the same with ancient magic ? if it’s life energy coming from all things then i’d say it’s compatible with technology. spoiler down! spoiler!! remember in the game where they draw out the emotions from a person ? they draw out emotions and emotions are energy waiting to hapen
My theory is that Ancient Magic is no different than conventional magic, the only difference is that it isn’t commonly known. We see in one of the pensive memories that all four Keepers are able to use Ancient Magic, even though only one of them can “see” it. This implies that anyone can use Ancient Magic if they learn how, it just so happens that a select few are born with a natural talent for it. In the case of Lily’s sacrificial protection, Harry replicates it during the Battle of Hogwarts by doing the same thing his mother did. It makes sense that such a spell wouldn’t be very commonly known or used, since it requires the caster to die. In addition, the animagus ritual or the creation of horcruxes are similarly mysterious forms of magic, but they aren’t “Ancient Magic” because the method of replication is known. Kept secret perhaps, but still known.
The 5th year late bloomers kind of reminded of Albus Potter, perhaps he inherits it from his grandma Lilly. If god forbid cursed child got a sequel (to try to fix/salvage whatever mess the original was, and capitalise on the commercial success) then I think that could possibly be interesting to explore ancient magic in that format.
“Ancient magic does not require the use of wands…. Few can weild it…. It’s considered dangerous and should be restricted…” Seems to me that “Wands” were invented and became the common basis for most magic used by wizards as a way to LIMIT the use of “Ancient” magic by the population. Wands really are a handicap, training ones to use magic through them is a nerfing strategy. The limited understanding of wands “The seemingly all important lifeblood of wizarding existence” Really does support this hypothesis, as wouldn’t you think the wizarding world would know wand law inside and out better then any other skill or trade they have? It’s like a mechanic not understanding how an internal combustion engine works. Seem strange to you that broken wands are seemingly unfixable yet they can be “created” in the first place? Seems to me that either Wizards got lazy and started using wands to condense their powers to lessen the time to becoming proficient versus the longer path of natural magic, or wands were a side tool that just kinda got used and modernized overtime, like a side arm went from ball muskets to rifles. Or… and this is my favorite, the wizarding world was bambozzeled eons ago Sauron style into using this nerf sticks by some unseen evil to make the wizards easy to manipulate… or perhaps done to prevent them from obliterating the earth, Eitherway…. wands…. are a choke collar. I mean hell, look how fucking powerful an untrained house elf like dobbie is?! If dobbie can do that with simple innate power, imagine how insanely powerful an average well trained witch or wizard would be without the wand?
Could it be possible that ancient magic is seen as more powerful due to fewer people possibly having less knowledge of it? In older times, access to written text and information in general was limited. So magic from the past may have fewer people who know how to conjure it. And in the case of dark magic fewer may know how to defend against it.
I feel like Wizards and Witches like Marlin, Merry Poppins, Nanny Micphee and Other magical Characters we’ve seen and read about uses Ancient magic I have a theory that they’re all in the same Universe plus we ready don’t get a backstory on those characters (expect Merlin) like where they came from and how they’d get their magic
My theory is that the origin of ancient magic is divine. We know that mythological creatures exist in the Harry Potter universe. Given that, it would make sense for gods to also exist. Wizards are probably the descendants of gods and humans or maybe even angels/humans mating in the ancient past. I suspect that this blood is present in all humans too, but in some lineages it is stronger than others, and when it is strong enough, it makes a person a wizard/witch. This would explain why some muggle families suddenly find they have a witch/wizard in the family, despite no one in their family tree being magical. Perhaps in such cases, the parents had too weak of a connection to the divine on their own, but together produce a child who is strong enough in those divine energies to make them able to wield magic. Another likely answer is that humans and faeries, goblins, etc. have interbred, and that interbreeding has resulted in humans who have magic. We know that Giants and humans and Goblins and humans have mated before, as Hagrid is half giant and Flitwick has Goblin blood. Presumably there are loads of magical creatures that can cross with humans, not just those two, so maybe wizards are human descendants of more common unions with such beings in the past.
I think the sign of ancient magic which dumbledore was the magic used by Tom Riddle to scare the 2 children he took with him to the caves to punish them which is talked about in the 6th and 7th book. So unformed magic which is controlled and meaningfully initiated, as opposed to an accidental outburst of energy
So it is now canon that ancient magic are indeed more powerful and raw than the newer ones, albeit only a few chosen ones can successfully cast them or at the height of one’s emotions (Lily). There’s a theory that’s popular before the release of the game that said ancient magic are weak compared to the modern ones because the modern are actually refined, made stronger thru the directions of incantations, akin to science. Well, looks like ancient magic rocks now! :3
I think ancient magic was more archaic but more power form of magic as in harry potter its confirmed the magic of love is the most ancient and most powerful type of magic, how ancient magic attacks in the legacy game affects enemies looks to be like much more powerful so powerful it can disintegrate targets, and summon lightning from the sky, Seems likely it was also magic that merlin also wielded as hes regarded as the most powerful wizard to exist and hes ancient by the time of the legacy game so its possible it is magic that can affect reality on a much deeper level then normal magic
Taking inspiration from Naruto, we could expand upon the theory that magic in the Harry Potter universe is actually a form of jutsu, or technique, taught to humans by an alien race. In this expanded theory, the alien race could be composed of various species, each with their own unique magical abilities, or jutsu. They could have visited Earth thousands of years ago, and after observing human societies, chose to share their magical knowledge with select individuals. These individuals would have become the first wizards and witches, and as they practiced and improved their jutsu, they passed down their knowledge to future generations through magic schools like Hogwarts. The jutsu themselves could vary widely, from elemental manipulation like fire, water, and air, to more complex techniques like telekinesis, shape-shifting, and time manipulation. Wizards and witches would have to train and master these jutsu in order to use them effectively. Just like in Naruto, there could be different clans of wizards and witches, each with their own unique set of jutsu and techniques. Some clans could be more focused on defense, while others could be more geared towards offense. Additionally, just like in Naruto, there could be magical beasts that possess their own unique set of jutsu, and wizards and witches could form partnerships with them to enhance their own abilities. Overall, this expanded theory could add a new layer of depth to the Harry Potter universe, making it more akin to other popular fantasy franchises like Naruto, and creating a wealth of new storylines and possibilities for the future.
I think magic is only abtainable through nature and all things nature, Suchs as Water, And earth, Also the Elements Also Emotions and spiritual. I don’t believe it should be capable of random or miscellaneous stuff, or made up stuff, Thats just fantasy. But magic is fantasy. But thinking on it if you were to want to believe in magic, I’m talking about irl. You couldn’t at all! Because my theory is, that some higher person cut such magic off from humans because it would be unbalanced. And or that higher person Knows the danger and is keeping it to himself.
I cannot speak for JK Rowling, of course, but it would seem that she intended these references to ancient magic to imply that all of us in the real world are subject to that ancient magic. Love and sacrifice, innocence and devotion – the things that make all humans great – these are powerful forms of magic that Voldemort lacked. They were the extremely powerful forms of magic that Harry had which allowed him to defeat Voldemort. The most magical aspect of the Harry Potter universe is that all of us have access in the real world to the most powerful magic Harry Potter could imagine…
Maybe Ron Weasley could see/use ancient magic in how he seemed to bloom at 5th year when he became a prefect and we blamed it incorrectly on his old passed down wand. And that could explain how he found harry and Hermione in the last book by following the traces of ancient magic that Dumbledore casted in the Deluminator. And Dumbledore most likely being a user of ancient magic knew, that’s why he gave it to Ron.
I’m of the disposition that, like you said, ancient magic is in some way a manifestation of a force of sorts that exists as a fundamental part is the universe. Furthermore though I’ve found myself humouring the idea that wizards and witches generally have the ability to tap into this, which sets them aside from other humans (muggles), but only to a “scratching the surface” extent. But then every now and then someone comes along with the ability to access that force much more fundamentally, and manipulate it much more fully.
Here’s my theory: many Millenia ago (long before even the Hogwarts founders), ancient magic was everywhere, and everyone could use it, because ultimately it was tied to the soul, which everyone obviously has…eventually people started to argue over how the magic was used and the long term consequences it had on the world, some believed they shouldn’t depend on it so much…this philosophical rift soon became so huge that it led to a war which nearly destroyed the entire world, and cost many lives …. And so it seemed the ancient magic disappeared and the majority of the worlds population evolved as muggles….but small groups of magic users remained, however their magic was somewhat weaker compared to the ancient magic, this is the traditional magic used by the wizarding world today … to protect themselves they kept themselves hidden from the non magic users, but even still, the old ancient magic was thought to be lost, dormant, hidden away…but every few generations there are rare wizards born who can see traces of the ancient magic, and use it to influence “regular” magic in ways never seen before…eventually four of these special wizards are born and together create Hogwarts using this ancient magic, a true “stronghold / foundation of ancient magic”…
Ancient magic seems to be genetic. There’s a reason why the game is called “Hogwarts Legacy”. Ever wonder why harry potter’s parents were so powerful? How Lilly potter cast that ancient magic spell on Harry? Well if the MC was an ancestor of Lilly potter then you have your explaination. And seeing as your character in the game sucks up all of the Ancient magic in the area there would be none around hogwarts for Lilly or her parents to encounter. What if your character in the game meets some tragic end that erases them from the history books or causes them to die in obscurity… but not before having a child. Well then now you have the explaination as to why the game is called “Hogwarts Legacy” and how Harry could become “the boy who lived”…
Perhaps it is 3 put together? It is an ancient and universal force discovered and built by magical ancestors with the help of magical creatures they developed alongside… There is less of it as time passes because people find it, abuse it, and either break it, or necessitate its destruction. Hard to Make, Easy to Break…
I’ve done Hufflepuff, in the middle of Gryffindor, next will be Ravenclaw. But when it comes to Slytherin house on Ancient Magic and it’s power… “A magic this powerful can do great harm in the wrong hands.” You know what these are (holding up hands)? The wrong hands. It’s not often one can play the bad guy in games, I intend to thoroughly enjoy being bad in ‘Hogwarts: Legacy’, once I play a Slytherin witch/wizard.
I originally assumed that Ancient Magic was just the magic that naturally existed in nature, and would often cause various natural phenomena. Like how ruins could have magical mechanics which had occured naturally and not placed by someone. Basically, it’s the magical version of the Laws of Physics. That’s what I assumed.
I think horcruxes are also ancient magic. Instead of simple magic that uses a wand or another websiteling device to alter things( potion, hands of the wizard etc.) it binds the ones soul into an object by murdering another soul. It could have something with binding. Magic in its purest form is binded into something and so reshape into a purpose. An act of murder, or sacrifice, or oath. It links things or acts togother and create an unbreakable complex and, since some ancient objects are still exist after years their posessors or creators died, probable this form of magic creates an independent form, united from its creator. A transfiguration became unmade after its creator die. But ancient magic continue to exist. Perhaps magic itself became a creation, a being. Perhaps dementors also a kind of ancient magic. In the books there was something for horcruxes, it said one makes a deal with the devil, by giving him one soul in place of him. Or something like that. Perhaps ancient magic is, dealing with god or devil or spirits. Or by some incantations, mans own soul, or own existance became the magic. Like, when Lily gave her life volunterily, or when voldemorts victims gave theirs involunterily, their being, own magic ties into a purpose and continue to be exist. And since it is not a magic tied into the wizard, but actually another wizards being, it is much powerful than other spells. The death hollows then must have devoured their creators being by being a creations of their creators life purpose.
Mothers in HP universe rule: Lily sacrificed herself for her son, Harry, Molly saving her daughter Ginny from Bellatrix, and Narcissa Malfoy, who was able to lie to Lord Voldemort about Harry’s condition “Dead” in the forbidden forest EVEN THOUGH Voldemort is a very powerful Legilimens. Later we see them, as a family, literally walk away after knowing Harry had survived the attack.
It’s obvious that to properly harness Ancient Magic, one has to travel to a small island in the middle of nowhere and learn wandless magic from a perverted 300 year-old wizard who has a talking sea turtle for a friend and can summon a cloud that can fly at super-sonic speeds anywhere around the globe.
I like the theory that it’s fundamental rule of the world. Like how all muggles know how to use smartphones,computer some specialist like pilot know how to operated the plane. But the people who really understand how it work is selected few. Especially microchips technology that working behind everything in the modern world. Well we know the basic but people who fully understand it is super rare. That why TSMC and big tech companies still monopolized half of technology in this world.
I believe ancient magic is purely and simply- will. Strongest kind and requires a strong understanding and that can be aided in the use of speech and telegraphed movements with a wand. All evidence to support is using the current understood properties of ancient magic and the way ancient magic users are shown using such magic in Hogwarts Legacy
I agree that ancient magic is like laws of the physical world, like gravity. Certain acts invoked the ancient magic. Voldemort’s hatred of the ancient magic was because he couldn’t manipulate it any way that was useful to him. He was so proud of figuring a way to give himself a piece of Lily’s sacrificial protection, he didn’t understand that he double tethered himself to Harry, thus giving his enemies a way to destroy him.
History it never specifically states that you have to start your Hogwarts journey in the 5th year to see ancient magic just because three of the characters in the game did the same doesn’t mean the other keepers were also that way, My theory is that Percival is an ancestor of Dumbledore Dumbledore alludes to certain types of magic leaving traces in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince I think that Voldemort can also see it
Not a massive plotter fan, but I think in general (IRL, and fiction) the notion of ‘older’ = more complex/powerful/esoteric is kind of misleading… Think about human history/epistemology (study of knowledge/what is known). Ancient = long time ago. This means earlier, when humans knew far less. colleagues/apprentices then the knowledge should have grown, become more expansive, complex (and in case of something like ‘magic’, more powerful). Like if we’re talking about a timespan from ‘ancient’ to ‘current’ that is 1000yrs+ it should mean the modern spell is several orders of magnitude more powerful, adaptive (in usefulness), shortcomings corrected, safer to cast, etc…otherwise it would imply somebody learned a piece of knowledge and literally never expanded on it; never researched a ‘more perfected’ form of something (a la science route), put their personal touch on it, etc. Good Storytelling plot? maybe (but only if you don’t analyze it)
The way I understand it is that ancient magic DOESN’T require incantations or more discipline or knowledge than ‘typical’ magic. Quite the opposite. It’s emotional magic, wielded by your soul’s impulse or reflex, rather than filtered through your mind into incantations. It reminds me of the Deep Magic from Narnia.
Nerding out here but have you ever played Mage the Ascension? (Or the Awakening, both are similar). I believe ancient magic works similar to the Magic the player can use in this TTRPG. Some people AWAKEN to it(curiously, roughly at the same age it happens in MTA lmao) and it is basically messing with the very fabric of reality in a primal way. So primal in fact people don’t fully understand it as our logic-filled mind cannot grasp it, so we come up with a methodology for it (incantations and whatnot). But it is primal and moved only by Will. Which is how Harry’s mother was able to use it “by accident”. That’s the parallel I draw to wrap my head around the concept at least. Seeing that I play MTA for many years now.
Cool article! I actually think the concept of ancient magic is majorly inspired by Rowling’s Christian roots. I’m going to explain some Christian theology real quick because it’s important to the first point in this theory: The Bible says that God was present before the beginning of the world (Genesis 1:1), that God is love (1 John 4:16), and that “there is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends” (John 15:13). Right after Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God gave his first prophecy about the coming of Jesus (Genesis 3:14-15) and so the belief that God’s initial plan for the salvation of man was through Jesus and his sacrifice is more or less universally accepted Christian theology. Why does this matter? Because Christian theology states that one of the oldest “cosmic” or “spiritual” truths is that laying down your life for another is the greatest expression of love- and this is because it was always God’s plan to send himself (God the Son, Jesus) to earth in order to die for our sins. I think Rowling drew from this belief when she wrote about the ancient “magic” of sacrificing yourself for another. I think that Rowling drew inspiration from the idea that Jesus’ loving atoning sacrifice saves us from eternal death, and applied a similar principle to her world of magic: that the loving sacrifice of one person for the life of another would offer them protection from death. It’s a pretty clever move, and one that I think resonates with most people because of the beauty of a mother’s (or a parent’s) love.
I think ancient magic is one of the earliest type of pure energy and magic. Like it was the magic itself before spells were even considered, like it was magic but without any spell or incantation. Maybe witches and wizards (like Merlin, Rackham, Isadora, and I think even Dumbledore) posessed these abilities and that made them so powerful. I always loved the tought that the protagonist of HL is far more powerfull than Harry because of his/her ancient magic.
The first theory you explain this article (Ancient Magic being inherent to the universe/reality itself) is the only one that actually makes sense. But if so, rather than something “super-exclusive” to very few wizards and witches, I see it as something that might date back to a time when magic was in fact just part of our human nature, with no clear border between Magical people and Muggles. In fact, if motherly love is an example of Ancient Magic/enables the mother to perform Ancient Magic, witches are not the only ones who experience motherly love, on the opposite, it’s something that Magical and Muggle mothers completely share. I’m afraid I have enough evidence to declare myself a Muggle, but believe me, the thing I feel inside myself when I notice the resemblance between the baby actor who portrays Halloween 1981 Harry and my own son could probably make me send the most powerful Dark Wizards to shards of despair anytime.
First explanation: Primordial. Links with having to understand magic on a deeper level Second explanation: Developed. Rarity. Not much else to it Third explanation: Necromantic, in nature. Understanding what death is, in order to master it, and weave the magic of death to your will Fourth explanation: Earliest known magic. Makes sense, in a way. The earliest magics to be discovered would naturally be the least known about, similar to how did the first cell form. How did the first magic come to be? How does it work?
I wonder if the main character in Hogwarts legacy, is special like the dragonborn is in Skyrim. It has been said that your character does learn spells very quickly. Kind of like how the dragonborn learns new shouts very quickly. Maybe the main character is what some might call. The “chosen one”. Or something.
Your first origins theory is similar to mine. I always viewed Ancient Magic as the first, primordial form of magic tied directly to the fundamental forces of the universe, extremely powerful and largely outside our control save for a few born with an affinity for it. I further theorize that the modern regular magic originated as an aspect of Ancient Magic that these first wizards were able to “tame” in such a way that it could be shared with others, albeit in a weakened and heavily diluted form compared to its source. Side note regarding the protection Lily granted to Harry with her sacrifice, I’ve often wondered if this was intentional or not. Did she somehow know that sacrificing herself as she did would invoke the Ancient Magic that would protect Harry? Or was it all a happy accident? What Lily did is ultimately no different than what most mothers would do to protect their children, even if on some level they know it’d be in vain. I can easily picture Lily blocking Voldemort’s spell and in her final moments think that all she accomplished was buy Harry a few more seconds of life and when she looked on from the afterlife she was shocked to see that she had inadvertently conjured an Ancient Magic.
What if magic was something that happened. One day some muggle felt something so hard, a wish to do something that wasn’t possible, and then they created magic. They become the first wizard to ever exist. Maybe ancient magic is like feelings. The game has dialogues that makes me think that. Also the part where Voldemort said “it was love (…) it was old magic, something I should have foreseen”. I mean, did Lilly really went on studying old magic so she could protect her family or was that just instinctive? The urge to save her son. Something so primal that created magic. Maybe that’s also why wizards are becoming weaker, they find magic to be such a common thing, used for daily boring things, so distant from what created it. Also when you cast spells, specially the forbidden ones, the instructions are “you have to mean it”. You have to feel, to want to do something. So that’s my theory on what magic is and where it comes from.
I think of Ancient Magic as a high-pressure system that Wizards/Witches can tap into for the purpose of particular Ancient Magic spell casting, as opposed to using their own latent magical power. Like, if Ancient Magic is the air inside a balloon, then a Wizard casting an Ancient Magic spell is poking a hole in that balloon and harnessing the power rushing out of it for their particular spell, or purpose. I think Harry causing the glass to disappear on Dudley at the Zoo is an example of Ancient Magic wielded completely by accident.
Ancient magic is just magic, the magic of everything and that binds everything together. This is why Horcruxes can only be made by killing someone, as you are tearing apart the very bindings between yourself and the rest of the world. Kind of like tearing a piece of a shirt and sewing it into another shirt as a patch. The use of magic even in the Harry Potter universe is not without cost. Things can not simply be created out of thin air, but must come from some original material or object (unless using powerful objects like the Philosopher’s Stone). Immortality is not possible without sacrificing something or again using extremely powerful magical objects to sustain your life. These objects are likely physical manifestations of “Ancient Magic” and not simply objects created by wizards. It is probable that the Philosopher’s Stone, Goblet of Fire and such objects were made by one or more wizards forcibly coalescing and forming “Ancient Magic” into these objects, much like a blacksmith smelts metal from earth and stone to create swords, horseshoes and other useful objects.
It was invented so Hogwarts Legacy could have a plot. It’s such a vague concept that it’s not hard to theorize its existence in the books, which is cool. It can explain anything. “How did that happen? Ancient Magic! Where did this come from? Ancient Magic!” Kind of like nanomachines explaining everything nonsensical in the Metal Gear series of games.
Is “ancient magic” like the alternative to CS Lewis’ “deep magic from the dawn of dawn” that Aslan calls “deeper magic from before the dawn of time” which was used to defeat the witch Queen of Narnia breaking her spell that made Narnia stuck in a season where “it’s always winter, but it’s never Christmas”? Metta, JTI
The way I thought of ancient magic was a sort of combination between it being an endemic force of nature that few can naturally wield and long forgotten practices that were used to tap into this force for those trusted few that were made aware of the natural force, but unable to manipulate it without further preparation. A bit like being a parselmouth. You can speak it adequately if you’re prepared in advance, but to understand it, you need to be born with the ability (or in Harry’s case, have extenuating circumstances that grant the ability)
Ancient Magic is tied tô the abstract concepts of the world, that exists but they cant bê seen like Emotions, The Nature Laws, Sentiments, Soul, Spirit, Past, Present, Future, Force, Time and any other abstract concept, for a Wizard to use this type of Magic he IS either born with the talent to do this Magic, he can become a higher being, like a type of Nirvana, or use Dark Arts to reach certain ancient Magic, since Magic of the Dark Arts and Ancient Magic they are tied, as we know most Dark Magic need an intent to be performed, they are born from intention and this is similaritie It hás with the Ancient Magic since It needs Emotions to be performed It needs the Soul as a gas tô be able to be manifested, and It doesnt havê limitations It can do anything the user imagine with the realm of the abstract as long as user hás enough emotion tô do so. Dumbledore is an adept since he could see the Ancient Magic in Harry Potter and Invisibility Cape, the eye of Grindewald is a product of ancient Magic permiting him to see the Future, Voldemort is an example of using the Dark Arts to reach a level of Ancient Magic, the Obscuros is Ancient Magic, Dementors are Ancient Magic, the Magic that summoned the Stone Guards to protect Hogwarts is Ancient Magic, Molly curse that killed Bellatrix is Ancient Magic and I dont know more examples.
I propose that you compare ancient/modern magic to computer programming. Software developers using C++ and other programming languages could be compared to ancient magic. Both being more difficult and a foundation for easier-to-use finished software and modern magic. After all, a first-year doesn’t need to know everything about the levitation charm, just the activation command.
I’d say all magic is natural present (ancient or modern). Ancient magic could better be phrased as primal and highly advanced magic. However due to the sinister nature combined with the highly advanced technigues needed to wield ancient magic, it’s mostly forgotten/banned. However the power of love should be quite common and more people would have the scar Harry has, as he can’t be the only one being shot by the killing curse over time.
Magic would have always had to be there ‘in general’. There are other races that are older than humans and have the ability to access the same magic by varying degrees. Also, the first wizard would have had to been a Muggleborn. Magic clearly isn’t heretical as squibs and half-bloods exist (Muggleborns too obviously). Harry is a half-blood, if magic was heretical than he wouldn’t be able to have magic. Because, although Lily is a witch; she is Muggleborn.
Theory Time! Ancient Magic might be both a cultural thing, and a universal force. A practice and a form of energy innate to the cosmic imperative. We know from the Harry Potter books and the recent Fantastical Beast films that Hogwarts was built on ancient magic, in a cradle for magical learning. We also know that there are fortresses all over the world, especially in Asia and Africa, where forms of Ancient Magic were practiced- forms of spellwork that have been passed down, modernized and standardized for public consumption. Given that from the timeline J.K set for us over the last almost 30 years, we can estimate that wizards and wizarding practices have been around for almost as long as humanity has, putting it in the 50,000+ range. Therefore, magic has existed probably even longer than humanity, since goblins and elves have innate magic and take issue with wizards withholding advanced secrets of magic- despite possessing forms of wandless magic that put some wizards to shame. If magic predates humanity, and other creatures have had it for far longer, then it must be a fundamental construct of reality, as it can reshape and alter reality in the hands of incredibly powerful wizards. Those with the best skill can even create lasting life, grant immortality to themselves and others, and devastate entire swathes of land and civilization before rebuilding it with a wand swish. There are also artifacts and constructs created by Ancient Magic in their universe, probably linked to ancient wizarding cultures.
I have my own theory about the origin of ancient magic. It all started, like wizarding magic itself, when a group of humans were chosen to travel to a realm outside of earth and thus wield the magic within that realm. Then, when some of their descendants came back to earth (or when some refused to make the trip, becoming the very first muggle-borns) they brought their magic into the “real” world. This answer, I think, ties into the existing lore and expands upon it in a way that makes sense. As for what ancient magic is, I like the idea that it is tied closely to love, since even in our world love can cause people to do utterly mind-boggling things. This is unrelated, but I like the concept of ancient magic in the Harry Potter books, since it explains some of the nuances within the story. The key example is when Lily’s sacrifice triggers the magic while James’ sacrifice does not.
Maybe ancient magic is the element of magic at its purest created at the beginning of creation and only certain people can control it because ancient magic is very difficult unlike normal magic wizards/witches perform as it is a sub section of the magic that can be casted by ancient magic known as spells but ancient magic doesn’t need spells to control just a very powerful willpower or natural ability if you dont understand my thoughs, sorry: Spells = passwords to ancient magic only doing what that password allows (a less concentrated form of magic and easy to master) ancient magic = magic that was formed in creation and is where every spell comes from yet doesn’t need a ‘password’ to enact it, only natural ability or willpower. ( the most magic can be concentrated)
My theory is that there’s an elective class that becomes available to fifth years that unknowingly or knowingly teaches the concepts needed to perform ancient magic. Perhaps the history of magic? But regardless, a class that most students think to be useless or boring. But the concepts are philosophical and not literal, which would require one to focus on the nature of magic itself and not just the forces it can wield. That would explain why very few unlock the talent, only few are able to understand and piece together the concepts the elective teaches. It would also explain how Voldemort and Dumbledore have access to what appears to be minor forms of ancient magic while others don’t. They were incredibly intelligent and curious students and absolutely would’ve seen the pieces of the puzzle and known how to put them together. Where Tom Riddle would try and harness ancient magic for domination, a young Dumbledore would’ve seen the value in it’s protective qualities. It only makes sense that the most powerful wizards alive would’ve studied the root of magic itself. Definitely a thinking point at least😂😂😂
The more I play these games, the more they sound like a badly written fanfic. In a world that was bit plotholed to begin with… Still like it though. Also it’s hilarious to me that very few ever loved someone strong enough to protect them. Not in any of the wizarding wars. Grim world unless you’re a Potter…
I know JK Rowling said that there is no “mana” in the Harry Potter series, but I personally believe that ancient magic is the “mana” of the Potterverse. Most witches in Wizards don’t know it even exists, their spells just work. But for the few who can perceive it and a few who cant, they can use it directly and it has a limit just like mana. All spells stem from ancient Magic spread out so thin that even those who can perceive it dont notice it. What we see in Hogwarts legacy, and what other people who can see it are seeing are likely just places where the ancient magic congregated and concentrated.
My theory is the Ancient Magic, of Hogwarts Legacy is just the spellwork created by morganach. Now I’m not saying she created the ancient magic itself as one of her teachers was said to be able to see it. So maybe Ancient Magic is like the most raw and powerful form of magic and is the manipulation of primordial forces. One wizards and witches have created various methods. As Morganach used it to make her emotion extraction and all the emotions she extracted were tied with ancient magic spellwork. This is the source of magic that is stored for the plot. But I don’t believe every form of ancient magic is exactly the same. Like the Patronus Charm it’s an ancient spell than any “good” wizard or witch can use and no evidence is shown that you need to be able to “see” it before hand. So maybe there are many kinds of ancient magics and various forms of energy. So maybe students like Morganach see a raw physical energy based form of it and created spells around it and to augment their regular spells. And some ancient magic is more intangible or formless.
My theory is ancient magic descends from the vary earliest of human history. Like, when homo sapiens first diverged, keep in mind at this point in our natural history neanderthals and denisovans had already existed for milennia, both hominins capable of their own religious beliefs, which most probably enshrined the natural world, as ours definitely did back then. Anywho, at some point, in the harry potter universe, unless some alien crashed on the planet and x men style imbued some humans at this ancient time with “gene M” which allowed magic use, then this “gene M” occurred naturally. Hence the very first “shamans” in the microscopic human societies. Controlling weather, shapeshifting themselves or others, stuff that crops up in mythology the world over. Anyway there’s as much chance of HP content going this far back in time as there is of severus snape cartwheeling naked up the great hall singing “Weasley is our king”, so this is just pissing in the wind but for me it makes enough sense to call it plausible 🙂
I was going through your vids and well I have an idea of a next project. Where do wizards get Glasses? Do they go to muggle shops or do they have their own eye shamans? And what about other disabilities that humans face? Like hearing loss, do they have something like a hearing aid since they wouldn’t work in places like Hogwarts?
I think it’s better to take the whole in context – and remember that without JK actually saying so, the events and lore and such of “Hogwarts Legacy” are not necessarily part of the canon, but for the sake of this type of discussion we’ll simply assume it is. In the canon of the stories (published by JK) there is Old Magic, the best example of which is Lily Potter’s sacrifice for her son, and her son’s sacrifice for the sake of those fighting in Hogwarts itself. What this game does is add a layer, that some few are born with the ability to see whisps of this ancient magic, that there is more to it than just sacrificial love (which is obvious in the context of the HP stories anyway. The Pensieve, the Gateway of Death, the Three Deathly Hallows – there’s many items or types of Old Magic around (or Ancient Magic). So what is it? Well, anyone can learn to use it. Of the four Keepers we’re introduced to by their memories and paintings, only one of them could SEE ancient magic whisps. Same as the girl they found and taught, and same for the Protagonist. Yet all four of the Keepers could USE it. Anyone could, if you learnt how. The ability to “see” the whisps of it might mean you simply have a type of sight, or it could be a sign of instinctive use OF such – I’d lean on the latter. But anyone who learnt about such magic could use the magic. So what is it? Maybe just the core of Magic itself, instinctively used, with emotion as a key. When wand use started the ability to focus it better came along, but ancient magic is just magic.
when the books and movies say lilly used love to protect harry they didnt literally mean love like love is a form of magic lmao No what they meant is Lilly loved harry soooo much that she used her life as a requisite/sacrifice to conjure ancient protection magic that voided all harm against harry – How and when she did that I dont know, which I think is the point because ancient magic shouldnt be easily accessible or used by the average magic user but it just makes me laugh when I hear fans say love literally saved him, by that logic no child could be killed by Voldermort, please believe that Lilly actively tried to protect her child from being murdered just like HPT mentioned @ 6:50
I always interpreted ancient magic to be prehistoric. Within the human population there are individuals with magical ability. This ability is hereditary, and can also occur as a random genetic mutation in muggleborn witches and wizards like Hermione. Genetically speaking we are still very much the same as the earliest humans, the first homo sapiens. Thus it stands to reason that these prehistoric humans also had individuals that had magical abilities. However since there were no words, no language to speak incantations, magic was raw and instinctive. Coming from emotion and subconscious actions. Like we still see today in magical children who can´t control their magical ability. This form of raw magical ability, tied so closely with our more primitive cognitive abilities, rather than our modern intellect, is what I think of when we contemplate Ancient Magic.
Having played the game for a long time, i think your 4th theory is more likely. At this point, we don’t know what was going on before Percival Rackham began as a 5th year. We also don’t know what happened once our player character passed on. Did they pass it on to someone else? is there anyone perusal the repositories under Rookwood Castle and Hogwarts?