Magic (Inheritance)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Magic is an integral part of Alagaësia, the world in which the Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini is set. Magic, like electricity, is a force that exists naturally in nature. Those born with an innate talent are able to "reach for" this magic by different means. In the lifetime of Eragon Shadeslayer, the use of magic is uncommon, but is still practiced.

Contents 1 Methods of using magic 2 Limitations in using magic 3 Uses of Magic 4 Magic users 5 Origins 6 Etiquette 6.1 Example 7 Index of magic

[edit] Methods of using magic

Magicians use the Ancient Language, a series of powerful words, to control their magic spells. A word spoken in the Ancient Language creates a correlated magic spell; for example, speaking the word "fire" in the Ancient Language creates fire.(The word for fire in the ancient language is brisingr.) The greatest magic users can perform spells by merely thinking the words, rather than speaking them aloud; however, this is considered more dangerous, as stray thoughts could potentially disrupt the spellcasting process.

[edit] Limitations in using magic

Before the creation of the Ancient Language, magic was an imprecise and often hazardous art. One could think about the spell they would liked to have cast and have done it on whatever they were facing e.g. a door. The Ancient language was made so that if you wanted to blow up a door even though you were facing a window, the door would still blow up if you said the words. Even after the Ancient Language came into existence, use of the danger grew less. But spells that were too powerful could cause widespread destruction, and affect the health of the magic user. Attempting too great a spell could result in the magic user's death.

The idea of magic as it is in the trilogy allows for extra-sensory perception, subconscious premonitions, psychokinesis, telepathy, etc, but does not permit anything that is impossible by other, more difficult means.

A magic-user cannot raise anyone from the dead; If a magic-user tries, they will expend all of their energy and die instead. A user of magic does not have the ability to stop a spell without completing it.

[edit] Uses of Magic

Magic can be used to accomplish almost any task, though the recommendation is that it is used only for what cannot be done by other means. It has during the story been used to generate light and heat, cause a self-induced coma, move objects, detect poison, manipulate water, manipulate vision, heal wounds, cognize the presence of life, cut off circulation of blood, combine two consciousnesses into a noosphere, change composition of matter, and can be used for telepathy.

[edit] Magic users

The following are the various known types of magicians and magic users in the trilogy:

• Human Dragon Riders: Human dragon riders usually have very little magical strength to begin with, but as they and their dragons mature and train, they become exceedingly powerful beings capable of matching and even defeating Elven Dragon Riders. It is believed that a Human rider's bond with his/her dragon grows more rapidly in power than an Elven Rider's bond. Brom, Eragon, Morzan, Murtagh and Galbatorix were all human Dragon Riders.

• Elven Dragon Riders: Very little is known about the power or skill of these riders, due to the fact that the only Elven Dragon Rider we meet is the crippled Oromis. From the hints in the books they were perhaps better magic users in some ways then their human counterparts, due to the fact that magic comes more naturally to elves, who have been using it for much longer then humans have.

• Elves: Elves are natural magic users who have been using the art for countless ages and have nearly perfected their use of it. Even Elven children are powerful magic users. and the typical elf commoner is as powerful as the most skilled human magicians. Examples: Arya, Vanir

• Magicians/mages: These are human spellcasters who use magic generally the same way that Dragon Riders and elves do, but these generally are much weaker magically then any of the above and have less skill or vocabulary in the ancient language. Example: The Twins

• Sorcerers/sorceresses: It is not well explained how a sorcerer and magician's spellcraft differs, because they appear to have the same results as each other. Both use their internal magical powers to achieve results, however, sorcerers/sorceresses use this power to summon and control powerful spirits.

• Shades: A Shade is a sorcerer/sorceress whose mind and body has been taken over by a spirit when the sorcerer tried to summon a spirit more powerful than him/herself. Shades also possess amazing magical and physical strength. Example: Durza the Shade

Shades are fictional beings in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Trilogy.

Shades are humans possessed by spirits. They are similar to sorcerers in that both use spirits in order to accomplish magical tasks. Unlike sorcerers, a Shade either gives up his mind and body to a spirit/spirits, or is overpowered by one/several and has no control over his actions. Sorcerers can control spirits.

Shades are immensely powerful, and only three people have ever survived destroying one before: Laetri (an elf), Irnstad (a Dragon Rider), and Eragon. Shades can only be killed by being pierced through the heart; otherwise it will merely reappear elsewhere and return stronger than before; this seems to be inspired by the vampire legends, as vampires can only be killed by a stake driven through the heart. The only notable Shade in Eragon is Durza, who is killed by Eragon.

It is unknown whether there are any other Shades in Alagaësia at the time of the book, though Paolini did say that it was possible that another Shade might turn up.^{[citation needed]} No new Shades had appearances in Eldest, though Durza was often discussed.

v • d • e Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy
Books	Eragon | Eldest | Book 3
Films	Eragon
Games	Eragon
Main Characters	Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Durza | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more...
Places	Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Teirm | Inheritance Trilogy locations | more...
Events	Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Battle under Farthen Dûr | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall

• Witches/wizards: Little is known about witches and wizards because the only one mentioned in the book is Angela. She is a herbalist and combines herbs to create potions. Brom tells Eragon early in the first book that witches and wizards use potions and spells, but not the ancient language. Angela is also a capable fighter, wielding a double-bladed staff which she won in a bet from the Dwarves.

The Ancient Language is a fictional language in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance trilogy. It is the oldest language of the land of Alagaësia. The Ancient Language originated amongst the Grey Folk, an unknown culture that was destroyed long before the story of Eragon. It is used primarily by the elves, Dragon Riders, Shades, and others to perform magic. The elves also use the Ancient Language for everyday speech. Names in this language are true names; the knowledge of one's true name grants the ability to control him or her. The pronunciation, tenses, and other things about the Ancient Language can be found in the Language Guide in the Deluxe Edition of Eragon.

[edit] Origins

The Ancient Language was the language of the Grey Folk, who were not elves. It is not known for certain what they were.

The Ancient Language wasn't always the language of magic. Originally, magic was controlled by the magic user's thoughts; if the magic user was distracted, the consequences could have been terrible. Eventually, there was a tremendous magical disaster, and the Grey Folk decided to do something about the danger of employing magic. They cast the greatest spell in history, and changed the very nature of magic so that their language controlled it, and even if someone's thoughts were distracted when they were casting a spell, if they used the language the spell would be cast as the words commanded it to be. The Grey Folk also made it that no one could lie while speaking their language. The effort this spell took caused the Grey Folk to die out. They were said to be the first magic users in the world.

[edit] Etiquette

There are some specific forms of courtesy among the elves in the world of Eragon. When two elves meet they touch their first two fingers to their lips to indicate "We shall not distort the truth during our conversation", followed by a series of phrases, depending from the situation. In fact, using the Ancient language, one can only speak the truth; it is part of the nature of this speech. A skilled speaker, however, might be able to exclude aspects of the truth from their talks.

[edit] Example

The person of lower rank speaks first. The first may be greeting another of greater status, or he may be wishing to honour a subordinate.

First Speaker: "Atra esterní ono thelduin"

• May good fortune rule over you.

The normal response to this greeting:

Second Speaker: "Mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr."

• May the stars watch over you.

Used only in formal situations.

First Speaker: "Un du evarinya ono varda"

• And may peace live in your heart.

If one is uncertain of their position, they should give their counterpart a chance to speak. If the answer is silence, they should speak first.

[edit] Index of magic

Adurna-water

Ai varden abr du Shur'tugal gata vanta- A warden of the riders lack passage

Aiedail- The morning star

Arget- silver

Argetlam- Silver hand

Atra gulai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waise skolir fra rautha- Let luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune

Boetq istalri- Broad fire

Breoal- Family;House

Brisingr- Fire

Deloi moi- Earth,change

Delois- A green leafed plant with purple flowers

Domina Abr Wyrda- Dominance of fate (book)

Dras- city

Draumr kopa- Dream stare

Du grind huildr- Hold the gate

Du Silbena Datia- The sighting mists (a poem song)

Du sundavar freohr- Death of the shadows

Du Vrangr Gata- The wandering path

Du Weldenvarden- The guarding forest

Edoc'sil- Unconquerable

Eitha- Go;Leave

Eka ai fricai un Shur'tugal- I am a rider and friend

Ethgri- Invoke

Ferthablaka,eka weohnata neiat haina ono,blaka eom iet lam- Bird, I will not harm you,flap to my hand

Garjzla- Light

Gath un reisa du rakr- Unite and raise the mist

Gedwey ignasia- Shining palm

Geuloth du knifr- Dull the knife

Helgrind- The gates of death

Iet- My (informal)

Jierda- Break;Hit

Jierda theirra kalfis- Break their calves

Manin wyrda hugin- Memory fate thought

Moi,stenr- stone,change

Nagz,reisa- Blanket,rise

Osthato chetowa- The mourning sage

Pomnuria- My (formal)

Ristvak'baen- Place of sorrow

Seithr- Witch

Shur'tugal- Dragon Rider

Skulblaka-Dragon (literally, scale-flapper)

Skulblaka,eka celobra ono un mulabra ono un onr Shur'tugal ne haina,atra nosu waise fricaya-Dragon I honour you and mean you and your rider no harm,let us be friends

Slytha- Sleep

Stenr,reisa- Stone,raise

Thrysta- Thrust;Compress

Thrysta deloi- Compress the earth

Thverr stenr un atra eka horna- Traverse stone and let me hear

Togira Ikonoka- The Cripple Who Is Whole

Tuatha du orothrim- Tempering the fools wisdom (a level in a riders' training)

Varden- The warders

Vondr- A thin,straight stick

Waise heill- Be healed

Wiol pomurina ilian- For my happiness

Wyrda- Fate

Yawe- A bond of trust

v • d • e Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Trilogy
Books	Eragon | Eldest | Book 3
Films	Eragon
Games	Eragon
Main Characters	Eragon | Brom | Arya | Galbatorix | Murtagh | Roran | Durza | Ajihad | Nasuada | Angela | Saphira | Oromis | more...
Places	Alagaësia | Beor Mountains | Ellesméra | Farthen Dûr | Teirm | Inheritance Trilogy locations | more...
Events	Blood-Oath Celebration | Battle of the Burning Plains | Battle for Carvahall | Battle under Farthen Dûr | Dagshelgr Invocation | The Fall