There are three Unforgivable curses causing control over a person, torture or the worst of all, death!
As a matter of fact curses are an integral part of most folklore or mythology or religious tales from Greek and Roman mythology to tales in India to Chinese folklore.
In fact some of the villains of Hindu religious texts like Ravana of the Ramayana are said to have descended on earth to liberate themselves from a curse.
Jaya / Vijaya were two guards to the abode of Vishnu, one of our three important deities and they refused entry to some sages who had the appearance of children. The sages cursed them to be born on earth as mortals. They had a choice to be born 7 times as good pious devout people or as enemies of Vishnu a.k.a the bad guys 3 times. They did not want to be away from the service to Vishnu Bhagawan (Lord Vishnu) for so long and so they chose the latter.
We have stories of people becoming stones, plants, animals, monsters to be later liberated.
In Greek mythology what immediately comes to mind is Medusa and her head of snakes.
Coming to charms, there are quite a few charms in Harry Potter series which I think would be very nice to have in real life.
Oculus Reparo could repair broken glasses with the touch of a wand.
Accio was a summoning charm that could help one to get an object to fly into our arms. That's a Ctrl-F for our home. This would be especially useful with two school going kids that try to remember where they kept their homework just before bedtime. It would definitely go a long way in locating cell phone chargers and ear phones and TV remotes.
There is a hot air charm that would help melt snow along the way to help us walk.
There is a charm to cut vegetables and a charm to stir the soup.
J K Rowling let her imagination go wild and that's what make the stories so very endearing.
Is there anything you would want to accomplish through magic in real life?
That Ctrl+F charm sound like the best magic ever. I could find so many things without turning the house upside down, lol.
ReplyDeleteUmm... coming to the question, kinda hard to say. There are too many things I'd like to use magic for. ;)
A charm to cut vegetables sounds like a good start. Clean the house, do my laundry, my list goes on ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou know what charms I like, too? The shiny ones for my bracelet!
I love bracelets too :)
DeleteI would love to live in a world of magic, with lot of charms! Of course right now I would say I want a charm that kills all the virus ;)
ReplyDeleteQuilting Patchwork & Appliqué
I'd love a charm that'll charm off all the extra and unwanted calories from my meals! I would eat jalebi rabadi with abandon then! Sigh!
ReplyDeleteI like how you weave myriad myths and legends in this post Jayshree.
Medicine, definitely. If I could choose, I would have cures for all the terrible diseases by magic. And a curse as well - although it is much darker. To curse someone to have cancer you must really hate that person.
ReplyDeleteExcellent compilation. I would definitely use those Quidditch brooms to clean my home! Thanks for your A to Z visit. Please stop back.
ReplyDeleteI've read a perspective on Medusa. That the snakes that turn people to stone were meant to protect her from rapists. One of those "careful what you wish or pray for" type deals.
ReplyDeleteThat prevents romantic good hearted advancements too...Proof that some ideas and solutions can really be dumb!
DeleteMay be I would like to fly like a free bird to different places in the world, see the diversity, talk to people.
ReplyDeleteThen it would include the ability to speak any language I suppose :)
DeleteI would like to petition for a charm to make food when I am bored!
ReplyDeleteI used to think I would choose something fantastical like flying, but I suspect something mundane like cleaning the home would be more useful :)
ReplyDeleteA-Zing from Fiction Can Be Fun
Normally found at Debs Despatches
Totally agree
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