"The giant Galligantua and the wicked old magician transform the duke's daughter into a white hind." illustration by
Arthur Rackham, depicting a magician with a wand
A wand consists of a thin, straight, hand-held stick of wood, ivory, or metal. Generally, in modern language, wands are ceremonial and/or have
associations with magic but there have been other uses, all stemming from the
original meaning as a synonym of rod and virge, both of
which had a similar development.
The Great Book of Saint Cyprian (aka Ciprianillo) gives
step-by-step instructions on how to make a magic wand.
Metrology
The wand is also a pre-Norman unit of length used in the British Isles equal to approximately the modern metre, apparently
dating from an early use as a yardstick (originally as a generic term). The 'wand' survived for a time under the Normans. Then
when the yard was established, the wand came to be known as the 'yard and the hand', and then disappeared, either slowly or by
being banned by law.
The old English unit of 1007 millimetres was called a 'wand', and although the 'yard' was created to replace the wand, the
wand was still used for some centuries because of its convenience as part of an old English decimal system that included:
- 1 digit (base of long finger) about 20 millimetres
- 10 digits = 1 small span (span of thumb and forefinger) 200 millimetres
- 10 small spans = 1 armstretch (1 fathom from finger tip to finger tip) about 2 metres
- 10 fathoms = 1 chain about 20 metres
- 10 chains = 1 furlong about 200 metres
- 10 furlongs = 1 thus-hund of about 2000 metres
The wand that has survived today as part of folklore may in fact be a rendition of the ancient British length unit. Thus a
true wand would be a metre in length and not 30 cm.
Symbolism
In ecclesiastical and formal government ceremonial, special officials may carry a wand of
office or staff of office representing their power. Compare in this context the function of the ceremonial
mace, the sceptre, and the staff of office. This
is a practice of long standing; in Ancient Egypt, priests were depicted with rods. Its age may be even greater, as Stone Age cave
paintings show figures holding sticks, which may be symbolic representations of their power.[1]
Religious Usage
In Pharaonic Egypt, toilette articles, weapons against possible enemies, amulets against serpents, were also left in the tomb,
together with magic texts and a magic wand which enabled the ka (soul) to use them. The rod of Moses was a hazel wand[citation needed]. In catacomb frescoes of the third and fourth centuries, Christ is
frequently represented performing miracles by means of a wand. In classical Greco-Roman mythology, the god Hermes/Mercury has a special wand called a caduceus.
Six to eight foot long staves with metal tips adorning them are carried traditionally in Freemasonry during rituals of the Craft. Ceremonial uses may have several wands for different purposes, such
as the Fire Wand and the Lotus Wand in the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn. In Zoroastrianism, there is a similar ritual implement called a
barsom. In Wicca and Ceremonial
magic, practitioners use several magical tools including wands for the
channeling of energy—they serve a similar purpose to the athame
although the two have their distinct uses. While an athame is generally used to command, a wand is seen as more gentle and is
used to invite or encourage. Though traditionally made of wood, they can also consist of metal or crystal. Practitioners usually prune a branch from an Oak, Hazel, or other tree, or may even buy wood from a
hardware store, and then carve it and add decorations to personalize it; however, one can
also purchase ready-made wands. In Wicca the wand usually represents the element fire, or sometimes air.
There is some scholarly opinion that the magic wand may have its roots in the drumstick of a shaman, especially in Central Asia and Siberia, as when using it to bang on his drum or point, to perform religious, healing, and magical ceremonies.
1
Tarot cards
"Wands" is also another name for the suit of Batons or Rods, a suit of the minor arcana of the Tarot. It is normally associated with the element of fire.
Other uses
- In music, the term sometimes applies to the modern model of conductor's baton (the earlier staff and baton cantoral being heavier and thus unfit for precise
gestures).
- In literary language, "wand" can be a synonym for rod as an implement for
corporal punishment, in the generic sense: either a multiple rod or a single branch
(switch or cane), but not a specific physical type.
- Given their various symbolic and other associations, wands are suitable pervertibles,
especially for role play.
- Based on their magical symbolism, stage magicians often use "magic wands" as part
of their misdirection. These wands are traditionally black, with white tips.
- A lacrosse stick is colloquially referred to as a "wand."
- "To wand" is a colloquial verb that means to check something with a handheld metal
detector, such as at the airport and high security buildings.[2]
Wands in fiction
Magic wands commonly feature in works of fantasy fiction as
spell-casting tools. Few other common
denominators exist, so the capabilities of wands vary wildly. Note that wands fill basically the same role as wizards'
staffs, though staffs generally convey a more 'serious' image; a fairy godmother would definitely use a wand, possibly with a star on
the end, while Gandalf would most often not (however, in The
Hobbit, he is seen using a wand to fight the goblins of the Misty Mountains and their Wargs). In dramatic fiction,
wands can serve as weapons in magical duels. Wands are also common
in the fictional fantasy world of J. K. Rowling's Harry
Potter series.
The first magical wand featured in the Odyssey: that of Circe, who used it to transform Odysseus's men into animals. Italian fairy
tales put them into the hands of the powerful fairies by the late Middle Ages.[3] In the ballads such as Allison
Gross and The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the
Sea, the villainesses use silver wands to transform their victims.[4] In The Chronicles of
Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch's most feared tool is her wand, whose magic (not necessarily
by touch, as in the film) is capable of turning people into stone.
Role-playing and Video Games
In Dungeons & Dragons and D&D-derived computer role-playing games such as NetHack, wands
function as storage devices for specific magical spells, which a wielder can only use a
certain number of times before running out of "charges". Wands often allow non-wizard player characters to use spells, and also
enable wizards to use spells they couldn't ordinarily cast.
In HARP wands are part of casting traditions and as such aid in casting
attempts but are not necessary for all spellcasters.
In The Dark Eye wands are bound to the mage who created them. They serve various
purposes and can be enhanced during gameplay by casting special permanent spells on them. For instance, a wand may get the
ability to produce light or reduce the spellcasters use of arcane energy. Of course wands can be used as (unbreakable) weapons
too.
Wands also feature in a number of other fantasy video games, such as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, in which they usually serve as one
of many weapons available to the player's character.
Wands sometimes don't have any meaningful purpose or effect on gameplay, but are just parts of the story, as in
Puyo Pop Fever, where Miss Accord, a character of the game, has lost her wand that
she calls her "flying cane."
In Super Mario Bros. 3, the Koopa Kids use wands and in Yoshi's Island, Kamek uses
them to transform certain things.
In Diablo II wands are weapons in the staff class that specifically give skill bonuses to
the Necromancer character class.
In World of Warcraft, wands are used as elemental-typed, non-spell-damage, ranged
weapons for magical class player-characters.
In WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 wrestler
/ diva Candice Michelle carries a wand down to the
ring during her entrance.
In Conquer Online, wands are used as range weapons and for the skill "snow" they can
hit multiple targets for just one hit.
Notes
-
1 Ivar Lissner,
Man, God and Magic,
1961.
[1]
References
- ^ David Colbert, The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter, p 195, ISBN
0-9708442-0-4
- ^ They Wanded My Bare Feet
- ^ Raffaella Benvenuto, "Italian Fairies: Fate, Folletti, and
Other Creatures of Legend"
- ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 1,
p 315-6, Dover Publications, New York 1965
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
External links
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