Article by Sébastien Thill

Theory and Scriptwriting

Few objects evoke the magician as powerfully as the magic wand! Whether used by mages, magicians, witches, or fairies, this object has long been entrenched in the collective imagination.

But how did this instrument come about? And when do its origins date back to?

I. Theory

Whether used to transmit energy, cast spells, find a hidden source underground, or distract attention, the magic wand has become an essential accessory in the magician's toolkit; it has even become a kind of symbol.

In Jean Chevalier and Gheerbrant's Dictionnaire des symboles. Mythes, rêves, coutumes, gestes, formes, couleurs, nombres (published by Albin Michel in 1982), this "staff" originally appears as an aid to "compensate for a form of infirmity" (like a crutch, or a cane for someone who has lost their sight), as if the price to pay in exchange for superhuman powers was the "loss of their physical integrity."

This notion of a price to pay is also found in many illusionist acts (deprivation of a sense: blindfolded, hands tied, etc.).

This concept can also be seen in Christopher Nolan's marvelous film The Prestige, in which an old magician (referencing Chung Ling Soo) is forced to pretend to limp and be physically diminished at each public appearance to preserve the secret of his act. A life dedicated to his Art, in short.

Conversely, it can also be interesting to view this question from another angle: beyond physical disability, can't the blind person also be considered as one who does not trust appearances and who has access to a level of truth that escapes ordinary mortals?

I can only encourage you to acquire and read Le magicien boiteux by Guillaume Pavot, published by Editions du Cabinet d'Illusions, a book as fascinating as it is atypical.

II. A Bit of History

Whether used by Initiates, Mages, Fairies, Sorcerers or Witches, Female Magicians or Male Magicians, the magic wand is above all an object of power.

The first traces of the use of the magic wand date back to ancient Egypt and Greece. At that time, the wand was a simple stick, symbolizing authority and magical and mystical powers (the examples are countless: scepters, dowsing rods, conductor's baton...).

Don't we say "to rule with an iron rod"?

Since then, the appearance, as well as the symbolism, of the wand have changed significantly.

In the Middle Ages, alchemist magicians adopted the wand as a symbol of their magical powers. They used it to cast spells, draw protective circles on the ground...

At the time, when a magician carved his wand, it was to evoke the Demons or Spirits whose powers he wished to appropriate (power of healing, control of the force of the elements...)

Since the 19th century and Robert-Houdin, magicians still use the model he designed, black with white tips, to perform their acts.

Another interesting historical element is the omnipresence of magic wands in literature.

Homer in The Odyssey tells, for example, that Circe made people drink a potion before striking them with her wand to transform them into pigs.

The famous storyteller Charles Perrault evoked the magic wand in his 17th-century work and equipped the fairy godmothers of Cinderella, "Donkeyskin," and "Sleeping Beauty" with it.

More recently, it can be found in various forms in Disney Studios animated films (The Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Sword in the Stone...), the Narnia sagas, or The Lord of the Rings.

Of course, we won't forget the Harry Potter series, for which magic wands have become an essential product of official merchandising, available in the most diverse forms!

III. Scriptwriting Elements

Beyond merchandising, J.K. Rowling creates a true encyclopedia of wands in her books, an entire "Code of Use" that can help us script this accessory. Let me present its characteristics.

The choice is the first element that defines a magic wand.

Each wand chooses its ideal owner and begins to learn things from its human partner while also teaching them something new.

Indeed, upon arrival at Hogwarts, wizards purchase their wands at the age of eleven before beginning their magical education. Young wizards can go buy their wands themselves from a vendor (Ollivander).

And you, how did your wand choose you?

That's a good approach before starting your act!

The history of the wand can also be exploited.

It can also happen, more rarely, that a young wizard's wand comes from a family member, for sentimental or financial reasons.

One of the worst punishments is when a wizard's wand is confiscated for various reasons: the use of magic by a minor or a student's expulsion from school, which leads to the destruction of their wand.

Although many wands are considered loyal to their master, some of them may decide to submit to another wizard when the wizard is defeated, by killing or disarming them against their will.

The wood from which the wand is made is the element that gives it its personality, making it prefer certain abilities or personality traits of the witch or wizard that the wand will choose.

Few trees seem to consist of wood of sufficient quality to allow for the manufacture of a wand. Several years of experience are necessary for a wandmaker to determine which trees are capable of producing such wood.

Sometimes, the birth date of a witch or wizard also influences the wood of their wand according to the Celtic calendar (for example, from December 24 to January 20, birch will be selected, while oak will be preferred between June 10 and July 7).

Wand woods are known, and so is their reputation.

For example, acacia is difficult to use, very selective of the wizard it chooses; it prefers gifted wizards, while mahogany is effective for metamorphosis.

Elderwood, for its part, loves power and is extremely difficult to master.

As you can see, you can invent an entire mythology

around the wand you possess!

The core of a wand is hidden beneath this wood essence. It is the element that most influences its power and abilities. "Wand cores" are very varied and can come from any magical creature: unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, phoenix feather (some cores will always be more powerful than others).

A wizard can also choose the core that will make up their wand, but this would significantly reduce the wand's power.

It's up to you to imagine your "wand core"!

Other characteristics can also be incorporated into our scenario.

The length of a wand is indicative of the wizard it chooses.

Most wands measure between 22 and 35 centimeters; longer wands also tend to be more attracted to strong personalities and those practicing magic on a grand scale.

The thickness of the wand, meanwhile, will indicate the style of magic its owner prefers, with thinner wands being, for example, more suited to "elegant and refined" spells.

Finally, the flexibility of a wand is generally characterized by its master's ability to adapt and be open to change.

Finally, why not find an object dear to you that could play the role of YOUR magic wand (a leaf, a diploma, a rolled-up photo, a ruler used at school, a knife, a pen, a closed fan, etc.)

To conclude, as you will have understood, this article dedicated to the history of the magic wand as an accessory was mainly a pretext.

Firstly, to remind you that it is a powerful way to divert the audience's attention (by raising it above your head with your right hand while your left hand secretly works, making it clink by striking a glass with it, rolling it on the table, etc.)

But above all, as I try to do in each of my articles, a pretext to help you create a scenario, an atmosphere, a particular universe, to motivate a trick, by playing in turn (so to speak!) on its age, its history, its choice, its diameter, its length (revealing the rank of a card?), the essence of its wood (which, spelled out, reveals a page, a line, a chosen letter?)

It is difficult, given so many avenues of research, to find a concluding remark.

And yet there is one that comes to mind: Abracadabra!