Naming magic

A name spell is a more specific form of word spell and is a magical practice that tries to magically influence people with the help of their name .

For this purpose, the name of the "victim" is inserted into chants, spells, stories and the like or the name is simply pronounced during a certain ritual . But it is also possible that only the person concerned was thought of in words and pictures ( thought magic ).

A subsidiary form is the invocation of the names of powerful ancestors and gods, who were supposed to strengthen the magical effect of the spell or were only to cause it.

For this reason, many archaic cultures, for fear of the influence of magic, introduced secret names through their names , which only the initiated were allowed to know.

The choice of names by children and aspiring rulers is based on a general magical idea of ​​a name. Here it was assumed that a "wrong" name could have a harmful effect on the growing child; turn often chose ruler names of their famous predecessors to fame on her participate .

literature

• Klaus E. Müller : Word magic. An ethnology of eloquence . Lembeck, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-87476-380-3 .