7 Fun Facts About Magic

We may not be able to answer the question “is magic real?” But did you know these fun facts about magic?

Who performed magic first?

The first people to perform magic acts were the ancient Persians around 600BC. One of the earliest recorded uses of the word was when Darius the Great described a pretender to the throne as a ‘magus’, by which he meant a trickster.

Origin of the word ‘magic’

According to the Oxford dictionary, the word ‘magic’ is “from Latin magicus (adjective), late Latin magica (noun), from Greek magikē (tekhnē) ‘(art of) a magus’ magi were regarded as magicians.

Magic became respectable in the early 18th century 

Magic was originally a form of entertainment at fairs where performers would impress the crowd with acts such as juggling and sword swallowing. However by the 18th century magic became a respectable practice and magicians began to perform for rich private patrons.

Where do the terms ‘hocus pocus’ and ‘abracadabra’ come from?

The magic words ‘hocus pocus’ are thought to originate from the name of a sorcerer in Norse mythology called Ochus Bochus. It was changed to ‘hocus pocus’ after a magician in the court of King James I was introduced as “The King’s Majesties most excellent Hocus Pocus”

‘Abracadabra’ comes from an inscription people used to wear during the Black Plague, hoping it would somehow magically protect them. 

Did you know that Houdini died on Halloween?

Houdini died on Halloween in 1926. He was giving a lecture to a group of students, when one of his students punched him in the abdomen to check if his claim of withstanding any blow was true. As the student hadn’t given Houdini the chance to brace himself, the magician suffered injuries including a ruptured appendix. He refused hospital treatment until it was too late and he died a few days later, on 31st October. 

The Magic Circle used to be men only

The Magic Circle has recently appointed Megan Swann to be its first-ever woman President. But did you know that, until 1991, women weren’t allowed to even be a member of the Circle. Megan is also the youngest person to be appointed as the President which reflects the growing interest in magic by younger people. If your children are interested in taking advantage of the growing popularity of magicians, why not book them in for magic lessons. They’ll learn how to do tricks with cards, rope and coins, and all the props will be included in the lesson. 

Now, even a glove puppet is a member of the Magic Circle 

Whatever age you are, you’ll hopefully have fond childhood memories of Sooty. The quietest glove puppet on TV is something of a magician in his own right, albeit not the best. But his enduring popularity has earned him Honorary Membership of the Circle where he can rub shoulders with the likes of Dynamo and David Copperfield. 

If you’re looking for a way of entertaining guests at your wedding, party, or corporate event, check out my videos to get an idea of how I can add some of my magic sparkles to it! Get in touch to find out more and to see if I’m available on the day of your event.