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Magic (personified as the god heka) was an integral part of religion and culture which is known to us through a substantial corpus of texts which are products of the Egyptian tradition. [10] While the category magic has been contentious for modern Egyptology, there is clear support for its applicability from ancient terminology. [11]
Black magic as a category did not exist in ancient Mesopotamia, and a person legitimately using magic to defend themselves against illegitimate magic would use exactly the same techniques. [39] The only major difference was that curses were enacted in secret; [ 39 ] whereas a defense against sorcery was conducted in the open, in front of an ...
Magic was an important part of ancient Mesopotamian religion and society, which distinguished between 'good' (helpful) and 'bad' (harmful) rites. [87] In ancient Mesopotamia, they mainly used counter-magic against witchcraft (kišpū [88]), but the law codes also prescribed the death penalty for those found guilty of witchcraft. [87]
Magic in literature, while condemned by some Christians, is often viewed by Christians as non-evil. The key distinction would be between real-life magic and pretend magic. This view holds that in real life, the practice of supernatural abilities (i.e. magic) must have a supernatural power source or origin, which would be either holy or evil.
Toufic Fahd describes the difference between divination and magic as blurred. Both share a "practical and nontheoretical character"; use "supernatural means to predict natural elements", and share the technique of obtaining knowledge from "demonic inspiration"; but in "Islamic magical literature", the two "run parallel without mingling". [18]
[2] [3] In parallel with "sword and sorcery", the term "heroic fantasy" is used, although it is a more loosely defined genre. [4] Sword and sorcery tales eschew overarching themes of "good vs evil" in favor of situational conflicts that often pit morally gray characters against one another to enrich themselves, or to defy tyranny.
Medical magic and protective magic were regarded as helpful, and called ‘white’, while sorcery was considered evil and ‘black’. Distinguishing between black magic and white magic often relied on perspective, for example, if a healer attempted to cure a patient and failed, some would accuse the healer of intentionally harming the patient.
Black magic as a category didn't exist in ancient Mesopotamia, and a person legitimately using magic to defend themselves against illegitimate magic would use exactly the same techniques. [4] The only major difference was the fact that curses were enacted in secret; [ 4 ] whereas a defense against sorcery was conducted in the open, in front of ...