History Main / HandOfGlory

** The Seneschal from the Forest Kingdom novels uses one in ''Beyond The Blue Moon'', which was made from the hand of the first Forest King and hence, has the authority to open any door in Forest Castle [[spoiler: including those in the Inverted Cathedral]].

* A Hand is used in the 1997 ''Quicksilver Highway'' to introduce an adaption of Creator/{{Clive Barker}}'s story, ''"The Body Politic"''.

* ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles'' has Hands of Glory serving as channels for an extradimensional energy source. Not only do they bestow {{invisibility}}, they can be used to fire FrickinLaserBeams, though the later causes the hand to degrade. The Laundry usually gets theirs from stray birds (ever wonder why there are so many one-legged pigeons?), though Chinese political prisoners aren't unheard of.

* ''Literature/TheIronDragonsDaughter'': Jane crafts a Hand to steal from [[OurElvesAreBetter Galiagante]]. Those who look into the flames are {{Brainwashed}} though the victim only fulfils one request for each wick lit. The hand also [[SkeletonKey opens every lock]] and since she used one of Galiagante's credit cards in its creation, the hand directs Jane to his wealth (though opulence of his home makes it hard to zero in on his safe).

* In ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia'', there's one of these on a desk in the main characters' dorm room. Suffice it to say that it most likely belongs to [[LadyOfBlackMagic Sucy]].

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* In Creator/MicroProse's ''The Legacy: Realm of Terror'', [[BlobMosnter Slimes]] will shy away from the light cast by the Hand of Glory.

* The Hand of Glory is one of the Relics in the Archeology Dig Site in ''VideoGame/BoardGameOnline''.

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* In Creator/MicroProse's ''The Legacy: Realm of Terror'', {{Slimes}} will shy away from the light cast by the Hand of Glory.

* In ''Literature/TheHouseWithAClockInItsWalls'', the villian Mrs. Izard uses a Hand to momentarily paralyze Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmermann when they and Lewis finally find the hidden Doomsday Clock.

* The Hand of Glory from ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' can be worn around the neck (presumably not alight). It provides an extra place to wear a [[RingOfPower magic ring]] along with being able to cast a few spells. Specifically, it casts ''daylight'' (makes an object emit light) and ''see invisibility'' (ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin) once a day even though these are the opposite of the usual stealth uses for the Hand. These spells make it more usual for catching a sneak rather then sneaking around.

* ''Literature/TheLaundryFiles'' has Hands of Glory serving as channels from an extradimensional energy source. Not only do they bestow {{invisibility}}, they can be used to fire FrickinLaserBeams, though this causes the hand to degrade. The Laundry usually gets theirs from stray birds (ever wonder why there are so many one-legged pigeons?), though Chinese political prisoners aren't unheard of.

* ''Film/AngelHeart'': While searching Madame Krusemark's home, Harry Angel finds one that she kept in a box, a hint of the DarkMagic that she and Johnny practiced.

* ''Literature/TheIronDragonsDaughter'': Jane crafts a Hand to steal from [[OurElvesAreBetter Galiagante]]. Those who look into the flames are {{hypnotize}}d though the victim only fulfils one request for each wick lit. The hand also [[SkeletonKey opens every lock]] and since she used one of Galiagante's credit cards in its creation, the hand directs Jane to his wealth (though opulence of his home makes it hard to zero in on his safe).

** Hands of Glory can be sent as gifts during the Feast of the Exceptional Rose because nothing says love like a severed limb that helps you sneak around.

* In ''The Legacy: Realm of Terror'' from Creator/MicroProse, {{Slimes}} will shy away from the light cast by the Hand of Glory.

* ''VideoGame/WarhammerOnline'': One of the destruction quests in Ostland is making a Hand of Glory from a candle sacred to [[CrystalDragonJesus Sigmar]] and the severed hand of a [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier Ghoul,]] Faethel the Ragged. Being a {{MMORPG}}, the PlayerCharacter has to go out and gather the parts themselves.

A [[PublicDomainArtifact Hand of Glory]] is a preserved [[HumanResources severed hand]] that can serve as a source of light, either due to its holding a candle, often one made from human tallow, or because each finger has been made into a candle. The Hand was often said to have belonged to a hanged man--either [[ASinisterClue his left hand]] or, if the man was a murderer, the hand that did the deed. Another source is the arm of an unborn child.

The Hand is variously ascribed a number of magical abilities that it is supposed to produce whilst the wick stays lit, including providing a light that only the wielder can see, [[SkeletonKey unlocking any door]] it comes across or sending anyone into a household/anyone who looks into the flame to sleep/[[TheParalyzer paralyzing them]]. Generally any power that would be of use to a sneak thief. Generally an artifact of BlackMagic--something that no respectable GentlemanWizard would own, use, or even want to touch.

** In ''Box of Evil'', Igor Bromhead uses a Hand to steal a box that had the demon Ualac [[SealedEvilInACan trapped inside.]] It paralyzes the home owner while Bromhead steals the box right in front of him and Bromhead leaves the Hand behind him forcing the home owner to wait for hours till he could move.

* Balberith, Hell's Librarian from the ''Franchise/{{Hellraiser}}'' comics created a Hand from the man who summoned her that turned her {{invisible}}.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' Malfoy notices a Hand of Glory in Borgin and Burkes. [[spoiler:He [[ChekhovsGun eventually uses it]] in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince the Half-Blood Prince]]'' for his plan to let Death Eaters into the school.]]

-->...a man thrust what appeared to be a child's severed hand clutching a candle toward him as he passed, muttering, "Hand of Glory, sir? Send 'em up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire. Guaranteed to work." Richard hurried past, not wishing to find out what a Hand of Glory was, nor how it worked;...

* There's an old English fairytale about the Hand of Glory: an old woman comes to stay at an inn for the night, begging shelter. The servant girl notices that the 'old woman' actually appears to be a man and only pretends to sleep, seeing him light the dead man's hand and start looting the house. She tries to wake her masters and finds them in a charmed sleep; she pours water, than beer over the hand and it does nothing; she finally pours milk over the hand and puts it out. The landlord wakes and drives the thief away, or in one version the landlord's son shoots the thief and his cronies dead.

* In ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia'', there's one of these on a desk in the main characters' dorm room. Suffice it to say that it most likely belongs to Sucy.

* ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil'' has the Hand as a top-level example of [[TheyWouldCutYouUp the Cheiron Group's]] Thaumatechnology. Instead of granting invisibility, however, it grants a light that enthralls all who see it. And unlike other examples, the user needs to have it grafted to their wrist first. It's always a bit cold and wrinkled, like you just pulled it out of a bath. Fun times can ensue if you blow the roll to use it - you get stuck staring at it ''yourself'' until someone puts it out (the flames don't consume your flesh, but only go out if you stick them in milk).

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/TheWickerMan http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2af60ec23a29a16a459bcb93b283cda2.jpg]]]]

* One is used in the original ''Film/TheWickerMan'' against Sgt. Howie.

* There's an old English fairytale about the Hand of Glory: an old woman comes to stay at an inn for the night, begging shelter. The servant girl notices that the 'old woman' actually appears to be a man and only pretends to sleep, seeing him light the dead man's hand and start letting the house. She tries to wake her masters and finds them in a charmed sleep; she pours water, than beer over the hand and it does nothing; she finally pours milk over the hand and puts it out. Her masters wake and drive the theif away, or in one version the landlord's son shoots the theif and his cronies dead.

A [[PublicDomainArtifact Hand of Glory]] is a preserved [[HumanResources severed hand]] holding a candle, often one made from human tallow or each finger made into a candle. The Hand was often said to have belonged to a hanged man--either [[ASinisterClue his left hand]] or, if the man was a murderer, the hand that did the deed. Another source is the arm of an unborn child.

* In ''TabletopGame/DarkMatter'' what a hand of glory does depends on what the original owner did such as thief makes people fall a sleep while a magicians hand makes the user smarter and more skilled at magic.
* The Hand of Glory from ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' can be worn around the neck (presumably not alight). It provides an extra place to wear a [[RingOfPower magic ring]] along with being able to cast a few spells.
** The Hand casts ''daylight'' (makes an object emit light) and ''see invisibility'' (ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin) once a day even though these are the oppisite of the usual stealth uses for the Hand. These spells make it more usual for catching a sneak rather then sneaking around.

** The "Forged of Darkness" supplement for the ''{{TabletopGame/Ravenloft}}'' D&D setting included multiple versions of the Hand of Glory, each having different powers and a different number of fingers in the extended position.

* ''Literature/TheLaundrySeries'' has Hands of Glory serving as channels from an extradimensional energy source. Not only do they bestow {{invisibility}}, they can be used to fire FrickinLaserBeams, though this causes the hand to degrade. The Laundry usually gets theirs from stray birds (ever wonder why there are so many one-legged pigeons?), though Chinese political prisoners aren't unheard of.
* ''Literature/LordDarcy'' story ''"The Eyes Have It"'' Lord Darcy and Master Sean find a Hand in a chest owned by Laird Duncan, the possession of which without a Research Permit from the Church is proof of practicing Black Magic.

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* The Hand in ''Comicbook/TheInvisibles'' is a powerful artifact that can open doors in timespace – i.e. open gates to other worlds and ages. It is hinted that the Hand is Jack Frost's hand, who uses it to fold in time like a cursor on a computer screen.

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