History Main / TheLawsOfMagic

** Law of Relevance: added to the Law of Contagion in the Literature/LordDarcy series. The effectiveness of the connection created by the Law of Contagion depends upon the relevance of the contact. For example, if only one person has ever worn a pair of shoes, it's easy to use the shoes magically to identify that person, because that person is very relevant to those shoes. However, identifying the last person to use, say, a house pair of bowling shoes is difficult or impossible, because that person has no special relevance to those shoes.

Not to be confused with the book series The Laws Of Magic, despite the story using many of the below.

Related to FunctionalMagic and MagicAIsMagicA. See also TheoryOfNarrativeCausality.

Not to be confused with the book series Literature/TheLawsOfMagic, despite the story using many of the below.

Related to MagicAIsMagicA. And FunctionalMagic.

When people go around using magic at random in fiction, certain laws are employed to explain how such magic works. This is particularly true of FunctionalMagic. It is not however true, of PsychicPowers, and LeyLine magic, [[FunctionalMagic Theurgy, Force Magic, Alchemy]], and WildMagic may operate on different rules. Some constants, such as the law of Association, may still be true though (a person with PsychicPowers may be able to sense someone due to common traits).

* Ironically, these laws in regard to FunctionalMagic are largely averted in fantasy due to a combination of the fact that the [[SmallReferencePools full list of laws is]] [[GeekReferencePool somewhat obscure]], and simply TheyJustDidntCare, with the exception of the Law Of Knowledge (basically in order to use magic someone has to know enough to use it), the Law of Names (in works where IKnowYourTrueName is in play), the Law of Words of Power, and the Law of Balance (mainly just used because otherwise people cast spells one right after another with no fatigue or anything).

** Law of Words of Power: Knowing the name of a phenomenon allows you to summon it (This law is responsible for things like CallingYourAttacks).

* According to Jewish tradition, the Name of God (which is commonly YHWH, but there's supposedly a much longer version of this name only used by the Jewish high priest) is forbidden to be said, despite being being said liberally throughout ''Literature/TheBible''. This is definitely part of the Law of Names, and is likely due to fear of misuse or simply turning the name of God into a mundane word.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': The title character uses the Law of Contagion, as a basic crime-solving technique.
** He used the Law Of Infinite Data to send Ivy a message, on one occasion, and also frequently uses the Law of Names.
* Ironically, these laws in regard to FunctionalMagic are largely averted in fantasy due to a combination of the fact that the [[SmallReferencePools full list of laws is]] [[GeekReferencePool somewhat obscure]], and simply TheyJustDidntCare, with the exception of The Law Of Knowledge (basically in order to use magic someone has to know enough to use it), The Law of Names (in works where IKnowYourTrueName is in play), Law of Words of Power, and the Law of Balance (mainly just used because otherwise people cast spells one right after another with no fatigue or anything).

** Law of True Falsehoods: If it's a paradox, the paradox is probably true (LogicBomb, is the most obvious one of these).

** Law of Synecdoche (from the Literature/LordDarcy series) "the part is equivalent to the whole". An example would be using someone's hair to cast a spell on them.

Most of these have been ripped wholly from [[http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/l/laws_of_magic.html this site]], which in turn took them from Isaac Bonewits' book Real Magic. When people go around using magic at random in fiction, certain laws are employed to explain how such magic works. This is particularly true of FunctionalMagic. It is not however true, of PsychicPowers, and LeyLine magic, [[FunctionalMagic Theurgy, Force Magic, Alchemy]], and WildMagic may operate on different rules. Some constants, such as the law of Association, may still be true though (a person with PsychicPowers may be able to sense someone due to common traits).

Ripped wholly from [[http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/l/laws_of_magic.html this site]]. When people go around using magic at random in fiction, certain laws are employed to explain how such magic works. This is particularly true of FunctionalMagic. It is not however true, of PsychicPowers, and LeyLine magic, [[FunctionalMagic Theurgy, Force Magic, Alchemy]], and WildMagic may operate on different rules. Some constants, such as the law of Association, may still be true though (a person with PsychicPowers may be able to sense someone due to common traits).

* According to Jewish tradition, the Name of God (which is commonly YHWH, but there's supposedly a much longer version of this name only used by the Jewish high priest) is forbidden to be said, despite being being said liberally throughout ''Literature/The Bible''. This is definitely part of the Law of Names, and is likely due to fear of misuse or simply turning the name of God into a mundane word.

* ''Literature/TheBible'' of all places. According to Jewish tradition, the Name of God (which is commonly YHWH, but there's supposedly a much longer version of this name only used by the Jewish high priest) is forbidden to be said. This is definitely part of the Law of Names, and is likely due to fear of misuse or simply turning the name of God into a mundane word.
** There's also points in the Bible where the Law of Words Of Power is used. When Jesus heals a deaf man, he uses the word ''Ephphatha'' (meaning "be opened") to unstop his ears.

* Terry Brooks' {{Shannara}} series frequently uses Law of Balance. Basically, the idea is that magic used up takes its toll on the body, and using more than the body has (well, it produces [[TheHeartless Shadowen]]).

** Law of Synecdoche (from the LordDarcy series) "the part is equivalent to the whole". An example would be using someone's hair to cast a spell on them.

* Law of Infinite Data: There always new information for one to learn. The sources of knowledge are limitless if one wishes to tap them. (TheLibraryOfBabel or Cyberspace is a good source of infinite data)

* Every fantasy setting created by Creator/HarryTurtledove uses two fundamental laws of magic, the Law of Similarity (two similar-looking things have a magical link) and the Law of Contagion (two things that have touched have a magical link). Examples include ''{{Videssos}}'' and the ''Literature/DarknessSeries''--in the latter, [[FantasticScience research mages]] discover a new fundamental connection between the two laws, which allows them to create a FantasticNuke.

* ''DresdenFiles'': The title character uses the Law of Contagion, as a basic crime-solving technique.

* Every fantasy setting created by HarryTurtledove uses two fundamental laws of magic, the Law of Similarity (two similar-looking things have a magical link) and the Law of Contagion (two things that have touched have a magical link). Examples include {{Videssos}} and the DarknessSeries--in the latter, [[FantasticScience research mages]] discover a new fundamental connection between the two laws, which allows them to create a FantasticNuke.

** Law of Synecdoche (from Lord d'Arcy series) "the part is equivalent to the whole". An example would be using someone's hair to cast a spell on them.

* The Law of Names: Related to both the Law of Knowledge and the Law of Association. The law simply states that by knowing the true and complete name of an phenomena or entity gives you complete control over it (This law is responsible for things like IKnowYourTrueName).

Related to MagicAIsMagicA. And FunctionalMagic.

Not to be confused with the book series {{Literature/The Laws Of Magic}}, despite the story using many of the below.

* The Law Of Knowledge: With understanding comes control and power. (This law is responsible for things like AwesomeByAnalysis).

** Law of Words of Power: Knowing the name of a phenomenon allows you to summon it (This law is responsible for things like CallingYourAttacks).

** Law of True Falsehoods: If it's a paradox, the paradox is probably true (LogicBomb, is the most obvious one of these).

* ''TheBible'' of all places. According to Jewish tradition, the Name of God (which is commonly YHWH, but there's supposedly a much longer version of this name only used by the Jewish high priest) is forbidden to be said. This is definitely part of the Law of Names, and is likely due to fear of misuse or simply turning the name of God into a mundane word.

Not to be confused with the book series TheLawsOfMagic, despite the story using many of the below.

* {{HarryTurtledove}}'s [[DarknessSeries World At War]] series has two of the Laws of Magic (Contagion and... I forget the other). Much of the series involves trying to combine these two into a FantasticNuke.