Magic

Magic has many forms in the Gargoyles Universe, but two specific variants stand out above others: mortal magic (that practised by humans and some gargoyles), the magic of Avalon (which is used by Oberon's Children).

Mortal magic

Mortal magic is generally worked through spoken incantations. No language is any more magical than any other language; however, many spells are recited in an ancient language, such as Latin, because they were originally written in those languages. [1][2] A human wizard's spell usually has to be activated through a magical object of some sort, serving as a conduit, such as the Grimorum Arcanorum.

Human spells often have counterspells, but these may be tricky to work out. In some cases it may be possible to reverse a spell by discovering a condition to break it within the very incantation, and fulfill that requirement through mundane means. Thus, Xanatos broke the Magus' curse of perpetual stone sleep upon the gargoyles by making Castle Wyvern rise above the clouds (i.e., moving it to the top of the Eyrie Building), and later, with the gargoyles' help, broke Demona's curse of "stone by night" upon New York by making the skies burn (with the help of some jet packs filled with a harmless hypergolic gas). Elisa undid Demona's spell of mind control upon Goliath through a cunning stratagem; she ordered him to act for the rest of the life the way that he would if he was not under a spell.

According to Hudson, in order to be affected by magic, one has to both see and hear it; at least, this was the case with Demona's "stone by night" spell, which consequently did not affect Jeffrey Robbins because he was blind. It is uncertain if this is the case with all human spells, since the "spell of humility" that the Roman Magus cast upon all gargoyles certainly extended all over the world, far beyond the bounds of the Roman Empire.

Mortal magic can also be practiced by gargoyles, although they do not take up the study very often (Demona and Una being currently the only exceptions known to us).

Actually making use of magic seems to be quite tricky, from the evidence; it is apparent that only a practicing sorcerer can handle a spell or magical device properly. (Hence Xanatos' refusal to make use of the Grimorum as a means of undoing Demona's "stone by night" curse). Demona described the spell that she placed upon Goliath to control him as complex, even though it consisted of only a few Latin words. Presumably much of magic has to depend upon training in such matters as correct pronunciation and gestures.

Known practitioners of mortal magic include the Magus, the Archmage, Demona, Macbeth, some anonymous sorcerers in Constantine III's service mentioned by the Magus, Rabbi Loew, Una, the Aborigine shaman who served as Dingo's mentor in Australia, the Mayan wizard who crafted the Mayan Sun Amulet, and the Roman Magus. Merlin may also have used mortal magic, although this is uncertain at present, owing to his halfling heritage.

Avalon magic

Avalon magic is the inherent ability of all members of the Third Race. It is generally activated by speaking a rhyming couplet or two, although occasionally without words, or, in the case of Oberon, a single word. (During his "enhanced" period, the Archmage could also cast spells with but a single word, an indication of his great power). Judging from Alexander's case, the same applies to halflings as well.

Avalon magic cannot directly affect anything made of iron. However, the child of Oberon can get around this restriction through such methods as striking iron objects with powerful gusts of wind (as Oberon did to Xanatos when the latter was wearing an iron exo-suit).

Further information about Avalon magic can be found in the entry on Oberon's Children.

Other notes on magic

According to Xanatos, "mixing magics is dangerous." Presumably, this applies in particular to mixing mortal magic with Avalon magic, although it could even apply to mixing two pieces of mortal magic, given that the context in which he uttered this statement was Owen's suggestion of using a spell in the Grimorum Arcanorum to undo Demona's "stone by night" curse upon New York.

Beyond Avalon and mortal magic, there are other forms. The Space-Spawn may have practitioners of alien sorcery, although this has yet to be confirmed. Ghosts, such as those of Hakon and the Captain of the Guard, have intrinsic magical abilities, such as being able to conjure up illusions or temporarily possess people. Objects can be charged with magic: among these are the Grimorum Arcanorum, the Eye of Odin, the Phoenix Gate, the Cauldron of Life, the Mayan Sun Amulet, the Praying Gargoyle, the Medici Tablet, the Scroll of Thoth, the Stone of Destiny, and maybe Excalibur. (Not every object in the possession of a wizard is necessarily magical, however, as witness the Scrolls of Merlin). Certain places can also become charged with powerful magic, such as the Archmage's cave. Some such places even gain a certain atmosphere of holiness, a sense of connection with God, and humans build temples and churches in such places. As a result, some forms of magic need to be cast on holy ground, such as Demona's use of the Fulfillment Spell (which she cast in St. Damien's Cathedral).

Further information about magic can be found in the specific entries on individual magic-users or artifacts.