Hex, Jinx, Curse, Charm & Spells

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 120962


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, chnc1024 at A... wrote:
> Chancie:
>  
> OK Question.  Does anyone know what qualifies Spells as either, a 
> Hex Jinx, Curse, or Charm?  I can't seem to find any kind of 
> defining  trait, except of course a Curse is bad.  But it seems 
> pretty much up in  the air for the rest.  I'd really like to know if
> anyone else has any  ideas on  this.  
>  
> Chancie


bboyminn:

It just so happens I have a long essay on this subject that I've
posted here before. Although, it would probably take me hours to track
down that specific post. So, I'll post it again. I tried to get
HP-Lexicon to publish it, but no luck.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On the Nature of Spells, Charms, And Jinxes-

For what it's worth lets start with formal definitions just so we have
a reference point, then work our way up to applied definitions.

Jinx - To bring bad luck to

Hex - An evil spell; a curse

Curse - 1.a. An appeal or prayer for evil or misfortune to befall
someone or something. 2. To invoke evil or misfortune upon; damn. 3.
To bring evil upon; afflict:

Charm - (a charm, amulet, fetish, juju, talisman) 1. An item worn for
its supposed magical benefit, as in warding off evil; an amulet. 2. To
function as an amulet or charm. (to charm) 1. An action or formula
thought to have magical power. 2. The chanting of a magic word or
verse; incantation 3. To cast or seem to cast a spell on; bewitch. 4.
To use magic spells

Spell - 1.a. A word or formula believed to have magic power. 1.b. A
bewitched state; a trance. 2. To put (someone) under a spell; bewitch.


Now to my interpretation-

A SPELL is a broad general purpose reference that refers to all 'cast'
magic; that is, refers to most magic other than potions. Restated, all
non-potions magic is some form of a spell. Although, I concede that
Potions could have spells cast upon them; however, that would make
them Charmed Potions. See CHARMS. Being 'cast' magic implies the use
of a wand, however, if we consider the variations of magic worldwide,
a wand isn't an absolute given.

CHARMS are in two categories; charm spells and charmed object. Charms
as cast magic are made up of spells that are applied to objects;
summoning and banishing charms, for example. Although, it is possible
for the 'object' to be a person. Charm spells can also be applied to
objects to give them protective properties, thereby creating the
second class of charms; charmed object. Charmed objects are carried by
people as a form of protection to ward off evil and dark magic.

A CURSE is a form of attack magic; a spell that assaults a person. For
example, the curse of the Bat Bogeys, a Ginny Weasley specialty. If an
otherwise benevolent spell is used to assault a person that applied
intent is what defines it as a curse. 

Curses can be cast with a wand, or merely uttered as in the form of a
jinx. In this sense, we really have two forms of curses; one is an
event curse and the other is a sustained curse (more on this below).
>From another perspective, you can cast an event curse at someone, or
you can put a sustained curse upon them. Once again, we see how the
definitions and applications of these various terms overlap.

A HEX I think is another word for a curse; to hex someone is to curse
them. Hex and curse are always negative. There are no healing or happy
hexes or curses. The Tickle Charm (Rictusempra, used against Malfoy
while he and Harry dueled) becomes a hex or a curse when it is used to
assault a person. I speculate that under the right circumstances a Hex
could be a combination of a Jinx and a Curse, in that it is assaultive
and implies that there may be some lingering bad luck. This is another
excellent example of how spells, charms, hexes, and curses all overlap
in meaning.

A JINX is a way of forcing bad luck onto a person. The bad luck may be
general bad luck, or it may take on a specific intended form. Quirrel
tries to jinx Harry's broom, that jinx forces Harry's broom to try and
buck him off. Being bucked off your broom would certainly be bad luck.
Draco also used a 'trip jinx' that causes Harry to trip and fall when
he is running from the DA room trying to escape Umbridge. It doesn't
put a magical object (like a rope or a rock) or magic force in Harry's
path that causes him to trip. Draco simple curses Harry with a bit of
specific bad luck that causes him to trip.

A jinx like a curse or a hex is never positive, it is always an
assault of some kind.

I want to pause here with a side note, cast magic, spells cast with a
wand come in two forms 'event' spells and 'sustained' spells.

An event spell is like the Stupefy Stunning Curse, which to some
extent is analogous to a gun, BANG! you are stunned.

The Cruciatus Pain Curse is a sustained curse, you must cast the spell
and hold it for as long as you want it to continue. Notice, in all
cases but one where the Pain Curse is used, the curse is sustained
until the caster withdraws his wand with the intent of ending the effect.

When Harry used the Cruciatus Pain Curse against Bellatrix Lestrange
in Ministry of Magic Atrium battle in Order of the Phoenix, it didn't
fail because Harry wasn't powerful enough or vicious enough, it failed
because he did it wrong. The Pain Curse is obviously a sustained
curse, yet Harry cast it like an event curse. He cast it and
immediately withdrew his wand and his intent thereby ending the effect.

One could argue both ways with regard to the Imperius Mind Control
Curse. It does sustain, but since it sustains over days, and even
perhaps weeks and months, it's hard to believe a wizard can sustain
concentrated intent for so long. So, I conclude that the Imperius Mind
Control Curse is a form of Bewitchment (see below). In one sense, it
is a sustained curse simply because the effect is sustained, but not
in the sense that the wizard has to maintain continuous sustained intent.

So, we have both 'event' and 'sustained' spells.

Maybe we should add BEWITCH to the list.

Bewitch - 1. To place under one's power by or as if by magic; cast a
spell over.

Note: we now have several applications of 'Spell'; to cast a spell
upon or against, and to be put under a spell as in a sustained
bewitchment. 

So, 'to bewitch' means to apply magic to, although, there is a subtle
implication that to bewitch something or someone, means that the magic
will linger. When you charm an object with protective properties, the
properties linger or remain in the object making it a bewitched
object. Bewitching a person to some extent also implies that the
person has come under your power, so the Imperius Curse, because the
ability to control the person lingers after the spell is cast, is a
form of bewitchment.

DE's claimed 'bewitchment', and that they had no control over acts
they performed under Voldemort's Imperius Curse. Which means a spell
was cast against them, it was negative, so the spell was a curse
(event and sustained curse), also, they were /under/ a spell and
therefore charmed, enchanted, and bewitched. On top of that, they were
probably hexed and jinxed too. So, there is a significant overlap in
the definitions.


Also -

Enchant - 1. To cast a spell over; bewitch.

Entrance - 1. To put into a trance. 2. To fill with delight, wonder,
or enchantment: a child who was entranced by a fairy tale. See
Synonyms at charm.

Ensorcel - To enchant; bewitch.

incantation - 1. Ritual recitation of verbal charms or spells to
produce a magic effect. 2.a. A formula used in ritual recitation; a
verbal charm or spell.

Any more?

Steve/bboyminn (was bboy_mn)