I have too many wierd niche fascinations that constantly take me on strange tangents of research, and etymology (the study of words) is a regular distraction of mine.
Words are powerful and in this world of double-talk and reverse speech it can often be illuminating to take the time and research their origins.
For example - did you know that "Abracadabra" isn't just a lame catchphrase made up by stage magicians ?
Abracadabra! Witness this dark sorcery
Source: Wierd Al Yankovic and "The Mysterious Floating Orb"
There is a bit of disagreement around the exact origin and meaning, but the most common explanation I've found is that it is an ancient Aramaic phrase that means
“I will create with words.”
This translation is repeated in David Aarons book "Endless Light: The Ancient Path of Kabbalah [1998]
David is the head of the Isralight Institute in Jerusalem and is recognised as a historical and cultural expert.
2 different abracadabra talismans - Bling!
The oldest reference I could find was from a Roman sage named "Serenus Sammonicus" in the 2nd century AD from his manuscript Liber Medicinalis, and describes the invocation of this word as protection from disease.
The malady the Greeks call hemitritaeos is more deadly. None of our ancestors could name this disease in our own language, nor did they feel the need to. On a piece of parchment, write the so-called ‘abracadabra’ several times, repeating it on the line below; but take off the end, so that gradually individual letters, which you will take away each time, are missing from the word. Continue until the (last) letter makes the apex of a cone. Remember to wind this with linen and hang it around the neck. Many people say that the lard of a lion is effective . . .
A highly-placed well-educated and respected man using words and intent to ward-off disease. The practice of wearing the words around the neck persisted for nearly 2000 years
An abracadabra parchment talisman as described by Serenus Sammonicus
(Source: Wikimedia)
Although that meaning and intent was widespread and long-lasting, it wasn't without its critics.
For example we have a Journal entry from 1722 by Daniel Defoe titled "Journal of Plague Year
People deceiv’d; and this was in wearing Charms, Philters, Exorcisms, Amulets, and I know not what Preparations, to fortify the Body with them against the Plague; as if the Plague was but a kind of a Possession of an evil Spirit; and that it was to be kept off with Crossings, Signs of the Zodiac, Papers tied up with so many Knots; and certain Words, or Figures written on them, as particularly the Word Abracadabra, form’d in Triangle, or Pyramid…
How the poor People found the Insufficiency of those things, and how many of them were afterwards carried away in the Dead-Carts.
It wasn't until sometime in the beginning of the 1900's as large-scale stage illusionists regained popularity that the common believed meaning changed from medicine to magic.
A vocal scholar William Isaacs believes that cadabra can be broken up into two root words:
“Ca translates to ‘as.’ Dabra is the first person of the verb daber, ‘to speak’”
(Source: The Art Of Thinking Together, 1999).
According to Isaacs cadabra means “as I speak,” equivalent to “upon my command."
Alternative schools of thought like the one below claim it was derived from the Hebrew phrase abreq ad habra "Hurl your thunderbold even unto death"
*From A Dictionary of Symbols By J. E. Cirlot
As mentioned above there are believers that the word derives from "Abraxas", a term found on stones and gems that were used as talismans.
Abraxas on wikipedia
Multiple religious cults that believe Abracadabra is some sort of mediation occurring between humanity and a Sun God. These theories are linked to “megas archon”, the “Grand Archon”, and "the prince of 365 spheres" if you want to follow that trail..
Basilide of Alexandria’s cult — a gnostic sect representing a philosophic-religious movement born in the second and third century AD — claim that the seven letters that constitute the word represent the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
AbraHadabra was a term first used by Aleister Crowley - a famous occultist and practitioner of Thelema. It first appeared in "The Book of the Law" aka Liber Legis - the central sacred text of Thelema .
"This book shall be translated into all tongues: but always with the original in the writing of the Beast; for in the chance shape of the letters and their position to one another: in these are mysteries that no Beast shall divine. Let him not seek to try: but one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key of it all. Then this line drawn is a key: then this circle squared in its failure is a key also. And Abrahadabra. It shall be his child & that strangely. Let him not seek after this; for thereby alone can he fall from it." (AL III:47)
Aleister Crowley with the Book Of The Law
Even more alternative translations take into consideration the Aramaic expression “Avrah KeDabra”, meaning:
“I will create as I talk”
or
“The magician’s word will become reality.”
Harry Potter fans may notice the similarity to the Killing Curse "Avada Kedavra" :
J.K Rowling has confirmed the Aramaic expression was her inspiration for this forbidden curse.
Yet another explanation involves the Hebraic words “ab” (father), “ben” (son), and ruach hacadosch” (holy spirit).
Source "The Ingoldsby Legends" by Thomas Ingoldsby in 1881.
And now in modern days we have many splinters of alternative cultures, religious groups and straight-up hipsters re-adopting "Abracadabra". Theres a crazy amount of tattoo's out there using its original form
I'm not above using relevant sideboob for votes.. ;)
The more I research this, the deeper this particular rabbit hole goes. I have to pull out somewhere - I hope someone else found this little venture #downtherabbithole interesting!
and see my other creations!
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