Power and authority
Magic as kingship, priesthood and status: the sorcerer-king, the court astrologer, the rainmaker.
Magic as power and authority is the use of ritual to make or hold rank: kings with sacred duties, court astrologers, rainmakers, chiefs who are said to hold spiritual force, and priests who keep a state religion. It includes the Egyptian pharaoh, the Mongol shamans at the court of the khan, the Chinese Taoist masters, the Zulu and Shona spirit mediums, and the astrologers who advised Mughal and European rulers. This page asks how magic and politics feed each other. Where this happens, magic is less about individual wishes and more about who is allowed to speak for the unseen.
Sacred rulers
In many kingdoms the ruler was believed to hold a power linked to harvest, rain or victory. Pharaohs performed rites to keep order, and the Divine Right of kings in Europe included the royal touch, a rite by which French and English monarchs touched people with scrofula. Chinese emperors held the Mandate of Heaven, which natural omens could confirm or withdraw. The Mongol khans consulted shamans and diviners. Kings also commissioned astrologers to choose coronation dates.
Advisers and rivals
Courts employed diviners, astrologers and mages. John Dee advised Elizabeth I, and Indian and Persian kings kept court astrologers. Such advisers also faced risk: in Rome, astrologers were expelled several times, and accusations of sorcery were used to remove rivals at courts from Byzantium to Ming China. Magic offered influence to people with little formal rank. Sorcery charges were used against queens and ministers in several courts, and the fall of a favourite was often explained by a spell.
Resistance and the state
Spirit mediums have led resistance. In Zimbabwe, the spirit mediums Nehanda and Kaguvi were central to the 1896 uprising against British rule, and Nehanda was hanged in 1898. In Kenya and Tanzania, the Maji Maji rebellion of 1905 drew on a water said to protect against bullets. Colonial states responded with witchcraft ordinances, which often banned healers and protected nobody. In Africa, chiefs are often described as guardians of a land and its rain, and ruling families have held rites for the whole community.
Modern politics
Some leaders consult astrologers or healers, and political use of the occult is reported from India to Latin America. Accusations of witchcraft are used against opponents and in land disputes. Scholars read these links as part of how power is made visible and legitimate. Citizens may wish to ask who benefits when magic is used in public life. Many states now regulate healers and diviners, or use them for public health messages, which shows how much influence they still have.
Power and authority on EveryJaadu
The entries written up so far, best known first.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreKing ArthurBrenin Arthur
A legendary British king and folk hero of medieval literature and Welsh mythologyFigure · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇷 FranceHoly GrailSaint Graal
A cup or stone from Arthurian tales that grants healing and eternal lifeFigure · Healing · Luck and prosperity Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandTuatha Dé Danann
A supernatural race in Irish mythology, later known as the fairy folk.Being · Power and authority Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreFox spirit狐狸精
A shapeshifting creature from Chinese folklore that can take human form and live for centuries.Being · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreFenghuang鳳凰 (fènghuáng)
A mythological bird symbolizing virtue and imperial harmony in East Asian cultureBeing · Power and authority · Love and attraction Legendary
🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreFossegrim
A Scandinavian water spirit known for teaching fiddle music in exchange for offeringsBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇪🇬 Egypt and 1 moreBehemothבְּהֵמוֹת
A primeval land-monster from the Book of Job and later Jewish legendBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreBaphomet
A name from medieval trials and a symbol of occult equilibriumFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇳 IndiaParashuramaपरशुराम (Paraśurāma)
The warrior sage of Hinduism who wields a divine axe to restore cosmic balance.Being · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanTengu天狗
Japanese mountain spirits that evolved from ominous birds into protective forest guardians.Being · Cursing and harm · Protection Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreSibylΣίβυλλα (Sibylla)
Ancient Greek prophetesses who spoke divine counsel at holy shrinesFigure · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Legendary
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreFaust
A German legend of a scholar who trades his soul for knowledge and pleasureFigure · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇨🇿 Czech Republic and 4 moreGolemגּוֹלֶם
An animated clay figure from Jewish folklore created to serve or protectBeing · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 5 morePrester John
A legendary Christian king and priest said to rule a lost kingdom in the East.Figure · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreTamamo-no-Mae玉藻前
A nine-tailed fox spirit from Japanese legend who possessed emperors and concubines across Asia.Figure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandThe MorríganMórrígan
An Irish goddess of war, fate, and sovereignty who appears as a crow or shape-shifter.Figure · Seeing and foretelling · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇿🇦 South AfricaInkanyamba
A storm serpent of South African folklore linked to tornadoes and river spiritsBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 3 moreQilin麒麟
A legendary chimerical creature from Chinese mythology that signals the arrival or death of a sage.Being · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreMerlinMyrddin
A legendary prophet and magician from the King Arthur cycleFigure · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreZeusΖεύς
Supreme king of the Greek gods and ruler of the sky and thunderBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreExcalibur
The mythical sword of King Arthur, symbolizing rightful sovereignty and magical power.Figure · Power and authority Legendary
🇿🇦 South AfricaGrootslang
A legendary serpent from South Africa said to guard diamonds in a deep cave.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreChullachaqui
A one-footed forest spirit of the Amazon that lures or challenges humansBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇨🇳 ChinaCao Guojiu曹國舅
A Taoist immortal who abandoned his court career to help the poor and learn magic.Figure · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanAshiya Dōman蘆屋道満
A legendary Heian onmyōji known for his rivalry with Abe no Seimei and his use of cursesFigure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreMorgause
A legendary queen of Orkney and sister to King Arthur in British mythFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceMedeaΜήδεια
A sorceress and princess of Colchis who aids Jason and uses magic for revenge.Figure · Cursing and harm · Healing Legendary
🇿🇦 South AfricaLightning bird
A vampiric spirit of the Zulu people that serves witches and strikes with thunder.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇸 IcelandRauðskinna
A legendary Icelandic grimoire said to grant mastery over dark forces.Text · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanUchide no kozuchi打ち出の小槌
A legendary Japanese magic hammer that taps out desired items from thin airFigure · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 JapanTide jewels潮干る珠 (Shiohiru-tama) and 潮満つ珠 (Shiomitsu-tama)
Two magical gems from Japanese mythology that control the tides to drown or save enemies.Charm · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreDragon
A serpentine mythical creature found in global folklore and art, representing power, chaos, or imperial authority.Being · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRavanaरावण (Rāvaṇa)
A ten-headed demon king of Lanka and a devoted follower of Shiva in Hindu tradition.Figure · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreGolden FleeceΧρυσόμαλλον δέρας
A magical ram's skin from Greek myth, symbol of kingship and a quest objectFigure · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇷 GreeceAegisαἰγίς
A mythical shield or skin of Zeus and Athena, symbolizing divine protectionBeing · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreRound Tablela Table ronde
A legendary table with no head, symbolizing equality among King Arthur's knights.Figure · Power and authority Legendary
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreWyvern
A two-legged winged dragon common in European heraldry and fantasy fictionBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇫🇷 France and 2 moreMelusineMélusine
A water spirit of French and Luxembourgish lore, known for her serpent form and the castles she built.Figure · Luck and prosperity · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumaill
A legendary Irish hero and leader of the Fianna warrior bandFigure · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇧🇹 BhutanDrukའབྲུག
A mythical thunder dragon from Tibetan and Bhutanese traditionBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇪🇬 EgyptSerpopard
A mythical hybrid creature with a serpent-like neck and feline body from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.Being · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇸 Iceland and 2 moreBrísingamen
The enchanted necklace of the Norse goddess FreyjaCharm · Power and authority Legendary
🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreBahamutبهموت
A cosmic fish or bull that supports the earth in medieval Islamic cosmographyBeing · Power and authority Legendary
🇲🇽 MexicoCamazotz
A bat spirit of the Maya underworld linked to night, death, and sacrificeBeing · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
🇮🇪 IrelandSalmon of KnowledgeAn Bradán Feasa
A mythical fish in Irish folklore that holds all the world's wisdom.Being · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Legendary
🇫🇮 FinlandIku-Turso
A primordial giant and sea monster from Finnish mythologyBeing · Power and authority · Cursing and harm Legendary
🇪🇸 SpainBasajaun
A hairy forest lord of Basque myth who protects livestock and teaches human skillsBeing · Protection · Power and authority Legendary
🇷🇴 Romania and 5 moreBalaur
A many-headed dragon from Romanian folklore that guards treasures and controls the weather.Being · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Legendary
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Maya mythology: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Golem: user Thander, Public domain, source
- Excalibur: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Curse: Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, source
- Grootslang: Jeff McArthur (Guategeek), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chullachaqui: LLs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cao Guojiu: Zhang Lu, Public domain, source
- Ashiya Dōman: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Morgause: H. S. Campbell, Public domain, source
- Medea: Frederick Sandys, Public domain, source
- Lightning bird: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Fox spirit: Chen Menglei, Public domain, source
- Fenghuang: Supremo Editor, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Fossegrim: Bjørn som tegner, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Behemoth: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Baphomet: Eliphas Levi, Public domain, source
- Parashurama: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Uchide no kozuchi: Yashima Gakutei, CC0, source
- Sibyl: Filippino Lippi (1457-1504), Public domain, source
- Tide jewels: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Salmon of Knowledge: Man vyi, Public domain, source
- Faust: Earthsphere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tuatha Dé Danann: John Duncan, Public domain, source
- Zeus: Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0, source
- Merlin: Howard Pyle, Public domain, source
- Dragon: Katsushika Hokusai, Public domain, source
- Qilin: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Serpopard: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Melusine: GilPe, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Round Table: Évrard d'Espinques, Public domain, source
- Ravana: Gita Press Gorakhpur, CC0, source
- Wyvern: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Brísingamen: Nils Blommér, Public domain, source
- Fionn mac Cumhaill: Ary Scheffer / Formerly attributed to Anne-Louis Girodet, Public domain, source
- Iku-Turso: Hugo Simberg, Public domain, source
- Basajaun: Airiartmed2, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Inkanyamba: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Golden Fleece: Underworld Painter, Public domain, source
- Tamamo-no-Mae: ウィキ太郎 Wiki Taro, Public domain, source
- Prester John: Diogo Homem, Public domain, source
- Aegis: Unknown creator, Public domain, source
- Holy Grail: Photographed by the National Library of Wales, CC0, source
- King Arthur: William Morris, Public domain, source