incantation

An incantation is a sequence of words, phrases, and sometimes musical elements spoken or chanted with the aim of producing a magical or ritual effect. Incantations are found in religious ceremonies, folk magic, healing rites, and exorcisms, and they may be directed toward deities, spirits, or abstract forces. In many traditions the emphasis is on the utterance itself as the agent that catalyzes the desired outcome.

Etymology traces the word to Latin incantare, “to chant a spell,” from cantare, “to sing,” with the formation passing through Old French encantement. The term entered English in the medieval period and has since covered a broad range of ritual formulas, from formal liturgical invocations to improvised charms.

Characteristics of incantations typically include formulaic phrasing, fixed cadence, repetition, and sometimes rhyme or alliteration. They may rely on invocations, the naming of powers, or the use of invented or sacred-language elements. The perceived efficacy of an incantation is often tied to context, ritual authority, and the performer’s intonation, breath, and timing.

Culturally, incantations appear across many traditions. Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia employed spells for protection and health in sacred texts; in Hinduism and Buddhism, mantras function as powerful spoken syllables. Jewish and Christian practices include liturgical and protective utterances, while European and Afro-diasporic folk customs preserve charms and spells. In modern times, incantations feature in literature, film, and contemporary pagan and ceremonial magic, where they are used to focus intention and embodiment within ritual.