History of Magic, by Tony Hassini

I’ve done a lot of soul-searching before deciding to write this portion of the history of magic. At the time I am writing this book, I am over 80 years old and have been involved in magic since I was 16.

 

I founded the International Magicians Society (IMS) in 1968. For over 60 years, I have met some of the greatest magicians of our time, having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with them, and discussing magic in depth. As always, I tried to learn as much as I could from them, especially the older magicians whom I hold in the deepest admiration and respect. With that, I believe this qualifies me to write this book. You and history will judge whether I did a good job or not.

 

My decision to write this book is simple. Like anything else I do in life, I keep it simple so that even a beginner or newcomer will learn and understand this amazing art we call magic.

 

By studying the past, we can better prepare for the future, gain a better understanding of history, and learn from it.

 

Before jumping into the history of magic, I would like to describe what magic is and what a magician does. Without a doubt, magic creates mystery. When a magician takes a shiny metal ball, makes it float in mid-air, and makes it move all around, and when he takes a shiny metal ring and passes it around the ball to prove that there are no strings supporting the floating ball, people gasp. They wonder, "How could this be possible?"

 

I just described one amazing trick. By doing so, I wanted to highlight how magic is a visual art. When people actually see magic being performed, they are mystified and amazed.

 

Here’s another mystery that is greater than any magic a magician can perform. Because people do not see it, they hardly react to it. I’m talking about the Earth being suspended in mid-air with no strings attached. It rotates on its axis to create day and night and orbits the sun to create the four seasons. Yet very few people talk about it, and nobody is impressed, mesmerized, or mystified.

 

This proves that people need to see something to feel the emotions and experience the magic. Since they cannot see the Earth totally suspended in mid-air and moving, they don’t react to it. This is my simple explanation of how magicians capitalize on visual effects.

 

There is another element of magic that most people do not consider. For example, when a child sees a magician performing a simple trick, it seems like a miracle that only the magician can do. When you show the child the working principle of the trick—the simple secret—for the first time in their life, they realize that what seemed impossible has a simple solution. With this understanding, they grow up and become better at whatever they do in life. Whenever something seems impossible, they know there is a simple solution.

 

Magic also helps children overcome shyness, gain self-confidence, learn hand-eye coordination, and, above all, become very good public speakers. This is because each time a child performs a trick, they tell a story that goes with the magic. For every new trick, they create new stories.

 

Did you know? For every professional magician, there are over 100 amateur magicians and hobbyists. They collect magic, visit magic shops and conventions, have regular jobs from all walks of life, and sometimes perform magic better than the professionals, but they choose not to become professionals.

 

Magic is a mystery that creates wonder and excitement. How many times do we hear the word "magic" used to describe something amazing? How many products, services, and corporations use the word "magic"?

 

When Walt Disney built his first theme park, he named it the Magic Kingdom.

 

Filmmakers in Hollywood often refer to their work as “the magic of Hollywood.”

 

Newscasters may say “it is so magical” to describe something visually attractive or emotional.

 

Many products have names like “magic coffee maker,” “instant magic,” “works like magic,” and many others. So we know and understand that magic describes the impossible, the mysterious, or something spectacular.

 

So let’s now jump into the history of magic. Magic is as old as the human race, yet it’s new to a newborn child. But how did all this start?

 

Let’s go back all the way to the Stone Age. The very first person who discovered something that no one else knew was the magician. He was the person of the moment. People looked up to him and were amazed by his discovery.

 

As the centuries went by, more discoveries and mystifying objects accumulated in the magician’s toolbox. Over time, magicians were known as magi, as well as medicine men with their discoveries. Magi also experimented with various oils and herbs. They were able to create ancient medicines believed to cure diseases. Rulers began seeking the magi’s advice. Eventually, the magi became advisers to kings, queens, and warriors.

 

Magical secrets were passed down from grandfather to grandson and sometimes from mentors to their students. Later, magic fraternities would pass on secrets to their members. Becoming a member of a magic fraternity was not easy; you had to be chosen by two of the fraternity members.

 

As various religions appeared and gained power, their bishops and priests began to see magic and magicians as competition. The religious leaders did not like the idea of some newcomer claiming mystical powers while performing magic.

 

As a result, there was a smear campaign against magicians. They were called “devil worshipers,” “voodoo practitioners,” “witches,” and “black magic users.” Scare tactics were used to suggest that magicians could put curses on people and possibly cause their deaths.

 

The smear campaign by religious leaders against magicians was deep and ugly. Just in the United States alone, the Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused, and thirty were found guilty, nineteen of whom were executed by hanging.

 

Overall, magic and magicians learned to survive the smear campaign. Some magicians were forced to reveal their secrets to avoid persecution.

 

Going back thousands of years, India was the land that produced two of the largest leading religions—Buddhism and Hinduism. India became very famous as a land of magic. You often hear about the Hindu basket, ever-growing mango trees, producing live animals in open marketplaces, and Indian levitation, which I witnessed in Mumbai and Delhi. I’ve never seen the famous Indian rope trick and suspect it was a myth.

 

Egypt also has its share of magic and mysteries. The oldest recorded trick, known as the cups and balls, is found in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Among other mysteries are the pyramids and the sphinxes, and Egypt had its share of magicians serving as advisors to pharaohs.

 

I have already written and organized chapters on each famous magician, including their dates of birth and death, as well as their contributions to magic. I am now prepared to upload them to this ongoing History of Magic.

 

(I will continue writing and adding more chapters to this volume of work. I will discuss those magicians who are interesting and colorful. Please come back and visit us from time to time to read more about the History of Magic.)

 

Thank you for visiting.

 

-Tony Hassini