One of the responses this thread (on the Bad Place) got, a few times, ran roughly "if magic is common, magicians become engineers" or variations of that theme - the assumption that magic would be rapidly systematized by fictional pre-modern societies. And I don't think this is right. 1/
This. Prior to any biology knowledge the brewer put the grain and water in the magic jar and the gods made beer. If anything I think that magic should follow storytelling rules rather than scientific ones; the Elvish rope holds fast then comes undone when needed because that's what useful rope does
One option for magic, I say again "rare, powerful, dangerous and really poorly understood"
Yes! When I did my PhD it was hard to communicate this - 'cause and effect' is not clear in the ancient world, as you can rarely control your parameters and you just don't *think* in that way. It doesn't necessarily follow that if you repeat your actions you get the same outcome.
Terrific and insightful thread, as always, Dr. Devereaux.
Even if this were a "realistic" view of what would happen… I'm probably not reading a fantasy novel about magic for its realism!
answer: Tolkien's Ungoliant spider deity poisoned the Two Trees and destroyed their Light. 12ky later, Sam pointed out that Frodo now carried some of that original Light in his Phial of Galadriel. Then Sam used that Light against Shelob, the daughter of Ungoliant. so, yeah, thematically relevant
The Scientific Method and its creation are important and a big deal for a reason. Bit dilly to think people always approached things like that.