Magic (illusion)

Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences through tricks, illusions, and effects that appear impossible but are achieved through natural means. It includes subgenres like close-up magic and parlor magic, and it should not be confused with supernatural magic, which claims to use otherworldly powers. It ranks among the world’s oldest performing arts.

The word “magic” comes from the Greek *mageia*. In ancient times, Greek and Persian wars led to Persian priests—called *magosh*—being known as *magoi* in Greek. Their rituals became known as *mageia* and later *magika*, terms that came to mean any foreign or unorthodox practice. To the public, successful illusions could seem like the feats of these ancient priests, and so the performance of tricks became known as “magic.”

One of the earliest books to reveal magic secrets was *The Discoverie of Witchcraft*, published in 1584 by Reginald Scot to prevent executions for witchcraft. Many similar books appeared in the 17th century. Until the 1700s, magic shows were common at fairs. The “Father” of modern entertainment magic, Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, opened a magic theatre in Paris in 1845, while John Henry Anderson pioneered the same shift in London in the 1840s. By the late 1800s, large magic shows staged in big theatres became standard. Magic later moved easily from theatres to television specials.

Performances recognizable as conjuring have existed throughout history. A trick with three cups and balls has been performed since 3 BC and continues today on stage and in street shows. For centuries, magicians were linked to the devil and the occult, and in the 19th and 20th centuries, many stage magicians used this association in their advertising. The same ingenuity behind ancient deceptions like the Trojan Horse was also used for entertainment or cheating at games. Religious and cult practitioners used such tricks to frighten or convert uneducated people. The illusionist profession gained strength only in the 18th century and has enjoyed several periods of popularity since.

Modern entertainment magic was pioneered by 19th-century magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin and became a popular theatrical art. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries—known as the “Golden Age of Magic”—magicians like John Nevil Maskelyne, David Devant, Howard Thurston, Harry Kellar, and Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success, making magic a staple of Broadway, vaudeville, and music halls. At the same time, magicians such as Georges Méliès, Gaston Velle, Walter R. Booth, and Orson Welles used their knowledge of magic to create pioneering film techniques.

Magic has remained popular into the 21st century by adapting to television and the internet. Magicians like David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Paul Daniels, Criss Angel, David Blaine, Derren Brown, and Shin Lim have modernized the art. Social media now allows magicians to reach a wider audience than ever before.

Magicians closely guard the methods behind their effects, though they often share techniques through formal and informal training within the magic community. They use a range of techniques, including sleight of hand, misdirection, optical and auditory illusions, hidden compartments, contortionism, specially constructed props, and verbal and nonverbal psychological methods such as suggestion, hypnosis, and priming.

Magicians disagree on how to categorize effects, but several categories exist. A magician might pull a rabbit from an empty hat, make something disappear, or change a red silk handkerchief into a green one. They might destroy something—like cutting off a head—and then restore it, make an object move from one place to another, or escape from restraints. Other illusions include defying gravity, passing a solid object through another, or predicting a spectator’s choice. Many routines combine multiple effects.

Among the earliest books on the subject is Gantziony’s *Natural and Unnatural Magic* (1489), which describes and explains old tricks. In 1584, Reginald Scot’s *The Discoverie of Witchcraft* debunked claims that magicians used supernatural methods, showing how tricks were actually done. It discussed sleight-of-hand with rope, paper, and coins. At a time of widespread fear of witchcraft, the book argued these fears were misplaced. Popular belief held that all obtainable copies were burned when James I took the throne in 1603. During the 17th century, many similar books appeared, including *The Art of Conjuring* (1614) and *The Anatomy of Legerdemain: The Art of Juggling* (c. 1675).