19

In Harry Potter, where did the magicians come from? Like Tolkien gives idea about Eru creating the Valars and so on. How did the magic begin, was the first being created Muggle or magician?

Is there some original event and/or creator that gave rise to wizards, witches, and other magical people? Is there any explanation for their existence?

15
  • 29
    When a mommy magician and a daddy magician love each other very much. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) Apr 7, 2014 at 16:51
  • 4
    Ainulindalë (Quenya; IPA: [aɪnuˈlindale]; Music of the Ainur also known as The Great Music, and The Great Song[1]) was the first chapter of The Silmarillion, edited and published by Christopher Tolkien after his father's death. As part of the Tolkien Middle-earth cycle, Ainulindalë plays the role of its cosmogony, or 'creation story'. Many of the themes and storylines revealed in the later histories (in The Lord of the Rings, for example) find their first expression in Ainulindalë. Apr 7, 2014 at 23:11
  • 2
    Also discussed here: scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/18783/…
    – user13267
    Apr 8, 2014 at 11:26
  • 6
    midi-chlorians of course
    – Tomari7
    Apr 10, 2014 at 5:45
  • 3
    It's turtles all the way down.
    – Misha R
    Jan 22, 2015 at 8:24

4 Answers 4

18

Magic is a natural occurring force in Harry Potter as portrayed by J.K Rowling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_in_Harry_Potter

In the Harry Potter series created by J. K. Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures sometimes exhibit new magical properties in the novels' world. Objects, too, can be enhanced or imbued with magical property. The small percentage of humans who are able to perform magic are referred to as witches and wizards, in contrast to the non-magical muggles.

Magicians in general are humans whom have the genetic ability to perform magic.

In humans, magic or the lack thereof is an inborn attribute. It is inherited, carried on "dominant resilient genes".[1] Magic is the norm in the children of magical couples and less common in those of muggles. Exceptions exist: those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as squibs, whereas a witch or wizard born to muggle parents is known as a muggle-born, or by the pejorative "mudblood". While muggle-borns are quite common, squibs are extremely rare.

Also recall that people with magical abilities are called Wizards and not magicians in Harry Potter.

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Wizardkind

Wizardkind are humans born with the ability to use magic. An individual male human with magical ability, is known as a wizard (plural: wizards), and an individual female human with magical ability is known as a witch (plural: witches), though "wizard" is sometimes used as a gender-neutral singular noun like "man".

Magical ability is an inherited trait usually passed from parent to child. While pure-bloods are born of two wizarding parents and half-bloods are often born of one wizard and one muggle or muggle-born parent, Muggle-born wizards and witches are born with their magical abilities because they are distantly descended from a Squib who often marries into a Muggle family. From this point on, that branch of the wizarding family often loses all traces of its wizarding legacy, which resurfaces many generations later in a Muggle-born descendant.

As far as where magic "comes" from there is no canon source as to where it originated, as previously stated it is a natural occurring force in the Harry Potter Universe. In fact according the to Harry Potter Wiki the earliest recorded magic was done by Egyptians, Indians, and people from Ancient Greece. This doesn't mean they were the first humans to perform magic however.

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Magic

Early History

Ancient Egypt, India and Greece

Egyptian wizards put curses on tombs. Nowadays Curse-Breakers for Gringotts Wizarding Bank try to regain the treasure locked in those tombs; one pyramid has mutant skeletons of Muggles who'd broken in and "grown extra heads and stuff." Indian wizards created the Snake Summons Spell, which is occasionally used by wizards known as "Snake Charmers". Magic is integrated into society and wizards are held in high esteem. However, Dark Magic is already being practised in ancient Greece. Herpo the Foul created the first basilisk as well as the evil magic of Horcruxes during that time.

Also I wanted to point out that in the wikia for Magic it also states that it's possible that if Magic were ever revealed to Muggles that it would be considered a fourth branch of science.

As per the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, wizards and witches must constantly hide their magic abilities from the Muggle world, and thus most Muggles are unaware that magic exists. It is possible that magic, should it be revealed to the Muggle world, could be treated as a fourth branch of science, along with chemistry, biology and physics.

Sources:

Snake Charmers as per my quote above being real...

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Snake_Charmer

Herpo the Foul (Ancient Greek Dark Wizard)

http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Herpo_the_Foul

Herpo the Foul was an Ancient Greek Dark Wizard. He is one of the earliest known Dark Wizards and his work is still a lasting aspect of dark magic to date. He is best known as the first wizard to hatch a Basilisk. He is reputed to have invented many vile curses and was also the first wizard known to successfully create a Horcrux, perhaps having designed the ritual himself. Accordingly, he must have committed murder to split his soul. He is one of the earliest known Parselmouths.

Appearances

  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
10
  • @ DoctorWho22 I asked how did the universe came into being from the point of view of HP... Apr 7, 2014 at 17:04
  • The first thing you stated was how magicians came to be, the second was how did magic begin... The answer being was that Magic is a natural force, meaning it was has always been in existence there is no canon material as to if a "god" created magic and the universe like Tolkein did. Apr 7, 2014 at 17:07
  • 4
    @HashirOmer "I asked how did the universe came into being from the point of view of HP" I appreciate that English may not be your first language, but you really did not ask that anywhere in the question.
    – phantom42
    Apr 7, 2014 at 17:17
  • The wikia page doesn't say what the sources for these claims are, I don't remember anything about ancient Egyptian magic in the books themselves for example...does anyone know? Is it possible some were just made up by wikia editors, like the speculation about magic becoming a "fourth branch of science"?
    – Hypnosifl
    Apr 7, 2014 at 17:46
  • Considering that some of the earliest wizards such as Salazar Slitherin was from medieval times aka 1000 AD it's not uncommon to figure that there were magicians before them. Also since it's a natural occurring force it is possible that when Humans first developed that some of them were able to perform magic. In JK Rowling's world all older references of magic (myths and lore from our world) are real. Apr 7, 2014 at 17:51
2

JK Rowling has said herself that wizards and witches are BORN with their magic; it is a post of their DNA. Magical People are a different type of human than muggles. Magic came to a certain group of humans close to the beginning of time. It all comes from inside of them.

Wizards and witches use wands because it's easier to control their magic and keep a focus on it. However ALL wizards and witches can do magic without a wand, it would just be uncontrollable and come out more intense than it would have been originally planned. Only very advanced witches and wizards can use wandless magic, like Dumbledore for example.

If a muggle tried to use a wand, NOTHING would happen, since magic obviously does not come from the wand, but from within the magical person themselves. Again, the wand is only used as a focused type of tool.

1
  • 6
    While you have some good information here, you should re-write this so it's not a reply to another user, as this isn't a message board. Answers are for separate answers, not replies to others, and Peter will not be notified of your post the way you've written it. Once you have enough rep, you'll be able to comment on the other user's answer so that they can be notified of your message.
    – phantom42
    Dec 28, 2015 at 6:05
-3

Human beings stole magic very long ago as was very briefly touched upon by Griphook in book 7. In simple terms Humans learned it from the magical creatures they probably lived closer with in ancient days and then over a long period of hanging around magic they became infused with it. The elites who had this gift guarded it very aggressively which is why the "purest" of the Wizarding families like the Malfoys and the Weasleys have such close families that only married other pure bloods. This undoubtedly also explains some of the attitudes towards Muggles and to goblins or house elves. Notice how House Elves are able to use magic without a wand? Human beings need wands to use concentrated magical spells because thats how they originally used magic: through stolen artifacts. Griphook also briefly touches on that there were laws Wizards placed upon other magical creatures that prevented non humans from carrying wands.

3
  • not bad but im not sure it fully answers the question
    – Rocket
    Jan 22, 2015 at 3:25
  • 4
    Griphook says that the Sword of Gryffindor was stolen, and it's later revealed that goblins believe the makers of magical artifacts are their rightful owners and wizards who pay goblins for artifacts are only "borrowing" them, but I don't think he ever says that magic itself was stolen from goblins or other magical creatures--if you think he does say that, can you point to a page number?
    – Hypnosifl
    Jan 22, 2015 at 4:53
  • 5
    No evidence of what you said in the books. Apr 10, 2018 at 1:19
-3

There are no deities described in the Harry Potter universe. No one was created Muggle or "Magician" (Wizard). The ability to wield magic is an evolutionary trait that some humans have.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.