Wand
A wand is a thin, straight stick of wood, or a metal rod of similar shape and size, which is used for magical purposes.
Wicca and Witchcraft
In Wicca and modern-day witchcraft, wands are used for the channeling of energy, and serve a similar purpose to the athame. They are traditionally made of wood, but can also be made of metal or crystal. Practitioners usually get a stick from a tree, or even buy it from a hardware store, and then carve it and add decorations to make it their own; however, ready-made wands can be bought.
The Harry Potter World
In the world of Harry Potter, described by Joanne K. Rowling, wands are needed for the casting of most spells. There is a wand shop in the Diagon Alley: Ollivander's.
Wands have four main characteristics:
- the type of wood they are made of;
- the magical substance that gives it is magical properties;
- the specific quality of motion when they are waved;
- the length.
There are no two equal wands and Mr. Ollivander says he remember every wand he has ever sold.
Some wands we know of which we know:
- Harry Potter: Holly wood, 11", single phoenix feather (from Fawkes)
- Voldemort: Yew wood, 13 1/2", single phoenix feather (also from Fawkes)
- Ron (new wand): Willow wood, 14", unicorn tail hair
No non-human creatures are allowed to use a wand. Therefore, we wouldn't see a fairy with a wand in this world.
Role-playing games
In role-playing game, wands are storage devices for spells, and using the wand releases the spell which it contains. For instance, a certain wand might contain fireball spells, and the number of fireballs it contains is its number of charges; each use of the wand drains a charge, and when there are no charges left the wand can't be used any more. Wands allows player characters who aren't wizards to use spells, and also lets wizards use spells they ordinarily wouldn't be able to cast.
Referenced By
Harry Potter in translation
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