Explaining unfamiliar "magic"

From: Richard Develyn <Richard.Develyn_at_viewgate.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 14:25:47 +0100

Whenever I read up about the different magic systems I always get stuck wondering how a theist, say, explains, rightly or wrongly, what is going on when some, sorceror, say, performs a magic feat.

Or, for another example, consider an Orlanthi who's riding around on an air elemental, being watched by his mostali friend. What the dwarf sees is a highly inexpert piece of meddling with the world machine in order to get the Orlanthi up in the air. This dwarf might decide to help out by fiddling with some little device he's carrying which stabilises the air elemental and makes it easier to control. What does the Orlanthi make of the dwarf's actions? How does he explain it?

Adding dwarf "technology" to the HW list animism, theism, mysticism and sorcery I can see a 5x5 list of perceptions some of which are going to be easy (presumably dwarves see all non-dwarvish magical action as being inexpert meddling with the world machine) and some harder. Can anyone suggest some entries?

Note that I'm not after god-learnerish explanations here, just perceptions.

Richard

---