Magic

The trials and tribulations of British author J.K. Rowling’s boy wizard Harry Potter were first published 20 years ago, but the history of the word “magic” goes back thousands to the birth of Jesus Christ. And perhaps even a little further back. The Gospel of Matthew tells of three wise men – Magi, Persian priests of the Zoroastrian religion who liked to wander. The word, which has Latin and Greek roots, was linked to sorcery in ancient times. It took on its more common meaning – “to use or manipulate supernatural powers for a specific purpose” in the 14th century.