History Main / Geas

** Similarly, Oberon bound [[spoiler:Eira Rosynhwr]] to be unable to harm any of Amandine's line.
** [[spoiler:Eira Rosynhwr]] bound Simon and the Luidaeg to be unable to tell anyone about her unless they figured it out on their own.

* ''Literature/OctoberDaye'': The plot of the first novel is kicked off by [[spoiler:Evening Winterrose]] [[TheCallLeftAMessage leaving a voicemail]] for Toby that contains a binding, compelling Toby to solve her murder as soon as possible, or the curse will literally kill her.

* ''LetsPlay/LifeSMP'': In Seasons 2 and 4 of the DeadlyGame setting, the Boogeyman curse functions along the lines of one: the inflicted player(s) must kill another player to cure themselves or face a penalty relating to their lives the next day -- being reduced to their final life in Season 2, and dropping to the next colour grade in hearts (i.e. losing up to a third of their original life-time) in Season 4. [[spoiler:So far in Season 2, exactly one person has refused to commit the mandatory murder upon being cursed and accepted the penalty of having his life prematurely shortened out of UndyingLoyalty.]]

* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', the [[spoiler:Curse of Valla]] can be seen as a geas. [[spoiler:After Anankos took over, he places a spell under the land: if anyone who's been there and returned to the other lands tries to talk about it outside of Valla's territories, his/her body will [[DisappearsIntoLight dissolve into water]].]] As a result, in the past [[spoiler:Azura's mother Arete, the former Queen of Valla and later the Queen of Nohr, pretty much [[HeroicSacrifice killed herself to tell a young Azura about Valla itself]] so she would keep the knowledge about it, and Azura could ''not'' properly tell the Avatar about Valla until the GoldenPath took place.]]

* This is what ultimately did Dr. Druid, a former member of ComicBook/TheAvengers in ''ComicBook/Druid1995''. After one of his followers was murdered by Damion Hellstrom, he gained new powers, but because he didn't have anyone else with him when he did so, he didn't know what his geis was and ended up hooking up with Nekra Sinclair, a witch -- who was working with Hwellstrom and triggered Druid's geis, which was to never fall in love with a witch. Nekra and Hellstrom ended up killing Druid.

* This is what ultimately did Dr. Druid, a former member of ComicBook/TheAvengers in in a self-title miniseries in 1995. After one of his followers was murdered by Damion Hellstrom, he gained new powers, but because he didn't have anyone else with him when he did so, he didn't know what his geis was and ended up hooking up with Nekra Sinclair, a witch -- who was working with Hwellstrom and triggered Druid's geis, which was to never fall in love with a witch. Nekra and Hellstrom ended up killing Druid.

A geas usually takes the form of either a command or a prohibition: "You shall do this," or "You shall not do this," occasionally followed with a "Or this will happen". In practical terms, the geas may be prophetic, bringing about its own fulfillment either through manipulation of cosmic events or by simply instilling into the subject a compulsion which he cannot resist. If the geas can be broken, and is, doing so typically brings about the death of the subject, either directly or by cosmic retribution.

* The Faerie Queens are known to put these on people in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. Titania in particular put a geas on the Summer Lady, Lily, and Summer Knight, Fix, both friends of Harry's, such that they could not offer information or help to him, despite them ''also'' owing Harry a favor for past deeds. They manage to get around it, either by Harry transferring the favor (they can't help him, but they can help the person with him), or by the Lady and Knight getting creative (while Fix can't ''warn'' Harry about Summer's forces, he can make a show of ''threatening'' Harry, which still lets him know they're on the prowl).

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* ''{{Series/Misfits}}'': A young Roma woman puts a curse on Alex after he refuses to help her retrieve something that had fallen in the water. It makes him help everyone who asks, or he'll have to feel like he's drowning. Finn quickly exploits this by making Alex lend him money. She takes it off after he shows contrition.
* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'':

A ''geas'', or a ''geis'', (literally "taboo") is a form of magical compulsion, curse or obligation that originates in Myth/CelticMythology. Those under a geas are required to follow certain conditions or risk suffering a penalty bestowed by fate. If you have more than one such geas placed upon you, and they come into conflict, [[YouCantFightFate you're screwed]].

One of the most famous cases is that of Cú Chulainn, who was under numerous geasa, including that he must never eat the meat of a dog, nor refuse food offered by a woman. When an old hag offered him dog meat, he was forced to break one geas or the other, which led to his death the next day.

A ''geas'', or a ''geis'', (literally "taboo") is a form of magical compulsion, curse or obligation that originates in Myth/CelticMythology. Those under a geas are required to follow certain conditions or risk suffering a penalty bestowed by fate. If you have more than one such geas placed upon you, and they come into conflict, [[ScrewedByDestiny you're screwed]].

Also spelled alternately as 'geis',[[note]]''Geas'' is a Scottish Gaelic word pronounced as "gesh"; its plural is ''geasan''. ''Geis'' is the Irish equivalent (pronounced the same as in Scottish Gaelic) and its plural is ''geasa'' (pronounced "GYA-sa"). In the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitive_case genitive case]], Gaelic uses ''geis'' and Irish uses ''geas'',[[/note]] a '''''geas''''' (literally "taboo") is a form of magical compulsion or curse that originates in Myth/CelticMythology. Those under a geas are required to follow certain conditions or risk suffering a penalty bestowed by fate. If you have more than one such geas placed upon you, and they come into conflict, you're screwed. One of the most famous cases is that of Cú Chulainn, who was under numerous geasa, including that he must never eat the meat of a dog, nor refuse food offered by a woman. When an old hag offered him dog meat, he was forced to break one geas or the other, which led to his death the next day.

* ''Anime/Danganronpa3'': Monokuma's game this time around has wildly different rules than [[Franchise/{{Danganronpa}} before]], among them being "forbidden actions" which are functionally these. If someone performs their forbidden action, their bracelet will inject a fast-acting poison, killing them within seconds. The participants consider sharing each other's forbidden actions, but decide not to on the grounds that someone's forbidden action may be "revealing their forbidden action", which turns out to be the action of [[spoiler:nobody at all]].

* ''LetsPlay/LifeSMP'': In Seasons 2 and 4 of the DeadlyGame setting, the Boogeyman curse functions along the lines of one: the inflicted player(s) must kill another player to cure themselves or face a penalty relating to their lives the next day -- being reduced to their final life in Season 2, and dropping to the next colour grade in hearts (i.e. losing up to 8 hours of life-time) in Season 4. [[spoiler:So far, exactly one person has refused to commit the mandatory murder upon being cursed and accepted the penalty of having his life prematurely shortened out of UndyingLoyalty.]]

* ''LetsPlay/LifeSMP'': In Seasons 2 and 4 of the DeadlyGame setting, the Boogeyman curse function along the lines of one: the inflicted player(s) must kill another player to cure themselves or face a penalty relating to their lives the next day -- being reduced to their final life in Season 2, and dropping to the next colour grade in hearts (i.e. losing up to 8 hours of life-time) in Season 4. [[spoiler:So far, exactly one person has refused to commit the mandatory murder upon being cursed and accepted the penalty of having his life prematurely shortened out of UndyingLoyalty.]]

Also spelled alternately as geis,[[note]]''Geas'' is a Scottish Gaelic word pronounced as "gesh"; its plural is ''geasan''. ''Geis'' is the Irish equivalent (pronounced the same as in Scottish Gaelic) and its plural is ''geasa'' (pronounced "GYA-sa"). In the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitive_case genitive case]], Gaelic uses ''geis'' and Irish uses ''geas''.[[/note]] a '''''geas''''' (literally "taboo") is a form of magical compulsion or curse that originates in Myth/CelticMythology. Those under a geas are required to follow certain conditions or risk suffering a penalty bestowed by fate. If you have more than one such geas placed upon you, and they come into conflict, you're screwed. One of the most famous cases is that of Cú Chulainn, who was under numerous geasa, including that he must never eat the meat of a dog, nor refuse food offered by a woman. When an old hag offered him dog meat, he was forced to break one geas or the other, which led to his death the next day.

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith a ''[[Franchise/CodeGeass Geass]]''.[[note]]That actually combines a {{Magical Eye|s}} with a CompellingVoice.[[/note]] Or Geese (plural for Goose) for that matter.

** Geas is used as binding oath by pretty much all occult organizations for secrecy and control purposes.

* The Commandments from ''LightNovel/AvestaOfBlackAndWhite'' function somewhat like this. They are a set of restrictions a character has to abide by lest they suffer some kind of divine punishment, with death being considered the most lenient. However in exchange for following these restrictions, the characters gain some kind of incredible power, often an inverse of the restriction. One character for instance has to always obey whatever order they are given provided it doesn't conflict with prior ones with the benefit being that they can execute those orders to perfection regardless of past skills and experiences.

* The Principles that guide the Comicbook/{{Eternals}} compell them to eliminate whatever they perceive as Deviant.

* Features into the backstory of Diarmuid in ''LightNovel/FateZero''. He was bound to serve Fionn mac Cumhaill, but also had a curse on him that caused women to fall instantly in love with him, which is worse than it sounds: his lord's fiancee, Gráinne, succumbed to it and placed him under a geas to make him run away with her. They eventually got married with Fionn's consent, but when Diarmuid was mortally injured and needed Fionn's HealingHands to save his life, Fionn delayed long enough that Diarmuid died. As a Heroic Spirit summoned into the fourth Grail War, Diarmuid's only wish is to be able to make up for the whole mess by serving his Master faithfully. [[spoiler:History repeats for poor Diarmuid. His master Kayneth's wife Sola falls in love with him and tries to use the Command Seals to make him reciprocate. Then he is betrayed by Kayneth and forced to kill himself. Diarmuid [[DyingCurse dies cursing]] everyone involved.]]

** In ''LightNovel/FateZero'', Kiritsugu uses one to eliminate Lord El-Melloi as a Master: he kidnaps El-Melloi's fiancée Sola-Ui and threatens to kill her, unless El-Melloi orders his Servant Lancer [[note]](who's actually Diarmuid of the Love Spot, NOT Cuchulainn)[[/note]] to commit suicide, removing himself from the Holy Grail War, in which case Kiritsugu will geas himself into never harming El-Melloi or Sola-Ui. El-Melloi accepts (as a magus himself, he can see that the self-geas scroll Kiritsugu is holding is genuine), and then... [[spoiler:Kiritsugu's partner Maiya immediately kills both El-Melloi and Sola-Ui... after all, ''Maiya'' [[ExactWords wasn't under a geas to do them no harm]].]]

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has used them occasionally, usually whenever they need to silence someone who's too valuable to [[LaserGuidedAmnesia amnesticize]]. The UIU(seless) are subject often enough that they have their own nickname for it, "Gag Orders".

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith a ''[[Franchise/CodeGeass Geass]]''.[[note]]That actually combines a {{Magical Eye|s}} with a CompellingVoice.[[/note]]]] Or Geese (plural for Goose) for that matter.

* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', it's eventually revealed that Nen can be used this way to provide a power boost, or to become proficient in a Nen style the user isn't normally able to master. For example, Kurapika eventually gains the ability to conjure unbreakable Nen chains, under the condition that if he ever uses them on anyone other than a Phantom Troupe member, it will kill him. He can also imbed nen spikes in people's hearts, which will kill them if they don't follow a command he gives while doing it. [[spoiler: He manages to effectively de-power Chrollo this way, making the nen spike activate if he uses his powers.]]
* In the anime version of ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'', [[spoiler: Alcyone]] turns out to be under this. [[spoiler: The condition is that she'll never reveal Debonair's existence or location to anyone on pain of death. Whenever Alcyone was on the verge of talking about Debonair, she experienced sudden pain as result of the geas, [[BrokenBird which really]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy doesn't improve]] [[TheOphelia her weakened]] [[EmptyShell mental/physical state]]. When she finally forces herself to tell the Magic Knights about Debonair's location (Cephiro's Underside), in the very last episode, [[CessationOfExistence the geas erases Alcyone from existence]], and she disappears [[DyingDeclarationOfLove reaffirming her love for Zagato]].]]

* ''Film/TheCraftLegacy'': Lily is bound (i.e. prevented from using magic) by the other girls [[spoiler: due to believing that her love spell caused Timmy's (seeming) suicide. They reverse it after learning she's in danger from Adam (who actually murdered Timmy). Additionally, they discuss doing it to themselves in remorse over earlier brainwashing him with another spell.]]

** Golems appear to be under a geas which is very similar to the Laws of Robotics. "A golem cannot harm a human" [[spoiler: unless their writings include the addendum: "unless ordered to do so by duly constituted authority."]]

** It's noted that there is no actual geas that non-mortal races can impose on mortals without their consent: Free Will is absolutely paramount and cannot be directly overridden. Mortals ''can'' place themselves at the mercy of other creatures through pacts, but they will almost never outright ''force'' a mortal to do their bidding, preferring to have the mortal choose to do the deed, even if doing so is the only choice available to them[[note]]As an example, Nicodemus never actually pushes a Blackened Denarius into Harry's hands, which would in effect make Harry one of the Fallen easily enough; Harry has to take up the coin ''himself'' or it won't work, but Nick sure loves to put Harry in situations where the easiest and most direct method of dealing with the problem would be to grab a coin[[/note]]. However, the faerie folk ''absolutely cannot resist'' their duties and obligations, as [[spoiler: Molly finds out in her new role as the Winter Lady, when ordered by Mab to collect the tithe from a group of Winter Fae that consists of their children. Molly is horrified and immediately says she won't do it, which ''almost kills her outright'']]. It's strongly suggested that putting a faerie into a situation in which they would have to break an oath to fulfill another oath would kill them, [[spoiler: as Fix ''almost'' demonstrates in ''Cold Days'']].

** In the ''Literature/CounselorsAndKings'' series from the same setting, a wizard-word oath is a self-inflicted, usually minor version - a [[TheMagocracy Halruaan]] wizard who swears to do something "By wind and word" will be bound to follow through, though it's up to the wizard him or herself to interpret the oath. For example, when master wizard Basel Indoulur's apprentice Tzigone offends and humiliates his rival [[SmugSnake Procopio Septus]], Basel swears he will "deal with her accordingly", which Procopio intended to mean "punish her" but Basel interpreted to mean "reward her", since he thought Procopio had it coming to him. [[spoiler: More seriously, supporting antagonist Dhamari Exchelsor is bound by such an oath to never summon any creature he doesn't understand and can't control. Since his plans require him to summon FairFolk who more than fit those criteria, he needs to manipulate Tzigone into helping him]].
* In ''[[Literature/ZeusIsDead Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure]]'', any oath sworn by the River Styx (figuratively or literally) is binding, even for a god. Hermes even wiretaps the Styx so he can spy on anyone who utters such an oath in secret or in unthinking rage, and uses this to [[spoiler: blackmail Zeus]].

** In the ''Hawk & Fisher'' spinoff series' book 3 (''The God Killer''), it's explained that members of the God Squad have an Exorcist Stone that can destroy any Being, even one worshipped as a god. They also have a geas on them to keep them from doing it except in the line of duty. [[spoiler: One of them, a mystic named Rowan, figures out that by inhabiting a series of homunculi instead of her own body, she can get around the geas and kill any god she pleases.]]

* ''Literature/TheLicaniusTrilogy'' has the Four Tenets. When a Gifted activates a special Vessel and swears oaths upon it, those oaths become magically binding on all Gifted everywhere, in perpetuity. During the Augur War a generation before the story proper, one of the Gifted used this Vessel to bind all the Gifted to four oaths known as the Tenets, ending the war. [[spoiler: At the end of the first book, Davian and Wyr work together to amend the Tenets.]]

*** [[spoiler: The amended version permits the use of Essence for self-defense or defense of Andarra.]]

*** [[spoiler: The amended version likewise permits the use of Essence in self-defense or defense of Andarra.]]

*** [[spoiler: This tenet is left unaltered.]]

*** [[spoiler: This Tenet is abolished, as it almost resulted in the death of all Gifted.]]

** Cú Chulainn's son, Connla, was placed under a three geasa: to never turn back on a journey, to never turn down a challenge and to never give his name. This leads to Connla seeking out his father when he came of age, [[spoiler: only to die at his father's hands when refused to speak his name]]. Depending on the version, the one who put the geis on him was either his mother who did not leave Cú Chulainn on the kindest terms or else Cú Chulainn himself.

* In ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryIV'', the Hero is placed under a geas by [[spoiler: Katrina]], giving him three days to recover the rituals needed to free the [[SealedEvilInACan the Dark One]]. The geas is removed once he returns successfully with them.

* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776'', it is revealed in the ending that [[spoiler: Eyvel, actually Brigid from [[VideoGame/GenealogyOfTheHolyWar the previous title]], had her memories sealed away in a geas with ancient dragons, likely in order to live through The Battle of Bellhalla. Her memories returning bring a HappyEnding.]]
* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', the [[spoiler: Curse of Valla]] can be seen as a geas. [[spoiler: After Anankos took over, he places a spell under the land: if anyone who's been there and returned to the other lands tries to talk about it outside of Valla's territories, his/her body will [[DisappearsIntoLight dissolve into water]].]] As a result, in the past [[spoiler: Azura's mother Arete, the former Queen of Valla and later the Queen of Nohr, pretty much [[HeroicSacrifice killed herself to tell a young Azura about Valla itself]] so she would keep the knowledge about it, and Azura could ''not'' properly tell the Avatar about Valla until the GoldenPath took place.]]

* ''Podcast/DiceFunk'' season 2 Lorelei has this as a central plot point and one of the main things keeping the DrivingQuestion a secret. Anyone who makes a deal with [[spoiler: Zavala]] is unable to talk about it in specific terms without dying from the geas. It can be removed with a spell but it also [[spoiler: removes any replaced body parts provided by Zavala]] which can be potentially fatal.

* Eliza on ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys'' was given the ability to speak to animals, on the condition that she never reveal it to another person. If she ever tells anyone, she'll lose the gift. On at least one occasion, she spoke with Darwin (her chimp) in front of another person but passed it off as vocal mimicry "to calm him down" without violating the terms. [[spoiler: When she does reveal the secret to save her sister's life, she loses the gift immediately. [[StatusQuoIsGod When she eventually earns it back]], Debbie is placed under her own geas: if ''she'' reveals the secret, she'll be turned into a baboon.]]

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith a ''[[Franchise/CodeGeass Geass]]''[[note]]which actually combines a {{Magical Eye|s}} with a CompellingVoice[[/note]]. Or Geese (plural for Goose) for that matter.

* Pearl of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', in several episodes, can be observed slapping her [[TongueTied hands over her own mouth]] when certain subjects come up in conversation. It's revealed late in Season 5 that this is under command of her original owner, [[spoiler:Pink Diamond, to never again speak of how the two of them faked Pink Diamond's shattering at the hands of "Rose Quartz", who for that instance was Pearl in disguise, but otherwise was actually ''Pink Diamond herself.'' Luckily this is a slight variant, as Pearl couldn't outright admit the truth, but once Steven (Pink's son) found out about it, Pearl's "spell" is broken as she [[CurseEscapeClause can freely]] and happily give the backstory on ''why'' this happened]].