History Main / LatinIsMagic

* ''Film/MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders:'' Lampshaded by the asshole critic who, for reasons surpassing understanding, is reviewing a local magic shop and purchases a book of spells as part of the process. He sarcastically observes that the spells are written in Latin, then rhetorically asks why Latin is considered some kind of magical language that possesses the power of the occult. Naturally, magic happens once he (again sarcastically) reads one of the Latin spells out loud.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': {{Invoked|Trope}} when Tedd builds a set of {{Magic Wand}}s. He can pick anything to be their activation phrase, but he specifically chooses (poorly-translated) Latin because it's easy to remember, it's not something you'd say by accident, and [[RuleOfCool it sounds cool]].

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/SpookyMonth'': The {{cult}} that resides in the house on the hill are heavily associated with the Latin language, from the vaguely-Latin chanting when John and Jack come across them in the Newgrounds ending of "Unwanted Guest" to the post-episode [=ARGs=] containing things related to them that need to be translated from Latin, which itself are related to the concepts of fear, the end, and the cult obtaining "everything".

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Varsuvius' [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0635.html dark ascension]] to ultimate arcane power is accompanied by faux Latin singing.

Latin was also the primary language used for scholarly works well into the 19th century. Books likely to be seen as "magical", including texts on demonology, herbology, medicine, natural history, and theology, were written in Latin, or translated to Latin (such as the Christian Gospels, which where originally penned in Greek). Latin was also the language of Catholic services and prayer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council until the 1960s]], and even today Latin serves as a common tongue among the worldwide Catholic clergy. Since [[ReligionIsMagic religion has always had strong association with the supernatural and the ability to interact with it]], this gave the language a further aura of mysticism. In fact, it's theorized that the generic conjurer's "magic words" "hocus pocus" are a parody of the Latin words "''hoc est corpus''" [[note]]"This is my body" said by Jesus to his disciples over the Communion bread[[/note]] used during Holy Communion.

* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'': Latin is the primary language used for spellcasting by the mages of the Order of Hermes. Other organizations used different languages, such as Gothic for House Bjornaer and Pictish for the Gruagachan.

Latin was also the primary language used for scholarly works well into the 19th century. Books likely to be seen as "magical", including texts on demonology, herbology, medicine, natural history, and theology, were written in Latin, or translated to Latin (such as the Christian Gospels, which where originally penned in Greek). Latin was also the language of Catholic services and prayer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council until the 1960s]], and since [[ReligionIsMagic religion has always had strong association with the supernatural and the ability to interact with it]], this gave the language a further aura of mysticism. In fact, it's theorized that the generic conjurer's "magic words" "hocus pocus" are a parody of the Latin words "''hoc est corpus''" used during Holy Communion.

* ''LightNovel/TheFarawayPaladin'': The Words of Creation, which produce magical effects when pronounced properly, are depicted as Latin.

Latin was also the primary language used for scholarly works well into the 19th century. Books likely to be seen as "magical", including texts on demonology, herbology, medicine, natural history, and theology, were written in Latin, or translated to Latin (such as the Christian Gospels, which where originally penned in Greek). Latin was also the language of Catholic services and prayer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council until the 1960's]], and since [[ReligionIsMagic religion has always had strong association with the supernatural and the ability to interact with it]], this gave the language a further aura of mysticism. In fact, it's theorized that the generic conjurer's "magic words" "hocus pocus" are a parody of the Latin words "''hoc est corpus''" used during Holy Communion.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': The ridicuouls CanisLatinicus spoken in the First Ankh-Morporkian Empire (Latatian) is twice referred to as "wizard talk"; in ''Literature/{{Mort}}'' when Albert mutters "sodomy non sapiens" ("I'm buggered if I know") and in ''Literature/InterestingTimes'' when Rincewind tries to prove he's a wizard by saying "Stercus, stercus, stercus, moriturus sum" ("Shit, shit, shit, I'm going to die"). The implication seems to be less that Latatian is a LanguageOfMagic, and more that, like lawyers and doctors, wizards maintain their professional mystique by saying things in a language most people don't understand.

''Nullae satisfactionis potiri non possum!''[[labelnote:Translation]][[Music/TheRollingStones I can't get no satisfaction!]][[/labelnote]]''