Magic item

A magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the person or being whose hands they fall into. Magic items are commonly found in both folklore and modern fantasy. Their fictional appearance is as old as the Iliad in which Aphrodite's magical girdle is used by Hera as a love charm.^[1]

Magic items often act as a plot device to grant magical abilities. They may give magical abilities to a person lacking in them, or enhance the power of a wizard. For instance, in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, the magic ring allows Bilbo Baggins to be instrumental in the quest, exceeding the abilities of the dwarves.^[2]

Magic items are often, also, used as MacGuffins. The characters in a story must collect an arbitrary number of magical items, and when they have the full set, the magic is sufficient to resolve the plot. In video games, these types of items are usually collected in fetch quests.

^ Ogden, Daniel (1999). "Binding Spells : Curse Tablets and Voodoo Dolls in the Greek and Roman Worlds". Witchcraft and Magic in Europe. Ancient Greece and Rome. London: Athlone. ISBN 0-485-89002-X
^ Shippey, T. A. (2003). The Road to Middle-earth : How J.R.R. Tolken Created a New Mythology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0-618-25760-8, page 77

[1] Ogden, Daniel (1999). "Binding Spells : Curse Tablets and Voodoo Dolls in the Greek and Roman Worlds". Witchcraft and Magic in Europe. Ancient Greece and Rome. London: Athlone. ISBN 0-485-89002-X

[2] Shippey, T. A. (2003). The Road to Middle-earth : How J.R.R. Tolken Created a New Mythology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0-618-25760-8, page 77

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