The earliest magic record in history is in ancient Egypt, about 2600 BC, that is, more than 4 thousand years ago.
/kloc-the huesca manuscript discovered in 0/823 records a magician named Dade who was called to perform for the Pharaoh. He can cut off the goose's head, but the goose with the broken head can still walk, and finally put the head back to the original goose. The record describes that the magician performed the same magic on the pelican and the bull. But when Pharaoh asked him to perform the same trick on the prisoners, he refused.
Temples in ancient Greece also used the principle of magic. For example, when the priest opens the door of the temple, the bellows will blow to the ground and flames will appear on the altar. There are also talking idols made of wind pipes.
The earliest records of tricks are cups and balls, which are the oldest tricks known at present. As shown in the attached figure, it is also recorded in Egyptian murals (the tomb of bakht III in Beni Hassan in 2500 BC). The true record of its historical performance can be traced back to the first century BC. This trick was very popular in the Middle Ages and was widely performed by magicians in the city center. Magicians at that time were called Juggers. These traveling performers, musicians, poets and stuntmen came to the village open space and entertained the villagers with simple tricks.
By the end of the Middle Ages, the magician's suffering began. European magicians began to face strong opposition from the church. Because people believed in witchcraft and supernatural phenomena at that time, in this superstitious age, any magic that was not recognized by the church would be considered black magic. As long as one person testifies, the magician will face trial. All magicians are accused of making an alliance with the devil.
Despite persecution, magician is still a dangerous and popular profession. Some magicians are favored and protected by the big landlord big noble. During this time, the magician who walks around can only perform limited tricks. At that time, playing cards were not common, and tricks requiring large props were expensive. So magicians rely on dexterity and storytelling skills. Tricks performed with birds and animals are very popular.
Nearly 300 years ago, the persecution of magic by religion gradually deepened. During the reign of King Henry VIII of England, the punishment for performing magic was death. By the end of 16, the persecution of witches reached the point of slaughter. Because of these crazy behaviors, the life of magician Chai H is threatened. If he doesn't share the secret of magic, he may be executed. Thus came the first English magic book, The Discovery of Witchcraft (1584). The author of this book, Regino Scott, aims to save the magician's life. In order to distinguish the magician's skills from the evil power of witches, he revealed many magic secrets in his book to prove that these seemingly magical signs were actually realized by some natural skills, not by evil forces. His works did prevent Chai H's magician from being burned to death.
Historically, as long as there are many people gathered, the magician's performance will be full. In the eighteenth century, the most common place for people to gather was the annual market. All kinds of circus performances and stunts will come here. But in this competition, the only star is the magician. /kloc-The greatest magician in the 0/8th century was Essex Fox. He became famous in the1720s, and he can be seen in the main markets of every town. Esek's classic magic is egg bag, which constantly takes out eggs and small items from the egg bag. You have to pay a shilling to see Fox's performance. He is the pioneer of this technique, so he has become a high-income earner and even a diehard supporter. When he died at 173 1, the newspaper reported that he left a legacy of 10,000 pounds, equivalent to 1 10,000 dollars today, which shows how popular he was.
/kloc-In the 20th century, with the rise of theaters, magicians found a new stage. Scottish magician john henry Anderson (18 14- 1874) was the first person who brought magic into the theater and became famous in the theater. His innovative performance style influenced many magicians in later generations. The magician created a new era of magic through the combination of clever lighting and stage effect. Magicians have reached the peak of history, and many kinds of magic were born in response to the theater. /kloc-The end of 0/9th century is the golden age of magic show, and magic shows everywhere are full. The magician wore a formal tuxedo, just like the audience who went to the theater at that time. This is also the origin of the magician wearing a tuxedo to perform. Some magicians have even become household names.
The most famous magician in the early 20th century was Harry Houdini (1874- 1926), a legendary magician who was well-known in the United States. Houdini is good at escape performances, including handcuffs, tights, milk cans, China dungeon and the most famous underwater escape. Houdini was also a pioneer in exposing so-called psychics who used magic to deceive the public. People still remember his deeds today.
However, the rapid development of the film industry in the 1930 s caused the rapid decline of the magic performance market. Because in movies, any magic can happen. Only a real magician can fascinate the audience.
Nowadays, people's demand for magic is rising again. Neon lights in Las Vegas have replaced ancient campfires. The development of casinos such as Las Vegas and the charm of TV have created a new generation of magic superstars. These magicians charge high fees and have supporters all over the world, which magicians could not imagine in the past. Today, magic can still meet people's needs for surprise and entertainment.
Magic tells us that life is full of surprises and dreams; It also tells us that everything may not be as it seems. And believe that the history of magic will continue to develop into the more distant future with the history of mankind.
Chinese magic:
Magic has a long history. As early as the Neolithic Age, there were traces of witchcraft activities. In human childhood, natural phenomena such as sun, moon, fire and rain are incomprehensible and can only be interpreted as non-human forces in mythology. On the other hand, human beings also have the desire to conquer nature, looking forward to collecting rich food, hoping for a bumper harvest of crops and a prosperous animal husbandry, so fantasies naturally arise in their minds. China's vast mythical ocean, such as "Pangu opened the heavens and cracked the earth", "Goddess of mending the heavens" and "Kuafu grew up day by day", and even planted melons to bear fruit immediately, climbed trees to heaven, and came back to life after detachment, are all proofs.
These fantasy scenes are embodied in ancient custom activities with strong entertainment colors, such as offering sacrifices to heaven and praying for the New Year, from which the prototype of magic is produced. Just like the three ancient "Ge" dancing with oxtail in hand in Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals, ancient drama, dance, acrobatics and magic are all in their infancy, and there is no obvious distinction.
The ancients couldn't resist natural disasters, so they believed that heaven and earth were connected by roads, and there were pillars like "not surrounding mountains" to support the sky. Therefore, "there appeared messengers who could come and go between man and god-witches, wizards and later alchemists." In order to convince people that they have extraordinary skills, most of these people have some verification methods, and they are primitive magicians.
Magic, as a specific program performance, appeared at least 2000 years ago. In the last three years of the Western Han Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty held a grand gathering of hundreds of plays, including China's traditional magic "Biography of Fish Dragon" and other programs, as well as magicians from Rome performing western magic such as spitting fire, swallowing knives, and tying themselves up. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, various magic programs such as "Phoenix with Books" and "Digging Wells" appeared. When Emperor Yangdi appeared "Huanglongbian", it became a place full of aquatic animals. Dance in a pot, which was popular in Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, was a kind of magic. The performer went in from the jar on the left and climbed out from the jar on the right.
In the Song Dynasty, magic began to be classified, and several professions such as "manipulation" and "summarization" appeared. At the same time, a folk association composed of professional magicians-Ji Yun Association appeared. Du Qisheng, a famous magician in the Song Dynasty, was good at killing and resurrecting, and became famous for a while, known as the "Seven Sacred Laws". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, various kinds of magic were circulated in the streets and alleys. China's famous "Nine Rings", "Fairy Planting Beans" and "Antique Trick" all had a great influence on the magic circle.
After the mid-Qing Dynasty, some artists from China traveled overseas, and magic troupes from Europe, America and Japan also performed in China, which promoted the exchange of magic between China and foreign countries. On the basis of keeping their traditional magic habits, China magicians absorbed a lot of foreign magic performances, contents and skills, and gradually formed such colorful programs on the Chinese magic stage today.
Partial correction: The earliest magic in China was fishing in the Three Kingdoms period, and it is still being performed today.
The earliest magic in foreign countries is three cups, also called three immortals returning to the cave. Some people say it came from China, while others say it originated in India. Just as China people must know the history of China, as a magic lover in China, they must also know the history of magic in China.