Pócs Éva (szerk.): Magyar ráolvasások II.

Angol nyelvű összefoglalás /Hungarian Incantations/

710 parallels are the subordinate clauses joined together by so so - a

s, when - the

n, or if - the

n. The main clause /S-part/ is a wish directly expressing the magic function: "something should happen to somebody/something /in such a way/when/". The subordinate clause - introduced by in that way/then/i

f - is a parallel wish, the content of which, as compared to the truth content of the main clause, can be of different kinds: Similes drawing a parallel between similar processes and phenomena - as the relevant structures of analogical magic - are one of the most frequent tools of magic /II./. However it can also draw a parallel between the above mentioned contrasting belief contents /III,/. Furthermore, it is also a relevant structure of "condition-making" or of "time limit giving": The staying of the illness depending on an impossible condition, giving tasks or dates to various supernatural beings /V./ or to illnesses /X.

11-16., X.

32-39., XI.

1./ usually appear in the structure of simile /although less often it can also appear in subordinate clauses such as until-when

/

. The R-part referring to the action can be subordinated to the S-part in both cases. In the case of similes - according to the principles of analogical magic - it refers to an action which is in analogical parallel to a wish /"something should happen to B in the same way as A does something"/. In the case of impossible conditions the reference to the action or the wish parallel to it includes a logical impossibility: thus the staying/ repetition of the trouble is tied to an impossible condition /"If/in the same way as A does/does not do something, then/in the same way should something happen to B"

/. Both the simile with R-part, and the impossible condition with an R-part are well known practices of magic, which can function in an improvised fashion connected to any magic action known in a given place.