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Difference between a spell and a curse?

Home › Forums › Once Upon a Time › Season Four › General S4 discussion (no spoilers) › Difference between a spell and a curse?

  • This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 5 months ago by obisgirl.
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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  • November 28, 2014 at 9:44 am #291634
    obisgirl
    Participant

    I’ve been wondering about this for awhile, what is the difference between a spell and a curse?

    What we know of curses, true love’s kiss will break any curse.

    It’s the Frozen arc, so an act of true love has to come into play somehow in the breaking of the spell. But spells seem to be more temporary and this specific spell is broken once the person gives into their darkest urge (like with Anna).

    Do you all think the Spell of Shattered Sight can be broken with true love’s kiss, or an act of true love? What is the difference between a spell and a curse?

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    November 28, 2014 at 11:39 am #291644
    RumplesGirl
    Keymaster

    A curse, by it’s definition, is intended to have negative consequences on the person’s body that it is being used against.

    A spell is more open: so you can cast a spell to help someone or yourself or to hinder someone.

    When I think of a curse I think of something that will directly harm the individual…but a spell may only impede them. So you can cast a spell to make all the lights go out and put someone in darkness, but you’re not acting on the person themselves. A curse would cause the person to break a leg.

    "He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"
    November 28, 2014 at 11:40 am #291645
    RumplesGirl
    Keymaster

    As for why it’s the “spell” of shattered sight and not curse—I think that’s a case of the writers liking alliteration .

    "He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"
    November 28, 2014 at 11:51 am #291646
    trekfan92
    Participant

    I think a curse is just one type of a spell. Spells have many purposes such as Creation, Alteration, Conjuration, Necromancy etc. Curses probably fall under the Necromancy and Alteration categories. What’s the opposite of a curse? Would it be a Bless spell?

    November 28, 2014 at 12:26 pm #291656
    Josephine
    Participant

    What’s the opposite of a curse? Would it be a Bless spell?

    Sneaky Fairy did mention to Rumple in Season one when he let go of Bae’s hand that he immediately thought of a “curse” and not a “blessing”.  We’ve never seen, that I know of, any of these fairy blessings, have we?

     

    Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.

    November 28, 2014 at 12:32 pm #291659
    Keb
    Participant

    Well, the fairies did come up with the antidote for memory loss.

    I think Curse is a subclass of spell, though. We also know curses can be passed on through potions and the like. I suspect that since they tend to be negative, the price for casting them is probably darker (ie, the heart of the thing you love most) than for other spells.

    One of these days I’ll finish up cataloging the kinds of magic we’ve seen. You know, when I finish the timeline.

    Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

    November 28, 2014 at 3:30 pm #291669
    WickedRegal
    Participant

    A spell is just a common name I believe. It can be just about anything.

    A curse however, is something that is for intentional harm. And I agree…a blessing is the opposite because it’s intentional goodwill.

    "If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor

    November 28, 2014 at 3:35 pm #291671
    Keb
    Participant

    Except they HAVE cast curses for “good” reasons. Like when they used the sleeping curse on David. And when they cast the Dark Curse to get back to Storybrooke.

    Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

    November 28, 2014 at 4:48 pm #291672
    obisgirl
    Participant

    A curse, by it’s definition, is intended to have negative consequences on the person’s body that it is being used against.

    A spell is more open: so you can cast a spell to help someone or yourself or to hinder someone.

    When I think of a curse I think of something that will directly harm the individual…but a spell may only impede them. So you can cast a spell to make all the lights go out and put someone in darkness, but you’re not acting on the person themselves. A curse would cause the person to break a leg.

    Okay, that makes sense.

    One of these days I’ll finish up cataloging the kinds of magic we’ve seen. You know, when I finish the timeline.

    Cool.

    As for why it’s the “spell” of shattered sight and not curse—I think that’s a case of the writers liking alliteration .

    I agree. Adam and Eddy refer to it as a spell but I notice in interviews, the cast refers to it as a curse. I think that’s why I got confused.

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