Knowledge (XXG)

Hocus-pocus

Source 📝

123: 381:", a dark composure of words, to blinde the eyes of the beholders, to make his Trick pass the more currently without discovery, because when the eye and the ear of the beholder are both earnestly busied, the Trick is not so easily discovered, nor the Imposture discerned. 71:
of the bread into the body of Christ by saying: "HOC EST ENIM CORPUS MEUM" (meaning - "This is my Body"), which could be misheard as hocus-pocus and associated with magic and changing one object into something else.
94:. Further research suggests that "Hocus Pocus" was the stage name of a well known magician of the era. This may be William Vincent, who is recorded as having been granted a license to perform magic in 122: 56:. In extended usage, the term is often used (pejoratively) to describe irrational human activities that appear to depend on magic. Examples are given below. 475: 110:. Some have associated it with similar-sounding fictional, mythical, or legendary names. Others suggest it is merely a combination of 472: 106:
The origins of the term remain obscure. The most popular conjecture is that it is a garbled Latin religious phrase or some form of
650: 518: 568: 31: 345: 166: 64: 655: 504: 255: 234: 226: 660: 171: 635: 622: 41: 230: 206: 68: 468: 180: 131: 60: 526: 308: 300: 162: 81: 429: 373:
I will speak of one man... that went about in King James his time ... who called himself, "
541: 328: 259: 202: 48:
spoken when bringing about some sort of change. It was once a common term for a magician,
593: 493: 491: 409: 252: 186: 377:", and so was he called, because that at the playing of every Trick, he used to say, " 644: 340: 111: 618: 366: 304: 284: 280: 143: 53: 17: 631: 555: 404: 268: 214: 86: 447: 386: 147: 45: 627: 614: 151: 127: 107: 179:. This explanation goes at least as far back as a 1694 speculation by the 126:
Painting titled "Hoc est corpus", for a set of tapestries celebrating the
276: 49: 335:
It is possible that we here see the origin of hocus pocus, and Old Nick.
183: 95: 296: 158: 90:(sleight of hand), was published anonymously in 1635 under the title 430:"The Project Gutenberg eBook of Hocvs Pocvs Iunior (author unknown)" 544:
en Michel van der Plas over hun roomse jeugd en hoe het hun verging
354: 246: 238: 121: 573:(2 ed.). London: Longman, Hurst, Rees & Orme. p. 17 98:
in 1619. Whether he was the author of the book is unknown.
30:
This article is about the magic words. For other uses, see
634:
in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at the
621:
in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at the
594:"'Hocus-pocus' – the meaning and origin of this phrase" 201:, by way of ridiculous imitation of the priests of the 365:
As an alternative to other theories, it may simply be
327:
Others believe that it is an appeal to the folkloric
494:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hocus-pocus
307:
states. Additionally, the word for "stage trick" in
379:Hocus pocus, tontus talontus, vade celeriter jubeo 193:In all probability those common juggling words of 213:This theory is supported by the fact that in the 221:are usually accompanied by the additional words 628:Hocus Pocus Junior: the Anatomie of Legerdemain 556:Etymological dictionary of the Russian language 371: 333: 265:under Pontius Pilate he suffered and was buried 191: 138:One theory is that the term is a corruption of 92:Hocus Pocus Junior: The Anatomie of Legerdemain 375:The Kings Majesties most excellent Hocus Pocus 157:Another theory is that it is a corruption or 8: 615:Hocus Pocus or The Whole art of Legerdemain. 369:with no meaning, made up to impress people: 229:parody of the traditional Catholic rite of 146:phrase used in the early 17th century as a 59:The phrase could have originated from the 465:The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 225:, and this is said to be based on a post- 84:work on magic, or what was then known as 349:, they were believed to be derived from 63:(Eucharistic Prayer) found in the Latin 421: 570:The History Of The Anglo Saxons Vol II 303:nation, as well as certain other post- 197:are nothing else but a corruption of 7: 267:. In a similar way the phrase is in 237:, being a Dutch corruption of the 25: 592:Martin, Gary (11 December 2023). 40:is a reference to the actions of 346:The History of the Anglo-Saxons 118:Latin and pseudo-Latin origins 1: 169:, which contains the phrase " 67:when the priest performs the 44:, often as the stereotypical 32:Hocus Pocus (disambiguation) 619:Marion S. Carson Collection 489:Online Etymology Dictionary 275:, a corruption of the term 677: 519:"abracadabra; hocus pocus" 29: 505:Oxford English Dictionary 632:Harry Houdini Collection 291:”. The variant spelling 249:, which reads in part, " 172:Hoc est enim corpus meum 651:17th-century neologisms 567:Turner, Sharon (1807). 271:usually accompanied by 140:hax pax max Deus adimax 523:PenguinRandomhouse.com 396: 337: 331:magician Ochus Bochus: 211: 135: 125: 529:on 5 September 2008. 517:MacIsaac, Margaret. 452:www.hocuspocusjr.com 391:A Candle in the Dark 322: 636:Library of Congress 623:Library of Congress 243:Hoc est corpus meum 102:Conjectured origins 80:The earliest known 52:, or other similar 18:Hocus Pocus (magic) 609:External resources 315:, is derived from 299:, a predominantly 231:transubstantiation 207:Transubstantiation 205:in their trick of 136: 69:transubstantiation 546:, Amsterdam, 1969 448:"Hocus Pocus, Jr" 434:www.gutenberg.org 353:, a magician and 132:Peter Paul Rubens 16:(Redirected from 668: 656:Magic (illusion) 602: 601: 589: 583: 582: 580: 578: 564: 558: 553: 547: 537: 531: 530: 525:. Archived from 514: 508: 502: 496: 486: 480: 467:, 2nd ed, 2005, 462: 456: 455: 444: 438: 437: 426: 394: 301:Eastern Orthodox 289:and from the Son 163:Catholic liturgy 82:English-language 21: 676: 675: 671: 670: 669: 667: 666: 665: 641: 640: 611: 606: 605: 591: 590: 586: 576: 574: 566: 565: 561: 554: 550: 542:Godfried Bomans 538: 534: 516: 515: 511: 503: 499: 487: 483: 463: 459: 446: 445: 441: 428: 427: 423: 418: 401: 395: 385: 363: 325: 323:Magician's name 283:version of the 177:This is my body 148:magical formula 120: 104: 78: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 674: 672: 664: 663: 658: 653: 643: 642: 639: 638: 625: 610: 607: 604: 603: 584: 559: 548: 532: 509: 497: 481: 457: 439: 420: 419: 417: 414: 413: 412: 410:Barbarous name 407: 400: 397: 383: 362: 359: 357:of the north. 324: 321: 203:Church of Rome 199:hoc est corpus 187:John Tillotson 119: 116: 112:nonsense words 103: 100: 77: 74: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 673: 662: 659: 657: 654: 652: 649: 648: 646: 637: 633: 629: 626: 624: 620: 616: 613: 612: 608: 599: 595: 588: 585: 572: 571: 563: 560: 557: 552: 549: 545: 543: 536: 533: 528: 524: 520: 513: 510: 507:"hocus-pocus" 506: 501: 498: 495: 492: 490: 485: 482: 479: 478: 474: 473:9780191727047 470: 466: 461: 458: 453: 449: 443: 440: 435: 431: 425: 422: 415: 411: 408: 406: 403: 402: 398: 392: 388: 382: 380: 376: 370: 368: 361:Nonsense word 360: 358: 356: 352: 348: 347: 342: 341:Sharon Turner 339:According to 336: 332: 330: 320: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 298: 295:is common in 294: 290: 286: 282: 278: 274: 270: 266: 262: 261: 257: 254: 253:Pontio Pilato 248: 244: 240: 236: 232: 228: 224: 220: 216: 210: 208: 204: 200: 196: 190: 188: 185: 182: 178: 174: 173: 168: 164: 160: 155: 153: 149: 145: 141: 133: 129: 124: 117: 115: 113: 109: 101: 99: 97: 93: 89: 88: 83: 75: 73: 70: 66: 62: 57: 55: 51: 47: 43: 39: 33: 19: 598:Phrasefinder 597: 587: 575:. Retrieved 569: 562: 551: 540: 535: 527:the original 522: 512: 500: 488: 484: 476: 464: 460: 451: 442: 433: 424: 390: 378: 374: 372: 367:pseudo-Latin 364: 351:Ochus Bochus 350: 344: 338: 334: 326: 316: 312: 292: 288: 285:Nicene Creed 272: 264: 260:sepultus est 250: 242: 222: 218: 217:, the words 212: 198: 194: 192: 176: 170: 156: 144:pseudo-Latin 139: 137: 134:, circa 1625 105: 91: 85: 79: 58: 54:entertainers 37: 36: 27:Magic phrase 661:Magic words 577:23 February 539:In de Kou, 405:Abracadabra 317:hocus pocus 287:, meaning “ 279:, from the 269:Scandinavia 263:", meaning 227:Reformation 223:pilatus pas 219:Hocus pocus 215:Netherlands 195:hocus pocus 175:", meaning 108:'dog' Latin 87:legerdemain 61:Roman Canon 46:magic words 38:Hocus-pocus 645:Categories 416:References 387:Thomas Ady 245:" and the 630:From the 617:From the 293:filipokus 167:Eucharist 152:conjurors 128:Eucharist 42:magicians 399:See also 384:—  277:filioque 273:filiokus 181:Anglican 309:Russian 241:words " 233:during 184:prelate 165:of the 161:of the 96:England 76:History 50:juggler 471:  393:, 1656 305:Soviet 297:Russia 256:passus 159:parody 355:demon 329:Norse 313:fokus 281:Latin 247:credo 239:Latin 130:, by 579:2019 477:s.v. 469:ISBN 251:sub 235:Mass 142:, a 65:Mass 343:in 258:et 150:by 647:: 596:. 521:. 450:. 432:. 389:, 319:. 311:, 154:. 114:. 600:. 581:. 454:. 436:. 209:. 189:: 34:. 20:)

Index

Hocus Pocus (magic)
Hocus Pocus (disambiguation)
magicians
magic words
juggler
entertainers
Roman Canon
Mass
transubstantiation
English-language
legerdemain
England
'dog' Latin
nonsense words

Eucharist
Peter Paul Rubens
pseudo-Latin
magical formula
conjurors
parody
Catholic liturgy
Eucharist
Hoc est enim corpus meum
Anglican
prelate
John Tillotson
Church of Rome
Transubstantiation
Netherlands

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.