Can You Match The Magical Artifact To The Movie?
- by Rose Moore
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Movies have their own magic - the power to take the audience out of themselves, away from the real world, and on an emotional roller coaster without ever leaving their seats. In that sense, pretty much every object in a movie is a magical one… but there are some that are literally magical, as well. From worlds where magic is an integral part of life, to those enchanted objects that pop up in magic-free universes, props with a magical power are a huge part of pop culture. They’re not just a part of genre movies and big fantasy franchises, either. Magic is a part of horror, comedy, and even action movies. Some magical items are objects that the audience would love to get hold of, some are objects that no one would ever want in real life, but they are all items that are so much more than they seem at first glance. From jewelry to weaponry, carpet bags to African masks, enchanted objects are scattered throughout cinema, and only the biggest cinephiles will be able to match every object to the movie it is seen in… how many can you get right?
Note: Some of these objects have shown up in multiple films over the years, or in several installments of a single franchise. In these cases, only one of the possible four answers given will be correct. This doesn’t mean that the object has never shown up elsewhere, however - comment with where else you’ve seen these enchanted objects!
The One Ring
“One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.” The one ring is at the center of this iconic film series, as a Hobbit is charged with carrying the magical ring to Mordor to destroy it, as the races of Middle Earth begin to fall into darkness and war. It’s not the only magical item in this world, but it’s probably the most powerful, and that makes it the most dangerous.
The Elder Wand
Everybody wishes that they could have a magic wand, so it’s not surprising that there are a lot of them in fantasy films. This particular wand, however, is one of the most powerful wands ever created, and was made by Death himself as a gift to one of three brothers - Antioch Peverell. Together with two other magical objects given to the other two Peverells, it forms the Deathly Hallows, a magical trio that allows the user to vanquish death, making them the most powerful wizard in the world.
Lasso of Truth
This magical golden lasso was given to the Amazons as a magical weapon against the forces of darkness. Forged from the Golden Girdle of Gaea, anyone bound by the Lasso of Truth is forced to answer any question honestly. The Lasso can also bind people and is impossible to escape from, and has been used to subdue powerful beings as a result. It can expand to an almost unlimited length, and Diana Prince has used it as a whip and weapon as well as a simple rope.
Zoltar
Zoltar is a fortune telling machine at a carnival in New Jersey, with the power to actually grant wishes, not just dispel fortunes. When a young boy named Josh comes across it, his wish to be a grown up is granted, and the usual child-in-a-grownups-body hijinks ensue. It’s not clear whether Zoltar will grant any wish, of course - he also doesn’t stay put, and seems to appear to specific people who need to learn some kind of lesson about their own life.
Magic Carpet
In Disney’s city of Agrabah, magic can be found lurking around every corner… especially in the Cave of Wonders. When a young thief with a heart of gold enters the cave, he meets a new friend - a magic carpet. This blue and purple rug can’t speak, but it communicates very well with its tassels and a little ‘body’ language. Not just a mode of magical transport, the Magic Carpet is also a friend, a sometime rescuer, and a serious pool shark!
Ruby Slippers
When a tornado whisks Dorothy Gale to a magical land filled with strange people, Glinda the Good Witch gives her an enchanted gift: a pair of sparkling ruby slippers. These slippers can be used for good - to wish Dorothy home if she only clicks her heels together, but they also get her into all kinds of trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West who wants them for herself. Of course, they are gorgeous… who wouldn’t understand fighting over these gorgeous red heels?
Necronomicon
Before appearing in film, the Necronomicon was created by H P Lovecraft for his horror stories, but it was Sam Raimi who brought it to life on the big screen. An ancient Sumerian text bound in human skin, this book was discovered by a group of hapless teens in a cabin in the woods, where a reading of it unleashes an army of Deadites - beings possessed by Kandarian demons. Ash’s adventures to stop the horror created by the book covers an entire horror franchise.
the Alethiometer
This object's name means ‘truth teller’, and this magical object can answer any question put to it with perfect accuracy and truth… but only if the person asking knows how to use it. Unlike many other magical objects, the Alethiometer won’t work for just anyone, and most who can read it spend a lifetime studying the art of the symbols around its edge. In a world of magic, demons and witches, this is still an incredibly rare and sought-after object.
The Tablet of Ahkmenrah
There are multiple movies featuring magical artifacts from Ancient Egypt, and the Tablet of Ahkmenrah is one of the most prominent. In this franchise, the Tablet is made of gold, and consists of six squares set into a golden tablet. Connected to the moon god Khonshu, it has the power to bring in animate objects to life during the night, although it needs to be re-charged in the light of the full moon to continue to function, and when the tablet itself begins to degrade, its magic begins to weaken.
Sting
In J R R Tolkien’s sprawling fantasy world, there are plenty of magical objects, but it's the weapons that fans really lust over. (That, and a dragon’s hoard of gold!) Sting may be a small sword, but it is a mighty one. Just the right size for a halfling, Sting was made by the elves, and is enchanted to glow with a blue light when orcs or goblins are near. Its inscription reads “Sting is my name; I am the spider's bane.”
Eat Me/Drink Me Cake and Liquid
Not many would fall down a rabbit hole, but if someone did, they might find these little magic foodstuffs at the bottom. When a young girl plummeted into the earth, she found herself in a round room surrounded by doors, with a bottle of liquid, and a small cake. The bottle read ‘drink me’, and the cake read ‘eat me’. It might not be the smartest idea to consume strange items you find at the bottom of a hole, but these magic items allowed her to grow and shrink at will - which worked out pretty well in the end.
Jack’s Compass
Another golden compass with magical powers, Jack’s Compass was given to him by the witch Tia Dalma - later revealed to be the sea goddess herself. It doesn’t point North (what magic compass would?) but it does point the way of the thing that the holder desires most. This can be useful for finding treasure, but it also leads to misunderstandings at times - and occasionally just points to something that the holder really wants in that specific moment… like a bottle of rum!
Universal Remote Control
Adam Sandler stars in this time-warping comedy about a Universal Remote Control with a difference - it has the power to actually control the speed of time itself. After learning the remote’s power, the user can fast forward through the boring parts of their own life, to turn up or down the volume of the people around them, to revisit good memories, even to understand multiple languages. It’s not as charmed as it seems, however, and the movie reminds us that fast forwarding through life ultimately just means missing out on it.
Magic Mirror
“Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” The perfect mirror for a truly narcissistic villain, this Magic Mirror has no other name, but can reform from a hanging mirror into the shape of a shimmering man. The mirror is compelled to tell the truth to the Sorceress and Queen that commands him, and exists to find the most beautiful woman in the land. It can also dole out useful information about past, present and future, as well as telling the Queen how she can become truly immortal.
The Carpet Bag
Of all the magical artifacts in the world of film, this would be one of the most useful - especially when traveling! The enchanted Carpet Bag looks like an ordinary bag, but when the owner reaches in, she is able to pull out all kinds of things far too large to fit in a non-magical case. Entire pieces of furniture can be pulled from the seemingly limitless depths of the bag, without it becoming any heavier, or seeming too difficult to find where individual items are.
The Cloak of Levitation
There’s something special about magical clothing - especially if it enables the wearer to fly! The Cloak of Levitation is a sentient relic, able to fly and move of its own accord. Once it has chosen someone to wear it, the Cloak allows them to levitate (hence the name), and also acts as a form of protection. Being worn on the back, it makes it impossible to sneak up on the wearer, as the cloak itself will protect and warn them… and it looks pretty darn spiffy, too!
The Amulet of Pazuzu
Definitely not a magical object that the audience wants to take home with them, the Amulet of Pazuzu is one of multiple representations of the demon Pazuzu in this horror franchise. Much smaller than the statues that also make appearances, the medallion or amulet of Pazuzu is found on an archaeological dig, and represents the demon itself - and while the two are not as intimately connected as some other demons and their amulets, it’s enough to strike fear into the heart of the priest that discovers it, as he knows that horrors are to follow.
Ark of the Covenant
This franchise loves to take biblical and legendary artifacts and bring them to life for the intrepid treasure hunter that searches them out. According to legend, the Ark of the Covenant is the chest that houses the pieces of the ten commandments, and carried to the promised land by the Hebrews. However, it is much more than just a box, and contains incredible power. It is said to ‘level mountains and lay waste’ to entire areas. In this film, the Ark released ghostly apparitions and fiery energy, and slaughtered many of the Nazis hunting for it.
Maui’s Hook
This magical fishhook was given to the demi-God Maui to grant him god-like powers. Made of bone and covered in detailed markings, the hook has the power to allow Maui to shape-shift when wearing it, as well as giving him multiple other supernatural powers. However, when Maui does not have his hook, or when it is damaged or broken, he loses his powers, and it can take some time for the hook to connect to the demi-god again when it returns to him.
The White Wizard’s Staff
There is more than one White Wizard in this fantasy epic, but it is Gandalf’s staff that we are concerned with here. When he returns from the dead and heads to the Rohan, he and his companions are told to give up their weapons before meeting the king - but the White Wizard is able to convince the guards that his staff is simply a walking stick… of course, this is untrue, as the staff is also his tool, a conduit for his power, and useable as a weapon in battle.
Auryn
This medallion was given to the boy warrior Atreyu, to aid him on his search for a cure for his dying empress in this children’s fantasy classic. The medallion is formed of two serpents, eating each other’s tails, and is based on the mystical symbol of the ourobouros, the snake eating its own tail. It protects the wearer from all harm, but also grants the wearer supernatural powers. With the inscription ‘Do What You Wish’, the Auryn can be used to create whatever the wearer chooses, but they will lose their memories as a result.
Mask of Loki
Loki, the trickster god of Norse legend, appears in many forms - and in one film, he may have even been banished into a wooden mask. This mask appears to simply be an African decoration, until the hapless Stanley Ipkiss puts it on one night and is turned into a rubber-faced man with bright green skin, strangely magic powers, and absolutely no fear. Through the wild antics of his green alter-ego, he begins to gain confidence, and truly take control of his own life.
The Enchanted Rose
In this fairy tale film, a young and handsome prince was only beautiful on the outside, until a beautiful enchantress decided to teach him a lesson. When she saw that he had no love in his heart, the enchantress gave him a magic rose, that would continue to bloom until his twenty-first year. He had until the last petal fell to earn the love of someone, without his previous physical beauty to help him… and it wasn’t until a kind-hearted bookworm came to his castle that he began to change.
The Four Stones
In this space opera directed by Luc Besson, the Four Stones are magical items from an Egyptian temple. Every five thousand years, when Evil attempts to attack the earth, these stones can be placed around the Supreme Being, a perfect being, to unleash the light of creation and stop Evil in its tracks. Each of the stones corresponds to an element: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and require their element to touch them in order to work. Once they have, they become dormant again, until they are needed.
The Wardrobe
When four children (Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter) are sent to a mysterious old home in the country during the Blitz, they never expect to be transported even further - to a magical world filled with magic and talking animals. Expected or not, this is what happens when they discover the entrance to a world in the back of a wardrobe - and a magical adventure that inspired a generation of children to open their closets with hope in their hearts.
Vorpal Sword
The Vorpal Sword is the weapon used to defeat the Jabberwocky, but it’s not just any sword that would do the trick - nor is it about the skill of the person who wields it. Instead, the Vorpal Sword is semi-sentient, and is the enemy of the Jabberwocky - and the only thing that can truly destroy it. Alice uses it, but it is the sword itself that does most of the work, Alice simply has to swing it and trust in its own magic to get the job done.
Invisibility Cloak
Another of the Deathly Hallows, the Invisibility Cloak does exactly what it sounds like - it renders the wearer invisible. Of course, there have been many imitations created by wizards over the years, but a true invisibility cloak “endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it”. The cloak was originally given by Death to Ignotus Peverell, before becoming passed down through the family to the wizard who used it to finally defeat Voldemort.
The Dagger of Time
The Dagger of Time appears in both the video game series that inspired this movie, and in the movie itself. It is a small, curved dagger, but its primary use isn’t as a weapon. Instead, it’s power lies in the Sands of Time that are held in the hilt. These can be used in order to turn back time (although only by a minute), with the sands flowing out and up the hands and arms of the wielder in an intricate pattern.
Holy Grail
Another biblical object turned magical artifact for this treasure-hunting franchise, the Holy Grail is said to be the cup from which Jesus drank at the last supper, as well as the one used to collect the blood from his side. In this film, it appears as a simple clay cup which can grant eternal life and give water the power to heal any wound. However, it is hidden within a collection of false cups, and attempting to use any but the real grail will kill the drinker.
Felix’s Hammer
This magical golden hammer belongs to Fix-It Felix, and has the power to fix anything that it touches. This goes for more than simply fixing things that have been destroyed, physically. The hammer is also able to strengthen things that are not broken (like the bars of a prison cell), and can even heal physical injuries (like bruises on Felix’s face). The hammer was passed down to Felix by his father, and although it’s not clear exactly how old it is, it appears to be indestructible itself.
Time Turner
Everybody wishes that they could find more hours in the day, and if you could have a Time Turner, that wish could come true! This delicate golden necklace can be used to turn back time, allowing the user to be in two places at once. In this film, a young student of witchcraft and wizardry uses it to get to twice as many classes, as well as doing a little life-saving on the side. It’s a powerful magic item, however, and can only be used with extreme caution.
Genie’s Lamp
Everyone has wanted their own genie from time to time - a magical being that can grant any wish for the Master that they serve. If that Genie just happened to be voiced by the incomparable Robin Williams, so much the better! A street urchin was the one to find the magic lamp in Disney’s animated version of the classic tale, and he won hearts by freeing the Genie in the end, although there were plenty of adventures before he finally did it.
Excalibur
One of the most famous fantasy swords from myth and legend, Excalibur has appeared many times over, including in an animated, Disney-fied version of the classic tale. It is a magical sword, that appeared one day in an anvil, standing in a churchyard. It promises that the person who is capable of pulling it will be ‘rightwise King of England’, but it cannot be pulled with strength alone - only one is able, and he can pull it as easily from stone as from butter.
Mauraders Map
This impressive piece of magic was actually created by school-age wizards, to help them get up to mischief at school. It appears to be an ordinary piece of parchment, enchanted to insult anyone who reads it. However, if the right words are spoken, the parchment will reveal a map of the school, with every person within its walls marked on the map in real time. It wouldn’t be too useful outside the school itself, of course, but fans still want one! All together now… “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”.
Mirror of Erised
Its name is ‘desire’ in reverse, and that is what this mirror does. Much like Jack’s compass, it focuses on the thing that someone most desires, but rather than point the way to it, the Mirror of Erised simply shows it. For some, this means seeing themselves with loved ones who have passed on, or surrounded by accolades. For the truly content, however, the mirror will act only as a normal mirror, and show the person himself, nothing more and nothing less.