b 1 In Literature: • "'I say the magic words three times -- Banana bones, banana bones, banana bones.' I held up the pencil horizontal at eye level and wiggled it up and down. 'Presto, it's rubber!'" -- Jon Scieszka, 2095 (1995) Banath (see banneth) Facts: Banath is the prankster deity of the Midkemia fantasy world popularlized by Raymond E. Feist. Banneth The magic word is Banneth. -- Peter F. Hamilton, The Neutronium Alchemist: Conflict (1998) Origins: Of Germanic origin, the word banneth means "to curse" or "to prohibit." Facts: Banneth is the name of "the High Magus" in The Confederation Handbook by Peter F. Hamilton (2002). Baraka Mystique: There is speculation that the ancient Sufi saying "Baraka ba shad," meaning "blessing be," is the source of the word abracadabra. In any case, baraka is a "mysterious, wonder-working force which is looked upon as a blessing from God, a 'blessed virtue.'" Put another way, "Baraka means blessedness and implies a mystical quality of divine protection."7 Musician Brian Eno sees baraka as being "something between karma and fate. Certain people accrue baraka. They accrue the ability to attract interesting things to themselves, interesting and pleasant things. Now this seems to be manifestly true. That definitely happens, you know. You see people, you meet people to whom interesting things continuously happen. Why does this happen to them and not to others? Why is it happening to me? I think that some people are very good at being opportunistic in a good way, and in a large scale way."8 5 Doreen Valiente, An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present (197 ) 6 Edward Westermarck, The Moorish Conception of Holiness (1916) 7 Andy Griffin, "None Dare Call it Cantaloupe" (200 ) 8 "An Evening With Brian Eno," The Complete Music Magazine (1982)