MAGIC WORDS moved to the door, and he followed at her elbow, casting about for a magic word that would make the enigma clear, that would compel the surrender of the gift. And there is no such word! The enigma is only made clear by sacrifice, and the gift of heaven is in the hands of every man. But they had lived in a world that abhors enigmas, and cares for no gifts but such as can be obtained in the street." -- Joseph Conrad, Tales of Unrest (1898) • "'In the midst of silence a hidden word was spoken to me.' Where is this Silence, and where is the place in which this word is spoken? 'It is in the purest that the soul can produce, in her noblest part, in the Ground, even the Being of the Soul.' So Eckhart: and here he does but subscribe to a universal tradition. The mystics have always insisted that 'Be still, be still, and know' is the condition of man's purest and most direct apprehensions of reality: that he experiences in quiet the truest and deepest activity: and Christianity when she formulated her philosophy made haste to adopt and express this paradox." -- Evelyn Underhill, Mysticism (1911) Sim Sala Bim Origins: This magic phrase is popularly believed to have originated in Scandinavian folklore. Sim salabim is spoken by a Turkish alchemist with magical powers in the early medieval folk play entitled Robyn Hode: A Mummers Play: "I have here a potion, brought from the east. It is called the golden elixir, and with one drop I will revive Robyn Hode with these magic words: 'Sim Salabim.' Rise up young man and see how your body can walk and sing." 9 Dr. Herbert H. Nehrlich suggests that sim sala bim "is named after Ali Sim-sala-bim, a desert wanderer and -- most importantly -- a magician." 40 Facts: Sim sala bim is "the Swedish equivalent of 'abracadabra,'"41 and is known in other Scandinavian cultures as well. These magic words were made popular by the famous professional magician Dante/The Great Jansen. They also served as the name of his famous touring magic show. Professional magician Whit Haydn once used these words in his performances as a tribute to Dante. He explains: "Sim Sala Bim are nonsense syllables from a Danish nursery rhyme. Dante used them in his show, saying they meant 'A thousand thanks.' He said that the more applause, the bigger the bow, and the more thanks that the Sim Sala Bim would mean. Soon after moving to L.A. in the seventies, I bought a set of Dante's rings from Ken Leckvold, who had bought them from Dante's son. I really enjoyed performing with these rings, and eventually added 9 Daniel Diehl, Medieval Celebrations (2001) 40 "Carpe Diem, Quam Minimum Credula Postero" (2004) 41 Per Mollerup, Collapsible: The Genius of Space-Saving Design (2002)