Scholomance

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The Scholomance was a legendary school of black magic said to have been run by the Devil. It was supposedly located near an unnamed lake in the mountains south of the city of Hermannstadt (called Sibiu in Romanian) in the Transylvania region of Romania.

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[edit] In folklore

Emily Gerard, a Scottish author married to a Hungarian cavalryman stationed in Romania, gave a detailed description in her article "Transylvanian Superstitions" on page 136 of The Nineteenth Century:

As I am on the subject of thunderstorms, I may as well here mention the Scholomance, or school supposed to exist somewhere in the heart of the mountains, and where all the secrets of nature, the language of animals, and all imaginable magic spells and charms are taught by the devil in person. Only ten scholars are admitted at a time, and when the course of learning has expired and nine of them are released to return to their homes, the tenth scholar is detained by the devil as payment, and mounted upon an Ismeju (dragon) he becomes henceforward the devil's aide-de-camp, and assists him in 'making the weather,' that is, in preparing thunderbolts. A small lake, immeasurably deep, lying high up among the mountains south of Hermanstadt [sic], is supposed to be the cauldron where is brewed the thunder, and in fair weather the dragon sleeps beneath the waters.

Katherine Ramsland describes the nine remaining scholars (known as Solomonari) as "tall, redheaded men clad in white wool...[possessing] several instruments of magic and a book of instruction." She also goes on to explain that they are "trained for nine years...overcoming obstacles and surviving ordeals. Their final examination involved copying all that they knew about humanity into the Solomonar's book.

[edit] In literature

Bram Stoker, likely drawing from Gerard's work, referred to it twice in Dracula, once in chapter 18:

The Draculas were, says Arminius, a great and noble race, though now and again were scions who were held by their coevals to have had dealings with the Evil One. They learned his secrets in the Scholomance, amongst the mountains over Lake Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar as his due.

And again in chapter 23:

He dared even to attend the Scholomance, and there was no branch of knowledge of his time that he did not essay.

Stoker's reference to "Lake Hermanstadt" appears to be a misinterpretation of Gerard's passage, as there is no body of water by that name.

In the book "Lord of Middle Air" by Michael Scott Rohan, the wizard Michael Scot reveals that he dared to train at the Scholomance on TWO separate occasions, as there was so much knowledge it could not all be learnt in one night.

Although not referred to by name, the Scholomance is the basis for the Academy in Torquere Press' "Tuition Fees: The Devil" by Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks.

[edit] In computer games

The name has been reused in the computer game industry to refer to other schools of dark magic. The warlocks in Bungie's Myth II: Soulblighter are described as having been trained at a school of magic named the Scholomance, and in Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft, the Scholomance is a series of crypts that has been corrupted and is now used to train necromancers and create undead monsters. Additionally, the Scholomance in World of Warcraft is located in the middle of a lake, like its legendary namesake.

[edit] References

  • Gerard, Emily. "Transylvanian Superstitions." The Nineteenth Century, 1885, p.128-144.
  • Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897.
  • Warrington, Freda. "Dracula The Undead", 1997.
  • Ramsland Ph.D, Katherine. "The Science of Vampires", 2002.