Dark Magic

The notorious pirate Blackbeard had a passion for forbidden Dark Magic.

"Where is the witch?"
"She's vanished, sir! An act of dark magic."

―John Scarfield and a soldier

Dark Magic, also known as the Black Arts or the dark arts, was the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, usually for the intent to cause harm to others.

This sinister sorcery, often associated with Voodoo, was mainly used in the Caribbean and other untamed regions of the world. Blackbeard used the ritualistic practices of the Black Arts to create zombies, voodoo dolls, and darts with a sleep-inducing elixir.

History

In the early 16th century, during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico, the Aztecs placed 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold to the conquistador Hernán Cortés as "blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies." But instead of satisfying Cortés, it merely fueled his greed. In response, the heathen gods placed a curse upon the gold: any mortal who removed a piece of the gold from the chest would be punished for eternity. Those who became cursed, like Captain Hector Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl, would suffer a living death in which they could not feel or taste anything, and when they stepped into the moonlight, their flesh would vanish from their bones, effectively becoming walking skeletons. Ultimately, the treasure ended up on Isla de Muerta, an island of the dead that could only be found by those who knew where it was. According to legend, after a ship carrying the treasure ran aground on the island, killing all but one of its crew, the lone survivor hid the treasure ashore before dying himself. Ever since then, the dark magic of the treasure cursed the island itself over time.

Captain John Stryke dabbled in dark magic, which caused him to mutate into a goblin-like creature. A sliver of a ruby known as the Eye of Despair, which he wore as a talisman, superficially hid his true appearance, but to make it permenant Stryke needed to find the rest of the ruby, and offer a sacrifice.

After the parlay on a sandbar off the coast of Shipwreck Island, Hector Barbossa, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann returned to the Black Pearl, where they saw Pintel and some Chinese pirates leading Tia Dalma on deck. The mystic woman looked tiny under the weight of chains, manacles, and heavy ropes wrapped around her, but both Will and Elizabeth knew that inside the human figure was hidden a powerful sea goddes full of dark magic that no one on the sea would be able to stand against.

Blackbeard at work on the dark arts in his cabin.

The infamous pirate Blackbeard studied a variety of beliefs and techniques to his own ends, knowing more than just Haitian Voodoo, but mainly practiced Haitian Voodoo. Having a passion for forbidden dark magic, Blackbeard would dabble in the Black Arts within his private chamber in the captain's cabin aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, which appeared more like the den of an evil magician. Potions, poisons, and all paraphernalia of the dark arts were placed in many points in the cabin, which was lit by dripping candles and festooned with mystical artifacts, all designed to fill visitors with fear. But because of his aggression in using this sinister sorcery had resulted in Blackbeard being possessed of a tattered soul. The supernatural powers that Blackbeard possessed were most notably seen during the quest for the Fountain of Youth. Using Greek fire and practiced rituals, Blackbeard was able to create zombies that would serve as his loyal officers aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. Another example would be using powerful voodoo dolls that can affect individuals, to a point of either enslaving unwilling victims or causing pain. Voodoo darts dipped with a secret, sleep-inducing elixir were also very effective; for instances, they were used on Jack Sparrow in order to get him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, and later used on Philip Swift to make him seem dead.

The sea witch Shansa knew the ways of the dark arts and black magic.

A sea witch known as Shansa was someone who knew the ways of the dark arts and black magic. At some point, Hector Barbossa made a deal with Shansa, she cursed his enemies in return for him saving her from the gallows. Upon learning about Armando Salazar and his ghostly crew, Barbossa knew that he needed the help of the witch's magic. Barbossa saw that Shansa had not lost any of her unique beauty in the time that had passed since he last saw her, and could have sworn Shansa glowed with magic.

Nature of the Dark Arts

"Those men were clearly superstitious, so I thought we could use their silly talk of dark magic against them."

―Carina Smyth

Born in the jungles of the Caribbean Isles, Dark Magic had spread all across the untamed regions of the world. Practitioners of this sinister sorcery intended to do harm of others, or make them do their bidding. Cunning men have learned how to harness the power of dark magic, but this magic is a double-edged sword, and could bring the downfall of the very ones who seek to use it. The only known material that could disrupt this magic is metal.

It is possible that engaging in the dark arts extensively for many years would damage to the soul, even to a point of destroying it. For instance, Blackbeard was said to be possessed of a tattered soul, lost to forces of darkness, with Blackbeard himself referred to his soul as if it was practically gone, in saying "what's left of it."

Behind the scenes

"Within a day of leaving port for Spain, the treasure ship carrying the gold...something went wrong. The ship run aground, every man aboard dead, save one. He survived long enough to hide the gold ashore. Over time, the dark magic of the curse seeped into the place, making it a cursed island. An island of death. Isla de Muerta."

―Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth Swann

• Dark magic first appeared in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's first screenplay draft for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Hector Barbossa spoke of dark magic as he told Elizabeth "Turner" about the cursed treasure of Isla de Muerta. Within a day of sailing for Spain, the ship carrying the treasure ran aground, killing all but one of its crew, with the lone survivor having hid the treasure ashore. The dark magic of the curse seeped Isla de Muerta, making it a cursed island of death.
• The name "Dark Magic" was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides visual guide. Whereas, in Blackbeard's character description, it was said that he "dabbles in the Black Arts." At least one Peter Mountain photo described Blackbeard "at work on the dark arts." According to Terry Rossio, Blackbeard knows more than just Haitian Voodoo, but he does practice Haitian Voodoo.
• While it was not explicitly shown or officially confirmed, it is possible that Blackbeard used dark magic to turn a large full-sized ship to a small ship in a bottle. However, nothing currently supports this theory, especially after Barbossa uses the Sword of Triton to release the Black Pearl from its bottled form and back to its normal size in Dead Men Tell No Tales.
• In Jeff Nathanson's 2013 early draft of the Dead Men Tell No Tales script Carina Smyth was accused of casting black magic.
• In Tim Powers' novel On Stranger Tides, iron disrupts the magic known as Voodoo, while in On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, as written about the Jack Sparrow voodoo doll, metal disrupts dark magic.
• The power of the Fountain of Youth could be considered Dark Magic due to how it works in that it requires a person to sacrifice the remaining years of their natural life to prolong the life of another person who would gain the years of the victim.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• The Eye of Despair!
• The Buccaneer's Heart! (Non-canonical appearance)
• Pirates of the Caribbean Online
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Movie Graphic Novel

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide

External links

• Dark Magic on Wikipedia