We are often accused of stirring controversy, be it in recreating the miracles of Jesus or by causing a woman to give birth to a rabbit live on stage. But there may be something in the water of our rural Aberdeenshire which guided our dysfunctional minds as we grew up.
It may seem fairly random that Barry and I would form a magical coalition in the tranquil north-east corner of Scotland but as unlikely as it seems this quiet region has produced not one but two great magicians, considered by any magical historian as hugely significant and influential figures in the world of the dark arts.
John Henry Anderson – The Great Wizard of the North
Surely the most iconic symbol of the modern magician, the white rabbit from the top hat was actually created by Aberdeenshire born John Henry Anderson. He based this trick on the bizarre story of Mary Toft, a woman who allegedly gave birth to 17 rabbits in 1726. He would quip as he produced a fluffy bunny from an audience members’ hat that, no sooner could a woman give birth to a rabbit than could this gentleman’s hat.
Anderson was a superstar of the mid 1800′s, popularly known as the “Great Wizard of the North” a name allegedly bestowed on him by Sir Walter Scott, he was famous for catching a bullet fired at him from a gun, travelling the world performing for kings and queens he became so famous he had his face and the phrase “Anderson is here” moulded onto pats of butter! A feat of the ego that we aspire to emulate one day.
He was a great denouncer of spiritualist mediums, who he referred to as ‘conjurers in disguise’ and was so respected that in the years after his death Harry Houdini funded the refurbishment of his grave, which still stands in Aberdeen’s St. Nicolas cemetery.
Our fascination with the Great Wizard and his connection to the Mary Toft case provided the inspiration for us to do our version of the classic rabbit-from-hat trick in 2005 when we took the trick back to its root and pulled a white rabbit from a woman, inducing birth in front of the studio audience.
Walford Bodie MD
Perhaps more sensational was the Hypnotist, Faith-Healer and Magician, Walford Bodie who was such a notorious figure at the turn of the 20th century that the young Charlie Chaplin actually impersonated him on-stage. Bodie was a complete quack in every sense of the word, accused in court of misrepresenting himself as a Medical Doctor throughout his career he told the judge that the ‘M.D.’ actually stood for “Merry Devil.”
He wrote many books on Hypnotism, with instructions on how to entrance cats and hens and even published notes on how to mesmerise a glass of water. His innovations as a magician though we’re utterly unique, harnessing a strange new weird force called “electricity.” Bodie’s feats included acting as a conduit for millions of volts of electricity, lighting various bulbs by touching them to his bare flesh and igniting paper at his fingertips, stunts that are still performed by magicians to this very day.
Most interesting of all was the fact that Bodie, a firm refuter of capital punishment, came into ownership of the first electric chair. He subsequently used this bizarre and reprehensible creation of Americana in his act for years, apparently passing millions of volts of electricity though a randomly selected member of the audience!
Whenever we are fingered for courting controversy or causing offence we can’t help but to contemplate the lives of these inspirational characters who grew up and performed in the same small towns as us in the North-East corner of Scotland. A corner in which the mystery continues even to this day because no matter how many times the satellite images on Google Earth are refreshed, the north-east is always covered by a curiously specific cloud. Coincidence? we think not!
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Elizabeth Aug 21 2009 - 4:02 pm
That’s really interesting. I’m such a geek for finding stories like that fascinating! I’m not sure my area could claim four magicians, probably none, although in the whole of London there must be loads, although how many had the controversy of you guys, Anderson and Bodie!
Elizabeth Aug 21 2009 - 4:24 pm
After re reading it something struck me- perhaps Eastender’s writers got the area name from Bodie. Enough weird stuff goes on there that there must be something magical happening to make people act so stupid!
Magick Mel Aug 21 2009 - 8:55 pm
Anderson (high fives all around) he caused a legal controversy because he was dispensing of various alcoholic beverages in one of his tricks. (i love the openings in books about magic.)
Maybe there is something in that cloud??
Elizabeth Aug 21 2009 - 9:29 pm
Could be hiding all the magickal stuff that goes on!
the crazy dane Aug 30 2009 - 12:19 pm
Actually that sounds very facinating… I’ve always believed that there’re something special in the air in Scotland – You just breath in all the strange things in the mysteriouse cloud…
Aoife Nov 5 2009 - 9:47 pm
Could be all that geographical inertia.
Vic Jan 18 2010 - 8:20 pm
I was wondering if anyone could help. I’m doing research on a charm from 17th century Scotland that is engraved with the initials MS and AC. I believe that the MS refers to the wizard Michael Scott, but was wondering if anyone had a clue who the AC could be? Many thanks for any help.