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Charm Quote by Neil Gaiman

“Nine nights I hung on the bare tree, my side pierced with a spear's point. I swayed and blew in the cold winds and hot winds, without food, without water, a sacrifice of myself to myself, and the worlds opened to me. 'For a tenth charm, I learned to dispel witches, to spin them around in the skies…” quote by Neil Gaiman
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““Nine nights I hung on the bare tree, my side pierced with a spear's point. I swayed and blew in the cold winds and hot winds, without food, without water, a sacrifice of myself to myself, and the worlds opened to me. 'For a tenth charm, I learned to dispel witches, to spin them around in the skies so that they will never find their way back to their own doors again. 'An eleventh: if I sing it when a battle rages it can take warriors through the tumult unscathed and unhurt, and bring them safely back to their hearth and their home. 'A twelfth charm I know: if I see a hanged man I can bring him down from the gallows to whisper to us all he remembers. ' A thirteenth: if I sprinkle water on a child's head, that child will not fall in battle. 'A fourteenth: I know the names of all the gods. Every damned one of them. 'A fifteenth: I have a dream of power, of glory, and of wisdom, and I can make people believe my dreams.' His voice was so low now that Shadow had to strain to hear it over the plane's engine noise. 'A sixteenth charm I know: if I need love I can turn the mind and heart of any woman. 'A seventeenth, that no woman I want will ever want another. 'And I know an eighteenth charm, and that charm is the greatest of all, and that charm I can tell to no man, for a secret that no one knows but you is the most powerful secret there can ever be.””

Neil Gaiman

About This Quote

Source Novel: “The Sandman: The Dream Hunters”, 1999

A narrator lists magical charms, each granting extraordinary abilities, reflecting humanity’s desire for control over fate.

In simple terms: Each charm represents a wish for power over life’s challenges.

Key Takeaway

Understand the limits of seeking absolute control.

Themes

myth fantasy power human desire

Mood

cautionary imaginative

Type

mythic fantastical

When to use this quote

  • creative writing
  • role‑playing games
  • personal empowerment

Key Concepts

magical realism wish fulfillment ethical limits

Questions to Reflect On

  • What responsibilities come with great power?
  • When should one accept natural limits?
A Different Perspective

May glorify manipulation and unethical power.

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