Runic (Willi Wessel Collection) by Alan Warner

For more details on Willi Wessel’s unique Alan Warner collection click here.

Runic looks similar to a box created by Thayer c. 1947 called Forcit, however the method is different and both have their pros and cons.

Runic is one of the more overlooked pieces from Alan. It is an incredibly clean and deceptive force of two runes that is simplicity itself to perform and it is performed in the spectator’s hands. It even comes with some blank runes to create your own symbols. It is also very easy to adapt the effect to use different symbols other than runes – such as these scrabble tiles.

Effect: The Performer displays a box which contains a complete set of wooden Viking runes, then demonstrates that by shaking the box, a rune can be cast onto the table via a slot at one end of the box. Two runes are cast in this fashion and then replaced by the performer back inside the box with the others.

A spectator is now asked to hold the box and give it a shake (as previously demonstrated) to cast two runes for himself in a random selection from all twenty-five runes in the runic alphabet.

The selected runes are placed on top of two previously shown blank wooden plaques. The spectator is now asked to remove the two runes and the top plaque. Mysteriously, the symbols on the runes cast by the spectator have been BURNT INTO THE WOOD ON THE BOTTOM PLAQUE!

(For theatrical effect, the performer might like to ignite a piece of flash paper in a metal tray prior to the revelation of the symbols that have been burnt into the bottom plaque. PLEASE NOTE: We do not supply either the flash paper or a tray.)

TOP QUALITY HANDCRAFTED APPARATUS:

• This unusual effect comprises a handcrafted teak box (9 x 5 x 3.8 cms approx.).
• A full set of twenty-five wooden Viking runes (twenty-four of which have the individual symbols of the runic alphabet hand-painted onto them, with the remaining rune left blank according to tradition).
• We also supply the two plaques, one of which has the selected runic symbols burnt into it.

We believe this is the first time that a set of runes has been used in a magical effect, and we feel confident that the whole concept of ‘casting the runes’ will create immediate spectator interest and provide the performer with an entertaining and refreshingly unusual routine.

The apparatus comes complete with The Alan Warner Routine.

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