Word Etymology - Illusion

The word illusion is an interesting word to study. Its origins are know to be traced back through Old French 'illusion' to the Latin 'illusionem' and 'illusio' which mean "a mocking, jesting, irony." It also could mean "to mock at" or "to play with." Over time this somehow became associated with deception, as if someone were playing with reality, bending the rules, or even mocking the very fabric of the universe. In a very real sense then storytellers are a form of illusionist. They mock reality play with the world around them as if it were a set of Legos. They deconstruct one reality only to build up another.

This is not an altruistic fact as many tellers, including myself, love to tell true stories. But for those of us who delve into other worlds, where happy endings are standard operating procedure and magic mirrors come pre-installed in every castle, this is something we will understand very well. Real life is often times harsh, unwelcoming, unfriendly, unhappy, and even deadly. In the fantasy worlds we create in stories we can reshape this reality, play with it as it were, and build a new world in which we invite our audience into, and into which many readily will go to escape their own realities.

What it means to storytelling: As storytellers we are in some ways illusionists. We mock reality and play with it every time we stand to speak. This is not a disrespectful act but rather an effort on our behalf to benefit others around us, by entertaining them, allowing them to escape the real world and enter into something else... even if only for a moment. If you have never watched the movie "The Prestige" I highly recommend it. It may not be some people's cup of tea but it is one of my favorites. At the end of the movie a line is said when talking about making sacrifices to entertain the audience and I think it very much applies to storytelling. The line is spoken...

"You never understood, why we did this. The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through. But if you could fool them, even for a second, then you can make them wonder, and then you... then you got to see something really special... you really don't know?... it was... it was the look on their faces..."