Hello All I have been looking to design a magic setting for my book, and I had a question about Ley Lines. I'm sure many have heard the term, but it was actually only coined recently, and was technically originally used in someone's novel. I think this was in the early 1900s. My question is, is it ok to use Ley Lines in my book, (given the ubiquity of the term over the past 20 years) or would it technically be just stealing another's idea? Where do you draw the line between inspiration and stealing? Thanks.
The phrase was coined in 1921 by the amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins, referring to supposed alignments of numerous places of geographical and historical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords. This was in a book of geographical investigation, not a novel. It was adopted in 1969 by John Michell, again not in a novel. So, would you avoid using the word "computer" because it was only coined within living memory? Same difference. You can't copyright a word!
It's perfectly fine to use it, but I would call it something else maybe? My opinion at least, it just sounds mundane, especially for magic, and at first most people will think it's just referring to geography. I've heard them called "force lines" before, or something similar, and the concept is the same, just sounds a bit more fantasy oriented. You can come up with your own term for it as well. One thing I sometimes do is have an understood term for something that everyone understands, then also a name for it that I've come up with, then somehow it's like I've taken the idea and made it my own without having really done anything at all.
Huh. It seemed to me that 'ley lines' had been co-oped to refer to magic stuff. Just now learned it was originally a geographical thing! So, I'd say feel free to use it.
Thanks all! I think I will use the 'meaning' but probably try to name it something my own. I appreciate the feedback.
I'm using ley lines in my books. The spelling is slightly different, but, anyone will see that I'm co-opting ley lines. Part of the background of my world is that the ley system was constructed by men and elves to restore easy access to arcane magic. Godspeed!
I should give credit where it is due. Harry Turtledove uses ley lines in his ' Darkness' series as a magical grid that powers magic based technology. The harnessing of ley lines creates a thaumaturgical revolution in his world in place of the industrial one that occurred in ours.
