Do spells have to rhyme?

I’ve been trying to trace back to where this idea that all spells must rhyme started from but it’s hard to find a primary source. I strongly suspect that most of the concept of rhyming spells started with the Wiccan Rede. Certainly it does appear to be primarily a Wiccan thing. However if any witches with a better historical background than myself have any insights to offer on this I would be interested to delve into this a bit deeper.

That said, whatever the historical relevance the fact remains that spells do not have to rhyme in order to achieve their desired effect. I speak from my own knowledge and experience on this but I’ve thrown it open to debate in a few circles to get different perspectives and most of my contemporaries tend to agree. Now admittedly I don’t tend to move among many Wiccans (If we have any Wiccans reading this it would be interesting to get a viewpoint from you) so possibly this is more related to Wicca than witchcraft per se but the general consensus among those I have spoken to does seem to be that spells don’t need to rhyme.

I see the verbal side of the spell as being very important because putting intent into words helps to focus the intention behind the spell. Spells can be completed with no articulated element and this works very well for some witches but I find that the concentration involved in helping me pinpoint the expression of my intent into words helps me focus on what it is I want to achieve. The trouble with rhyming is that often the sense of the words is sacrificed in favour of the rhyme. This can lead to the intention not being as precise as it could be if the words of the spell were selected solely for their meaning rather than for the purpose of the rhyme. I see spell working being closer in similarity to a legal contract than to a poem. The details need to be clear, time bound and with no room for ambiguity.

Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Chant-of-Swans-381096907

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