An animations spell makes the Serpent shield come alive.
Animation Spells is a very powerful incantation that causes inanimate objects to come to life, or to move and act as if they were alive, and if it's a very powerful spell, these objects will be alive.
The known animation spells that have been used are:
- Tharinna imbicentra. Orpha hormanace doll, used by a trader, named Devlin, in the creation of the Serpent Shield that was later wielded by Knight Valiant in the tournament of Camelot (Valiant).
- Bebiede þe arisan cwicum. In order to expose Valiant's deceit, Merlin spent an entire night learning an animation spell, bringing to life a granite statue of a dog in his first successful casting. He then used the spell during Valiant's duel with Prince Arthur to bring the snakes on his shield to life, proving that Valiant had cheated. At first the young warlock couldn't cast the spell right, being it the most difficult verbal spell he had cast so far. He also mispronounced the words of power of the Old Religion and said several times "berbay odothay arisan quickem" until, after a night of unsuccesful attempts, he got the pronunciation right (Valiant).
- Bebiede þe arisan ealdu, used by the High Priestess Nimueh to bring a piece of clay, shaped to resemble an Afanc, to life, after she had put it into an egg (The Mark of Nimueh).
- Bebiede þe arisan ealdu, cast by Edwin Muirden to animate the Elanthia Beetles. He used it to command an insect to enter a flower, which he delivered to Morgana, and then enter her ear while she was sleeping. He used again this spell to force a beetle into Uther's ear so that it would have devoured his brain. This spell was also written on the box in which the insects were kept. Merlin accidentally read it, bringing them to life (A Remedy to Cure All Ills).
- Draca, used by Merlin to conjure the shape of a dragon, which resembled Camelot's crest, from the fire ashes (The Moment of Truth).
- Ic cume eft to Camelot. Swá þæt ic mæg min fæhþ awrecan! Nu ic lybbe ece and ic mæg rædan min burh, cast by Cornelius Sigan. The sorcerer used this very powerful animation spell to bring life to several stone Gargoyles in his attack on Camelot. The spell was broken when Sigan's soul was trapped again into his jewel (The Curse of Cornelius Sigan).
- Hors, beride þá heofonum, cast by Merlin to create the figure of a horse with the smoke that was rising in the sky (The Witchfinder).
- Cnihtas Medhires, éower sáwla sind min sáwla. Onwic and cóm hér eft. Rid eft ond forsliehð eft. Gehðu, Uther Pendragon, used by Morgause to bring the Knights of Medhir to life, performing necromancy (The Fires of Idirsholas).
- Astige ðu wyrm fah ond geþéowe ðæt mod ðisse þeowes. Hine bind ond ða heold ond awendaþ he ealle, used by Morgana to summon a Fomorroh from the depths of the Underworld, bringing a medallion that represented this beast to life (A Servant of Two Masters).
- Upastige draca, cast by Merlin in front of Arthur to reveal his powers to the dying king. The spell created a flying dragon figure in the middle of the flames, which soon disappeared (The Diamond of the Day: Part Two).
