If a spell is causing damage to be dealt, that spell will always identify the source of the damage. In most cases, the source is the spell itself. For example, Burn Trail says “Burn Trail deals 3 damage to any target.”
Swans of Bryn Argoll
If the source of the damage is a permanent, Swans of Bryn Argoll checks who that permanent’s controller is at the time that damage is prevented. If the permanent has left the battlefield by then, its last known information is used. If the source of the damage is a spell, its controller is obvious. If the source of the damage is a card from some other zone (such as a cycled Gempalm Incinerator), Swans of Bryn Argoll checks its owner rather than its controller.
The source of combat damage is the creature that deals it.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Eric Fortune
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
