Wizards and Witches - Fantasy Magic and Myth

Wizard & Witch's Story

The classic image of a wizard is an old man with a long white beard, flowing robes, and a pointy hat. This image is depicted in Harry Potter's Dumbledore, Tolkien's Gandalf, and most modern images in print and film. There are many different types of people who have historically said to practice magic. They also studied alchemy, astrology, herbology, occultism, and other arcane arts. Wizards are just one example. This page will include wizards, witches (not as practitioners of the Wiccan religion), sorcerers, mages, and occultists. Wizards are defined as males who are lore-masters of arcane and esoteric knowledge and practitioners of magic. Witches are female versions of the same. Sorcerors are similar but are usually associated with dark magic and call upon the powers of evil spirits to do their deeds. A mage is a person who is able to utilize the powers of nature to bring about transformations. Occultists are people who study and utilize occult or supernatural knowledge.

The practice of magic (not as in stage show illusionists) dates as far back as the African, South American, and Asian shamans and Greco-Roman times. It was also practiced widely in the Mediteranean basin and the Middle East in the first centuries BC. They became most popular in Medeival and Renaissance times as assistants to kings and researchers. Everyone has heard about Merlin the Magician from King Arthur legends. The Merlin we know today first appeared in 1135 AD as a synthesis of a British tale of the "wildman of the woods" and a fatherless baby named Ambrosious who made prophecies. He has morphed into a combination wizard and druid in modern cinema and books.