When you think of the fantasy genre, a number of magical characters spring to mind. Classic images of kindly old wizards with long white beards, flowing robes and pointy hats; short burly dwarves after a hard day’s work in the mines; and evil witches stirring a cauldron of mystical brew are traditional characters that fill our imaginations.
Throughout history there have been many types of people said to have practiced magic. They have studied the mysterious arts of
alchemy, astrology, occultism and herbology and been the inspiration for some of our best known fantastical characters.
Sometimes there is confusion between the characterizations of some of the magical folk, so for the sake of definition, in the fantasy realm wizards are described as practitioners of magic and lore masters of mystifying knowledge. Much of their magic is done through spells, hand motions and/or wand waving. Witches are female versions of the same. Sorcerers are similar but often associated with dark magic and the powers of all that is evil while a mage is defined as one who is one with the ways of nature and able to utilize its powers and bring about transformations. Occultists are those who study the occult and utilize supernatural knowledge.
The practice of magic has appeared in many cultures worldwide. It has been predominant in history from Africa to South America, through Asian shamans and through Greco-Roman times. It was practiced widely in the Mediterranean basin and even the Middle East in the first centuries BC. One of the most popular historical backdrops occurs in the Medieval and Renaissance eras as advisors to royalty such as the tales of Merlin and
Arthurian legend. The Merlin whose legend survives today appears in 1135 AD is a mixture of a fatherless baby named Ambrosias and a tale of a “wildman of the woods” popular in British tales. As the child Ambrosias made a number of very accurate prophecies it was surmised his father was an unearthly entity and the character morphed into a wizard with druid roots throughout literature.
Many of us grew up hearing fairy tales of fantasy. As we have grown, so have the realms of magic and fantasy. Wizards remain popular today in literature, movies and in role playing games like Worlds of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons; these stories are filled with magic spells, potions and weaponry.
There are many authors who have created fantasy worlds we have come to know and love as classics –
Frank Baum allows you to hitch a ride on a cyclone to enter his classic realm of Oz,
CS Lewis keeps his world of Narnia tucked neatly into the back of a wardrobe,
JRR Tolkien with his epic Middle Earth and, more recently you can take a train ride from the magical Platform 9-3/4 to enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter by
JK Rowling. So many doors leading to fantasy worlds. What is it about these fantastical realms that capture our hearts? Is it the fictitious world? The characters? Or perhaps the mystery of the magic? Just a thought...
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