The Magical Wizard

Wizards had mysterious powers that arose from their studies and due to an innate talent. Their powers are not naturally occurring magic. They had an extra special gift that more than sets them apart from most other characters depicted in fantasy tales.

A wizard's magic came from occult or supernatural sources, meaning that they were unexplainable by natural law and had paranormal knowledge. They are commonly used as intriguing characters in role-playing games and in popular literature.

Wizards, commonly referred to as magicians, sorcerers, warlocks, witches, enchanters, mage and magus have appeared in folktales, myths and historical recorded literature primarily as either mentors or villains.

They are not without their magical limitations though. One theory is that they only had a certain amount of magical ability that they could use before it went away, while another is that they only had the ability to cast so many spells in one day. A wizard's magic has also been known to require sacrifices or use specific materials. Often, someone or something's life could be required. Also, many rare gemstones are said to have limited the wizard's powers.

Wizards are depicted often by their hand gestures and loud spells that they spoke and they often relied on exotic books. If their access to such books was for whatever reason limited then their powers could be temporarily limited as well.

Many wizards required precious materials such as rare herbs, crystal balls, mercury and other chemicals to cast their spells or initiate their powers. However, some of them required nothing at all. When wizards are represented in role-playing games they almost always require at least some type of material to keep them from casting too many spells.

A wizard's props may greatly be influenced by their location and status as well. If a wizard was consulted in his own tower then he was probably surrounded by substances and equipment that he needed. He was known to keep a good stock of proper supplies. A poorer wizard, residing in a small cottage may have relied solely on herbs for their magical and healing attributes while a wealthier wizard may have had a coveted crystal ball.

The use of staves and magical wands have long been associated with wizards. Often if a wizard lost his magical staff or if it was broken then his powers were often weakened and sometimes eliminated. Wands can be made from metal, wood or other materials, come in various sizes and often a wizard cannot control the power that is stored within them.

Depending on if the person went by the name of wizard or other similar titles could tell a lot about the type of magic that they practiced. Enchanters generally practiced magic that had no effect on people or objects but they created illusions, often used to seduce. Sorcerer is more commonly linked to an evil wizard that used his magic for harmful purposes.

A hedge wizard or witch was a term given to someone whose magical powers were not quite enough to keep them out of poverty. They generally had little education, resulting in a weak amount of skills. They were often taught by a wizard of similar status, rather than receiving a formal apprenticeship.

Although there are great variances in the representation of wizards, many are associated with age, being men or women, with long white hair and a white beard if the wizard was a man. They typically wore cloaks or robes, accompanied by a pointed hat. Their infamous hats could be brightly colored and designed with astrological symbols and moons or stars. The coloring of the hat could be an indication of rank and some were even made of gold.

Often if witches and wizards were in groups, the witches would dress the same as the wizards, except in all black. This was so that upon meeting someone, it was easy to establish who was magically capable.

One of the most famous, legendary wizards was Merlin. There is no evidence that he actually existed, he was based on Arthurian legends written by poets and clerks of the Middle Ages. These legends spoke of King Arthur and Merlin, using power to claim the English and Welsh thrones.

Merlin was the guardian of young Arthur. He was a wise, old man who offered his wisdom to four British kings. He learned to talk to animals while he lived in the woods and was credited with speaking of many prophecies.

He was born a child of an incubus, or demon and a human mother, therefore, he had no traditional father. When he was young, he was almost sacrificed but he saved himself by using his amazing visionary power and told of the structural problem to a pool that housed the white and red dragons, representing the Saxons and the Britons fighting.

Another commonly known sorcerer was the Wizard of Oz. In the classic book, Dorothy and her friends traveled to find Oz in the Emerald City. The wizard appeared in various forms such as a beautiful fairy, ball of fire, giant head and a monster.

It is eventually revealed that the great Oz was only an ordinary man from Nebraska who had used carious magic tricks as well as props to make himself look powerful. Since he had worked as a magician in the circus, he took a hot air balloon and wrote Oz on the side for promotional purposes. When his air balloon landed in the Land of Oz, the dwellers worshiped him as a sorcerer and he became the Supreme Ruler.

Thanks to stories such as the Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, Shows likeWizards of Waverly Place, as well as games like Dungeons and Dragons, the mystery of wizards, spells and sorcery continues to live on, representing both good and evil.