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| ], from the British mythology surrounding ], is an example of a well-known, traditional literary wizard.]] | |||
| A '''wizard''' is a practitioner of ], especially in ], ], and fantasy ]. In popular use during ] ], "wizard' was used to denote a helpful male folk magician, a ] as they were usually called. The word does not generally apply to ]s, or to ]s (or ''illusionists''). | |||
| ==Etymology== | |||
| During the ], the term "wizard" referred to "], sage", from ] ''wysard'' (from ''wys'' "wise" and the ''-ard'' suffix also in ''drunkard'' etc.) The semantic restriction to "sorcerer, magician" occurred in the 16th century. They have historical roots in the ]s and the ]. | |||
| ==Derived Uses== | |||
| Colloquially, anyone who is especially adept at some obscure or difficult endeavor may be referred to as a ''wizard.'' such as "computer wizard".<ref>'''' in the ], and its </ref> or The Who's song '']''. | |||
| In ] games, a ''wizard'' is a member of the world-building staff. | |||
| ==Related terms== | |||
| ] had ]s (''seidmen'') tied up and left on a skerry at ebb.]] | |||
| In most cases there is little to differentiate a wizard from similar fictional and folkloric practitioners of magic such as an ], a ], a sorcerer, a ], or a ], but specific authors and works use the names with narrower meanings. When such distinctions are made, sorcerers are more often practitioners of ]s or ], and there may be variations on level and type of power associated with each name. | |||
| Incidentally, many people consider 'wizard' to be the masculine form of 'witch', but this is usually incorrect. | |||
| The ever-shifting chaos of fantasy writing has, of course, muddled the meaning of each term, so they should never be stuck with a single meaning, for they change depending upon where they're found. | |||
| '']'' Third Edition, for example, distinguishes between the sorcerer and wizard ]es as follows: | |||
| * "Sorcerers create ] the way ]s create poems, with inborn talent honed by practice." | |||
| * "Wizards depend on intensive study to create their magic... For a wizard, magic is not a talent but a deliberate rewarding art." | |||
| ]'s '']'' describes the distinction thus: "The difference between a wizard and a sorcerer is comparable to that between, say, a lion and a tiger, but wizards are acutely status-conscious, and to them, it's more like the difference between a lion and a dead kitten." | |||
| In ]'s ] books, "wizard" has essentially the common usage meaning. The eighth son of an eighth son has more magical powers and will normally become a wizard, while a Sourcerer is a wizard squared (an eighth son of an eighth son of an eighth son) and is a "source of magic" who can create new spells and is immensely more powerful. During the series only one sourcerer has appeared (in ]) and in due course nearly brought about the end of the world. | |||
| Pratchett also comically refers to the word's etymology, claiming in one of his footnotes that the word "wizard" originated from the ancient "wyz-ars", meaning "someone who, at bottom, is very smart." A pun, of course, on "wise-arse". | |||
| Tom Cross describes a Wizard as one who understands and seeks to protect ]; both his or her own Nature, and the Nature of the whole Universe. The abilities of a Wizard come from the rhythms of Nature, centered around the ]. | |||
| In the writings of ], a Wizard is simply a Self-Realized person (see ]), who recognizes itself (and consequently its ability) as limitless. | |||
| ] describes wizards as emmissaries of "the One" (see ]), who take an ] to use powers beyond the comprehension of a non-wizard in the service of ], to keep ], personified as a Lone Power, under control and therefore delay the demise of the ]. They are said to still exist in the present day, but due to negative public perception, work undercover. | |||
| ==Myths and Legends== | |||
| Wizards found in old fairy tales and myths include: | |||
| * ] - an ], but in some versions of the tale also a magician. | |||
| * ] - the famous wizard from ]s and their modern retellings. | |||
| * The ] - four wizards of ancient Greek myths. | |||
| * ] - ] god of magic. | |||
| * The wizard in ] of ]. | |||
| * ] - the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. | |||
| * ] - the grand wizard of ] | |||
| ==Wizards in Fiction== | |||
| Famous wizards in folklore and fiction include: | |||
| * ] - the famous wizard in ]'s '']''. | |||
| * The eponymous character of ]'s '']'' is a stage magician pretending to be a genuine wizard; in the ] the wizard was also a fake. However, in later Oz stories, he studies magic with ] and becomes a genuine wizard. See ]. | |||
| * ], ], ], ] and ] - from ] '']'' - are called ], but are really supernatural entities. In the Middle-earth legendarium, "wizard" is a term applied only to the five members of the ]; the term "wizard" could never be applied to a human, and a human magic user is simply called a ] or ]. | |||
| * All male magic-users from ]'s '']'' and its sequels. | |||
| * ] from the video game ]. | |||
| *] from the ] series is the most famous wizard (called a mage, or magic-user) in the series. | |||
| * In ], wizards are numerous, and can normally be found in the ]. | |||
| *In '']'', the dark wizard ] is a playable character. | |||
| ==Real-Life Wizards== | |||
| In history, there have been several real people who are or were believed to be wizards, sorcerers, etc. Examples include: | |||
| * The "Atsinganoi", early ] as described in the time of ] | |||
| * ], whose magical powers were said to come from ]. | |||
| * ] a magician, occult writer, and an alchemist. | |||
| * ] is a controversial figure, the most famous modern wizard, who is believed to have coined the alternate spelling, "]." | |||
| * ], the Earl of Desmond, was a ] wizard, whose spirit is said to still haunt the living. | |||
| * ], he could supposedly do amazing feats by conversing with spirits. | |||
| ==References== | |||
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| <!-- Dead note "penn": ''The Dragonfighters of Kulamain'', ISBN 1-4116-4568-5 --> | |||
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Latest revision as of 16:24, 26 August 2018
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