The word "wizard" acquired its modern meaning (a person with magical abilities) around the middle of the 16th century. Until then, the line between magic and philosophy was blurred.
Wizards are described in the legends of different peoples. Although they are all endowed with supernatural powers, their personalities differ. In some myths, wizards are goodies; in others, they are villains.
Ancient Egyptian magicians
Several magicians are mentioned in the Westcar Papyrus. The text was written in the era of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1783 BC) or the second transitional period (1715 - c. 1554 BC). These legends were told at the court of Cheops.
Westcar papyrus in the Egyptian Museum, Berlin
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In one story, an unnamed magician made a crocodile from wax to catch his wife's lover. In another, the chief clerk of Pharaoh Sneferu, using a spell, forced the waters of the lake to part so that the girl could find a green gem that she had dropped.
Relief depicting Pharaoh Sneferu
Photo: CC BY 2.0
The third legend speaks of Dedi, who lived in the era of Cheops. He knew how to augment the severed heads of animals.
Japanese Merlin
Another sorcerer who served at the imperial court was Abe no Seimei. He is often called the Japanese Merlin. Seimei lived in the X-XI centuries, he practiced onmyodo - a mixture of ancient Japanese science and occultism.
Seimei practiced exorcism, casting out unclean spirits and made predictions. After his death, many legends appeared that endowed Seimei with supernatural qualities. For example, they said that he was only half human because his mother was a kitsune (the fox spirit in Japanese folklore can be both good and evil). According to other legends, he could control demons already as a child.
Abe no Seimei, drawing by Kikuchi Yosai
Photo: Public Domain
Evil wizards
Not all magicians had a positive reputation like Seimei. Some sorcerers drew their skill from evil spirits. One of them is Cyprian.
Saint Cyprian
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Cyprian was a pagan sorcerer. To win the love of the virgin girl Justina, he made a deal with the devils in the hope of bewitching her. But the demons couldn't do anything with her. Realizing that the Christian god is stronger than his demons, Cyprian converted to Christianity.
Cyprian and the Demon, 14th century Golden Legend manuscript
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Magicians are often mentioned in the famous collection of fairy tales "A Thousand and One Nights". Like Cyprian before the adoption of Christianity, many of them were vicious.
Martyrs Cyprian and Justina, executed by order of the Roman emperor
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One of the most famous is the African sorcerer who tricked Aladdin into finding a magic lamp for him. It is less known that Aladdin killed this sorcerer and his brother wanted revenge. Little is said about their magical abilities. It is only mentioned that the second sorcerer found out about his brother's death thanks to necromancy.
The sorcerer lures Aladdin into a magic cave
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