The wizard has deep roots in the past. Learned in lore and schooled in magic, he has donned a mantle of power, ready to take on the game of political and military domination.
Though men too are accused of sorcery or witchcraft during the witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, the story of the wizard has taken a different path since then.
The stories and fairy tales of later centuries persist in seeing the wizard as a learned magician who, unlike women, doesn’t deal in petty magic. Instead, his great powers and prophetic skills help emphasise his image as a wise and learned sorcerer. Iconic characters like Merlin, Gandalf and Dumbledore are portrayed on equal terms with knights and kings – and engage in high politics as well as in actual battles.
In the last few decades, the conventional wizard has changed too, however. Like the witch, he has become a more multifaceted figure and now exists in a younger, more attractive version – on the side of either good or evil and dealing with everything from the challenges of everyday life to epic battles.