6 Wizards of the World

6 Wizards of the World

Six of the best-loved benevolent magicians of popular culture

Magical powers of the wizard have captured imaginations since the dawn of time - and the digital age is no exception. Films, TV series, digital games and books are full of mythological men who claim to have the ability to control the forces of nature with a wave of a magical wand. With supernatural strength, wizards can bring blessings, divert a storm or change the course of events from disaster to miraculous. Here are our pick of the best loved wizards from popular culture.

1) Merlin

No newcomer to popular culture, the myth of Merlin has been told and retold for almost one thousand years. According to legend, this Celtic magician had a hand in the forming of Great Britain by guiding its greatest mythical king - King Arthur. Merlin showed the young Arthur his destiny and remained beside him for the majority of his reign, helping Arthur to repel invaders, form the fellowship of the round table - where each knight was equal in status - and make Britain strong. Merlin's parentage is shrouded in myth, with some stories telling that he was fathered by a supernatural demon, from whom his powers came. Merlin succeeded in overcoming the evil part of his nature and used his powers for good. He has been represented in films, books, TV, art, songs and poetry throughout the centuries. A magician who continues to captivate popular imagination.

2) Gandalf

Since this magician was brought to life in Tolkien's book, The Hobbit, written in 1937, Gandalf the Grey has been featured in many TV series, cartoons and films, including the latest Hollywood blockbusters directed by Peter Jackson. Gandalf is another benevolent wizard who uses his awe-inspiring powers to help the hero hobbits destroy the One Ring and its evil master Sauron. He carries a staff with which he can appear as a hobbling old man. But when Gandalf springs into action, his staff becomes a weapon of magical power, shooting out fire to destroy his enemies. Certainly a wizard you want to have on your side during a fight!

3) Harry Potter

Everybody's favourite boy wizard, Harry Potter is responsible for propelling magicians into the popular culture spotlight again. Written as a character in a children's book, Harry Potter is an orphan who discovers he is a wizard and goes to train at a school for witches and wizards. His adventures chart Harry's struggle with the evil Lord Voldemort, as well as the growing up of a young boy with magical powers. The books sparked a series of blockbuster movies, which turned the attention of a new generation onto a fascination with wizards.

4) Dumbledore

From the pages of the same series of children's books comes another wizard who has gripped popular imagination. Professor Dumbledore was Harry Potter's headmaster at Hogwarts School. The jolly and friendly personality of this rotund character concealed a powerful magician, who guided Harry Potter to his destiny to defeat evil in the for of Voldemort. Dumbledore possesses a number of magical objects, including a stone for storing and retrieving memories, a device for removing and returning light, and a wand with a phoenix feather at its centre.

5) Nicolas Flamel

This magus was a real life medieval scholar with a fascination for alchemy, finding the philosopher's stone and immortality. No slouch, then! Author of the Harry Potter books, J. K. Rowling, referenced Flamel in her children's books as the owner of the only surviving philosopher's stone, which could transform base metals into gold.

According to legend, Flamel had a dream in which an angel told him of a magical book. Flamel discovered the book after waking up and dedicated his life to translating the strange text, which he believed held the secret to finding the philosopher's stone. The myth says that Flamel eventually cracked the code and discovered how to turn metal into gold - becoming wealthy but giving all his money away to charity. An altruistic magician.

6) The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Introducing the magic of wizardry to a young audience, the fabulous 1940 Disney cartoon, Fantasia, saw popular cartoon creature, Mickey Mouse transformed into a magician's apprentice. Taken from an 18th century poem by Johann Goethe, the cartoon depicts Mickey Mouse attempting to speed up the chores he's been left to perform by the sorcerer. Mickey uses magic to enchant the household objects - a broom and a bucket - to do the hard work for him. But the magic is too powerful for the untrained apprentice, so Mickey looses control of his spell, causing havoc in the house. Luckily, the sorcerer returns in time to break the spell and reprimand his apprentice not to meddle with magic he's not yet trained to use. A good lesson for all budding wizards!