Buzz
For centuries, individuals have professed the ability to harness supernatural forces, offering blessings and curses to those who sought their services. The allure of commanding invisible powers to fulfill one's desires has always been irresistible. Sorcerers and wizards continue to fascinate humanity.
10. Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei, often compared to the Japanese Merlin, stands apart as his historical existence is widely accepted. Serving six emperors as an omyodo, a master of yin-yang, he was the court's trusted wizard. His duties included divination and safeguarding the emperor through rituals designed to ward off evil spirits and diseases. Folklore credits him with an array of extraordinary magical abilities.
According to the renowned kabuki play Kuzunoha, Seimei's magical prowess was inherited from his mother, a white fox. He was believed to have the gift of second sight, enabling him to detect demons. When samurai Watanabe no Tsuna reportedly severed a demon's arm, he sought Seimei's help to seal the cursed limb with a powerful spell. Despite the demon's attempts to reclaim its arm, Seimei's magic proved insurmountable. Tales also recount his numerous victories over demons in magical combat, showcasing his extensive spellcasting expertise.
Legend has it that Seimei met his end at the hands of a rival. In one play, his adversary Ashiya Doman secretly duplicated a text Seimei had been studying under a Chinese master wizard. Armed with this stolen knowledge, Doman challenged Seimei to a magical duel and succeeded in killing him. However, Seimei's Chinese master later arrived in Japan and revived him through a ritual, enabling the resurrected Seimei to defeat Doman and reclaim his book.
9. The Sorcerer Of Trois-Freres
The Sorcerer of Trois-Freres in France stands as one of humanity's earliest representations of sorcery. This enigmatic figure dominates a collection of Paleolithic cave paintings, positioned above the others in a secluded area reachable only by navigating a spiral passage.
This hybrid figure combines human and animal traits, featuring human limbs, a prominent phallus, and an animal body adorned with antlers. While scholars debate his true identity, the Sorcerer is thought to represent either a shaman or a deity who exerted influence over the local inhabitants.
The creators of the Sorcerer's image are perhaps as intriguing as the figure itself. The cave is believed to have been a communal site for rituals aimed at ensuring successful hunts. If the Sorcerer was a deity, he would have been a god of magic overseeing a gathering of ancient sorcerers. Alternatively, if he was based on a real person, he could be seen as a prehistoric counterpart to Merlin.
8. The Black Constable
Charleston, South Carolina, has a rich voodoo tradition, and its most feared practitioner was John Domingo. A striking figure, Domingo was robust, disheveled, and often seen in a tattered Union Army coat. He wore a silver serpent-shaped ring, which he claimed had the power to resurrect the dead. This alleged necromancer used his undead minions to enforce his own laws, earning him the moniker “Black Constable.”
Sailors reportedly purchased favorable winds from him to guarantee safe voyages. Conversely, he could summon storms if displeased. At his peak, locals sought his assistance for legal disputes before even approaching the authorities. Despite his immense influence, his demise was abrupt and shrouded in mystery.
Legend has it that Domingo once captured two suspected thieves, dragging them through the streets, one in each hand. He likened himself to Jesus flanked by thieves but boasted of his superior power. Suddenly, he felt an unseen force lift him, strangling him until he perished.
He was flung backward, collapsing to the ground, his body aged and shriveled like an overripe cucumber. His corpse continued to decay until it vanished entirely. Folklore claims that his ghost still roams the streets to this day.
7. Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel
Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, revered as the Maharal of Prague, was a scholar and mystic. Legends suggest that the Holy Roman Emperor frequently sought his counsel on both spiritual and worldly matters. While their relationship may not have been as intimate as tales suggest, they maintained a cordial rapport. Emperor Rudolph II possessed a bell crafted by the rabbi using cabalistic techniques.
Rabbi Loew was celebrated for his significant contributions to Jewish philosophy, but tales also claim he utilized his Kabbalistic expertise to fashion a golem.
The Jewish community in Prague faced accusations of blood libel—allegedly abducting Christian children for ritual purposes. According to various legends, Rabbi Loew crafted a golem named Josef to shield his community from persecution. Josef would roam the streets, becoming invisible and even summoning spirits to safeguard Prague’s Jewish population.
The golem reportedly malfunctioned, embarking on a violent spree. Rabbi Loew subdued it by altering the inscription on its forehead. The original word, “emet,” meaning “truth” in Hebrew, was changed to “met,” signifying “death.”
The golem was placed in the attic of the Old-New Synagogue, where it is believed to rest to this day.
6. St. Cyprian
According to legend, St. Cyprian was a sorcerer from Antioch who allied with the devil. A lovestruck youth sought his help, prompting Cyprian to summon a demon to enchant the maiden Justina, making her susceptible to seduction. Justina, however, sensed the assault on her purity and repelled the demon by making the sign of the cross.
When his magic failed, Cyprian called upon the devil to tempt Justina, but she defeated him in the same way. Disillusioned that Satan could be overcome by a young woman, Cyprian renounced his dark arts and embraced Christianity. He eventually became the bishop of Antioch and was martyred for his faith.
Cyprian and Justina were canonized as saints and honored with a feast day in the Catholic calendar. However, historical records reveal no evidence of a bishop named Cyprian in Antioch, leading modern scholars to question their existence.
In 1969, their feast day was removed from the Roman Catholic Church’s calendar. Despite this, some traditionalists, including a monastery dedicated to them, continue to honor their memory.
5. The Magician Of Marblehead
Edward “John” Dimond, a resident of Little Harbor in Marblehead, Massachusetts, was both revered and feared as a sorcerer capable of both kindness and malice. Born around the time of the Salem witch trials, his odd behavior was likely overlooked due to the lingering fear of witchcraft accusations after the hysteria.
Dimond was known to enter trances, his eyes rolling back as he gained insights into future or distant events. Townsfolk and even local authorities sought his help to recover stolen goods, a task at which he reportedly excelled. However, some speculate his success may have stemmed from logical deduction rather than supernatural means.
Darker tales describe him as a necromancer who exhumed graves for his sinister rituals. Stories claim that during storms, Dimond would visit the local cemetery, crying into the wind and calling out to distant ships. In moments of goodwill, his voice would guide captains through storms, showing them the correct path. Yet, if a captain displeased him, he would curse them, summoning storms to sink their vessels.
4. John Of Nottingham
In 1324, the people of Coventry, England, endured harsh rule under a local prior and two chamberlains of King Edward II, a father and son both named Hugh Despenser. Seeking revenge, the townsfolk enlisted a local sorcerer to eliminate the prior, his allies, and the king they served.
As the tale goes, the magician John of Nottingham and his aide, Robert Marshall, gathered wax and canvas in an abandoned house. There, they crafted effigies of their targets, including an additional one of a man named Richard de Lowe to test the spell’s effectiveness. After casting spells for seven days, they plunged a leaden branch into the forehead of Lowe’s effigy.
The following morning, Lowe was reportedly discovered screaming and suffering from complete amnesia. He remained in this state until the wizard withdrew the branch. Nottingham then drove it into the effigy’s heart, and Lowe died shortly after.
Marshall, dissatisfied with his payment, reported the incident to local authorities. John of Nottingham was tried on charges of witchcraft. After multiple delays, the court deemed Marshall’s account insufficiently credible for a conviction, leading to John’s acquittal.
3. Edward Kelly
Edward Kelly served as the personal scryer for John Dee, a renowned 16th-century British occultist. He assumed the role after Dee’s previous scryer, Barnabas Saul, stepped down. Kelly claimed to receive angelic messages through an obsidian mirror. Dee believed Kelly’s visions unveiled profound supernatural insights, including the divine language of God and angels, now referred to as “Enochian.”
Dee and Kelly shared a lengthy but tumultuous partnership. “Kelly” was merely one of his aliases. He is thought to have attended Oxford under the name Edward “Talbot” and later had his ears cut off as punishment for forgery.
Dee’s wife harbored a strong aversion to Kelly. Her sentiments were justified, as Kelly’s angelic communications once instructed Dee and Kelly to share everything, including their wives. While records are ambiguous, it is speculated that the arrangement may have been acted upon, though their partnership ended soon after.
After separating from Dee, Kelly gained the favor of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II’s court. During this period, he authored several alchemical works. However, his alchemical endeavors yielded little success, resulting in a prison sentence when he failed to disclose his alleged secrets to his patron.
2. Roger Bolingbroke
Bolingbroke, a 15th-century priest associated with the Duke of Gloucester, was implicated in a conspiracy to assassinate the king using dark sorcery.
Bolingbroke had a fascination with astronomy and reportedly used it to predict whether the Duke’s wife would ascend to the English throne. With King Henry VI lacking an heir, the Duke stood next in line, potentially making his wife queen.
Under duress, Bolingbroke admitted to conspiring to kill the king using sympathetic magic with a wax effigy. He accused the Duchess of involvement. She fled to avoid a religious trial—likely sparing her life—but was convicted by a secular court and sentenced to lifelong imprisonment. Margery Jourdemayne, a witch linked to the plot, was executed by burning, while Bolingbroke was hanged, drawn, and quartered.
Modern historians believe Bolingbroke, like many scholars of his time, likely engaged in astrology. However, the alleged plot to assassinate Henry VI was probably fabricated by the Duke’s political adversaries.
The Beaufort family, rivals of the Duke, feared his potential rise to the throne if Henry VI died prematurely. While the Duke dabbled in astrology, his popularity as a war hero made it difficult to accuse him of black magic. The Duchess, however, was unpopular, and her association with Bolingbroke made her an easy target. The plot succeeded in tarnishing the Duke’s reputation, ensuring he could never claim the throne.
1. Michael Scot
Michael Scot was among the most prominent European scholars of the 13th century. However, history has cast him not as an intellectual but as a sorcerer.
Scot was deeply intrigued by the occult, approaching it with the same fervor as conventional studies. He studied in Toledo, then under Moorish rule, translating numerous texts into Latin. In his era, Europeans with knowledge of the Middle East were both revered and feared. Scot’s habit of wearing Arab attire further cemented his reputation as a practitioner of dark arts.
His expertise in the occult secured him the role of personal astrologer to the Holy Roman Emperor. He also served as a tutor to the pope, though his lessons likely focused on more traditional topics.
While serving as the emperor’s astrologer, Scot gained renown for accurately predicting the outcome of a war against the Lombard League. He also used his medical skills to heal the emperor. After his death, legends attributed extraordinary feats to him, such as diverting the river Tweed, creating rope from sand, and even splitting the Eildon Hills of Scotland into three peaks. His fame earned him a mention in Dante’s Inferno, where he is condemned to the circle of hell reserved for sorcerers.
