Magical and mythical beings such as witches, wizards, sorcerers, hags, banshees, etc, are today known to all, from small children to adults.
This is thanks to the courtesy of the movies, books, cartoons, and video games released by creators that portray these magical beings.
The definitions created for them arise from the ancient folklore and stories that were circulating the European nations such as Romania.
Even today, the concept of witches exists in a few regions of Europe and many other places.
Key Takeaways
- Sorcerers possess innate magical abilities, due to their heritage or a unique event in their life.
- Wizards learn magic through study and practice, mastering spells through rigorous training and research.
- Despite different sources of power, sorcerers and wizards play important roles in fantasy worlds and storytelling.
Sorcerer vs Wizard
Sorcerer is depicted as someone with an innate ability to wield magic without needing to study or learn spells. Sorcerers have a natural talent for magic and can use their powers instinctively. Wizards are portrayed as having to study and learn spells to use magic.
Sorcerer is a term that originated around the 1500s in central European society. This term came about to define the people at that time who practised black magic and went about with sacrifices.
These societal sacrifices were preceded by several missing people, small children from different castes and religions.
That goes on to show how sorcerers used the people from the village for their sacrificial purposes.
Wizards have been in use since the 15th century. But the common use and its fixation in registries were not until the late 1550s.
Since the time of its discovery, the term has always referred to the good people in society who were believed to have practised magic to help the people and bring good luck to the society they presided in.
They were considered the wiser aspects of society, with no bad preaching given out to the people.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Sorcerer | Wizard |
|---|---|---|
| Can They Channel the Power of Other Magical Beings | Yes | No |
| Is the Magic Inborn | Yes | No, they learn it |
| Can Other Beings Become one Among Them | Any other races can be sorcerers | No, only humans can tale wizard form |
| Work Alone or as a Group | They work alone | Mostly served as a community of wizards |
| Origin of Word | French | Anglo-Saxon |
What is Sorcerer?
The term sorcerer originated from the Old French roots of the word ‘sorcier’ which meant one who casts lots.
This meaning was considered accurate at the time owing to the massive disappearances that happened at the time of their origin.
The missing people had been sacrificed to fulfil the deeds required by the sorcerers and to suffice the strength needed for their black magic.
In general, as recent times have shown, sorcerers are always portrayed as young, attractive, and beautiful beings blessed with magic in their blood.
They are always shown as good-looking with an evil aura surrounding them in the fantasy world that they exist in.
The real-life sorcerers of the old age times were portrayed were dark colors and with evil lurking in the shadows of their eyes.
It is rare to have sorcerers shown as older beings as the magic within them tends to keep the youth they have inherited intact and, thereby, a surety of eternal youth.
One of their greater advantages over other mystical creatures is their ability to channel out the magic in other weaker sorcerers or magic-bequeathed creatures into themselves.
As they draw the magic out, it is up to the upper-handed sorcerer to where the magic sink should be.
It could either be themselves or the lesser privileged sorcerers who the upper-handed sorcerer wants to empower.
In the magical world, sorcerers are considered to be one of the most talented beings as they are not taught to use the magic they possess.
This is a huge accomplishment, as magic can go wrong when untamed.
Their ability to create spells and cast them at the right time earned them the title of natural spell caster.
One might come to think that sorcerers can only be humans. But it’s anything but that. Sorcerers could be of any race and family.
Humans, mythical creatures such as unicorns, banshees, serpents, or any other races the mythical world can offer can adorn the title of a sorcerer.
Sorcerer works for themselves. They are not under anyone or work to benefit some others.
They stand for themselves without having second thoughts and stay accomplished in the tasks they were meant to do.
The magic of the sorcerers doesn’t come from any pre-written spell books or potion books.
They don’t need it as they can distinguish and use the perfect one in a specific situation.
They have an evil tag attached to them. This is visible in the multiple movies, books, and video games released to portray sorcerers.
Known to work alone and only for personal gain, the evil in them opens doors for other evil sorcerer help.
Their circle is vicious and includes creatures of similar minds and the same goal, such as to take over the world.
What is Wizard?
The origin of the word wizard could be dated back to the 1550s, derived from Old English.
The Anglo-Saxon word ‘Wysard’ stands for the wise one when separated into ‘wys’ and ‘ard’.
The usage of such a term had been for those people in the society who were believed to have used magical spells and potions.
Their practices never caused any strife in the community but had a different effect on the whole of the people.
They started to believe in the wizards and their greatness to bring about good to the land and be blessed.
Wizards are known to work together as a wizarding community to help the people they vow to support.
They can’t channel the abilities of other magic beings onto themselves or to others who they wish to empower.
But the wizards don’t see this as a disadvantage. This is because they are mostly of a pure heart with clear intentions.
Wizards and their counterparts witches can only be humans. Unlike in other mystical communities, other races or families couldn’t be considered a wizard.
To become wizards of greater accomplishments, they have to undergo rigorous training and gain massive knowledge.
Wizards abide by the teachings presiding in the spell books taught to them.
The magic that they have isn’t inborn and is gained through hardships and understanding the value and use of the spells and potions.
Spellbooks belonging to each wizarding community are guarded with a lot of care and protection not to let other communities steal them.
They work for the good of society and act as the guardians of each part of the society assigned to them.
They are mostly associated with crystal balls, a wand, and a walking staff with animal companions.
Main Differences Between Sorcerer and Wizard
- While the general perception of sorcerers is that of young, attractive with beautiful, striking features with an evil aura around them, whereas wizards are pictured as older with long, white beards and sweeping robes of rich colors like dark purple or scarlet designed with stars and comets, they also have pointed battered hats.
- Sorcerers can channel the magical power held within another being, but wizards, on the other hand, don’t have any such harnessing power to deplete other magical creatures.
- Wizards are only humans, and no other race can become one, but in the case of sorcerers, any race of species can become a sorcerer and is not necessarily a human being.
- Sorcerers work alone and only for their benefit, even if they have to turn evil and destroy, but unlike them, wizards are grouped into communities that work for the betterment of society.
- Sorcerers have inborn magical abilities, and therefore there is no need for spell books or potion recipes. But wizards are made out to be magical and have spell books to teach them the right spell and potion recipes to follow.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=FD72ekYZqIkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=wizard&ots=bvqq7_t_1e&sig=gwwdABtrJz93kHW9j4y4MBjM-5g
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZOLRdnUU2tYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=sorcerer&ots=EXtqf2EhrP&sig=0Lkp2i8e9h5pAHUuHz2gr0Eel_8
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
Not sure I agree with the portrayal of sorcerers and wizards as being exclusively good or evil. They are multi-dimensional characters and should be viewed as such.
The thorough breakdown on the historical origins and societal role of sorcerers and wizards is very informative, yet fails to mention a key part of these magical beings – the dragon. The bond between dragon and the wizard has been a cornerstone of wizard lore for centuries.
Very interesting article, I always wondered what the differences really were! I do appreciate the detail on historical origins. Well done!
The post’s comparison of sorcerers and wizards was insightful, but it failed to explore the contemporary significance of these magical beings in popular culture and modern storytelling.
I beg to differ, it seems the post is focused on the historical context of the terms sorcerer and wizard, as well as the differences involving them. The post doesn’t seem to be about the mythical creatures and objects associated with them.
I disagree, Michael Wilkinson. The historical origins of ‘sorcerer’ and ‘wizard’ are well-documented, and the post provides sufficient evidence to support the information presented.
I agree, Grant88, this post focused on what makes sorcerers and wizards different and the origins of these terms. There are other articles that delve into the deeper details of the magical world.
This post briefly summarizes the differences between sorcerers and wizards. From the descriptions provided, I think the term ‘sorcerer’ has more appeal.
Great description about the differences between sorcerers and wizards, it’s nice to see the historical perspective provided. However, there seems to be a lack of evidence for the assertions made in the post.