Dreamwood: A Land of Enchantment and Mystery

Welcome to the Wizard's Abode!
You are listening to the midi version of "Scarborough Fair" by Simon & Garfunkle.

"He was the wizard of a thousand kings
And I chanced to meet him one night wandering.
He told me tales and he drank my wine,
Me and my magic man kinda feeling fine.
He had a cloak of gold and eyes of fire,
And as he spoke I felt a deep desire
To free the world of its fear and pain
And help the people to feel free again."
{from "The Wizard" by Uriah Heep}

General Information

Wizards are, basically, humanoid beings who can use magic. There are dozens of dozens of different kinds of wizards, namely Druids, Wizards, Witches, Sorcerers, Sorceresses, Priests, Priestesses, Paladins, and countless others. All wizards, however, have one thing in common: they use magic, and are usually portrayed as wearing cloaks or robes (even though a wizard can wear whatever he/she desires; there is no real code or rule for this). A wizard's magic may come from inside his person or from a magical tool such as a staff, wand, hat, pendant, or crystal ball. Some wizards can use their magic for any purpose; others only have powers that relate to a certain season, element, or trade. Some must learn their magic from books and fellow wizards, some find it comes naturally, and some must discover it inside themselves. Depending on how powerful a wizard, he/she may or may not use potions, spells/spellbooks, and chants. A very select few may simply concentrate on what it is they want acheived, and it will happen.
The most common form of a wizard is the Common Wizard. Usually depicted as wearing a hat (stars and moons optional) and matching robes, Common Wizards normally use magic wands and staffs to achieve their ends. Witches (female wizards) are usually described as being old crones with ratty clothes and crystal balls; however, a witch can be very young (or young-looking) and can get her powers from anywhere, just like any other magic-user.
Druids are often likened to the ones who built Stonehenge in England, wearing drab-colored robes with hoods that hide their faces from the world. A Druid's powers usually come from the Earth elements and Healing styles, and their magic is most often in the forms of potions and chants, and has to be learned from books.
Sorcerers and Sorceresses (Sorceresses being female and Sorcerers male) are, like the wizard, usually shown wearing robes and hats, sometimes with stars and moons on them. Their powers usually are lightning- or universe-related, and normally come either from inside them or from staffs, and is natural.
Priests and Priestesses tend to use their magic for religious reasons, and, though the magic usually comes from inside their bodies, mostly have to learn their magic from arduous study. They are said to wear, as a rule, white robes and religious pendants. This also goes for most Paladins.

My wizard friends include: Gandalf, Merlin, Schmendrick, Radagast, Dumbledore, Voldemort, and countless others. Which wizards do you know?

Books

"Earthsea", by Ursula K. Le Guin. (Buy it!)
"The Wizard of Oz", by L. Frank Baum. (Buy it!)
"Sword of Truth", by Terry Goodkind. (Buy it!)
"Dragonlance", by various artists. (Buy it!)
"Young Wizards", by Diane Duane. (Buy it!)
"The Wizard Test", by Hilari Bell. (Buy it!)
"Her Majesty's Wizard", by Christopher Stasheff. (Buy it!)
"The Hobbit", by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. (Buy it!)
"The Lord of the Rings", by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. (Buy it!)
"Harry Potter", by J.K. Rowling. (Buy it!)
"Wizards: A History (Dark Histories)", by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart. (Buy it!)
"The Wizard Knight", by Gene Wolf. (Buy it!)
"Spellfall", by Katherine Roberts. (Buy it!)
"The Wizard in the Tree", by Lloyd Alexander. (Buy it!)
"The Way of Wizards", by Tom Cross. (Buy it!)

Films

"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) (Buy it!)
"The Muppet's Wizard of Oz" (2005) (Buy it!)
"Wizard Quest" (2002) (Buy it!)
"The Hobbit" (1977) (Buy it!)
"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) (Buy it!)
"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002) (Buy it!)
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003) (Buy it!)
"The Return of the King" (1980) (Buy it!)
"Willow" (1988) (Buy it!)
"The Mists of Avalon" (2001) (Buy it!)
"The Sword in the Stone" (2001) (Buy it!)