Are Wizards Scary

Although there used to be such a strong negative stigma attached to anything related to magic or witchcraft, books and movies such as the Harry Potter series have managed to turn all that stuff into something attractive to the public. So while wizards in the past may have seemed to be foreign and scary even, they are now widely accepted by society as being cool. So the answers to the question of whether or not wizards are scary can be seen in their common depiction in the media as being heroic figures, which can be most plainly seen in the Harry Potter series.

Also, television shows such as the Disney television program, Wizards of Waverly Place, have shown that wizards are far from scary, but are in fact, welcoming and innocent even. These media platforms portray wizards and witches in a positive light, which is completely different from the old days when these archetypes would be sought out and burned at the stake. Nowadays, people will readily dress up as wizards during costume parties and for occasions like Halloween. No longer acting as symbol of being scary, wizards have become a fun type of character for children and adults to admire.

The classification of wizards as primarily good is not simply limited to modern times however; even in the past there were some mediums that deviated from the normal definition of magic as an evil phenomenon. At its core, the word wizard was never intended to mean something negative; the word wizard is derived from the Middle English word for wise, which is a very desirable and a positive trait. In some circumstances, the wizard has actually always been a figure assisting in good. The ancient story of Merlin and King Author placed the wizard by the king's side, using his magical powers for good. It has also been legend that the wizard like Merlin practiced "white magic." This form of magic features stories of good spirits or magicians who help people. The opposite of white magic is black magic, which is preformed for evil purposes or ill begotten personal gain. The positive connotation that a wizard carries can also be seen in the classic film the Wizard of Oz. In the film the wizard was not a character to be feared, much unlike the "wicked witch," the characters in the film were determined to meet the "wonderful wizard" by the end of the film. This illustrates the widely accepted belief that wizards are not characters of evil to be feared, but instead magic practitioners that are good.