Hedge wizard

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The term hedge wizard comes from "hedge witch", a term used in folklore for the cunning folk or local herb-doctors who also use spells and charms to heal the sick.

In fantasy literature, a hedge wizard or hedge magician is generally a wizard of low ability, usually self-taught or with a low education background as opposed to the common examples of being apprenticed to a mentor or studying through a structured educational system. Some fictional backgrounds identify them more with rural than urban backgrounds. In the novels of Mercedes Lackey, the term is derogatory, describing a character as incompetent, uneducated, of lower social standing or of lesser power. It is similar to calling someone a hack writer or a slob but specific to practitioners of magic in these stories.

In role-playing games and video games a hedge wizard is usually a weaker wizard encountered when still at a lower level. With a limited number of spells and lacking in power they are normally easy to defeat. In the Ars Magica roleplaying game, a hedge wizard is any mage not of the Order of Hermes, who claims the largest monopoly on power.[1]

A Feast for Crows

In the book series A Song of Ice and Fire, book four - A Feast For Crows, The following quote refers to Hedge Wizards - "He has a mocking name for everyone, thought Pate, but he could not deny that Marwyn looked more a mastiff than a maester. As if he wants to bite you. The Mage was not like other maesters. People said that he kept company with whores and hedge wizards, talked with hairy Ibbenese and pitch black Summer Islanders in their own tongues, and sacrificed to queer gods at the little sailors' temples down by the wharves."

Discworld

In Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of novels, the term 'hedge wizard' is used to describe a wizard who specializes in the magical properties of plants. Although this does fit with the idea of a more rural wizard, given Pratchett's humorous proclivities it is likely here to be a deliberate pun on the word 'hedge'. For example, a character says: "If you invited a hedge wizard to a party he'd spend half the evening talking to your potted plant...and he'd spend the other half listening to it."

See also

References

  1. ↑ the song of ice and fire


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