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© History Oasis / Created via Midjourney
Below are some of history’s most famous sorcerers and wizards of all time.
Greek philosopher Apollonius of Tyana (c.15-c.100) traveled throughout the Roman Empire performing miracles that earned him comparisons to Jesus. He reportedly vanished from prison cells at will and announced Emperor Domitian’s assassination at the exact moment it occurred, despite being hundreds of miles away.
First-century Samaritan magician Simon Magus challenged early Christian apostles with his displays of levitation and fire manipulation. His name became synonymous with simony (buying church positions), and accounts describe his failed attempt at flight in Rome, which ended with a fatal crash when Peter’s prayers nullified his powers.
Greco-Egyptian alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis (c.300) wrote the cryptic “Book of Pictures,” depicting spirits guarding transmutation secrets. He was known for his mercury and sulfur experiments that allegedly came from instructions received from a fallen angel he claimed to have summoned in an Alexandrian temple.
Persian polymath Jabir ibn Hayyan (c.721-815), known in Europe as Geber, developed chemical processes and apparatus while serving the Abbasid caliphate. Supposedly, he discovered the aqua regia—capable of dissolving gold—fueling rumors that he had unlocked alchemical secrets. He was also accused of experimenting on human cadavers to isolate “vital spirits,” which led to his work being condemned as necromancy.
Japanese court diviner Abe no Seimei (921-1005) performed exorcisms for emperors and earned the title “Merlin of Japan.” Imperial records attribute his supernatural powers to his mixed heritage—his mother allegedly being a kitsune (fox spirit). Chronicles of the time claim he accurately predicted his assassination, followed by his resurrection.
French scholar Gerbert d'Aurillac became Pope Sylvester II (c.946-1003). After studying in Islamic Spain, the pope introduced advanced mathematics and astronomy to Europe. His mechanical inventions and vast knowledge sparked rumors of demonic pacts. Some legends even claimed he possessed a bronze oracular head capable of properly addressing any question.
Dominican friar Albertus Magnus (c.1200-1280) earned his title “Magnus” (the Great) for his vast knowledge spanning natural philosophy and theology. Though canonized as a saint, popular legends claimed he animated statues and possessed stones with magical properties that allowed him to charm basilisks and summon dragons.
Franciscan friar Roger Bacon (1214-1294) predicted modern technologies like submarines and flying machines. Despite his scientific approach, he had the reputation of a sorcerer. Suspicious church authorities later jailed him.
Scottish mathematician Michael Scot (1175-c.1232) served as court astrologer to Emperor Frederick II. He’s best known for translating Arabic astronomical texts while developing a reputation for supernatural abilities. Some folklore says he had the power to teleport food from Spain for imperial banquets and the ability to banish demons from haunted locations.
Parisian scribe Nicholas Flamel (1330-1418) became famous as an alchemist when texts attributed to him claimed he had discovered the Philosopher’s Stone and achieved immortality. His empty tomb was cited as proof he had transcended death through his arcane knowledge.
French nobleman Gilles de Rais (c.1404-1440) was a heroic companion to Joan of Arc. But was executed for child murders allegedly committed as part of occult rituals. His confession to sacrificing hundreds of children to summon demons shocked medieval France.
German alchemist Johann Georg Faust (c.1480-c.1541) inspired the legendary Faust character after offering magical services and astrological predictions after touring Germany. Most people dismissed his magical claims as fraudulent, but accounts of his gruesome death—supposedly torn apart by demons claiming his soul—cemented his position in occult folklore.
German polymath Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535) authored “Three Books of Occult Philosophy.” He mapped cosmic relations among angels, planets, and natural elements. But he later publicly recanted his magical works on his deathbed, warning followers about “devilish deceits” concealed within occult practices.
Swiss physician Theophrastus von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus (1493-1541), revolutionized medicine by introducing chemical remedies and establishing dose-response relationships. While scientifically innovative, he maintained mystical beliefs about elemental spirits, carrying a sword with a hollow pommel rumored to contain a family demon named Azoth.
English mathematician John Dee (1527-1608) was Queen Elizabeth I’s court astronomer and occult advisor. He was said to be able to communicate with angels through crystal-gazing. His partnership with Edward Kelley produced the “Enochian language,” supposedly dictated by angels, and his extensive library at Mortlake contained one of Europe’s largest collections of occult manuscripts.
English seer Edward Kelley (1555-1597) claimed to receive angelic messages via crystal-gazing sessions. Later employed by Emperor Rudolf II for alchemical gold production, he died after falling from a castle tower while attempting to escape—the bedsheet rope he had crafted having snapped during his descent.
Italian Dominican friar Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) was burned at the stake in Rome for heretical cosmological views and sorcery. Before his execution, he reportedly declared, “the universe trembles at my death,” with eyewitness accounts claiming demons manifested in the flames that consumed him.
French apothecary Michel de Nostredame, known as Nostradamus (1503-1566), published cryptic quatrains in “Les Prophéties” that allegedly predicted future events. His most disturbing prophecy concerned the death of King Henry II in a jousting accident—accurately describing how the king’s eye would be pierced through his golden visor by a young opponent’s lance.
Prague rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1525-1609) allegedly created the Golem—a clay humanoid animated through Kabbalistic rituals—to protect Prague’s Jewish community. According to legend, when he failed to deactivate the creature before the Sabbath, it went berserk, crushing people in its path until the rabbi removed the sacred name written on its forehead.
German abbot Johannes Trithemius (1462-1516) authored “Steganographia,” which is about angel communication but actually contains sophisticated encryption methods that remained classified for centuries. He claimed to have conjured the spirit of Mary of Burgundy for Emperor Maximilian I, identifying her by a secret birthmark known only to the emperor.
English mathematician Isaac Newton (1642-1727) spent more time on alchemical experiments than on the physics work for which he’s famous, writing over a million words on transmutation. His secret laboratory in the Tower of London hosted experiments with mercury and sulfur, earning him the posthumous description from economist John Maynard Keynes as “the last of the magicians.”
Mysterious European courtier known as the Count of St. Germain (c.1710-1784) claimed to be several centuries old and had secrets for longevity. He dazzled royal courts by apparently transforming iron into gold and recounting historical events with eyewitness precision.
Italian occultist Alessandro Cagliostro (1743-1795) established “Egyptian Freemasonry” and became entangled in the infamous Diamond Necklace Affair that damaged Marie Antoinette’s reputation. He was later imprisoned by the Inquisition for heresy.
Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) gained extraordinary influence over the Romanov family by apparently alleviating the hemophilia of Tsarevich Alexei. His assassination became legendary for its difficulty—surviving poisoning, multiple gunshot wounds, and drowning before finally succumbing to a point-blank headshot.
English occultist Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) founded the religious movement Thelema based on instructions he claimed to receive from a non-human entity named Aiwass. Self-styled as “the Beast 666” and dubbed “the wickedest man in the world” by the press, he practiced ceremonial magic incorporating sexual rituals that shocked Edwardian society.
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