Is there a difference between a wizard and a warlock?

Question

I'm interested from traditional folklore and from current "practicioners" opinions.

Answer 1

Wizards vs. Warlocks:
Vocabulary Clarification

A Wizard is commonly considered a person who seeks to master the arts of magick, usually high magick, without reference or dependence on a structure of religious or spiritual tradition. In other words, they might practice magick, but their magic does not depend on the worship of Deity. (In some traditions, this person would be called a “Sorcerer.” Accordingly, a Wizard is then the magic-user who is working on behalf of Deity.) Generally speaking, Wizards are positive practitioners of magick.

According to Shadow Witch (ShadowWitch Web Review), “‘Wizard’ derives from the Middle English ‘wis’, meaning ‘wise’. The word first appears about 1440, meaning a ‘wise man or woman’; in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it designated a high magician, and only after 1825 was it used as the equivalent of ‘witch’.”

According to common understanding, the word "Warlock" comes from the Old English word ‘waerloga’, meaning "oath-breaker". It is thought to be a term applied to a person who broke the oath of secrecy to his/her clan, or group {or coven}. A person who broke their oaths and was found faithless was cast out, and black-listed. A warlock is currently considered a very bad thing to be. Calling a male Witch a warlock is often seen as a very grave insult to the integrity of the Witch.

Recently, the common definition and origins of the word ‘warlock’ have fallen under scrutiny. A linguist named Niklas proposes an alternative history of this term. He points out that semantically, there seems no evidence to support the idea that this word means “traitor”. Instead of deriving from Old English, a study of Scandinavian languages reveals the possibility that the word “Warlock” evolved from the old Norse word “vardlokkur”. This word meant “enchanter or conjurer”, much as our modern dictionary defines it today.

So perhaps ‘warlock’ is a term worthy of reclaiming, much as we have tried to reclaim the word ‘witch’. Although until such time as it becomes commonly understood, I’d still be careful who you called a Warlock in the Pagan community.

Flame RavenHawk
October 24, 2003

Answer 2

warlock is a male witch
wizard is a magician