Bottom left to right: Albus Dumbledore and Gandalf
(Fahey, 2021)
If given a blank canvas with the assignment ‘Draw me a Wizard’ you would most likely draw an elder man, with a very long cloak, pointy hat, perhaps a white beard and maybe even a staff or wand. Wizards like Gandalf, Dumbledore and Merlin are probably one of the first names that will leave your tongue when you think about a wizard. These depictions of wizards are stereotypes created by movies, tv-series or imagery. However, they are inspired by previous depictions of characters in literature or art. Merlin, as seen in the picture below, has been said to be the inspiration for a lot of the elements that are seen as stereotypical for a wizard (Fahey, 2021).
In the image above, you see a beard, a pointy hat and a staff which are components that are associated with a wizard. The god Odin is an old Islandic-Norse god of war and knowledge. He too, is an inspiration for the present-day depictions of wizards as it is claimed that he protected and read the secret runes and therefore knew of the power and magic they hold (Fahey, 2021). In the image, you see Odin wearing a long dress or cloak, with a beard as well. These depictions of early stories about 'wizards' and 'magic' have determined the course of how a wizard should look in the future. If we look at depictions of Albus Dumbledore or Gandalf you will see the similarities they both possess.