WIZARD STORIES AND LORE
(excerpts from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure to obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain)

1) If you can find the book Crazy gibberish : and other story hour stretches from a storyteller's bag of tricks by Naomi Baltuck, there is a story entitled The Queen with a Cold, Cold Heart. It is a participation story about a Queen and her three daughters, an evil wizard and a handsome prince. The wizard has cast a spell over the land and it has become winter forever. The Prince must rescue the Princess he loves by melting the evil wizard. Each of the main characters has a sound the children should say as you tell the story. For example, when you say the Queen with a cold, cold heart, the children say "burrrr" and hug themselves as if they were cold. It is an easy story to learn since it is meant to be told orally and not read aloud. The children have fun with it.

2) Another story is entitled The Wizard, the Fairy and the Magic Chicken by Helen Lester. It is a funny tale with all three characters constantly changing each other into odd forms trying to prove they are the most powerful. This is a book but could be done with children as a participation.

3) Book of Wizards by Ruth Manning-Sanders, New York: E. P. Dutton, 1967.
Aladdin
Aniello
Cannetella
Farmer Weathersky
Gold
Jack and the Wizard
Kojata
Long, Broad and Sharpsight
Rich Woman, Poor Woman
Silver Penny
Two WizardS

4) Angela wrote:
Today I told the wizard story and I thought about you and the wizards in your culture. Maybe you can direct me to a source that has more info about the wizard tales because kids in America love Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-6), so the more wizard tales I can tell the better!
Harry Potter Hardcover Box Set (Books 1-6)

Szia!
We have lots of wizard stories in our culture - I love them all, because they are special, and interesting. Hera are some details:

- Táltos is the Hungarian equivalent of shaman. They are born with teeth (táltosfog), or six fingers or toes, or in a husk. When they reach a certain age, they fall very ill, for the spirits are calling them to become táltos. If one refuses, he dies. If accepts, the spirits take him away, take him apart, then heal him and bring him back, now a real táltos with abilities to heal and use magic and travel between worlds. They use a drum (táltosdob) to fall into trance and leave their bodies behind to travel between words on the World Tree. The drum is their horse, they say. This remained in our folktales: when the prince has to choose the worst-looking, skinny and shaggy horse for himself and feed it with embers - then the horse turns into a magic horse, more beautiful than any other. This happens so because a drum can loosen if it gets wet, and to be usable again, one has to hold it above fire or embers to warm it up. Angela, the story of Whitehorseson, in the book you've bought, is about a táltos. It's one of our oldest folktales. Another interesting detail: shaman illness is probably epilepsy. Ethnologists say so because 67% of the children born with teeth or six fingers are epileptic.

- Garabonciás: these wizards are not born so. They learn, for 13 years, 13 students in a group. Then their master takes them to a cave deep in the mountain, where they have to sit on a wheel above a huge and deep pit filled with blades, and the wheel starts spinning and one of them must fall down and die. The other 12 become garabonciás, they receive their magic books. Garabonciás only can practice magic from the book - it can summon dragon-snakes to ride, turn into animal form, summon hailstorm, drought, make people fall ill or heal, make cows give milk or give blood, protect people's crops or destroy them... many things.

The most interesting part is:
in the times 300 or 500 years ago when witches were pursued and many people were burnt or drowned as witches, in Hungary there was a way to survive the trial: you had to confess you were a wizard. A táltos, a garabonciás, a benandante, or even a werewolf. For, though the judges were Christians, they still believed in the Nighttime Battles, when these special people left their bodies behind and went to fight against witches out in the fileds. They had armies, bands and fellowships, they were aided by animal spirits, and, it was important to confess too, by Holy Mary and angels. So if someone confessed to be one of them, they let him or she go free. These people practiced common magic only to protect their villages. Even this kind of werewolves was positive, for it means a wizard who can turn into some kind of animal when leaving the body.
In the 16th century even a guild existed, called Guild Saint Elena, in Sopron, and it's members fought witches with their special abilities.

Sounds like some kind of fantasy novel, isn't it? It's sooo cool:)

Unfortunately these stories are usually very short, and believes rather than real stories. The best one is a short story by Szerb Antal, about a girl who was engaged with a garabonciás. It's sooo beautiful. I'm planning on translating it to English. Another garabonciás story can be found on my webpage, in audio form
http://www.zalkacsenge.hu/bilingual01.mp3
Macsek 4/14/07
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5) Internet resources about wizards:
• Wizard Stories — http://www.lair2000.net/Wizard_Stories/Wizard_Stories.html
• The Grey School of Wizardry — http://www.greyschool.com/storiesandwizards.asp
• Best Stories About Wizards — http://www.amazon.co.uk/best-stories-about-wizards/lm/3BDVLDKD6AUP2
• Wizard and Goblin Stories by Kids — http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01835/cc.html

• This site contains direct hyperlinks — http://www.locusmag.com/index/yr2003/t25.htm
Magicians’ Circle: More Spellbinding Stories of Wizards & Wizardry ed. Peter Haining (Souvenir Press 0-285-63681-2, Oct 2003, £9.99, 268pp, hc, cover by Arnaud Crémet); Young-adult anthology of 14 stories and novel extracts, each with an introduction and afterword by Haining. Authors include Philip Pullman, Peter S. Beagle, and H.G. Wells.
9 • The Spell of Magic • Peter Haining • in
17 • A Course in Magic [Professor de Lara] • E. Nesbit • nv
38 • Doctor Cadaverezzi’s Magic Show [from Count Karlstein or The Ride of the Demon Huntsman] • Philip Pullman • ex Doubleday UK, 1991
46 • The Magic Fish-Bone [part of “Holiday Romance”] • Charles Dickens • ss Our Young Folks Jan-May, 1868
61 • The Magician of Karakosk [world of The Inkeeper’s Song] • Peter S. Beagle • nv David Copperfield’s Beyond Imagination, ed. David Copperfield, Janet Berliner & Martin H. Greenberg, HarperPrism, 1996
94 • Elphenor and Weasel • Sylvia Townsend Warner • ss New Yorker Dec 16 ’74
115 • The Rule of Names [Earthsea] • Ursula K. Le Guin • ss Fantastic Apr ’64
131 • The Magic Shop • H. G. Wells • ss The Strand Jun ’03
147 • The Magic Bonbons • L. Frank Baum • ss American Fairy Tales, George M. Hill: Chicago, 1901
157 • The Day Boy and the Night Girl [“The Romance of Photogen and Nycteris”] • George MacDonald • nv The Graphic Christmas, 1879
212 • The Magic Child-Killer [from The Witches] • Roald Dahl • ex Jonathan Cape, 1983
222 • The April Witch • Ray Bradbury • ss The Saturday Evening Post Apr 5 ’52
237 • Ms Wiz, Supermodel [Ms Wiz] • Terence Blacker • ss Macmillan UK
248 • Works Like Magic • Jacqueline Wilson • ss; Original in Video Rose (Blackie Children’s Books) date unknown.
256 • Feel Free • Alan Garner • ss, 1967
269 • Acknowledgements • Misc. Material • ms

• Wizards' Community — http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=825374

6) Books about wizards:
• Magyk (Septimus Heap, Book 1) by Angie Sage and Mark Zug.
Book Description
The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this myster ious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?

The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.
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• Winter of the Ice Wizard (Magic Tree House 32) by Mary Pope Osborne.
Book Description
JACK AND ANNIE, joined by Teddy and Kathleen (from earlier books), travel in the Magic Tree House to a land of snow where the Ice Wizard has captured Morgan and Merlin. The four friends must find the Ice Wizard’s missing eye... or is it really his heart that is missing?
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• The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons / Searching for Dragons / Calling on Dragons / Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.
Book Description
Collected together for the first time are Patricia C. Wrede's hilarious adventure stories about Cimorene, the princess who refuses to be proper. Every one of Cimorene's adventures is included in its paperback edition--Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons--in one handsome package that's perfect for gift giving.
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• The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.
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• The Sword of Truth, Boxed Set I, Books 1-3: Wizard's First Rule, Blood of the Fold ,Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind.
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• A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1) by Ursula LeGuin.
Amazon.com
Often compared to Tolkien's Middle-earth or Lewis's Narnia, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea is a stunning fantasy world that grabs quickly at our hearts, pulling us deeply into its imaginary realms. Four books (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu) tell the whole Earthsea cycle--a tale about a reckless, awkward boy named Sparrowhawk who becomes a wizard's apprentice after the wizard reveals Sparrowhawk's true name. The boy comes to realize that his fate may be far more important than he ever dreamed possible. Le Guin challenges her readers to think about the power of language, how in the act of naming the world around us we actually create that world. Teens, especially, will be inspired by the way Le Guin allows her characters to evolve and grow into their own powers.
In this first book, A Wizard of Earthsea readers will witness Sparrowhawk's moving rite of passage--when he discovers his true name and becomes a young man. Great challenges await Sparrowhawk, including an almost deadly battle with a sinister creature, a monster that may be his own shadow.
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• Flyte (Septimus Heap, Book 2) by Angie Sage and Mark Zug.
Book Description
It's been a year since septimus heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard. As Apprentice to Extra Ordinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle.

But there is something sinister at work. Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus's brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands. Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering?

Bringing fantasy to new heights, Angie Sage continues the journey of Septimus Heap with her trademark humor and all of the clever details readers have come to love.
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• Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3) by Jonathan Stroud.
Book Description
Three years after the events of The Golem's Eye, the young magician Nathaniel is an established member of the British Government. But he faces unprecedented problems: foreign wars are going badly and Britain's enemies are mounting attacks close to London. Increasingly distracted, he is treating Bartimaeus worse than ever: the long-suffering djinni is growing weak from too much time in this world, and his patience is at an end. Meanwhile, undercover in London, Kitty has been stealthily completing her research into magic and Bartimaeus' past. She hopes to break the endless cycle of conflict between djinn and humans - but will she be able to get anyone to listen? Before any of these problems can be resolved, disaster strikes London from an unexpected source and the destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathaniel, and Kitty are thrown together once more. They have to face treacherous magicians, a long-fermented conspiracy, and an enemy from 'The Other Place' that threatens London and the world. Worst of all, they must somehow cope with each other.... Bartimaeus fans will be entranced by Stroud's brilliantly conceived finale to the series - sure to be a major best seller.
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• Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth, Book 1) by Terry Goodkind.
Book Description
The masterpiece that started The New York Times bestselling epic Sword of TruthIn the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help . . . and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence.In a dark age it takes courage to live, and more than mere courage to challenge those who hold dominion, Richard and Kahlan must take up that challenge or become the next victims. Beyond awaits a bewitching land where even the best of their hearts could betray them. Yet, Richard fears nothing so much as what secrets his sword might reveal about his own soul. Falling in love would destroy them--for reasons Richard can't imagine and Kahlan dare not say.In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword--to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed . . . or that their time has run out.This is the beginning. One book. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.
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• Wizard Of Oz (Scholastic Junior Classics) by L. Frank Baum.
Book Description
After a terrible cyclone, Dorothy finds herself lost in a strange and magical world. The only way to get home is to visit the Emerald City, where she may be able to ask the Great Wizard of Oz for help. Will Dorothy ever reach Oz? And what will she find when she gets there?
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• Charlie Bone And The Hidden King (Children of the Red King Book 5) by Jenny Nimmo.
Book Description
When Charlie turns twelve on New Year's Eve, the Flame Cats give him a grave warning: Something ancient has awoken, and Charlie must be watchful. Soon Charlie learns that the shadow from the Red King's portrait has been released, and that it will do anything to keep Charlie from finding his father. Meanwhile, pets are mysteriously vanishing from the city, and Olivia is in danger of revealing her newfound powers.
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• The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 4 A tidy old man spent his time cleaning up the litter that the thoughtless slobs of Wartville left behind. One day, tired of his lot, he gives up, and Mother Nature gives him ``power over trash.'' He then commands that litter ``go back and stick to the person who threw you.'' The townspeople are dismayed, and the Wizard agrees to release them from their trash if they promise not to litter again. Madden's ecology lesson is humorous, and his breezy, colorful illustrations add to the comic and trash-laden predicament in which the citizens of Wartville find themselves. Good for story hour and for reinforcing basic ecology principles, this book will be enjoyed by independent readers and by story hour groups. Gayle D. Celizic, Roosevelt School, Cleveland.
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• The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) by Jonathan Stroud.
Book Description
Presenting a thrilling new voice in children's literature-a witty, gripping adventure story featuring a boy and his not-so-tame djinni. Nathaniel is a young magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt. Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mayhem, this extraordinary, funny, pitch-perfect thriller will dazzle the myriad
fans of Artemis Fowl and the His Dark Materials trilogy. And with the rights sold in more than a dozen countries, and a major motion picture in the works, the Bartimaeus trilogy is on the fast track to becoming a classic.
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• The Book of Wizards: Stories of Enchantment From Near and Far by Jennifer Schwamm Willis.
Book Description
The Book of Wizards combines the works of contemporary authors such as Jane Yolen, Philip Pullman, Diane Duane, Garth Nix, William Nicholson, and Aoin Colfer with classic stories from writers such as E. Nesbit, George Macdonald, Frank L. Baum, and Edward Eager. The result is another magical collection of stories that capture the imagination and mesmerize the reader-a surefire bet for Harry Potter fans, both young and old. Young children and teenagers who pine for the next Potter book will be thrilled to discover that the world of wonderful magic stories extends well beyond today's most familiar authors. Moreover, parents will enjoy sharing these stories of imagination and enchantment with their younger children-and will want to sneak the stories back into their own beds for further reading after the kids are asleep.
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• A BOOK OF WIZARDS by Ruth Manning-Sanders.
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• The BOOK OF WIZARDS A MAGICAL HISTORY by Tim Dedipulos.
Book Description
In this lively and informative book, every aspect of wizards ad wizardry is explored, from the myths of old to those wizards that have their basis in reality and the famous fictional wizards that have captured our imaginations. Packed with inside information and filled with stunning images, The Book of Wizards is a must for anyone interested in the way of the wizard .
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(This web page updated 8/10/03; 4/14/07)