Information AboutMagus |
|
are given the names Gaspar , Melchior , and Balthasar in this Romanesque Mosaic from the Basilica of St Apollinarius in Ravenna , Italy .]] A Magus (plural '''Magi''', from Latin, via religion, however, not without changing the original message of its founder, Zarathustra . They became the guardians of religion under the three persian empires. The best known Magi are the " Wise Men From The East ", in the Bible . And, of whom Marco Polo wrote that he had seen their graves in what is today the district of Saveh, in Tehran , Iran . In English, the term may refer to a Shaman , Sorcerer , or Wizard ; it is the origin of the English words Magic and magician. ETYMOLOGY Persian
Greek use of ''magos'' While in Herodotus , ''magos'' refers to either a member of the tribe of the Medes (1.101), or to one of the Zoroastrian Persian priests who could interpret dreams (7.37), it could also be used for any enchanter or wizard, and especially to charlatans or quacks (see also Goetia ), especially by philosphers such as Heraclitus who took a sceptical view of the art of an enchanter, and in comic literature ( Lucian 's '' Lucios Or The Ass ''). In Hellenism , ''magos'' started to be used as an adjective, meaning "magical", as in ''magas techne'' "ars magica" (e.g. used by Philostratus ). English language The plural ''Magi'' entered the English language in ca. , when it was borrowed from Old French in the meaning ''magician'' together with ''magic''. HISTORY IN THE PERSIAN EMPIRE According to Herodotus , the Magi were the sacred Caste of the Medes . They organized Persian society after the fall of Assyria and Babylon . Their power was curtailed by Persian Emperor Cyrus The Great , founder of the Persian Empire , and by his son Cambyses II ; the Magi revolted against Cambyses and set up a rival claimant to the throne, one of their own, who took the name of Smerdis . Smerdis and his forces were defeated by the Persians under Darius I . The sect of the Magi continued in Persia, though its influence was limited after this political setback. During the Classical era (555 BC - 300 AD), some Magi migrated westward {Link without Title} , settling in Greece, and then Italy. For more than a century, Mithraism , a religion derived from Persia, was the largest single religion in Rome. The Magi were likely involved in its practice. The '' ( Septuagint , Vulgate and KJV mistranslate ''Rabmag'' as a separate character). It's also believed by Christians that the Jewish prophet Daniel was "rab mag" and entrusted a Messianic vision (to be announced in due time by a "star") to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment (Daniel 4:9; 5: 11). THE MAGA IN INDIA The Zoroastrians form a very small religious minority in India , many of whom are Parsi s. After invading Arabs succeeded in taking Ctesiphon in 637, Islam largely superseded Zoroastrianism, and the power of the Magi faded. Many (but not all) of the mages fled the advent of Islam in Persia, or Iran, by emigrating to India, settling in western principalities which form the modern states of Gujarat and Maharastra . As one can only be Zoroastrian by birth, the number of Parsis and Zoroastrians in the world is shrinking, and the remaining population risks passing down genetic defects as with any small community. Suffice to say Parsis are very rare, and Magi are even rarer. In India there is a community termed ''Maga'', ''Bhojaka'' or Shakadvipi Brahmins . Their major centers are in Rajasthan in Western India and near Gaya in Bihar. According to Bhavishya Purana and other texts, they were invited to settle in Punjab to conduct the worship of Lord Sun ( Mitra or Surya in Sanskrit). Bhavishya Purana explicitly associates them to the rituals of the Zoroastrian faith. The members of the community still worship in Sun temples in India. They are also heriditary priests in several Jain temples in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Bhojakas are mentioned in the copperplates of the Kadamba dynasty (4-6th cent) as managers of Jain institutions. Images of Lord Sun in India are shown wearing a central asian dress, complete with boots. The term "Mihir" in India is regarded to represent the Maga influence. FICTIONAL MAGI The Archetype ''mage'' is popularly used in Fantasy settings that involve magic. ''Mage'', rather than ''magus'', is the spelling usually encountered for Magic-user characters in Role-playing Game s and fantasy Fiction . Mages are generally portrayed as people who have the ability to control or wield the forces of and Dungeons & Dragons , to computer games such as Ultima , Final Fantasy and World Of Warcraft . . The painting features an element of Fantasy games, a magic-user.]] Many references to the three magi can be found in various games and shows. For example, in the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion '' Anime / Manga series, a Supercomputer (called "MAGI") is divided in three distinct parts, all of which are named after the Magi. Mages are people who have the ability to control or wield the forces of magic. In the paper '' and '' Dungeons & Dragons ''. In the game Ars Magica , the main characters are known as magi. Mages are sometimes in Computer Role-playing Game s as playable Character Class es and/or NPC s such as '' Ultima '', '' Final Fantasy '', '' Dragon Warrior '', '' Diablo '', '' World Of Warcraft '' and '' Everquest ''. Mages aren't always people who perform magic for entertainment. In some games, a mage may also be known as a Wizard , Sorceress , or Witch . In the dystopian future setting of '' Warhammer 40,000 '', the title ''Magos'' is applied to certain high-ranking members of the Adeptus Mechanicus , a mystical organization that has a monopoly on most forms of advanced technology within the Imperium Of Man . In the video game '' Chrono Trigger '', the three Gurus, of Life , Time , and Reason , are also named after the Magi and, through the course of the game, give key items to the player. Furthermore, one of the game's main characters is named Magus , and another Cyrus . '' Mage '' is also the title of a Comic Book series created and owned by Matt Wagner . The series' central character, Kevin Matchstick, is drawn into a world of magic and Arthurian Legends whilst wielding a mystic Baseball Bat . The character John Constantine from the '' Hellblazer '' graphic novels is sometimes referred to as a magus. The Manga series Negima! Magister Negi Magi is the story of a young wizard in training to become a Magister Magi. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|