20 Historical Figures Who Were Believed to Be Witches or Wizards

Many believed that Bacon must have possessed extraordinary knowledge, since he had predicted the invention of flying machines and motorized ships. Legend has it that his colleagues at the university were convinced he had a talking brass head, so “magical” did his discoveries seem to them. He was imprisoned for several years because the Church felt threatened by his views on “natural magic.”

You’ve no doubt heard of the legend of Faust, who is said to have sold his soul to the devil, but there was a very real man who inspired all these stories. He was a wandering alchemist and magician in 16th-century Germany who claimed to be able to perform miracles and possess formidable supernatural powers. When he died in a violent explosion during an experiment, the locals were convinced that the devil had simply come to collect what was owed to him.

Nicolas Flamel is not famous for his magical feats in real life, but for his appearance in contemporary fantasy novels. In reality, he was a renowned scribe in 14th-century France, credited with the discovery of the philosopher’s stone several centuries after his death. Some claimed to have seen him walking about after his death, as he was said to have attained immortality.

Agrippa was a Renaissance scholar who wrote extensively on the occult and advocated the idea that magic was a legitimate means of understanding God. He was often seen in the company of a large black dog that was believed to be a demon. Although he was a respected physician and lawyer, his writings on “hidden philosophy” ensured that his reputation as a powerful sorcerer would live on forever.

As a personal advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, John Dee spent his days combining mathematics, astronomy, and the invocation of angels. He used “divining stones” to communicate with spirits and strove to decipher a celestial language that, he believed, would reveal the secrets of the universe. It is therefore no surprise that the public regarded him as a royal sorcerer.

Marie the Jewess is credited with being the first true alchemist, for it was she who actually developed much of the equipment used in modern chemistry. This Egyptian woman, who lived around the 1st century, was able to transform substances in ways that baffled her contemporaries. Many believed she was practicing true magic.

Michael Scot was a 13th-century scholar who constantly proved right those who called him a sorcerer. Rumor had it that he could eat fruit freshly picked from all corners of the world, because spirits brought it to him. In the Middle Ages, people were convinced that Scot had turned a coven of witches to stone.

It’s not every day that a pope is accused of being a sorcerer, but Gerbert—who became Pope Sylvester II—was undoubtedly an exception. Fascinated by Islamic sciences, he introduced the abacus and Arabic numerals to Europe, which, in the eyes of the uneducated masses, was tantamount to black magic. Rumors suggested that he had built a mechanical head capable of answering any question.

In the early 20th century, Crowley adopted the title “the most evil man in the world” and made it his banner, deliberately crafting an image for himself as a black magician. He founded his own religious philosophy, called Thelema. Within this framework, he performed complex rituals that, according to him, could alter reality through the sheer force of will.

You probably remember his theorem from math class, but the ancient Greeks actually regarded Pythagoras as a semi-divine figure endowed with supernatural powers. He led a secret cult that believed numbers were literally the building blocks of the universe and that souls passed from one body to another after death. His disciples claimed that he could calm storms and speak to animals.

The Christian saint and martyr Cyprian was considered the greatest sorcerer of his time before he converted to Christianity. Legend has it that he traveled the entire world to become an expert in all forms of magic, with the exception of one. That single magical power was able to defeat him, which led Saint Cyprian to become a priest.

Mother Shipton was born in a cave in the 15th century and became a prophetic figure among the English. Many of her predictions about future events proved to be disturbingly accurate, and she was known for her strange physical deformities. Rumor had it that she was a witch who had made a pact with the devil.

He is often referred to as the father of modern chemistry, but Boyle was deeply passionate about the quest for the philosopher’s stone and the transmutation of base metals into gold. He lived in an era when science and magic were still closely intertwined, and he kept many of his experiments secret to avoid being accused of practicing illicit witchcraft.

This Swiss doctor revolutionized medicine by using chemicals and minerals instead of traditional herbs, but he was also a fervent believer in the occult. He claimed to have created a “homunculus”—that is, a tiny human being—in a jar through alchemical processes and a great deal of patience. His aggressive personality and strange methods earned him many enemies, who did not hesitate to label him a dangerous sorcerer.

The first person convicted of witchcraft in Ireland, Alice was a wealthy noblewoman who outlived four husbands and amassed a vast fortune. Her enemies claimed that she used magical ointments and held secret meetings with a demon named Robin Artisson to ensure her wealth. Although she eventually fled the country to escape execution, her story remains famous.

It is said that Abraham of Würzburg wrote one of the most influential grimoires in modern magic. This work, titled Abramelin, describes in detail a six-month ritual designed to establish contact with one’s angel. He is said to have learned these secrets from an Egyptian holy man who lived in the desert and to have used them to practice magic.

Regarded as a historical figure comparable to Jesus, Apollonius was a philosopher of the first century. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and vanished before his enemies could condemn him. He was a traveler who journeyed through much of the known world, preaching about the human soul.

The last Grand Master of the Knights Templar was accused of practicing black magic and of spitting on the cross during his infamous trial in 1314. King Philip IV of France used these accusations of witchcraft to dismantle this wealthy order and seize its assets. Before being burned at the stake, de Molay is said to have cursed the king and the pope, both of whom died within the following year.

No list of alleged sorcerers would be complete without the “Mad Monk,” who somehow managed to stop the bleeding of the Russian tsar’s son, who suffered from hemophilia. His intense, piercing gaze, along with his seemingly indestructible nature, led many people to believe that he used Siberian black magic to control the royal family. Even the story of the assassination attempt against him only served to reinforce the myth that he enjoyed supernatural protection.

Although he is best known as a political leader, a persistent legend holds that Cromwell won the Battle of Worcester thanks to a pact he made with the devil. According to popular tradition, he is said to have met a mysterious stranger in the woods on the very morning of the battle to secure seven years of power in exchange for his soul. When a violent storm struck London on the night of his death, many were convinced that it was the devil returning to claim what was rightfully his.