The term "warlock" has traditionally been used to refer to a male practitioner of the magical arts.
- It was especially popular in Scotland as an euphemism for "man witch" and is still used in the media today, but not in the contemporary witchcraft community.
- It's a contentious term that enrages many practitioners of magic.
- Its usage also suggests that the individual employing it is an outsider to the magical community, lacking in subtlety and decorum.
Its origins are a matter of dispute; the two theories are not mutually exclusive:
• It comes from the Old English waeroga, which means "oath breaker" but has also been used to mean "devil" in the past.
- Waer denotes a promise, whereas loga, derived from the root word "to lie," implies "betrayer."
- This became Middle English warloghe, sometimes spelt warlache, and ultimately its current spelling.
- The term "oath breakers" is used to connect the warlock to Christian apostasy.
• It comes from the Norse word vardlokkur, which may refer to a knowledgeable man who guards (or locks) the gates of knowledge.
- He creates wards by binding bad spirits to prevent them from entering via portals.
- This warlock is a spiritual warrior who uses protective magic, particularly defensive runes, to defend himself.
If the term vardlokkur is used, it is derived from Pagan origins and alludes to authentic Pagan tradition.
- Vardlokkur may refer to the practitioner, but it may also refer to the magical tradition of binding harm and providing protection with runes.
The term "warlock" is derived from both origins and may represent Christian views of Pagan Norse invaders in Britain.
- Regardless of where it comes from, the Anglo-Saxon word is firmly rooted in Christian tradition.
- It's a Christian term for people who are despised by Christians, and it's come to imply "backsliding Christian" at some time.
- It was used by witch-hunters on their victims.
- This term still has a sting to it, and it will raise eyebrows in many, if not all, witchcraft groups.
- Those who rely extensively or solely on Norse traditions, and who may even prefer the name, are exceptions.
Although the concept of lying witches offends Neo-Pagans, the point is that the term was created by Christian authority.
- The Church, not other Pagans, was the target of the violated oath. Pagans may have tried to maintain their traditions via deception, as has been done successfully elsewhere (Santeria, Vodou), by pledging allegiance to the Church with their fingers crossed while playing for time and safety.
- When they were apprehended, they were charged with "oath-breaking."
The warlock is the British counterpart of the Muslim Moriscos and Jewish conversos of Spain.
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