Warlock

Note that Wiccans, in general, do not use `warlock' to refer to male members of their religion. They use `witch', which is not considered by them to be a gender-specific term. This is probably in large part because of the etymology (see Webby's wup below).

The word 'warlock' has negative connotations - it can be traced to the old Anglo-Saxon word waerloga, which means liar, deciever, or traitor. It is because of this that many men involved in Witchcraft find the term witch preferable. The term has been used less since the revival of witchcraft in the 1950s, though some male members of the Church of Satan still refer to themselves as warlocks.

A traditional warlock is seen as a wizard or sorcerer who has gained their supernatural power and knowledge through a pact with the Devil or demons. A Devil's pact is not part of modern Witchcraft, which ignores the Devil as a belief of Christianity

The TV show Charmed shows a large array of warlocks - their definition seems to be that if a man has an evil looking beard and moustache, can do some motion to indicate 'insert special effects here', and stares pensively through a window, then he is one. Modern day warlocks are so easy to identify.

A superhero published by Marvel Comics. Warlock first appeared in New Mutants #18.

Warlock is from an extraterrestrial race known as the Phalanx. The creatures belonging to the Phalanx are different from most creatures in that they are techno-organic or living machines. They possess the ability to shift form and to mimic the powers and abilities of other machines. The Phalanx gain energy by transforming organic matter into techno-organic matter by means of a machine based virus known as a transmode virus. Once transformed, the Phalanx drain the life energy from the substance.

On the Phalanx homeworld, the leader is a Phalanx member known as Magus. The societal norm is that Magus has many offspring who upon birth challange him for leadership of the planet. The conflict is rather one sided as Magus has been seen to tear apart a star, so his offspirng have little hope of success. In Warlock's case, when the time came for him to challange his father, Warlock fled, with Magus in pursuit. The fact that Warlock chose to flee rather than fight denoted a mutation in him.

Warlock's flight from Magus, spanned many star systems, eventually ending on Earth. He crash landed near the headquarters of the mutant hero team, the X-Men, lead by Charles Xavier. Some of Xavier's younger students, known as the New Mutants discovered Warlock and attempted to communicate with him. With the help of Douglas Ramsey, a mutant with the ability to translate all languages, Warlock was able to communicate with the youngsters. He eventually became one of the New Mutants.

For many years, Warlock used his abilities to adventure with the New Mutants. During that time, he confronted his father, Magus, and defeated him with the help of his teammates. He also created a very strong bond with Doug Ramsey, the two merging to work together. Unfortunately, young Ramsey was killed protecting his teammate Wolfsbane from harm.

Not many years later, Warlock too lost his life, when captured by the forces of the island nation of Genosha. His remains were taken and poured on the grave of his friend Ramsey by his teammates.

If this was real life, the story would end there, but this is comics, so it doesn't. A few years later, Genosha introduced a weapon in its efforts to control mutantkind. The weapon was called the Phalanx and it soon became more than Genosha could control. It absorbed normal humans in an attempt to create a world-wide collective of techno-organic beings like itself. Think "Borg" and you will have the idea. The Phalanx could not absorb those with mutant DNA and therefore tried to destroy them, eventually capturing most of the mutant X-Men. The Phalanx was said to have been created using the remains of Warlock.

During this time, a new creature appeared on the scene, calling itself Douglock. Appearing to have a form similar to Doug Ramsey, but made of techno-organic substance, Douglock helped battle the Phalanx. Eventually, it was discovered that Douglock was a melding of Warlock and Doug Ramsey, with both of their memories. Douglock became a part of the hero group Excalibur and eventually broke out on his own, after having been used by the Red Skull to take over a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. Douglock took the name Warlock and adventured for a time.

A bestselling book by Wilbur Smith chronicling the further adventures of the palace eunuch Taita, and his guiding influence on the realm of Ancient Egypt, especially it's ruling line. In this book he's raising the grandson of his one true love Lostris to be Pharoah, as he did his father, and his father before him. Now he's knocking on 200 years old, and since the last book he's spent some time in the Egyptian Desert and has become a Warlock, an adept of magic.

I read the first book (River God) several years ago, and missed the middle book, so I was looking forward to the story once I got re-acquainted with Taita. The book starts with him and Pharoah's heir Nefer Seti out in the desert in search of the child's God Bird, a creature they need before he can take the throne. While this is happening, Pharoah's most trusted friend and commander of his armies - a guy named Naja - turns out to be one of the enemy, isolates and murders Pharoah, and declares himself the ruler of the Upper Kingdom of Egypt. He then goes on to take Pharoah's two daughters in marriage. Nefer comes back, miffed, but can't do anything cos he's too young. Naja signs a treaty with the enemy kingdom of Lower Egypt to the north, and while he's busy plotting and scheming, Nefer and Taita escape by taking advantage of lion that happens to maul the young prince, allowing him to fake death.

Very convoluted? Contrived? I couldn't agree more. It sounds like it should be intriguing, like it should draw you in, immerse you in a world of chariots and romance, sand and desert gods, ancient rituals etc, but it just bores you rigid!

The author is a mediocre writer, it's like he's aware that this book is a cash cow and all he has to do is milk it for 700 pages and then once the reader's hooked - do it all again in the next book! It makes you want to slap him in the face with a pyramid! There are three simple types of scene used here, bonding/sex, war/training, and senseless brutality.

In that order, ad infinitum.

There's no sense of depth, character progression, or any of the subtlety that I know this he's capable of, because he used it in the first book.

I don't want to be unfair, it's a good book to read late at night. The style is easy to digest, the grammar is good, and some of the descriptions are quite good indeed. He obviously has done his research, and kudos to him for that. I could even forgive all the other faults, see past them, if it weren't for the fatal flaw, Taita.

In the original book, River God, Taita single handedly saved the entire Kingdom of Egypt using his exceptional intelligence, wisdom and innovation. That book had us believe that he invented the wheel, and built the first chariot thus arming his kingdom for victory and glory. In this book, rather than being slowed down by old age, he's even more powerful. If you can believe that.

He's everywhere, doing everything, cleaning up after his little Pharoah Nefer, and random adults alike. He has a reputation that rivals kings, he's never wrong, he's never angry, he saves the day all over the place, and is generally perfect. He shows no human weakness whatsoever. Smith showed exceptional restraint in not giving him a cape.

You get the distinct impression he's holding the whole story together, because if he were less than perfect, the implausible and frankly modular set pieces would not fit together into a story.

In short, avoid it. The real history of Egypt is much more fun, colourful, and interesting.

War"lock (?), n. [OE. warloghe a deceiver, a name or the Devil, AS. wrloga a belier or breaker of his agreement, word, or pledge; wr covenant, troth (aki to L. verus true; see Very) + loga a liar (in comp.), leogan to lie. See 3d Lie.]

A male witch; a wizard; a sprite; an imp.

[Written also warluck.]

Dryden.

It was Eyvind Kallda's crew Of warlocks blue, With their caps of darkness hooded! Longfellow.

 

© Webster 1913.

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War"lock, a.

Of or pertaining to a warlock or warlock; impish.

[R.]

Thou shalt win the warlock fight. J. R. Drak.

 

© Webster 1913.