| I’m going to give you a big clue right off the top: The character in question is a magician but he is not Gandalf, Dumbledore or Harry Potter. But, as you may’ve deduced, this character is a magician. He is a figure so legendary that his gifts and mystical powers have deeply influenced centuries of the fictional magicians who followed. Our fictional magician first turned up in literary texts with the gift of second sight, the ability to predict the future, and the knowledge to read the stars. His prophetic powers were so formidable that great leaders awaited his pronouncements. In stories about him, he could disappear and reappear at will. He had such skill with potions that he was able to shapeshift his students, interpret complicated dreams and talk with the birds and animals of the forests. Scholar Anne Lawrence-Mathers writes that this character was "an embodiment of forms of magic that remained serious and real throughout the Renaissance as well as the Medieval period.” There is also a famous painting that portrays a remote hilltop where this magician retreated to make his prophecies and beloved poems that speak of his powers. British historian Nikolai Tolstoy argues that there is evidence the literary character was based on a real historical figure. "He was an authentic prophet, most likely a druid surviving in a pagan enclave in the North (of Scotland.)” Tolstoy adds that much of the prophecy attributed to him in stories came straight from this figure’s mouth. So, have you figured out who this legendary magician is? And can you name one of the many books he appeared in? When you have it, Tweet me @KerriMPR. — Kerri Miller | MPR News | 