Postby Lady Macbeth » Wed Jun 21, 2006 4:46 pm
Witch, unless they are cast in a bad light.
"Warlock" is a term that means "oath-breaker" - no self-respecting practitioner, past or present, wanted to be considered a warlock. Warlocks are those who manipulate people for their own purposes, cause rampant harm, turn on their kind and their environment and betray others for personal gain. I guess the best example most people would get from today's references would be Saruman from Lord of the Rings - he is a White Wizard by training (white having a particular relevance in that story; it does not in all cultures or religions) and continued to be referred to as a wizard, he is what any who wanted to speak ill of him would call a "warlock".
"Witch" can be used with either a male or female character, though it's more common to hear "Wizard" used for males in Western culture.
Depending on what sort of Pagan culture they developed out of (animist, polytheistic, etc), there would be various levels of understanding of magic and religion. In general, the average peoples of Pagan cultures knew the local deities and common spirits. Many had traditional rituals or remedies to protect themselves and their belongings.
Depending on the culture, you could also find a hierarchy within the religion - the top level would usually culminate in a High Priest or High Priestess or both. Some cultures, like the Egyptians, not only held the religious hierarchy but held their country's ruler in the highest position of both government and religion. In other cultures, there may be very few people who acted as a go-between for the people and the gods - these are often referred to in various writings as "medicine men", "witch doctors" and "shamans", though those were not the terms they usually applied to themselves.
Also, the villages of such people were rife with the seedier aspects of life too, so there was usually SOMEONE to keep the peace - the equivalent of today's "police officers". The person or persons in this role varied greatly from country to country and even village to village, and was usually influenced by what type of government was present and the specific security needs of the village.
Toto, I don't think we're in Oz anymore...
I'm a woman - when I'm lost, I ask for directions.
Genjyo Sanzo: Banishing Stupidity, One Idiot at a Time