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Wad Cheber
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Did Tolkien popularize the generic description of a wizard?

Nowadays when we think of a wizard, the most common image we conjure up is:

  • A wise old man with a long white beard
  • Dressed in a long cloak and pointy hat (usually same colour as even old men have some fashion sense)
  • Equipped with a staff used as both a weapon and walking stick

My most iconic image of a wizard is this re-edited image of a Lord of the Rings book cover:

Gandalf

Did Tolkien popularize this basic description of a typical wizard (mage, magi etc) or was there another famous piece of work which also described a wizard in a similar way?

The earliest I found was based on the Arthurian legend, Merlin which was written in the 12th Century. The following is an image from the 13th-century of Merlin by Robert de Boron:

Merlin

I am not asking for a list, only for one piece of work which had a similar description of a wizard as I don't think the fantasy genre was very popular before Tolkien.