Swordmage-type characters from mythology and folklore?

[Voadam]

Most wizards and witches in mythology and folklore could not do D&D battle magic.

Original Chainmal magic user fireballs and lightning bolts were fantasy stand-ins for artillery and howitzer fire in miniature warfare games, not modelling any fantasy or folklore.

Cloudkill was mustard gas.

Giants were walking living catapults that warriors could engage and fight.

Elements of myth and folklore and fantasy magic got grafted onto D&D spellcasters, like parting water, turning sticks into snakes, and creating food and water from the Bible getting added onto the cleric spell lists but they were not the basis for base D&D combat magic.

 

[Fifth Element]

Most wizards and witches in mythology and folklore could not do D&D battle magic.

Fully agree. I'm not asking about whether D&D magic was based on mythology and folklore, because it clearly isn't. I'm just asking if there are any examples in mythology and folklore of what has become a standard trope in modern fantasy. My guess is that there isn't, really, but was wondering if anyone had any that I had missed.

 

[Fifth Element]

Arjuna the Archer
Taliesin the Bard (if distinct from the Merlin)

I do feel like the Pandavas come close, but my understanding is that they were warrior-scholars, not explicitly magicians.

And I thought Teliesin was purely a bard, don't think there are any stories of particular martial prowess are there?

 

[Fifth Element]

Maui is a shapechanger and fisherman who beat up the sun
Wukong the Monkey King,

Meanwhile I think these two fit much better under the "trickster" archetype (which is everywhere in mythology) much better than what modern RPGers often call a gish.

 

[Tonguez]

Fully agree. I'm not asking about whether D&D magic was based on mythology and folklore, because it clearly isn't. I'm just asking if there are any examples in mythology and folklore of what has become a standard trope in modern fantasy. My guess is that there isn't, really, but was wondering if anyone had any that I had missed.

Yeah the Wizard as a concept of self actuated caster, is a modern invention that didnt exist prior to 20th (maybe 19th) century.
Merlin is a cambion and spell casting in general is the provenance of (demi)-gods, spirits or as you say tricksters and warrior-scholars

Meanwhile I think these two fit much better under the "trickster" archetype (which is everywhere in mythology) much better than what modern RPGers often call a gish.