Swordmage-type characters from mythology and folklore?

[Fifth Element]

My impression is that swordmage-type characters (ie, those who mix martial ability and magical ability in equal measure) are a trope of modern fantasy literature, rather than something derived from any mythology or folklore. Like lizard men and other things, they're pretty basic to modern FRPGs, but are actually a recent invention. Can anyone provide any examples of such a character from myth or folklore?

I can think of characters like Vainamoinen who are certainly magical in nature, and engage in some physical combat, but the fighting isn't really intrinsic to the character's nature. I'm hoping there might be some better examples, but I think the fact that there are so many different names used in RPGs for this type of character (swordmage, swordsage, duskblade, hexblade, suggests it's not an archetype that has been around long enough to have its own established moniker.

 

[Voadam]

Odin fits the bill, warrior god who mastered rune magic and wielded magic weapons.

 

[Voadam]

Merlin in some tellings. I vaguely remember in Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle that Merlin starts out as a young sword swinging warrior type as a magical young man. But I read those in the 90s so it has been a while. This lines up with Gandalf using a magic sword in the Hobbit and LotR.

 

[Haiku Elvis]

I would say you are onto something. If you look at old Celtic heros they were warriors and magical in equal measure but not in a spellcaster way. More in a each stride takes seven leages and if my head is chopped off I'll still talk to you until you plant it in the right field and I'll grow again kinda way.
I would say our image of the wizard spellcaster is younger than most myths. Even Odin quoted above didn't roll out the fireball when in a fight.

 

[Morrus]

Gandalf. Uses a sword more than he does magic!

 

[Haiku Elvis]

Gandalf. Uses a sword more than he does magic!

My wife has forced me to admit, however begrudgingly, that Lord of the Rings does not count as real history or folklore and that not allowing my son to watch the movies due to them being historically inaccurate is unfair.

 

[Voadam]

I would say our image of the wizard spellcaster is younger than most myths. Even Odin quoted above didn't roll out the fireball when in a fight.

No, he pulls out his rune covered spear Gungnir the way Elric pulls out Stormbringer.


Most D&D swordmages magically enhance their sword fighting more than they throw fireballs.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

The aforementioned Celtic heroes like Manannán mac Lir and Cuchulain come to mind as using spells and swords. And the Norse tales are filled with those that wielded weapon and magic, like Frey and Odin. From Africa, Mwindo wields spells and a magic scepter as a weapon.

 

[Fifth Element]

Thanks for the replies!

Gandalf definitely fits under modern fantasy fiction, for as much as Tolkien was inspired by various myths, he certainly added his own things. Merlin is interesting, but it if depends on a modern retelling, once again that's modern fantasy. I'm not super-familiar with Cu Chalainn and Manannan, but my impression is that they were warriors first and foremost. Cu Chulainn is known for his battle frenzy, but that seems more berserkerish than wizardly to me.

Odin is the best suggestion, but not really what I'm looking for since he's a very powerful god rather than a human-level character. To be fair, I didn't really specify that in the OP. If Odin is the only one able to do this, it wasn't seen as something that a human could accomplish presumably.

 

[Tonguez]

Maui is a shapechanger and fisherman who beat up the sun
Wukong the Monkey King,
Arjuna the Archer
Taliesin the Bard (if distinct from the Merlin)