Magic - Biblical Wise men

The English word 'Magic' is derived from the Magi or the story of the wise kings from the nativity. Similarly the Irish word for 'magic' is 'draíocht' formed from draoi + -acht meaning Druid like. Originally, like the Druids in Ireland like the Magi were the priests of an ancient religion. Sometime in the course of the fifth century BC the Greeks started to use the term for those engaged in occult arts and private rituals. Magic like so many words in the English language was borrowed from French through the Normans.

Image - The Adoration of the Magi (central panel) - Pieter Aertsen (1508-1575)