The Mystery of Witches

Misunderstandings about who they are abound in history and still continue

By ERIC FOSSELL - The Herald-Dispatch
efossell@herald-dispatch.com

A pointy black hat, gnarled fingers with talon-like nails, a long, crooked nose with a wart at the tip -- such images of witch folklore persist to this day.

Our fascination with witches seems to have no limit. They exist in nearly every culture and occupy a large portion of American popular culture. Who, for example, could ever forget the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz?"

Because of such influences, people naturally presume that witches are cunning and evil. We often forget that many innocent women, as well as men, have been persecuted and killed for allegedly being witches. Incredibly enough, such practices continue in some parts of the world (see At Issue).

So, you may ask, what exactly is a witch? Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines "witch" as one who is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers, especially a woman practicing usually black witchcraft, often with the aid of a devil; an ugly old woman; or a charming or alluring girl or woman.

Such a blurred viewpoint about what a witch is has existed throughout history. Some scholars even regard witchcraft as an extremely old system of organized religious worship that can be traced back to pre-Christian times in many parts of Europe.

A religion known as Wicca exists to this day. Although many people associate witches with "black magic," Wicca is a positive religion that has its roots in nature, according to the Teen Wiccan Web Page.

The Web site reports that Wicca has nothing to do with Satan worship and does not believe in the concept of ultimate good or ultimate evil. It believes that power comes from an ultimate level found in nature.

Misunderstandings about witches have occurred throughout history. Church persecution of witches occurred throughout Great Britain and Europe from the 1400s through the 1700s. In 1430, Joan of Arc, the French national heroine was condemned to death as a witch by the English. A year later, they burned her at the stake -- a popular way of killing alleged witches that spread throughout Europe and eventually to the American colonies.

Even ancient times include stories of witches. Several appear in ancient Greek and Latin literature, including Homer’s epic poem the "Odyssey" in which the witch, Circe, had the power to turn people into animals. Medea, another famous witch, used magic spells to help the Greek hero, Jason, obtain the Golden Fleece.

Most people in the United States, however, associate witches with Salem, Mass., where one of the most notorious witch hunts in history occurred. In 1692, colonists in Massachusetts executed nearly 20 people for allegedly being witches and imprisoned about 150 others.

According to "Witches," a book written by Bryna Stevens, the witch craze ended in the 18th century, a century that became known as the Age of Enlightenment. In the 19th and 20th centuries, witchcraft seemed merely a curiosity to most people.

Despite the decline in alleged practices of witchcraft, some people still claim to be witches and that they use their supernatural powers in positive ways to benefit human beings. Still, the fear of witches was powerful enough for frightened voters to try and influence a prominent U.S. senator to pass a law against the practice of witchcraft in 1985.

Halloween, a holiday observed mainly for fun, proves that "witchcraft still excites our imagination," according to Stevens.

Additional source: The World Book Encyclopedia