Something Wicked This Way Comes
An Introduction to Witches
I didn’t expect this to be such a hard topic to write about. But like most constructs, I’ve found that “witch” means different things to different people. In the modern, Western context, witch often symbolizes eccentricity, individuality, a disdain for the mainstream. It can be used to symbolize the ultimate feminism: a rebellion against roles that subjugate women and a total embrace of female power. That symbolism is, in some ways, accurate. But until recently, witch had a relatively distinct meaning, and being accused of being one held deadly consequences.
Witches are everywhere in history, folklore, and religious texts. They are depicted in ancient literature and modern movies alike. They are a constant in human societies. As central to stories and belief systems as a creator, a warrior, a mother. They play the villain. The scapegoat. The incarnation of all that a society fears and rejects. Each society differs in what that definition entails.
For example, European beliefs about witches were driven mainly by Christianity. So you’ll see throughout this series that witchcraft in that context usually involves pacts with the devil, midnight rituals in the forest around a cackling fire, and selling your soul to Satan for power. That varies from the beliefs about witchcraft in parts of Africa that were not colonized, where modern witch-hunts have resulted in children being kicked out of their homes and left on the streets. Even babies have been accused of being witches. In Africa, witchcraft is often used to explain a family’s misfortune: sickness, poverty, bad luck. The devil doesn’t have anything to do with it.
While there are differences in the definitions of a witch or what constitutes witchcraft across culture and time, there are also striking similarities. For the purposes of my writing, and to constrain my brain from spiraling into spaghetti thoughts, I’ll keep this series to this basic definition of a witch: a person who uses hidden powers to inflict harm.
I make this differentiation to allow for the many belief systems that include types of power or magic that are not considered witchcraft in the harmful sense. Healers, shamans, witch doctors, prophets, and priests are some examples. Many of them are even called upon to break a curse, cast out a demon, and otherwise provide supernatural protection from witches.
My goal in writing this is to skip the anthropological or sociological impacts or causes for witchcraft accusations. It’s common knowledge to many in the West that witch hunts were aimed at squashing rebellion, keeping women in line, and making sure that individuals kept the common goals and sociological norms of the majority. It kept the powerful in power. Gave people a common enemy to hate. Allowed teenage girls to get attention.
The people accused of being witches are almost uniformly women. Foreigners, loners, and eccentrics are included as well. Staying true to most of human history, the hidden code seems to be Different = Witch = Bad. I’m sure most if not all of the people accused in witch hunts are innocent. We know the confessions in the Salem Witch Trials for example were driven by the reality that you could either confess or hang. But are there any examples of real power being displayed?
My goal in researching this is to find out if there is something deeper in any of the stories I uncover. Was there a true paranormal element in any of the accusations? Or can they all be explained away by sickness, delirium, and jealousy? Are witches real? (I know Wiccans, I know, but I’m talking in terms of my definition above). Or is it all a construct for social and political control?
Throughout October, I will be covering witch hunts from around the globe. Their origins, the people accused, the possible motives of their accusers. I’ll explore and present the stories that make the case for magic in the world. Whether the tales are true or not is up to you to decide.