Mention the word witch
today and it likely conjures up images akin to the Wicked Witch of the West –
ugly, scarred with moles, dressed in black and purely evil. However, the modern connotation of a witch is
a far cry from the early history of witchcraft.
The term witch is believed to
be thousands of years old, dating back to the time of worship of Mother Nature. In ancient societies, people sought the
services of a witch not just for magical powers, but for healing herbs, potions
and other simple remedies. In addition,
witches often acted as talented midwives and healers whose knowledge was passed
down through the generations. These
women were revered members of society, not the permutation found today.
The drastic change in the public’s view of witches likely
began in early Christian times for several reasons. First, witchcraft is in fact a type of
religion whose followers worship the natural world, not the tenets of the
church. This fact lead to witches being
labeled as pagans. Second, witches
directly competed with priests and other church officials as to who people
turned to in times of need. The
Christian church proclaimed that a witch’s power came from the Devil himself
and lead to the persecution and death of thousands of women branded as witches. However, in many countries, witchcraft is
undergoing a resurgence through the practice of Wicca. To understand this resurgence, it is
important to know the folklore and mythology of witchcraft.
The Virago Book of
Witches ‘covers the subject of witches like no other.’ The book is the
result of research into the subject of witches and includes folklore and
mythology from 50 countries. The book
includes tales of both good and evil witches.
For example, Jewish folklore tells of Lilith, who in the strictest
tradition is considered the first wife of Adam who rebelled against God. Alternatively she is portrayed as a female
succubus – a demon who seduces men. She
is found in the story “Lilith and the Blade of Grass.” From Germany comes the tale of Mother Holle,
who rewards hard work with riches and laziness with pitch. The diversity of stories in The Virago Book of Witches is a must
read for people who wish to know the real folklore of witches.
The Virago Book of
Witches is available in the Kindle edition from Amazon – click here
