2. Witches:
According to Merriam Webster the top three definitions of
Witch is: a woman who is thought to have magic powers, a
person who practices magic as part of a religion (such as
Wicca), a very unpleasant woman
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/three-witches-22896908.jpg
3. Witch refers to Wicca, which means wise. In Greek and
Persian, the root words for magic are magos and magus,
which means wise. They also refer to the English word,
magi, which means wise men. Now, most people, when they
think witch, they just think of the modern witch with the old
woman, pointy nose and hat, warts, evil laughter. Some even
think about the Salem Trials in 1692. Long story short,
witches don’t have the best reputation. During this
documentary, we will look from the very beginning of
witches to modern day witches.
http://www.clipartkid.com/images/489/witch-cauldron-clipart-clipart-panda-
free-clipart-images-dDF599-clipart.gif
A Little Background:
4. HEKATE (HECATE):
One of the earliest goddess of all time and possibly the very first
witch was, Hekate (Hecate). Hekate was said to have three bodies.
One for Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Or past, present, and future. She
was called the triple goddess, mother goddess, dark goddess, and
some even called her, “Queen of Witches.” Now, Hekate was a Titan
goddess, one of the last Titans after they were wiped out, was
respected by the Olympians. She brought good luck and prosperity to
them and the people.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2
/2e/AN00969955_001_l.jpg/220px-
AN00969955_001_l.jpg
5. It is said she rule Hell for a time before Hades ever did. Hekate
spent time at the crossroads, like crossroad demons people have
heard of. She was there with her familiars, the black dogs. She
was know to protect people who, “lived on the edge.” the ones
that were shunned out and were misunderstood. She could
tolerate and they were comfortable in her company. (LeRoy)
The symbol on the right is the Hekate wheel. It is said Hekate
can go to other worlds beyond this one. It also shows she is the
keeper of the crossroads.
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01.jpg
Hekate (Hecate):
6. Kirke (Circe):
Another with/ goddess was Kirke or Circe. Circe was also a Titan goddess, as Hekate. Her name is Kirkoo in Greek, meaning,
“to secure with rings,” or “hoop around.” They say it is a binding power of magic.
She is mostly known by Odysseus tale in The Odyssey. Circe has her own island, Aeaea. On this island she had many, many
animals. These animals actually use to be men that had offended her. In the Odyssey, she turned Odysseus's men into pigs,
since they were behaving as pigs. Her name for binding magic goes along with her specialty.
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7. The Fates:
In Greek and Roman myth, there were three sister goddesses.
They were called, The Fates, Moirai, or Moerae. It is told that
these sisters had spun a person’s destiny before they were born.
It was also said they wove the destiny of the gods.
They had different names in each culture. In Greek, they were,
Clotho, (the spinner), Lachesis, (the apportioner), and Atropos,
(the inevitable). Roman culture they were, Nona, Decuma, and
Morta (Hill 14:42).
https://upload.wikimedi
a.org/wikipedia/en/3/35/
Fates_tapestry.jpg
8. The Norns:
In Nose myth, there is a bit of a different story with the
three sisters. Their names are Urd, (What once was)
Verdandi (What is coming to be), and Skuld (What shall
be). They were said to deal withWorld-tree, Yggdrasil.
According to the article by Daniel McCoy, Yggdrasil,
the great ash tree that stands at the center of the universe
and holds the nine worlds in its branches and roots.
They shape destiny carving runes into the trunk of the
tree, or, in some sagas and poems, by weaving destiny
like a web or tapestry (McCoy).
http://orig00.deviantart.net/d0bf/f/2015/149/a/a/th
e_norns_by_unripehamadryad-d8v7t1q.jpg
9. Going forward in time, is the next huge era for witches. The Salem
Witch Trials. This was a dark time for people, even innocent people.
There are still families trying to fight for their ancestors, who were
accused of witch craft, but innocent, and get their names cleared for
good.
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ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9a/34/ce/9a34cebc
599aa014c0e529fcfd3443a5.jpg
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Going Forward:
10. Salem Witch Trials:
The Salem Witch Trials started in the beginning of 1692. Some of the
girls in town started having fits of spasm, illusions, vomiting and choking.
The town doctor couldn’t find anything physically wrong with them, he
said it was spiritual. so the girls started to accuse women of witchcraft.
It was right after England came out of a witch craze, themselves. In
Europe, combing England, Scotland, and others, 40 to 50,000 people were
murdered. Ireland was the one place where they did not murder anyone
accused of being a witch, it was a safe place.
http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/images/people/gileslong1.jpg
12. Salem Witch Trials:
There are a few theories out there, explaining why the witchcraft broke out in
Salem. In Jess Blumberg’s article, she published, what is considered one of
the best theories out there. It was originally published in, Science, in 1976, by
a psychologist, Linnda Caporael. In this article, Caporael states the fits the
girls were having was from a fungus ergot, that is found in rye, wheat, and
other cereal grasses. According to toxicologist, eating ergot foods can cause
muscle spasms, vomiting, delusions, and hallucinations (Qtd. Blumberg).
Other theories, listed in a documentary from the history channel about the
Salem Witch Trials.
http://historyofmassachusetts.org/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/Map-of-Salem-
Village-in-1692-by-W.P.-Upham-circa-
1856.jpg
13. Salem Witch Trials:Another theory is from David Goss, executive director of Beverly Historical
Society. In the documentary video from the history channel about Salem Witch
trials he believed they were doing it for sport. They grew up in a strict society,
were in the bottom of the social scale. They became popular in the town, people
listened to them, they had a power to choose life or death for someone. They had
a great deal of fun doing it. (Goss).
Carol Karlsen, visting professor, Harvard Divinity School, also in the
documentary video, stated her son honestly believes the girls were possessed and
picked people that had been accused of witchcraft before (Karlsen). The fact of
that is, people that were high in society and a great member of the church was
accused and hung as well.
15. Moving Forward:
Modern Day Witches:
Today’s witches are mostly in movies and TV shows. There are people that
practice Wicca. Wicca deals with nature and the energy in the world. In
television there are all kind of witches. From the good witches on, Practical
Magic, to the evil witches, Wicked Witch in Oz.
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16. Modern Day Witches:
Three hundred years after the Salem Witch Trials, what was know about witchcraft has
changed. Witchcraft is now a pagan religion, Wicca. (Roby 55). Of course now in
America people have the freedom of religion. Witchcraft laws was also placed, to avoid
situations, like the Salem Witch Trials.
Wicca was created in the 1940s and the 1950s. Gerald Brosseau Gardner was the one
that created the pagan religion of Wicca. Wiccans are promised to not do any harm to
anyone in their craft. Roby listed, according to the ABC News articles, the population
of Wicca is over 342,000 people. This was recorded in 2008, by then the population has
most likely increased.
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assets.com/books/130697
0055l/2084134.jpg
17. Modern Day Witches:
Nina Bahadur did an article in the Huffington Post, how mostly woman were interested in
witchcraft. During the Salem witch trails, it was mostly woman accused. Some say it was
because they wanted independence, also it was said woman are easily convinced and not strong
in their spiritual aspect as men were. Woman, even now are not respected as they should be.
Bahadur quoted Ammo O’Day, a woman who works in a wiccan store and was raised catholic.
“’I was told I was going to hell because I’m a woman,’ said O’Day, who spent 12 years in
Catholic school.” (Qtd. Bahadur). There are plenty of men that practice witchcraft as well. Men
don’t have such a hard time with religion, society, and respect as women do. In today’s age, there
are stores for people who practice witchcraft, there is no death penalty, no law against it. It has
really changed in three hundred years. It also has changed even more from the respected goddess
thousands of years ago.
19. Work Cited:
Thomas, LeRoy. “Myth 7. Hecate.” Youtube. Youtube. 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
“Malapropism.” Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster 2016. Web. 19 Nov. 2016.
Bahadur, Nina. “A Modern-Day Witch Explains How Magic Can Empower Women.” The Huffington Post. 22 Oct.
2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2016.
Blumberg, Jess. “A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials.” Smithsonian. 23 Oct. 2007. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Hill, Bryan. “The Three Fates: Destiny’s Deities of Ancient Greece and Rome.” Ancient Origins. 11 May. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
McCoy, Daniel. “The Norns.” Norse Mythology for Smart People. 2012-2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Roby, Cynthia. “Creatures of Fantasy Witches.” New York. Cavendish Square Pub. 2016. Print. Pg. 49-56. 10 Nov. 2016.
Salem Witch Trials. Perf. David Goss. Carol Karlsen. The History Channel. 2005. H. DVD. 10 Nov. 2016.
