If you missed my article on vampires, you can find it here.
I’m back again, and this time, I am covering witches. Witches have long been a part of this world, whether in real life as a healer in medieval times or the weirdos down the street and in the media. There are witches in books, comics, TV, and movies. They are in video and other games, too. This is probably my favorite article in this series because it is so close to home. This article’s witches and other magick users are often beautiful and draw people in. At least in today’s media. Gone are the days when witches looked like the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s more Glenda the Good Witch. Let’s get into today’s article.
Witch
Definition: The term witch comes from a few different places. They were wise women in Medieval Europe and Britain. Wicce is where the term witch comes from is Anglo-Saxon. They are magick users, healers, and diviners.
Witches have different names all around the world, such as the Latin bruja/brujo. Witches in history have had many powers attributed to them. Everything from talking to Satan to making the weather bad so crops fail. They are/were considered healers too. They made up chants to remember healing ingredients and steps that later brought on fear. It is, however, the witches of TV and movies that I wish I had the powers of. In the original Charmed, the sisters have the ability to move stuff with their minds, blow stuff up, heal, and see the future. In the show Sabrina the Teenage Witch, they do spells that take time and ingredients. It is pretty awesome to see all the reactions. I feel robbed.
Found in: all walks of life and cultures around the world. Hermine from Harry Potter, Samantha from Bewitched, The sisters of Charmed and the guys from The Covenant, Scarlett Witch from Marvel.
Sorceress/sorcerer
Definition: A magickal practitioner with supernatural powers
Sorceresses are generally thought to be evil and practice “black magick.” It isn’t true 100% of the time, but as a general rule, they are. They influence people and their affairs significantly and are often very charming. Their voices can be alluring and beautiful/handsome, and their looks and voice can be magickally enhanced or natural. Sorceresses and sorcerers have powerful magick at their disposal. Besides being enchanting, they can command the elements and the arcane.
Found in: Circe in The Odessey, Zantana from the DC comics, Morgana Le Fey of Arthurian mythology, and Stephen Strange of Marvel comics.
Wizards
Definition: The Anglo-Saxon word (wysard) for wise one and is a magick user.
Wizards are usually depicted as older men, but wizards are women, too, you just don’t hear women use the term. You can find them in the Dresdenverse. Molly, Michael and Charity’s daughter, is a female wizard. If I remember correctly, Charity is, too. They deal with arcane (lost or secret) knowledge and magick. Wizard and mage are interchangeable. They are formidable adversaries, whether good or evil.
Found in: Anglo-Saxon lore, Merlin in King Arthur mythology, Hoyt in Nora Roberts’s Circle Trilogy, Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, Nicolas Flamel, who you can find in the series The Immortal Nicolas Flamel series by Michael Scott, as well as Harry Potter and Harry Dresden.
Warlock
Definition: The old English word for warlock (waer-loga) means a liar and thief. It is also a lock of hair that warriors braid power into, and when they need a boost in battle, they cut it off to release the stored power.
Many people mistakenly believe that male witches are called warlocks. That is not true. They are called witches. Warlocks were witches who betrayed other witches to the witch hunters. The term is still used sometimes today for witches who have turned against the Craft. In media, though, they are always evil. Uncle Arthur from Bewitched is the only not evil one I know of, though Ambrose Spellman from Sabrina is only a little evil. He doesn’t have a problem doing “bad” things. Again, those two are mostly called warlocks because they are male witches. Funny enough, the male witches in Harry Potter are wizards, not warlocks.
Found in: Medieval Europe and current America, the Warlock movies, and The Covenant only because they are male witches, which is why I included them in the witches section first.
Did I talk about what you already knew? Or did I let you in on new information? Did I miss a magick user that you want to know about? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, Have fun storming the castle!
