Table of ContentsWhat is a Witch?Origin of the WitchImportant Witches in HistoryWitches in HollywoodWitchcraft Today: WiccaConclusionWorks CitedQu is a witch?A witch, in its simplest form, is a woman. A woman is believed to possess magical or supernatural abilities and these powers are used for evil or nefarious purposes. Many people accused of being witches were thought to be associated with or worshiped Satan himself. In addition to worshiping Satan as a holy figure, which was extremely contrary to Christian belief, they were also thought to participate in rituals dedicated to the devil which included many unforgivable acts such as human sacrifices and cannibalism. However, this was only the tip of the iceberg, as many innocent people accused of witchcraft, a word derived from the Old English wiccecraft, were committing heresy regardless of their ties to the devil. Simple things such as mental illness or just not looking nice, could all be evidence of witchcraft and, by default, heresy. This would not lead to good things, as the Church and people of the 1400s and 1600s did not look favorably on heresy and, in essence, the degradation and vandalism of their God in whom they worshiped. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Origin of the Witch It is unclear when exactly people with "supernatural" abilities were first given the name "witch", but the very first ever recorded story of a witch is found in the Bible. It is found in Samuel 1 and is believed to have been written between 931 BC and 721 BC. The story tells of King Saul and his search for the witch of Endor. When he finds her, he asks her to summon the late prophet Samuel to share her future with him. Samuel then reveals to Saul that he and his sons will die. The next day, Saul's sons die in battle, leading Saul to commit suicide. In addition to this, there are other accounts and later excerpts from the Bible that mention witches and the public's thinking about them. Take, for example, the passage from Exodus that says “you shall not suffer a witch to live.” This roughly translates to: “you shall not allow a witch to live.” As one could see, witches were not particularly accepted by the Christian public. Mainly due to satanic connotations, but they were also seen as a challenge to God as their power was believed to rival God. However, witch hysteria didn't really break out until the mid-1400s, when the accused admitted their sins, were subjected to great torture, and were put in prison or put to death. A book written by two respected German Dominicans in 1486, Malleus Maleficarum, was a guide on how to catch a witch practicing witchcraft. The book describes in detail how to identify, catch and interrogate witches. The book outsold all others at the time except the Bible, spreading across Europe like the plague. Thus, witch hunts were born and remained commonplace from 1500 to 1600. During this period, 80,000 people were suspected of being witches and 80% of them were women suspected of worshiping the devil and of covet the devil. Witch hunts and trials. The most infamous of all witch hunts is the Salem Witch Trials due to the absurdity of its origins and trialshectic, wild and disorderly. It all started in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, when two sick girls began suffering from spasms and disturbed behaviors, like randomly screaming out loud. They claimed to have been cursed by their neighbor Tituba, and many others, and accused them of being sorcerers. Science can now pinpoint the culprit behind the girl's illness and symptoms, which was a fungus common in the foods she ate. Nevertheless, Tituba and several other women were questioned. They all proclaimed their innocence but began pointing the finger at other members of the community. It snowballed and threw the whole town into hysteria. Ultimately, 150 men and women were accused of witchcraft, 18 were put to death. The Connecticut witch trials were less dramatic by leaps and bounds. Although the trials were still rapid, they were less panicked and less frantic. They took place in 1947 in Windsor, Connecticut. The trials hosted the first-ever execution of a witch, Alse Young, in America. 46 people were accused and only 11 were put to death. Unlike Salem and Connecticut, Virginia was somewhat tolerant of witches. They were still captured, interrogated, tortured and, if found guilty, put to death, but things were a little different. A law was put in place to protect people wrongly accused of witchcraft. It was illegal to make a false accusation against a witch. Therefore, if after the trial the witch was found not guilty, the person who accused her would be sent to prison or executed. Important Witches in History Mother Shipton, or Ursula Southeil, was an English prophetess. She was believed to be a witch in the 1490s for countless reasons. His mother was Agatha Southeil, believed to be a witch. Shipton was extremely ugly and disfigured as she grew up, most often calling her "Hag Face", which did not help the stigma of witches that surrounded her. On top of all that, she was very clairvoyant, like her mother. She predicted the Great Fire of London, the Spanish Armada and even the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Even with all this evidence to support the community's claim that she was a witch, she was never judged for her lifestyle and was left to die a normal death of old age. A woman named Grace Sherwood was accused of witchcraft in 1706. Her neighbors claimed she killed their pigs and cast spells on their cotton. She was brought to court and put to the water test. The test begins by tying the suspects' arms and legs so that they cannot move them. They are then thrown into a body of water. This test can give one of two results. The suspect could continue to sink into the depths of the water, proving that he was not a witch but also succeeding in drowning him. If the suspect were to rise to the surface of the water, as floaters usually do, it would truly be a witch. Grace underwent this test and was discovered to be a witch when she resurfaced in the water after being thrown in. She was put to death. Agnes Sampson was a Scottish midwife and healer in 1590. At this time, King James of Scotland and Anne of Denmark and Norway married. Together, the couple are very cautious and anxious when it comes to witches. Naturally, it makes perfect sense that as they go on a trip and a deadly storm hits, they point to witches as the culprits. More than 70 people have been accused of being the witches behind the attempted murder of AgnesSampson being one of them. Agnès, like many others, was tortured and interrogated. Between bouts of torture, they were left in a Witch Bridel chained to the wall behind them. The bridel stuck four teeth into the mouth, holding it open and making any movement completely unbearable. Many were quick to give up and confess to a crime they did not commit, seeing the fate that awaited them but unlike the other accused, Agnes did not give up easily. She was one of the last to confess and after that she was strangled to death and burned alive. Jane Horne, the last legal witch put to death in 1727. She was accused of many things, but one of the most infamous was turning her daughter into a horse. Many thought she was deranged because of her ties to the devil, but we now know that it was actually just a symptom of senile dementia. Jane and her daughter were brought to court after the accusations and they were both convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death. While the girl managed to escape, her senile mother remained perplexed and confused. They stripped her naked and dipped her in tar. Witnesses say that when they were at the stake, as the fire advanced on her, she smiled and warmed herself. Witches in Hollywood As horror films became popular in Hollywood, the idea of ​​the witch began to resurface. There are over 50 recreations of the witch stereotype from the 1950s to the present. As the “witch” made her way onto the big screen, she appeared as a “folk tale” witch. An ugly witch who lived in the woods and never came out. It focused on the ugly and mysterious aspect instead of tying into the more religious side of witches. This was first seen in Comin' Round the Mountain (1957) and would later be seen in The Gene Autry Show (1957). The 1960s saw a change in the way witches were portrayed in cinema. Instead of being a mysterious old hag, witches were now more satanic as these stereotypes from their history returned. It now seemed like they were working for the devil instead of just for evil purposes. Take, for example, the Twilight Zones films "Jesse Belle" and the Living Dead (1953), a femme fatale-themed storyline featuring witches. Along with the more satanic themes about witches, the films became more feminine and sexualized as film progressed into the 2000s. They gave witches a seduction factor to relate to the desire the devil bestows upon them. This is especially prominent in the films Coven (2013) and Penny Dreadful (2015). Witchcraft Today: Wicca Contrary to popular belief, Wiccans are not followers of Satan and do not wish any harm to society with their spells and magic. It is an incredibly earth-centered neo-pagan religion. It draws its modern teachings from the first Wiccan, Gerald Gardner (1884-1964). The religion is different from many others because its members do not worship or worship a single God or multiple gods, but live their lives worshiping all creation and everything the Earth gives them. It has become more popular with today's teens because their beliefs allow for acceptance of homosexuality, gender fluidity and much more. They see everything that is created as special. They are considered modern-day witches because they practice spells to manipulate the earth as part of their religion. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a trial.