Witchcraft in History and Popculture
I’ll Put a Spell on You…or Maybe Not Do me a favor; tell me what you think of when you hear the words: Magic, witchcraft, witches or witchcraze. You may have many thoughts running through their mind. Maybe you instantly think of Harry Potter and the magical world, maybe you’re more of a Disney fan and think of the witches of Disney, like: Ursula, Maleficent or The Evil Witch in snow white. Some people may even think of things like the witch seen in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Hocus Pocus, or Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Regardless of what you are currently thinking about I can tell you that in most cases you are completely wrong as to the accuracy of what has happened historically in history. My good friend Marriam Webster defines the word witch as follows: 1: one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially: a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar : sorceress — compare warlock 2: an ugly old woman: see Hag 3: a charming or alluring girl or woman 4: a practitioner of Wicca 5: witch of agnesi (Webster). You would think at least the dictionary would get it right, ERRNNT, wrong again. What I’m getting at here is that people culture and even the dictionary has inadequately formed beliefs on the world and history of witchcraft. Dr. Damico, Elaine G. Breslaw and a couple other sources have made me nearly a professional on the topic of witches, witchcraft and magic. There are some ways that pop culture has portrayed witchcraft correctly and those will be explored throughout the paper as well as the defining moments in the history of witchcraft. “Double Double toil and trouble fire burn and cauldron bubble. Eye of Newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog. By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes” (Shakespeare). These simple words put together were some of the first inadequacies of witchcraft, written by William Shakespeare, instilling the idea that witchcraft has to be
Cited: Breslaw, Elaine G. "Altered Lives." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 499. Print. Cheever, Ezekiel. "Examination of Tituba." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 377. Print. Evans-Pritchard, E.E. "Witchcraft Among the Azande." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 153. Print. Mather, Cotton. "Character of a Virtuous Woman." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 296. Print. Parrinder, Geoffrey. "Activities of African Witches." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 145. Print. Scot, Reginald. "On Witchcraft." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. N. pag. Print. Shakespeare, William, and A. R. Braunmuller. Macbeth. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997. Print. Upham, Charles. "Witchcraft at Salem Village." Witches of the Atlantic World: A Historical Reader & Primary Sourcebook. New York: New York UP, 2000. 430. Print.