Witches in Fiction and Folklore

Witches, you just can't get away from them. In our early years they appear to us in nursery rhymes and fairy tales, and they keep finding new forms of media to find us through out our lives. In every culture and language witches have found a home in stories and folklore.

Magic and witchcraft appears in the very first forms of the written word, the invention of the printing press spread the stories still further. The Bishop of Worms in 1015 linked the Goddess Holda with witches in 1015. Geoffrey of Monmouth gives us the story of Morgan Le Fay in the Arthurian legends. Authors from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Terry Pratchett and J.K. Rowling, have taken witches as inspiration. The witches have taken every moral position from good to evil, stunningly beautiful to hideous hags. They now beckon to us from books and comics in all the forms of the written word.

The image of witches have gone from paintings of the classical age to greeting cards and advertisements. The modern age transferred the tales of witches to film and television. From Horror, Historical, Classic Stories, Comedies to Walt Disney's animation they have all taken the witch as their muse or presented the traditional written stories in new form. Television has set whole series around them and change their image from the traditional old women to that of teenage girls with all the problems of growing up. Just when you think that all avenues of witches have been explored someone comes up with a new angle and view. Now they are appearing in computer and video games for a whole new generation. Witches are keeping up with progress as fast as it is invented.

Music and dance have been associated with witches since the days of pre history and is still littered with reference to them. Take any form of music you wish; Operas, classical music, easy listening, soul, blues through to rock and roll and you will find some associations with witches.

Witches I am happy to say are here to stay. They are scattered through our lives in all the many forms of fiction, image and music. They inspire, frighten and give strength to our spirits in equal measure.



For more about Witches in Fiction head on over to Magaly's blog Pagan Culture for the links to some great posts in her Witches in Fiction blog party.

Comments

  1. True..and i'm glad they are here,very adaptable witches.

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