History of "Witch" & Implications for Feminism

History of "Witch" & Implications for Feminism

When I volunteered to write a blog post and selected the topic of “The History of Witches” as a nod to the upcoming Halloween, I believed my research would garner basic information. I would write a bit on the Witch Trials throughout Europe and early America. I expected to discuss how the persecution of women is perpetuated with the terms ‘witch’ and ‘witch-hunt’. And I was completely misinformed – no, not misinformed – uninformed.
 
While this blog post started out as one thing, it has certainly evolved into something else. It is no longer about the history of witches, but instead attempts to offer a brief (and somewhat juvenile) glimpse at feminist portrayals and the evolution of the witch. This topic certainly deserves more time and forethought but I hope this post at least sparks your interest for further investigation.
 
As we approach Halloween, my absolute favorite celebration, I am increasingly aware of the impact Halloween can have on young girls, women, and women identified. Perhaps this is because I am a mother to three girls (ages 6 months to 5 years) or because of the difficulty associated with selecting an appropriate – dare I expect – empowering costume. There is a plethora of sexy nurses, teachers, and French Maids but limited pre-packaged opportunities to dress as an intelligent, powerful woman. Before I fall down the rabbit hole and turn this blog into a diatribe on Halloween costumes, I only mean that I felt the need to be more informed on this topic should one of my daughters wish to be a witch for Halloween.
 
There are certainly witches all over pop-culture. Bonnie Bennett casts spells on ‘The Vampire Diaries’. Piper, Pru, Phoebe, and Paige are still Charming us in syndication. And the Wicked Witch of the West is forever memorable from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ or ‘Wicked’. Save for having bad tempers and a penchant for over-acting, these witches offer characteristics worth emulating: independence, intelligence, and loyalty. But are these witches historically accurate? Or, more likely, are these versions the feminist-friendly witches – a reappropriation? Indeed, these modern day ‘witches’ do not even remotely resemble the stereotypical ‘devil’s handmaiden’ yet the word ‘witch’ is still often associated with a haggard, older woman making mischief. So I wonder – where did this negative perception come from?
 
The word ‘witch’ originates from the Old English word ‘wicca’, meaning ‘wise one’, and originally referred to both men and women. Overtime, however, the word morphed into ‘witch’ and referred almost singularly to women. Many women who were deemed witches were healers, midwives, or women with “unruly feminine powers”. Hatred for witches grew as early Christians feared other types of worship. Women who respected natural forces or who acted against tradition were seen as demonic. They were persecuted as witches, often hanged when found guilty of witchcraft. Much of these trials and witch-hunts were fueled by religious ideals.
 
In an article, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich explains what characteristics New England Ministries (1668-1735) most admired in women,
“Cotton Mather called them ‘the hidden ones.’ They never preached or sat in a deacon’s bench. Nor did they vote or attend Harvard. Neither, because they were virtuous women, did they question God or the magistrates. They prayed secretly, read the Bible through at least once a year, and went to hear the minister preach even when it snowed. Hoping for an eternal crown, they never asked to be remembered on earth. And they haven’t been. Well-behaved women seldom make history; against Antinomians and witches, these pious matrons have had little chance at all.” (Vertuous Women Found)
 
With obvious overtones of gendered behavior expectations, Ulrich indicates that if women hope to maintain a meaningful life, they must attend to household affairs and not, “meddle in such things as are proper for men, whose minds are stronger”. Otherwise, women lose their wits and are prone to fits.
 
Intersectionalities of race and class are also evident when inquiring into the history of witches. Upon reviewing the Salem Witch Trials, much blame is placed on Tituba, a slave owned by Reverend Samuel Parris. When Rev. Parris’ daughter and niece became ‘afflicted by witchcraft’, Tituba was one of three women charged first charged with practicing witchcraft and is often credited as the main perpetrator. Tituba’s identity is first listed as "Indian Woman, servant" in court documents, however, she is later described as, “Negro”, ‘half-breed”, “colored”, or “half-Indian, half-Negro”. It is necessary to consider how her multiple identities including woman, slave, and person of color contributed to the amount of blame Tituba endured.
 
Women, however, were not the only targets during the witch trials. Surprisingly, many men were also murdered under the guise of ‘witchcraft’. From 1450 – 1800, roughly 40,000 men and women lost their lives due to hatred associated with witches. About 25% of those killed were male. Some were adult men deemed to be witches or under the spell of witchcraft while others were young boys who were murdered alongside their mothers as witchcraft was believed to have been hereditary.
 
Witchcraft had a resurgence during the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements of the 1960s and 70s. In 1972, Mary Daly started the “first coven of feminist witches” called the ‘Goddess Movement’. Several hundred women gathered “to celebrate their visions of female divinity in religious rituals” and to take an “exodus from patriarchal religion”. To some, witchcraft offered the opportunity to promote feminist power and independence. There is limited information available on this resurgence as most sociologist ignored this movement altogether.
 
Still further information on witchcraft is available through the study of Wicca beliefs. Wicca celebrates the deep appreciation of nature, harmony and peace. Wicca derives its origin from pre-Christian Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and promote healing and teaching. They continue to welcome new believers.
 
And this is where my research ends; with a basic history of witchcraft, knowledge of how certain stereotypes originated, and a new appreciation for the feminist foundation of witches. Should my daughters chose to dress as a witch, pretend to be Hermione Granger, or simply dance under the moon, I know their desires have a varied and somewhat honorable origin. And in case you are curious, my daughters are being Princess Leia, a rabbit, and Cheetara for Halloween. Maybe next year, I can encourage them more along the lines of Amelia Earhart or Gloria Steinem – two women who, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s standards, behaved very badly.
 
 
 
References:
 
Hoffert, S. (2003). A History of Gender in America. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.  
 
“Something Wicked This Way Comes: Witches and Modern Women” <retrieved October 14, 2014 from: http://thegeekanthropologist.com/2014/07/25/something-wicked-this-way-co... >.
 
"Tituba's Story," New England Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 2 (1998).
 
 
Ali Martin Scoufield
Director of Residential Communities
La Salle University
martinscoufield@lasalle.edu
@PeaceAliMS