The image of the witch has had many guises in our society over the centuries. Only in the last 100 years has their depiction become more positive, which is in large part due to the way they are portrayed on film.
Kristen Sollee, a witch, and writer of this book on the subject, argues that the beginnings of the witch goes all the way back to the Bible. For example, the lack of a goddess in the Christian story has meant that the patriarchy have been able to paint women as the lesser. Eve was also the first “corruptor”, eating the forbidden fruit and damning humanity, providing a way of scapegoating women for centuries.
If you were a midwife, an adulteress, over 40 or basically anything that wasn’t a dutiful Catholic mother between 1400 and 1775, there was a possibility of being accused of witchcraft and trialled. The famous witch trials of the time resulted in 40,000 - 60,000 people executed globally (over 80% of them women). It’s also a sobering truth that witch hunts and deaths due to accusations of witchcraft are still a thing today. Please read more about this here.
Nearly as soon as film was invented there were depictions of witches and they were the typical robed, mysterious, potion crafting witches we usually think of. If you’re interested, take a look at The Cavalier’s Dream (1898) or the really creepy The Witch House (1908). In the 1922 documentary-drama, Häxan, they explored the scientific and cultural history of witches, doubling-down on the theory that the act of witchcraft was down to ill mental health and hysteria. Not helpful!
The Good Witch
“A vast amount of evidence exists, to show that the word “witch” formerly signified a women of “superior knowledge” - Woman, Church and State
These are the words of Matilda Joslyn Gage who wrote Woman, Church and State in 1893. She was one of the first people to write positively about witches and taking the idea of what a witch was away from the patriarchy. Unfortunately the book wasn’t widely read at the time due to her anti-church rhetoric.
Her Son-in-Law, L. Frank Baum did read her book though. Inspired by her writing he decided to add a good witch to The Wizard of Oz.
Fast forward to 1939 and the whole world saw Glinda, with her massive tinkly crown and welcoming smile, our idea of what a witch could be changed for good.
Years later still, Wicked distills the idea further, when Elphaba is actually a misunderstood good witch, with Oz himself ensuring that she is seen as evil and an outlaw.
The Post-Wizard of Oz Era
Among the horrors like Suspiria and even Malificent in Sleeping Beauty, positive portrayals began emerging in shows like Bewitched, where Samantha uses her powers to comically make her life as a housewife easier.
“Her husband Darrin hates that she is a witch and has these powers and he's angry and he says, "please don't use these powers… it freaks me out that you have this." And it's clearly because he's threatened by her having this agency outside patriarchal structures, outside the marital structure. And throughout the series, she uses magic to help herself and him” - Kristen Sollee
Using witches in coming of age stories like Sabrina the Teenage Witch has also given young people an outsider character who is powerful and in charge of their own destiny.
As we have moved into the 21st century, the pagan element of witchraft has become popular with the rise of folk horror and the MeToo movement. The Witch is an amazing example that deals with the rituals from a more historic standpoint and not suggesting that these practices exist. Then there is Wanda in the Marvel series who is dealing with grief, her power consuming her as a result.
Through the democratic nature of film, what was once a figure of shame, witches in this century have become a figure of shamelessness1, of powerful femininity and a non-apologetic rejection of the patriarchy. The stereotypes and helpless figures have given way to interesting character studies, young role-models and historical interest. Long may it continue!
Happy Halloween,
Gareth
The filmmakers who made "The Blair Witch Project" were "Haxan" fans! They named their production company, Haxan Films, after it.