Just as the pumpkin and haunted hotels are synonymous with Halloween, so is the witch. There are many myths, legends and folklore associated with the popular Halloween witch and it is difficult to determine exactly how the common Halloween image of the witch evolved. However, many legends surrounding witches appear to date back to Medieval times.
Witches were persecuted for several centuries before a series of Witchcraft Acts (1541 -1735) of Medieval Europe spurred an even greater fear of witches. Fact or fiction, many tales abound concerning the images and practices of Medieval witches. Today, the Halloween witch is depicted as a green, ugly, old lady who owns a black cat and rides a broomstick.
Why are Witches Green?
Witches are famously depicted as green; the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz is immortalized in the color of green. Witches may be green due to the brutal beatings witches received in the Medieval witch hunts; usually, old, unattractive women were victimized in the role of the witch although sometimes young women or men were targeted too.
Witches were beaten to "confess" their evil magic and dragged through the streets with green, blue and black bruises on their faces from their beatings. In addition, Medieval witches often had teeth knocked out and their hair was in wild disarray from the beatings, leading to the popular image of the witch today. Although several sources state this theory,and it is logical to assume that "bruisings" would imitate the "green" of witches, it is difficult to find concrete evidence as to why witches are green.
Do Witches Ride Broomsticks?
Brooms were common household objects in Medieval Europe and many peasants used them. There were a number of plants available which had hallucinogenic properties; one such plant was Belladonna and it is said that, when combined with Wolfsbane, the hallucinogenic properties convinced witches that they could fly. Belladonna and Wolfsbane have often been associated with magic and were used in the fictional tales of Harry Potter
Another theory is that witches cleaned their broomsticks with a potion made from many of the different hallucinogenic herbs available and witches "rode" their broomstick as a way to rub in the potion. However, there is no conclusive evidence from Medieval times to support the theories of witches riding or flying broomsticks.
Why do Witches Have Black Cats?
Black cats were once considered lucky (and still are in many countries) before their association with witches and Halloween. It was commonly believed that witches could turn themselves into a black cat or that black cats were the spirits of the dead.
The devil was also said to be able to shape shift into the form of a black cat. Black cats were often the companion of women accused of witch craft. Black cats, along with witches, suddenly became an object of fear too.
The Connection Between Medieval History and Witches
It appears that many of the legends surrounding today's Halloween witch originated from the Medieval persecution of witches. Medieval witches instilled fear into people and the practice of magic, often misunderstood, was considered "evil."
The Medieval witch acquired a reputation of an ugly, old lady with a green face, black cat and broomstick; she was a person to be feared. Even though both men and young women were also persecuted as Medieval witches, the traditional Halloween image of a witch depicts that created by Medieval history and legends.
References:
- Miller, Mary Ann The Mystique Behind Black Cats. The Cat Site, accessed 10/23/09.
- Medieval Witchcraft Witchcraft website, accessed 10/23/09.
Sharon Falsetto - Sharon Falsetto is a business owner, certified clinical aromatherapist & professional writer with a life-long interest in plants.
