noun, [book-wurm]
Rembrandt, Pallas Athene, c. 1655
Mara Wilson as Matilda Wormwood in Matilda, 1996
“Gymnastic virgin of terrific mind, Dire Gorgon's bane, unmarried, blessed, kind: Mother of arts, impetuous; understood, Rage to the wicked, wisdom to the good: Female and male, the arts of war are thine, Fanatic, much-formed dragoness, divine:”1 The Bookworm as a sub-archetype is defined by a woman / girl who stands out because of her brilliant mind, wit and intelligence. This trait warranted significance in antiquity as a woman was generally not encouraged to be overtly knowledgable or educated - her main priority was to be married off and bearing children by her early 20s,2 the realm of intelligence reserved solely for men. Therefore it can be seen by female divinities such as the Greek Goddess Athena, who was worshipped for her unparalleled wisdom and skills at war strategy,3 or the Mesopotamian Goddess of writing and accounting, Nisaba,4 that intelligence in women was a trait significant enough to warrant attention, especially ones who presided over a typically male dominated field because of how rare of a trait is was in every-day life.
Unknown, Fragment of a vase, likely from Girsu, with a depiction of as Nisaba, Date Unknown
Malina Weissman (right) as Violet Baudelaire in A Series of Unfortunate Events, 2017-2019
The Bookworm has become an extremely popular and well-known character archetype in modern and contemporary media as conversations around female empowerment and equality has increased.1 Characters in 19-20th century western literature such as Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet2 were beloved as they showcased spunky, well-educated female characters that deviated from the typical damsel in distress stereotype that so many women were restricted too during this time period.3 They were not considered ‘lady-like’ and were unconventional in their behaviour and interests, making them rare portrayals of female characters for their time.4 In 20th century media The Bookworm and her unconventionality only increased in popularity, with Velma from Scooby-Doo5 and Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger6 being some of the most iconic characters from recent pop-culture.
Intelligence, or more specifically intelligence in women, was not only a rare trait in
antiquity but also something that may have led to her being seen as undesirable
to men, as an intelligent mind equaled an increase in independence and
free-thought, consequently making these women harder to control.5
Many Bookworm figures were therefore negatively depicted as more prudish or
proudly virginal as they prioritised their pursual of knowledge over the romantic / sexual
attentions of men.6
Diane Nguyen in Bojack Horseman, 2014-2020
Jenny Nyström, Sága pours Odin a drink in an illustration, 1893
Tony Stark (left) and Riri Williams (right) in Invincible Ironman: Ironheart, Volume 1: Riri Williams, published 2016
Poet Dorothy Parker once wrote, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses,” but it seems that Hollywood took that a little too literally. Unfortunately, for some reason, women wearing glasses and exhibiting signs of intelligence are instant turn-offs to leading men of cinema. Worse still, much like Clark Kent’s super effective disguise, no one even notices the pretty girl behind the specs until the ever-so-necessary make-over by the wise and popular beautification fairies. Pop culture is constantly telling us, if you want to be loved, take off the glasses.7
One of the down sides in recent media depictions of the The Bookworm however is the way she is portrayed as someone who needs ‘fixing’ while also being praised in her rejection of stereotypically feminine things because she is intelligent. This dichotomy can typically be seen in teen rom-coms that became popular in the 90s, wherein the smart, bookish, ‘nerdy’ female character who primarily has no interest in stereo-typically feminine things such as dating or shopping, undergoes a makeover that generally amounts to her taking off her glasses, straightening her hair and wearing a tighter-fitting outfit. This then leads to the male protagonist to fall in love with her because she is finally deemed conventionally ‘beautiful’ and feminine while also being ‘not-like-other-girls’ as she does not share in their ‘shallow’ feminine interests (see She’s All That).8 This presents the idea that women should always strive to fit under a standard of beauty, however if they do so intentionally they are seen as shallow or vapid, and that the enjoyment of stereotypically feminine things such as makeup, interest in fashion, etc, is seen in a derisive light, dictating that women should have interests outside of those things to be seen as ‘not-like-other-girls.’9
In Ancient Greek writing and poetry for example, one of the many virtues of the Goddess Athena that are emphasised aside from her wisdom is her virginity. In Homer’s Hymn to Aphrodite Five, she is set apart from the Goddess of Love and written as someone who can’t be seduced or “ensnared” because she is too interested in “wars and in the work of Ares, in strifes and battles and in preparing famous crafts.”6 On one hand this may be empowering, as it shows that a woman in antiquity was respected and worshipped for specialising in something so typically male-dominated such as warfare.7 On the other hand it could be implied that this talent Athena had only applied to her because she had no interest in sex or romance like Aphrodite, meaning in antiquity women were only allowed to have interest in one or the other - sex or no sex, intelligence or romance, etc, or else they would not be valued. Similar to the Madonna-Whore complex, one is seen as virtuous and smart because of her chastity, and the other not (but no less cunning) as she is promiscous and actively engages in and enjoys sex.8
noun [en-chan-tris]
Frederick Sandys, Morgan Le Fay, Oil on Wood, 1864
Poster for the film Maléficés (Where The Truth Lies), 1962
The Enchantress is a sub-archetype of The Crone in the realm of women who practice magic, however she differs from The Witch and The Oracle as her magical abilities are intrinsically tied to her sexuality, desirability and seductiveness, and many of the characters are depicted as evil or morally neutral in archaic and ancient times due to these two defining character traits. Some of the earliest examples of The Enchantress are the sorceress Circe from Greek myth, who seduced Odysseus and his men and turned them into pigs to keep them on her island.1Morgan Le Fay from the Arthurian Legend, who although had many iterations of her character depending on the source, is also most well-known for being an adversary of King Arthur as she is instrumental in his downfall and instigates the rift between Arthur and his wife, Queen Guinevere.2 These two women showcase the tie between women and witchcraft to female sexuality and the fear of it,3 as they use their powers to enchant men to their downfall, therefore defining The Enchantress as a sub-archetype.
Tiago Sant´anna, A photograph of the Oya Orisha, Date Unknown
Lady Loki in Marvel Comic’s Thor, issues first published 2007-2011
“Amora sure is a complicated woman. Throughout decades
of comics continuity, her singular delight has more or less always been to get
under people’s skin and ruin their lives for sport. Written to be manipulative,
seductive, and shallow, she is a character that was created by men to be the
embodiment of what they felt were the very worst aspects of women.”1
The Enchantress in more recent media, due to her skillset, has primarily existed only
in stories of fantasy and, following in the same vein as her historical counterparts,
usually play a villainous role in them. Two french movies released in 1962 and 2000,
Where The Truth Lies (Maléfices) and Kirikou and The Sorceress portray their
enchantresses in this way - Kariba The Sorceress in Kirikou has her power emphasised
in the fantastical and psychedelic art style of the animated film,2 and Myriam
Heller’s seduction of the male protagonist and her vindictive personality which leads
to his and his wife’s downfall in Maléfices is emphasised in the film’s noir-style,
the mysteries surrounding his wife’s misfortune and the antagonist shrouded in darkness
highlighted in the dramatic lighting.3
John William Waterhouse, Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, Oil on Canvas, 1891
Amora in Totally Awesome Hulk, Volume 1 Issue #5, 2016
“And now they could hear Kirke within, singing with her beautiful voice as she moved to and fro at the wide web that was more than earthly--delicate, gleaming, delectable, as a goddess' handiwork needs must be--a goddess or a woman, moving to and fro at her wide web and singing a lovely song that the whole floor re-echoes with...”4
The fear of female sexuality and the consequent vilification of it is a prominent
motif in tales that feature The Enchantress as the stories feature sorceresses
that enchant men with their magic for self-motivated or malignant motivations, using their bodies and sexualities as their main source,
causing men to become victims / hapless slaves to female seduction. Witchcraft and magic therefore became tied to
female sexuality in this way as it is another metaphor in how self-aware women who use their bodies in this way are evil.
5 Similar to The Madonna-Whore complex, female
beauty and sexuality is therefore something that is celebrated, but only under specific
circumstances - women who are outwardly promiscuous and are aware of their so called 'power' that their bodies have over men are evil,
whereas ones who are chaste and are innocent about their looks are morally good.6
There are some examples of Enchantress figures that do not fall under the
evil-doer trope. The Oya Orisha from Yoruba tradition is a goddess (or Oya)
that uses magic, often disguising herself to trick and be accepted into male
dominated spaces, however she is a divinity that is also venerated for her
guardianship of the Underworld, as well as her prowess as a warrior7 - unlike
Circe, she or her magical abilities are not relegated solely to evil as
tales of her skills go beyond that of seducing men and
enchanting others to do her bidding.
Karaba (left) and Kirikou (right) in Kirikou and The Sorceress, 2000
Comic books are a popular medium of where this sub-archetype is featured - characters like Marvel’s
Amora (literally nicknamed The Enchantress),4 Lady Loki and Scarlet Witch, or DC Comic’s Raven
all fitting under this archetype, however they have been developed since archaic times. Amora
and Lady Loki fit The Enchantress as a dangerous seductress trope, Loki in particular an
interesting case as they are technically not biologically female, however when they become
female presenting they are instantly depicted as a far more sexualised version of themselves.5 Despite this
there is depth to Loki other than ‘female-magic-user-bad,’ as Loki is a very layered character, acting
more as an anti-hero than a villain.6 The Enchantress trope has therefore been subverted as
there is further nuance to Loki's character as their main source of magic is not rooted in the seduction of men, and their
moral alignent is not completely on the side of evil. Scarlet Witch7 and Raven8
are further examples of this subversion as although they go through story arcs that villainize them, since
they are morally aligned as ‘good,’ they are Enchantresses that stray outside of the defined
stereotypes due to their stories existing outside of the seducation of men and their morally 'good' natures.
noun [awr-uh-kuhl]
John Collier, Priestess of Delphi, 1891
Destiny (Irene Adler) in Marvel’s X-Men, first appearance in 1981
Interestingly, a common trope found in religious text and folklore from global cultures is the idea that women are more inclined to possess psychic ability than men, specifically the powers of divination and the gift of prophecy / seeing the future. The concept of The Three Fates (or the Moirai) from Greek mythology, three women who tell the past, present and future in cryptic prophecy, 1 has been found or replicated in other major polytheistic religions, such as in the Norse2 or Celtic pantheons,3 and women who claim to communicate with a higher power that results in her seeing the future in archaic times (and even in the present) were actually used as legitimate truth telling devices, such as the Oracles of Delphi in Ancient Greece4 or the Mapuchi Shamans in South America.5
“This is the Kassandra that tradition gives us and is foremost in our minds: a half-mad character, hysterical, helpless to escape her doom, shaken, seeing visions of horrific things no one else sees. She predicts that ‘by Cocytus and the banks of Acheron, I think, I soon must chant my prophecies.’ Considering the above tirade and most of her wailing in Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, we might be persuaded to believe that she is helpless and hapless.”6
Dreamer (nia nal) in Son of Kal-El #13, first published 2022
Similar to The Enchantress, The Oracle in modern and contemporary media also live primarily in stories of fantasy, however due to the existence of self-proclaimed psychics and mediums in real life, some can be seen in tales that are more grounded in realism (an example could be tv shows centred around police and how they sometimes use psychics to help catch a criminal).1 Another similarity modern versions of this sub-archetype have with its historical counterparts are how many Oracle characters are mired in tragedy or misery. Like Cassandra, women who can see the future in film or tv are usually portrayed as very troubled or haunted as they predict horrible things that are just vague enough to be difficult prevent, and seeing into the future is never used as a positive narrative device, only one for doom and conflict.2
Unknown, Illustration depicting the White Buffalo Calf Woman, Date Unknown
Rei Hino (Sailor Mars) in Sailor Moon, 1992-1997
Women who fall under this trope, at least in western myths and folklore, either cut very tragic or
ominous figures - Cassandra was blessed with the gift of prophecy, however because she rejected
Apollo’s sexual advances her gift became a curse, as no-one would listen or believe her predictions.
She predicted the fall of Troy and her own demise, but due to no-one believing her and her
lack of agency as a woman, she was doomed, her prophecies coming true despite her forewarnings and
her powerless to stop it.7 The White Buffalo Calf Woman from Lakota folklore is an
example of a woman who was believed in her ability, depicted more as a supernatural and sacred figure,
appearing to men to give warnings or advice on how to save their tribes from problems such as famine.8
Psychic predictions from Oracles or Shamans in archaic times were taken seriously as they were believed to be
divine interventions, however with the power of hind sight and better understanding of science discoveries, these
prophecies can now be put under a far more critical lens and be rationalised. It is thought today that
The Oracles of Delphi - or the Pythia - who were believed to be chosen by Apollo, may have
seen 'visions' due to schizophrenia or other mental illnesses which causes hallucinations,9
or the cause may have been fumes released in prophetic sessions which also had similar hallucinogenic effects.10
Frederick Sandys, Cassandra, Oil on board, c. 1863-1864
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997-2003
“What tethers Cordy to the fight on Angel are the visions of people in trouble. They plague her. They're overwhelming and physically painful, and at first she tries to get rid of them, to return to normal. But as she realizes how important helping the helpless is to her, she becomes willing to make sacrifices in order to keep her visions. By the end of Angel's third season, Cordelia proves herself worthy of ascending to a higher plane, becoming more than human.” 3
The overwhelming preference of women over men in the way of psychic ability has also persisted from
antiquity to current lore. There are male fictional characters that possess this ability, especially in the
world of superheroes and comic books, however the vast majority of people in media who have the gift of
prophecy are still women. This preference is not only rooted in the historical lore, and due to
further study of the subject, this gender bias has been explained by scientific
research. It was discovered that, generally, women are more inclined to be more superstitious and believe
in the supernatural more than men,4 and the way in which women think about the future is in fact more
negative and fatalistic than the way men do.5
This may explain why so many Oracle characters are harbingers and messangers of doom instead of
happiness. Cordelia Chase’s visions (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) only
showed how people might get injured/hurt in the future,6 or Teen Wolf’s Lydia Martins’
cryptic and vague predictions were only brought up when something extremely dire was going to
happen to the characters in the next episode or so.7
noun [shroo]
Edward Robert Hughes, The Shrew Katherina, 1898
Jane Lane (left) and Daria Morgendorffer (right) in Daria, 1997-2002
When the word ‘shrew’ is used to describe a woman, it means the woman is someone who is
belligerent, ill-tempered, scolding and definitely not ‘traditionally obedient.’ This particular
use of the word was popularised by one of William Shakespeare’s plays, The Taming of The Shrew,1
which tells a story about a man named Luciento who wishes to marry a woman named Bianca, however
she is forbidden to do so until her “shrewish” older sister Katherine is married off first. An
arrogant and greedy Petruchio vows to marry her (as he wants her dowry), and at the end of the
play Kate (Katherine) has been subdued (or ‘tamed’) by Petruchio’s many tactics, moulded into the
perfect wife - loving, pleasant and most importantly obedient to her husband.2
Both Katherine and her husband are far from perfect - she is prone to verbally and physically abusing
others and Petruchio is manipulative and borderline psychologically / physically abusive to Katherine
(such as starving her to earn her love and gratitude). However what we may consider to be most problematic
in the present day is that all of Petruchio's behaviour is supposed to be seen in a comedic light.3 The
audience is encouraged to laugh at Petruchio's abuse as they see a prideful and haughty woman be ‘put in her
place,’ and feel triumph alongside her husband when Katherine has finally been beaten down to be the so-called
perfect wife.4 This play consequently demonstrates the harmful and misoginystic roots the word ‘shrew’
is derived from, as well as the attitudes historical societies had toward certain types of women at the
time.
William Adolphe Bouguereau, Orestes Pursued by the Furies, (1862)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag in Fleabag, 2016-2019
The Shrew as a sub-archetype has undeniably developed and evolved since Shakespearean times, however the trope behind ‘taming’ an unconventional girl or woman who is initially uninterested in love or the opposite sex and ‘not-like-other-girls’ (see: The Bookworm) has persisted into modern and contemporary media, especially in teen rom-coms and tv.1 The 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, for example, is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of The Shrew, and while the methods used by Heath Ledger’s character, Patrick (ie Petruchio) to ‘tame’ Kat (Katherine) are far less manipulative and do not fall under the realm of abuse, the final message of the film is still the same centuries later. Kat was unhappy and belligerent until she fell in love with a man, and it is with the power of a man’s love that Kat is ‘saved from herself’ and her cynicism, as well as transforming her personality into what is considered to be a more conventionally pleasant one.2
“The Taming of the Shrew is not likely to be one of Shakespeare’s most admired plays. Its presentation of female subordination presents the same kind of awkwardness for liberal sensibilities that the representation of Shylock does in the post Holocaust world. At face value, the play proposes that desirable women are quiet and submissive, whereas women with spirit must be “tamed” through a combination of physical and mental abuse. Necessary tools may include starvation, sense deprivation, and the kind of distortion of “reality” that is practiced in totalitarian regimes.”5
Natasha Lyonne as Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll, 2019-2022
The trope in western cultures of the out-spoken and ‘badly-behaved’ woman who resisted and rejected
their pre-determined roles in life date much earlier from Shakespeare’s time. In Ancient Greek mythology,
the Goddess Artemis (or Diana), while not depicted as stereotypically ‘shrewish,’
is a deity who was generally ambivalent toward men, believing that the masculine gender was something she could
happily live without.6 This did not mean she hated everyone of the opposite sex - in fact, she fell in love
with one or two (such as Orion),7 however she was very quick to punish men who she felt had crossed
her, and was wrathful and ruthless in her vengeance. Acteon, for example, was a hunter who accidentally
came across Artemis bathing, and in punishment she turned him into a stag and he was chased and gruesomely
killed by his own hunting dogs.8
What differentiates Artemis from Katherine however is that Artemis
is never really viewed as a woman who needed to be ‘tamed.’ Of course, she is a Goddess, therefore it would be
impossible for any mortal (or immortal) man to even attempt it, however she is generally celebrated for her
dedication to the hunt, her skill with the bow and arrow and her lack of interest toward the romantic, and her acts
of vengeance toward men are framed more as for-warnings instead of the bad and disobedient behaviour
of a ‘shrewish’ woman.9
Pietro Antonio Rotari, Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, Oil on Canvas, c. 1720-1762
Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop in The Good Place, 2016-2020
Despite it being a somewhat repetitive trope, uncouth, loud-mouthed and morally flawed women have become a beloved staple in modern media. These characters are usually deeply flawed as people, however in media post '90s, many are not fixed by a love of a man or a man taming her ‘unfeminine’ personality. Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place is a self-described “trash bag from Arizona,” starting out as selfish and narcissistic, however viewers root for her because her journey develops her into someone who is far more well-rounded. She retains her loud-mouthed and rebellious attitude, however she is also someone who became far less selfish, is fiercely loyal to her friends and learnt to become a morally ‘good’ person who ends up saving the afterlife.3 Yes, a lot of her self-improvement was influenced by Chidi, her male love interest, however her femininity (or her lack of what people may consider traditional feminine behaviour) was never seen as the primary issue like in The Taming of The Shrew.4 Her flaws are not dependant on her gender, and she became a kinder person without sacrificing her original personality.
noun [wahyz-ohld-woom-uhn]
Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin, Baba Yaga, 1900
Lily Tomlin as Frankie (left) and Jane Fonda as Grace (right) in Grace and Frankie, 2015-2022
The Wise Old Woman is perhaps the sub-archetype that fits the stereotypical image of The Crone the best.
These figures are women who are no longer deemed beautiful or romantically / sexually viable due to
their age, and in religious and folkloric space generally fall under an advice giving or mentor role to
the younger protagonist, or the villain of the tale.
The first distinction can be seen by The Three Fates, and although they are sometimes depicted as women
of different ages (Mother, Maiden, Crone) the popular belief is that they are three older women who give
cryptic or ominous predictions about the past, present and future. They are wise in their power of prophecy
that no one else possesses.1 The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella is also
depicted as an older-woman who acts as a kind mentor to Cinderella, helping her escape her life of abuse with her
magical powers.2 Wise old women as villains on the other hand can be seen in Norse mythology, such as
Elli fighting the hero god Thor,3 the tales of the Baba Yaga from Slavic
folklore4 and in Japanese yokai-stories, many evil demons are depicted as ‘old hags.’5
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, 1964
The Wise Old Woman as a trope has only begun to be minimally explored in further depth in the
20th/21st century, with many older female characters still falling under the same constraints since archaic times.
Miranda Priestly from the from the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada fulfils both
the mentor role as well as the antagonistic one, as she is one of the most powerful figures in the fashion industry
that everyone respects and envies, however she is also ruthlessly ambitious and callously cruel.1
She treats her employees badly and is comfortable throwing her friends under the bus for her career,
however unlike typical folkloric characters, the film gives her further depth to her motivations (outside of being
evil) as it depicts how she became this way, and the consequent downsides of her ambition.
She had to become cut throat to climb the ranks of such a competitive industry,2 however her
marriage is falling apart and she seems to have a strained relationship with her young daughters
because of the prioritisation of her career over other major elements in her life.3
Arthur Rackham, Illustration of Elli wrestling Thor in Tales of Mystery and Imagination, 1935
Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, Betty White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux and Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak in Golden Girls, 1985-1992
“What lifts Baba Yaga above the usual two-dimensional witches of folklore is her duality, sometimes as an almost-heroine, sometimes as a villain, and her rich, earthy evocation of womanhood. "Baba Yaga still remains one of the most ambiguous, cunning, and clever women of folklore," says Ryan. "[She] commands fear and respect, and simultaneously awe and desire. I admire her carelessness and her independence, even her cruelty, and in a world where women are so often reduced to hazy blurs of inconsequence, she is a figure that reminds us that we are ferocious and untameable, and that such freedoms often come at a cost.”6
The vilification of older women in religion and folklore is an interesting one. When so many archetypes that
fall under the Maiden cateogry are usually deemed as virtuous and morally righteous, why is it so common that
the older woman is relegated to a villainous role? An explanation could be the importance many societies have
placed on youth, as well as the universal fear of ageing and what that does to a woman and her social value.7
If it has been defined in previous archetypes that one major way women are valued is for their physical appearance
and how beautiful they are percieved to be, then they would lose that value as signs of advanced age are generally
not considered to be conventionally beautiful (wrinkles, grey hairs, weathered skin, etc).8
Older women may be a physical manifestation of this fear to some, and that is why they have been villainized in so
many stories.9
These ‘evil’ characters are not so black and white however. They are also usually very wise, shrewd and
intelligent, and some choose to help the protagonist depending on the context. The Baba Yaga
for example has some stories where she cooks and eats children, however is also inclined to offer advice
and acts more as a trickster character than someone outright malignant.10
Alexander Rothau, The Three Fates, c.1910
Yubaba (left) and Haku (right) in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, 2001
One genre that older women have been frequently placed in is comedy, with many sitcoms centred around female friendships at an older age and how they handle situations that are unique only to that age group. Golden Girls was an American sitcom that ran from 1985-1992, and was about a group of very different women in their golden years living together in Miami and getting into comedic situations that one can only experience at that age.4 Netflix’s 2015-2022 show Grace and Frankie has a similar premise - two women that are polar opposites are forced together after their husbands leave them for one another, and at the end their friendship and love for each other becomes their strongest and most valued relationship.5 Grace and Frankie also takes the steps to explore being newly single, dating and navigating your sex life as a 70-80 year old woman, which are themes that are generally taboo in relation to older female characters,6 signifying a change in how The Wise Old Woman is perceived and how, despite their age (or because of it), these topics don’t just disappear.
“The first season focused on getting over their respective breakups before moving on to the burgeoning
friendship between uptight businesswoman Grace and free-spirited Frankie. Seeing a friendship between
two older women on a series was a rarity in itself, but “Grace and Frankie” didn’t stop there.
The show dove into issues facing women of a certain age with brutal, hilarious honesty. Did anyone expect
vibrators and lube for post-menopausal women as plot points? “We all learned a lot,” Morris jokes, before
adding: “We always wanted a big, juicy comic premise, but we hit a moment of truth in every story.”7
noun [wich] verb
Francisco de Goya, Witches Sabbath, Oil on Canvas, 1798
Angelica Huston as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family Values, 1991
The Witch differs from the other magical / supernatural sub-archetypes of The Crone (The Enchantress and The Oracle) as witches are far less specialised in their magical abilities, less gender specific and often depicted as dabbling in the more macabre and object-focused side of the supernatural.1 Witches are often less glamorous or seductive as enchantresses, and although beautiful / dangerous witches such as Aradia2 exist in the lore, their magic is not solely confined to this characterisitc, the seduction of men not their main source of power.3 This also applies to its parallels with The Oracle, and although there are examples of witches who possess similar prophetic ability, they aren’t defined by this power. It is likely that those who can see the future do not possess latent supernatural ability and need to activate the ability to seek prophecy using some sort of physical or verbal conduit, such as a potion or a spell.4
Christopher Williams, Cerridwen, Oil on Canvas, c.1873-1934
Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of The West in The Wizard of Oz, 1939
Evil witches outfitted with dark clothes, a broom, a pointy hat and a cauldron, topped off with a long nose and warts was a popular depiction of witches in contemporary media, with this image becoming one of the most stereotypical image of The Witch. The Wicked Witch of The West (Elphaba) from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz represents this perfectly, her green skin empathising her 'evilness' as it is another feature that glaringly separates her from the rest of the citizens of Oz.1 However the The Wizard of Oz also showcases a 'good' version of the witch by separating witchcraft into ‘white’ and ‘black’ magic. Elphaba practices evil and corrupt ‘black’ magic, and her character design (green skin, black clothes, deformed features) reflects this moral corruption. Her sister Glinda on the other hand practices 'white magic,'' and her outward appearance as a beautiful blonde woman wearing an extravagant pink dress supposedly reflects her 'superior' moral character2 This concept of witchcraft as a reflection of different moral alignments has become a popular one in modern media, and can be found in more movies such as Ghibli’s 2001 Spirited Away, the dichotomy represented by the two witch sisters in the movie.3
Cassanandra Peterson as Elvira in Elvira: Mistress of The Dark, 1988
As the practice of witchcraft was something that existed in real life (results not withstanding), many people in
Christian communities feared it as they thought it was a Satanic practice, and began to harshly condemn it.5
During the 14th-15th centuries in small towns and communities in colonial America and Europe, things escalated to
the point that any woman who was deemed suspicious was drowned, immolated or executed if there was the slightest
whisper that she may have been a witch.6 The way in which they were accused and ‘tested’ for sorcery was never
concrete, targeting women who may have been outcasts in some way - living alone, advanced age, different
ethnicity/race outside of caucasian (see Tituba)7 - and blaming them for the town’s misfortunes
that, with hindsight, can be seen were not caused by witchcraft but something more scientifically viable.8
Due to these real world events, witches in western history that were shaped by the Christian narrative are generally
portrayed as evil, conniving single women who sacrificed animals and children for their spells and potions.
A more nuanced portrayal of witches in folklore did exist before the puritanical and fear-mongering
control of the narrative, and that was the depiction of witches in Celtic and Welsh mythology.9
Cerridwen was a witch from Welsh folklore who was a loving mother as well as a ruthless pursuer of justice, and was the
origin for the link between witches and cauldrons,10 showing how originally, witches were multi-dimensional
figures that became feared due to their unconventionality, religious rebellion and their representation of the fear of
the unknown.
“In one part of the Mabinogion, which is the cycle of myths found in Welsh legend, Cerridwen brews up a potion in her magical cauldron to give to her son Afagddu (Morfran). She puts young Gwion in charge of guarding the cauldron, but three drops of the brew fall upon his finger, blessing him with the knowledge held within. Cerridwen pursues Gwion through a cycle of seasons until, in the form of a hen, she swallows Gwion, disguised as an ear of corn. Nine months later, she gives birth to Taliesen, the greatest of all the Welsh poets.” 10
From left to right: Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, Rachel True and Robin Tunney as Bonnie, Nancy, Rochelle and Sarah in The Craft, 1996
Witches have also become staples in recent pop-culture - starting from the 1970s - due to the rise and popularity of goth / punk fashion in young adult communities and the style's fascination of all things dark and macabre.4 Many witch characters from movies such as Elvira, Mistress of The Dark5 or Wednesday and Morticia Addams6 were unapologetically goth, which appealed to some teenage / young adult girls in particular as gothic fashion became a better way they could express themselves than more societally conventional, mainstream fashion7
Witches in film from the early 90s also became popular in predominately queer spaces as many movies about the modern witch reflected the struggles of young, queer people at the time. Movies such as The Craft depicted a young group of girls who were ostracised from their wider community due to their interest in witchcraft, and, like with many queer communities, found comfort and safety in their ‘coven’ (a group of friends) after their biological families rejected or misunderstood them for something they couldn’t control.8 Witchcraft in recent media has therefore unwittingly become a metaphor for the queer experience, and many have found comfort in that.
Paul Delaroche, Herodias, Oil on Canvas, 1843
Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman in Sabrina The Teenage Witch, 1996-2003