The image of a witch as an old crone is incredibly pervasive today, just as it was in the early modern period. Today witches in popular culture are almost invariably presented as old women, sometimes supernaturally ancient and sometimes just old. Witches (understandably) are cast as the antagonists, the villains, and in many cases witches were close to the protagonist or their family members prior to becoming evil or their powers revealed (think Snow White and Into the Woods).
These associations have firm roots in the witch hunts of early modern Europe, when the majority of those tried for maleficia were women and the average age exceeded 50, even 60 years of age in some regions. Thus, the average witch could be understood to be a menopausal or postmenopausal woman. The association of witches with fertility is an ancient one, brought about when pagan fertility rites became heretical with the popularization of Christianity.
Mothers and midwives were a natural extension of the fertility association, and while Levack points out that the image of a witch as a midwife was less common in the early modern period than modern associations would have one believe, he also brings up the idea of family members accusing each other of witchcraft as an allowable vengeance in the early modern period. Accusations of this sort, such as a young person accusing their mother, stepmother, or another older female family member of witchcraft as payback for her opposing an early marriage, were not common per se, but were definitely not unheard of.
Thinking about witches in modern popular culture, what might be some historical bases for the way they are presented today?
Levack, 141-163.
Great post, Beckett! I think you're right how a lot of the modern popular culture seems to depict witches as older women. I can think of Halloween costumes as well as decorations that depict witches as elderly women with straw-like hair and long warty noses. However, Levack also mentioned how children were also accused of witchcraft and how these cases seem to be more famous than those of older women. Also, there are several modern stories about witches often depict them as young beautiful women. It's an interesting observation in how both instances of the historical and the popular culture, the old women seem to be ignored or at least subconsciously put under suspicion.
ReplyDeleteI think today we just draw on the stereotypes. That's why you see pointy hats and crooked noses on all of the witches. Also in a lot of recent horror movies witches look like they've come straight out of nightmare. I think it probably just comes down to a cultural thing, we can spin a much better story about a scary old woman than a beautiful young woman.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! I do find it interesting that our modern society's notions about witches cast up ideas and images of the spinster woman. Much like Sarah Lee stated that there were other cases involving children as the suspects of witch accusations, there were cases where the accused were male figures rather than female altogether. As Brian Levack does point out that the majority of cases during the early modern era were about females, it is still interesting and important to note the male presence.
ReplyDeleteToday's witches are definitely drawn on the stereotypes of old, separated from society, and of course the flying on a broom. I really liked your pointing to the movie into the woods, I also think of the Hansel and Gretel movie when I think of witches. It really displays witches as ugly, evil, and even has the aspect of witches eating children.
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