| If a man has put a spell upon another man and has | | | | witchcraft. |
| not justified himself, he upon whom the spell is laid | | | | The Wiccans on the other hand, were herbalists of |
| shall go to the holy river. | | | | their time. They used plants to cure people and |
| Persons who engage in witchcraft and who are male | | | | animals. However, the wiccan was misunderstood and |
| are called wizard, sorcerer and sometimes a warlock | | | | would often be accused of being a dark witch when |
| if they indulge in black magic. Females who indulge in | | | | patents under their care worsened or died. |
| witchcraft are called Wiccan or witches. | | | | Sometimes they were also called witches when they |
| Witches are thought to worship the devil. They are | | | | healed the very sick. |
| portrayed to cast spells and use supernatural forces | | | | The spell casting evilness traits of witches has always |
| to cause havoc within the community. | | | | been used to scare young children, just look at the |
| In Britain during the late medieval / Early modern | | | | classic children's fairy tales. In Snowhite the wicked |
| period, many women were killed during witch-hunts. | | | | witch tries to kill her stepdaughter. She uses a spell |
| They were accused of being witches and would be | | | | to put Snowhite in a dead like sleep. In the story of |
| strapped to a dunking stool, and submerged in the | | | | Hansel and Gretel the evil witch likes to eat children. |
| local river or lake. If the woman dies, she was then | | | | The mysteriousness of witches lends itself to |
| proved not to be a witch. If she survived, it proved | | | | creating chilling stories, and not just for children but |
| her guilt and she would be burned at the sake alive. | | | | adults too in the case of the Blare Witch Project. |
| Of course, most of the alleged witches were in fact | | | | Our fascination for witches and witchcraft is |
| destitute old women with no family. They plagued | | | | highlighted each Halloween, when many people like to |
| the communities begging door to door for food and | | | | dress up as witches. Luckily they no longer try |
| milk. They would often curse the households who | | | | witches on dunking stools. But curiously, 'witches' do |
| wouldn't give them any food, to make them more | | | | still go begging for food door to door 'Trick or |
| generous when she next visited. But of course this | | | | Treating'. |
| gave the local folk cause to try the old women for | | | | |