Gendered Demonology: Women as Witches

Abstract

According to the Oxford dictionary of English the word ‘witch’ has a range of meanings: A woman thought to have evil magic powers, popularly depicted as wearing a black cloak and a pointed hat and flying on a broom stick/informally; the word could mean an ugly or unpleasant woman/or a girl or a woman who is bewitchingly attractive/or a follower or practitioner of modern witchcraft; A Wiccan priest or priestess. Wicca is supposed to be the religious cult of modern witchcraft, especially an initiatory tradition founded in England in the mid-twentieth century. It claims its origin in pre-Christian pagan religions, and the word itself is derived from the Old English ‘Wicca’ which meant witch. It is believed that a witch can do many things ranging from causing bad weather, natural calamities, epidemics, diseases and unexplained deaths: of animals as well humans. They are adept at handling magic. Magic is also categorized into two types: White and Black. The latter type is a negative activity undertaken to either control someone or destroy him/her.