The witch woman: A recurring motif in recent fantasy writing for young readers

Conclusion

In these books and others (see Related Reading), we find a richly varied portrayal of the wise/witch woman. Sometimes these women work alone, as inThe Earth Witch. Sometimes they work with a single apprentice, as in The Ghost Drum. At other times they live in community, as inSnow-Eyes. Sometimes their work is primarily beneficent, as inSnow-Eyes. Sometimes it is primarily evil, as inThe Earth Witch. And at other times it is a mixture, depending on what evokes the magic, as inThe Ghost Drum. Often these women possess simple herb lore; all three books feature main characters with this ability. Sometimes the abilities are more complex. They may be complex physical abilities. For example, Chingis inThe Ghost Drum can reinhabit and bring to a semblance of life a dead body. Sometimes the complex abilities are mental. Bronwen inThe Earth Witch is able to make Owen forget his friends and family, desiring only to be with her. An interesting feature of these powerful women is that their abilities are always limited in some way. InThe Ghost Drum, Chingis cannot write the spells of the drum. Bronwen inThe Earth Witch cannot prevent herself from growing old. And inSnow-Eyes, the servitors cannot call the rains unless they act together. In these fantasies and others published recently, we find an impressive array of abilities, making the witch/wise woman one of the most interesting characters in this genre.