Warning, May contain spoilers, specifically about the movie Hansel & Gretel:Witch Hunters.
Greetings, today I will be talking about how Witches have been viewed through the years as Paganism had started making a come back after years of fear being instilled in the practitioners and forcing them to practice in secret. Most of the references I will be pulling will be coming from movies I have seen and the Hollywood view on them and how they have and are being portrayed. I will also be pulling in some books that I have read as well for references in how they are being viewed.
When I was a child, like most people, anytime I thought of a witch I always imagined warts, green skin, pointy hats, brooms, and cauldrons, I always thought of them as wicked and evil and ugly, always the villain (Disney didn't help in this aspect either). I never thought there could ever be such a thing as a "Good Witch", that is, not until I first saw "The Wizard of Oz".
It took a while for it to sink in, but that movie was the very first that I had seen that even though portrayed Witches as the stereotype, it also portrayed a Witch who was kind, gentle, and beautiful, she looked like a normal human being. This was a very interesting thing to me, later on, I saw Disney's "The Sword in The Stone" where we meet Merlin, a Wizard who was on the side of good and the light.
As I started paying attention when I got older, I started to realize in the books that I was reading that there were good magic practitioners and bad magic practitioners, wasn't really till the "Harry Potter Series" that I was introduced to the concept of "Good Witches". It was because of the books I kept finding that changed my perspective on such things, and soon I began to understand that where there is good, there is going to be evil.
Now, more so in movies then books, I have always seen Witches portrayed as some evil incarnate creatures, usually twisted and ugly looking, but as the years have passed, yes they still show those portrayals, but they have also been portraying Witches as good and gentle and beautiful people. Such movies, and even shows, that showed such things are The Covenant, Practical Magic, Charmed, Earthsea, Wizards of Waverly Place, True Blood, Twitches, Beautiful Creatures, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Lord of the Rings, Matilda (one could consider her a Witch), The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Merlin (both the show and the movie), The Craft, and the most recent I have seen, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunter's.
Now, you maybe confused about the last one, especially with the name and all, and I will say, when I was watching it I became worried, but, there was a nice surprise at the end. Throughout most of the movie, every time we saw a Witch, they were decaying, ugly, and used their magic for evil, the main story line was that a Grand Witch was going to Sacrifice 12 children, one born under each zodiac, during the blood moon to make their kind unharmed by flame. As the movie progressed I was starting to become unhappy with the movie, but as I am someone who finishes what they start, I continue watching.
The surprise that popped up was the final ingredient to the potion, which was the heart of a Grand White Witch, yes folks, they actually brought in the fact that there were good Witches. Hearing this made me happy, the movie showed the good Witches looked like anyone else, nothing special on the outside, they just didn't use their magic to harm others, only heal and defend against the Dark Witches.
The Dark Witches were defeated, and Hansel & Gretel now understanding there were Good Witches, made sure to specifically hunt the Dark ones, knowing the Good ones were healers and helpers, not ones who harmed and used their powers greedily.
I feel this movie specifically showed that those who use magic for selfish and harmful reasons would be dark and ugly on the inside, the movie showing this on the outside, while those who used magic for the benefit of others, and to help, are as beautiful on the inside as the outside.
Altogether I feel that the view and portrayal of Witches is slowly getting better, showing that not all Witches are bad, that in fact, many are good, but to still be careful for there are dangers for any who practice. I am glad to see this change occurring, and hopefully will help set better "stereotypes" for Witches in the future, so instead of people thinking of them as green skinned, grotesque, always wearing black, and covered in warts, they will see Witches as healers, wearing typical clothing that other people wear, and look like anyone else.
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