10 Weird Myths About Witches
According to the rules of the story world of Anaïs Blue, I would like to dispel some witch myths.
The fictional realm of my witch is different to usual stories about them. I ditched the whole medieval idea of witches and the myths associated with them.
I created my own witch world.
Hopefully the following will shed some light. Read on…
There is no power in a stick.
Well, maybe with a really big one if you want smack someone around the head with it.
Anaïs Blue does not have a wand. She has various tools, the most important being her magic book.
The Promptuary, which incidentally will have a major role in the second book in the series, is her substitute wand. If you want to know more about it, you’ll have to read the book.
A cat would never willingly hang out with anybody, let alone a witch. They wouldn’t lower themselves and are just too independent.
Face it, if you have one, they are only sticking around for the food.
I suppose the whole idea of witches and cats being connected sprung from the mysterious ways of the feline of the species.
Nobody understands cats. You would have to be truly magical to work out what is going on in their heads.
Not to mention, the human obsession with them.
Stop watching the cat video now! You’re here to read about witch myths.
Why is this?
Can’t a witch be attractive.
Surely if you possess an ounce of magic you will put it to good use and make yourself look devastating. And if you had a wart on your nose you would get it removed as well.
Anaïs Blue is a good witch. Or at least she tries to be.
We all make mistakes and witches are no exception.
Historically witches were considered good as they had a connection with nature and, as in the book, they could communicate with the dead.
The medieval viewpoint and witch hunts changed all this and somehow it stuck.
Pointed hats with wide brims might be good for keeping the rain off but they have nothing to do with witches.
Supposedly the connection came from a requirement under a Papal decree which forced Jews to wear pointed hats to identify them.
Later, this was adapted for witches. The intention being to segregate and paint them in a negative light just as the Papal degree had done with Jewish people.
Anaïs Blue does have a very useful hat, however it takes the form of a beret. You can fit a lot more in a beret.
In the good witch series witches are not immortal.
They do live for a very long time but that’s because they have a very slow growth rate.
Unfortunately, they can only talk to the deceased and don’t have power over death.
The painting here by Pieter Bruegel the Elder depicts this phenomenon. It is supposedly the first instance of such a depiction.
The broomstick was used in Medieval witch hunts to prove guilt. Persons accused of witchcraft were often weighed to check if a broomstick could support them. If they were under approximately 50 kilograms they were often deemed a member of the broomstick flying community.
A broomstick may have been used in ancient ceremonies as well, but it is unlikely it has ever been used for flight.
Have you ever tried to balance on a horizontal pole? It’s hard. Just imagine how difficult that would be if it was also moving at high speed.
Sorry, broomsticks are just not practical.
Even in the medieval witch hunts, women were not solely targeted. Men and children were as well.
Essentially the requirements for being a witch has nothing to do with gender.
In the Anaïs Blue series we do begin with a lot of women witches. Later on this could change though.
Not in the good witch series. There is no such thing.
About the only thing they possibly worship would be themselves in front of the mirror. That is, if they had the time to do it.
They are far to busy sorting out other people’s problems.
Why would you want to put a curse on someone? It would not work anyway.
Words only have power if you are prepared to listen to them.
Anaïs Blue and her witch colleagues use something entirely physical. Potions and other concoctions are far more reliable.
Can you think of any more myths?
Leave a comment below or sign up to my exclusive readers mailing list and let me know.
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