Witch Archetype

Alan ArdalanRodolfo Rojo

Christopher BrunoAngelic GaytanAndrew Lopez

Thesis:Across the wide spectrum of fairytales

and characters, the witch archetype

has a consistent set of features that

present the witch as the embodiment

of human wickedness.

Characteristics of a Witch

• Female

• Old and Ugly

• Black Magic, Poison, Surrogate Murder

• Evil: Willing to kill, cannibalism, trickery

• Takes advantage of the Innocent (Manipulation)

• Motivated by Greed

• Change Appearance to further goals

The Sea Witch:From Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid”

Anderson’s Sea Witch

• This example meets the following traits:

• Unappealing/ Repulsive: “the sea witch; I’ve always

been dreadfully afraid of her”(Anderson 225)

• Takes advantage of innocent (manipulates the

mermaid)

• Motivated by greed: “that voice you shall hand over

to me”(Anderson 226)

• Uses magic and potions: able to foresee future

Grimms’ “Hansel and Gretel” Witch

Grimms’ “Hansel and Gretel” Witch

• Takes advantage of innocent: “You

will not meet any harm here” (Grimm

187)

• Motivated by greed: “I don’t care

whether Hansel’s plump or scrawny”

(Grimm 188) the witch will still eat

Hansel

Wicked Witch of the West

Wicked Witch of the West

• Wants to stop Dorothy

• Driven by desire for red slippers

• Female, ugly (green skin)

• Dark clothing, Magic, Crystal Ball

Snow White’s Evil Stepmother(Disney Version)

BeforeAfter

Brothers Grimm/DisneyThis example meets the following traits:

. Physically Unappealing: Old and Ugly

. Evil

. Associated with Magic and Poison

. Changes Appearance

. Preys on innocent

. Overlaps with Evil Stepmother

Witch Trials• Witch Trials occurred in

Salem, Finnmark, and Rogaland

• Men and women were killed for using witchcraft to cause harm or heal with magic (Alm 410)

• Witchcraft was passed down from person to person, but in some cases was believed to come from a fungus know as ergot which caused hallucinations. (Alm 415)

Why it Matters:Elderly:• “Witch character inspired excitement

and obvious pleasure” (Warner 95)• Witches empower the elderly• Make them feel less helpless

Why it Matters:Women:• “witches, godmothers, and other female figures

function as the fantasy derivatives of early childhood splitting." (Cashdan 25)

• Witches represent the wicked side of a mother that influences her children to be wicked

• "Fairy tales are about women and the important role they play in the child's emerging sense of self.” (Cashdan 25)

Why it Matters:Children:• “fairy tales give children a way of resolving

tensions that affect the way they feel about themselves.” (Cashdan 28)

• "Fairy tales accomplish this by casting the protagonists as ordinary children with whom young audiences can easily identify themselves.” ( Cashdan 28)

• Many times in fairytales children must overcome conflict caused by witches, giving real world children a sense of confidence and relief when faced with real world conflicts

Xtranormal Definition

http://www.xtranormal.com

/watch/13861823/witches

Question:Do you think the witch

archetype reinforces

negative stereotypes on

women or does it merely

provide an entertaining

villain for stories?

Works CitedAlm, Torbjorn. "The Witch Trials of Finnmark, Northern Norway, During the 17th Century: Evidence for Ergotism as a Contributing Factor." Economic Botany 3rd ser. 57 (2003): 403-16. Web. 3 Nov. 2012.Anderson, Hans C. "The Little Mermaid." The Classic Fair Tales. Ed. Maria Tartar. New York: W.W, Norton &, 1999. 216-32. Print.Cashdan, Sheldon. "The Witch Within: The Sleeping Beauties." The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairy Tales. New York: Basic, 1999. 15,24-25,28. Print.Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Trans. Jack Zipes. Toronto: Bantam, 1987.Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Snow White” The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York; W.W. Norton, 1999. 83-89. Print.Warner, Dorothy. "Empowering the Older Adult Through Folklore." Adultspan Journal 5.2 (2006): 91-100. Onlinelibrary.wiley.com. 23 Dec. 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.The Wizard of Oz. Dir. Victor Fleming. Perf. Judy Garland. MGM, 1939. DVD.