Ok now that you are reading this, I am curious of personal knowledge or links to such knowledge or superstitions regarding witchcraft. NOW before you answer...I am not posting this in hopes of learning about new age, neo-paganism...nor getting the "sterotypes were just created by men to..." blah blah blah lecture and "real" witches do not blah blah blah...speels.
I am not talking about any of that. There are myths and legends surrounding witches, just as there are superstitions for ladders, umbrellas, tuberculosis and chicken feeders! That is all I want to know, traditional superstitions about witches..yes the ugly, green faced, wart plagued, haggish witch. I want superstitions related to that for something I am working on. PLEASE do not give me the "harm none, we are good" lecture!! PLEASE I am NOT talking about Wiccans/Neo-Pagans.
2007-03-17 01:19:10 · 4 answers · asked by Andreika 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
I'm not sure if this is what you're actually looking for or not, but here are a few:
* To meet a witch, put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night.. At midnight, she will appear to you.
*lay a broom across the doorway when any suspected person is coming in…The witch will make excuse and pass along the road.
*If a thing is bewitched, burn it, and immediately afterwards the witch will come to borrow something of you. If you give what she asks, she will go free; if you refuse it, she will burn, and a mark will be on her body the next day.
* When an animal has been killed by witchcraft, and they wish to find out the witch, or to make certain whether its death was natural or due to witchcraft, they go to the place where dead animals are skinned, and drag its intestines along the ground up to their house; not into the house by the main door, but over the threshold of the back entrance into the kitchen; and then they make a fire and put the intestines over it on a hurdle. Then…just as the intestines get hot and burn, so are the intestines of the witch afflicted with burning pains.
2007-03-17 03:17:40 · answer #1 · answered by Kallan 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would have to say that the only place to learn about the superstitions about Green faced, warted, ugly witches is to read about them in The Brother's Grimm fairy tales, or watch The Wizard of Oz. I know you don't want a lecture, and I'm the last person to lecture anyone, unless wanted. But there are real Witches out there, and they're not green skinned, and have warts. At least not the last time I looked in the mirror. The only thing that comes close to that description would probably have to be a frog. So I would read up on fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel. That's probably as good an info on fairy tale witches as you're going to get.
2007-03-17 05:44:45 · answer #2 · answered by Ma'iingan 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The superstitions you mentioned: ladders, umbrelas, and also mirrors, are not reaalyu associated with witches, they are just general superstitions that have developed over the last few hundred years...the black cat crossing your path has been associated with witches just b/c normally, a cat (of any color, but most often black) is normally a witches 'familiar' (animal/spirit guide for life).
2007-03-17 05:12:53 · answer #3 · answered by mama2elena05 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
try the bookstore they probably have comicstrips with stories. when you grow up and want to experience the real witchcraft in amercia, find a metaphysical store and they can really enlighten you. there is no such thing as a green haired witch flying around on a broom
2007-03-17 05:12:10 · answer #4 · answered by cmooredr2 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋