What is a witch?

[Powereaver]

Male 22-30

but what i always think when i think of a witch is an older woman who performs spells and enchantments.. and black cats.. not usually men as thats a Warlock in my eyes

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

I need a bit of casual survey data for an essay.

As simply as you can, give your definition of a witch. I'm not going to add a poll because I don't want to bias results by suggesting options.

Female, 31

1) A Wiccan.

2) An arcane spell casting class in the Pathfinder RPG specializing in battlefield control.

3) Anthy Himemiya.

 

[Darius Brogan]

"Witch" comes from the Old English word wicce "female magician, sorceress", the feminine of wicca, "sorcerer, magician", and derived from wiccian meaning "to practice magic", but there's linguistic evidence that this general word may have meant specific skills earlier, possibly including "necromancy", "soothsaying", "skill with drugs/herbs" or even "skill with horses" (but perhaps not all of these things) - e.g. see here [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=witch&allowed_in_frame=0].

It's difficult to place a definitive origin on the word witch, because history tells us different stories about each word.

Another meaning of the word 'Wicca, or witta (Spelling in doubt)' was 'Wise one' and not 'sorceress' and ancient kings often took the advice of a council known as the wittan, or 'Council of Wise ones'

From a different perspective, the sound 'cc' was pronounced as 'tch' by the Anglo-Saxons, changing the word to 'Witch' and not 'Wicca'

To this day, most historians can't come to an agreement on which word means what definitively, or where the word 'witch' originates.

 

[Daverson]

Male 22-30

A witch is a female magician who has formed a pact with a supernatural force for either personal or communal gain. A male witch is known as a Warlock (it's worth noting a Warlock still practises Witchcraft, rather than Warlockcraft. Though, "Warlockcraft" would be a pretty cool name for an MMO).

Witches are one of the three basic kinds of magicians, the others being Wizards (who summon magic through from incantations) and Sorcerers (who are themselves a source of magic).

 

[kikon9]

Male: 16-21

A person whom practices nature magic and midwifery.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

For the record, go and tell a Scottish person they're European and tell me what happens.

If they're allowed to call Canadians "Americans" because we live in North America I will call them European

 

[GigaHz]

Male 22-30

A witch : Anyone who tries to convince me to sleep with them with 'their' condoms.

 

[StBishop]

Male, 31-50.

A woman who is delusional, believing they have magical powers.

A fictitious female with magical powers.

An insult used to describe an evil woman.

This is the best definition I've seen; I'm far too tired to formulate an eloquent definition out of the blue.

Except that I'm 21.

 

[StBishop]

16.

I'll give you the Dean Winchester definition: Witches are disgusting, unhygienic and creepy with a penchant for spilling their bodily fluids everywhere. Sold their soul to demons in exchange for power. Vengeful.

Male 16-21.

A witch is a female who can cast spells, brew potions and cause stupid European nobles to go out and murder kings for their amusement.[footnote]See 'Macbeth' for more details.[/footnote]

For the record, go and tell a Scottish person they're European and tell me what happens.

It's technically correct. Although in the context it would have been easier (and also more accurate) to have just said Scottish.

It's not as if it's an obscure fact that Macbeth is set in Scotland. Hell, it's referred to as "the Scottish play" within theatres.

 

[Nieroshai]

Age 21

A witch is an individual who practices witchcraft, which is performing magic through invoking spirits.

 

[BabySinclair]

Male, B

A woman that practices witchcraft. This includes hexes, magic, and the likes. There is no necessary link to pacts or bargains for power.

 

[kingcom]

Male, 16-21,

An Unsanctioned Psyker, often marked for death by the Ecclesiarch or Inquisition, highly likely to be controlled/manipulated/possessed by the forces of The Great Enemy. Designated Hereticus Majoris.

 

[Polarity27]

A person who practices witchcraft, a form of nature-based low magic. Possibly a person who practices a form of religious witchcraft, including Wicca, Feri, and others.

or

A fictional sorceress of some kind.

(Female, age 41.)

 

[The Funslinger]

16.

I'll give you the Dean Winchester definition: Witches are disgusting, unhygienic and creepy with a penchant for spilling their bodily fluids everywhere. Sold their soul to demons in exchange for power. Vengeful.

Male 16-21.

A witch is a female who can cast spells, brew potions and cause stupid European nobles to go out and murder kings for their amusement.[footnote]See 'Macbeth' for more details.[/footnote]

For the record, go and tell a Scottish person they're European and tell me what happens.

It's technically correct. Although in the context it would have been easier (and also more accurate) to have just said Scottish.

It's not as if it's an obscure fact that Macbeth is set in Scotland. Hell, it's referred to as "the Scottish play" within theatres.

I know it's correct, but people in Britain never consider themselves European. Especially not the Scots.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Female 16-21

Witch used to merely mean 'wise woman' and was used to refer to a woman who had knowledge of herbs and nature. People would go to her for medicines and other helpful things.

Then Christians came along and went "Women are sinful and not as intelligent as men, if that woman has power to make sick people better it must be magic from the devil. AND ONCE SHE GAINS YOUR TRUST SHE WILL USE IT TO HURT YOU TOO."

And then you know the rest.

Correction, dumb people went "Women are sinful and not as intelligent as men, if that woman has power to make sick people better it must be magic from the devil. AND ONCE SHE GAINS YOUR TRUST SHE WILL USE IT TO HURT YOU TOO."

All the gifts to Jesus have medicinal uses, and of what we know of middle-eastern culture at the time, was given for that reason from the Wise Men.

 

[Mookowicz]

Another meaning of the word 'Wicca, or witta (Spelling in doubt)' was 'Wise one' and not 'sorceress' and ancient kings often took the advice of a council known as the wittan, or 'Council of Wise ones

Yes, perhaps hence 'soothsayer' as I first mentioned (before the 14th century, a soothsayer was just 'one who tells the truth'). But by around 890CE, the word had already taken on the 'sorceress' meaning. The Laws of Aelfred [http://www.dr-fnlee.org/docs6/alfred/alfred.pdf] (Alfred the Great) of the place that would eventually become Wessex, said (Law 30, translated): 'Don't let women live who are wont to receive enchanters and conjurers and witches!' So the meaning might have been different before Alfred's time (I suspect it probably was), but it has meant 'sorceress' for most of the documented history of English civilisation, and I think that's still pretty much what Hollywood and most non-religious usages mean.

 

[Jak LesStrange]

I am a male and I'm 18.

A witch is a person infected with the Green Flu that has massive claws in the place of their hands and tends to cry a lot. Don't startle a Witch...

Seriously though, a witch can be many things, such as a magical practiser or a woman/ man in league with a fictitious being known as Satan.

 

[Jedoro]

Male, B

A witch is a female monster slayer who has white hair, yellow eyes, can brew potions, and has a small selection of magical signs to use that are focused on combat applications, but can be used for other purposes.

Basically, a female form of a Witcher, such as Geralt.

 

[Halceon]

Male c)

A witch is a woman with knowledge of natural medicine, folklore and various rare crafts, and often suspected of magical abilities because of this knowledge.