Witches in Movies

The Witch

There is nothing more iconic than the classic image of the Halloween Witch. And folklore about witches and witchcraft has existed since the very beginnings of civilization in ancient Mesopotamia and has continued through the ages into the present day. Stories about witches and witchcraft become very popular during the Halloween Season, maybe because the weather turns colder and the nights are longer. They are also very well-crafted characters that can move a narrative story, inspiring fear, mystery, and even admiration of their abilities and skills.

In stories and films, the character of the Witch often inhabits 4 distinct categories:

The Historic Witch: These are the witches most often found in historic narratives. Often times there are references to The Malleus Malificarum, or to The Salem Witch Trails. Many of these Historic Witches are based on real people who suffered the accusations of others and paid the price with their lives.
The High Fantasy Witch/Wizard: These are the type of witches (and wizard) that are found in epic fantasy narratives. They tend to be mythic and all powerful.
The Pagan/Wicca/Modern Witch: These tend to be presented as regular people who follow neoPagan or Wiccan beliefs, nature-based religions. In some narratives, they may have minimal powers like telepathy or telekinesis or prophetic dreams.
The Classic Witch: These are the witches most often found in children's stories and fairy tales. They are typically the villain in those narratives and are often portrayed like the postcard photo above. The most famous of these portrayal's would be Margaret Hamilton's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of The West in The Wizard of Oz.

Here at San Jose Public Library, we have a wonderful selection of movies, featuring witches as main characters, many of whom fall into the different categories listed above. And this week is the perfect time to have your own Witchy Movie Marathon!