A witch is defined as being a woman with magical powers. Throughout history, they have been portrayed in many ways. At times, in the past, they have been seen in a good light, often as healers and wise women. However, through many periods of history, they have been linked to the occult, considered malicious, wicked women sorcerers who practice Black Magic. 

The image of a witch for many is an old woman with a pointy black hat, black clothes, a warty nose, long straggly grey hair, a hunched back and a wicked cackle. She sits making potions in her cauldron from her book of spells…. A pinch of bat dust, a rat’s tail and four frogs’ legs… whilst chanting, “Double bubble toil and trouble…”. (that’s from Macbeth - Shakespeare, by the way)

Witches have been represented in literature and films for as long as we can remember. I bet if I asked you to draw a witch right now, you would draw it in a very similar way to the way they are very often depicted; wearing black conical hats, black clothes, perhaps stripy tights, she’ll have a black cat and a broomstick. Did you know that the most famous witch of all time was the witch from the famous film “The Wizard Of Oz”? In the film adaptation, the witch had green skin, she didn’t originally in the book however, but the iconic image of the witch in the film has stuck and that’s why very often you see witches with green skin.

Why black? 

The association of black with witches stems from historical fears of the unknown and the perception of black as a symbol of darkness and the occult. In many cultures, black is linked to death and mourning.  

Let’s talk about why a witch’s hat is pointed and conical.

There is a lot of information floating around regarding the reason why the iconic pointed hat is associated with witches.

Some say that it has its origin in medieval times when similar hats were commonly worn by both men and women. They were originally for the higher classes, but later they spread through most of the population and were worn by most people, even the lower classes.

Over time, this ordinary headwear became linked with the image of witches, and this was because they began to be associated with the lower classes and immoral behaviour. The witches began to wear these pointed hats too, just like the rest of the population, and they were associated with mysterious and unconventional practices, such as the preparation of herbal remedies and spells.

Other sources say that it is due to the influence of “alewives”. They were women who made ale - a type of beer at their homes in Medieval times. They typically wore pointed hats so that they could be identified in a crowd by their customers. They played a crucial role in providing a significant portion of the population with a safe beverage when water was often contaminated. However, their profession was eventually stigmatized and they were associated with being loose women. Perhaps they were widows and it was the only way that they had to make money. They were known as people who made other people get drunk. For all kinds of excuses, their profession was stigmatized and they began to become associated with witchcraft due to their use of herbs in brewing. This led to accusations of dark practices.

So as the witch hunts intensified during the 16th and the 17th centuries, many alewives were targeted and they were accused of witchcraft which contributed to their demise and the decline of their profession.

Another possible origin of these pointy hats is, their connection to a religious movement in England - The Quakers who appeared around the mid-17th century.

In the mid-17th century, women of all social classes were wearing pointy hats and that coincided with the Quaker movement. Now, the Quakers wore black pointy hats. So

The Quakers were considered to be too radical by the Church of England and by the monarchy. Both of those bodies felt threatened by the Quakers because they began to preach that women and men were on a spiritual par, meaning that they were spiritually equal, they allowed women to preach. The preaching Quaker women wore black pointy hats, aprons and high-heeled shoes. These women were eventually persecuted by the Church of England and by the supporters of the monarchy.

On a more practical side, the conical hat's significance may also lie in its portrayal as a tool for channelling magical energy. In various cultural beliefs, the cone-shaped hat is associated with the idea of drawing power from the heavens down into the practitioner or the person performing the magic.

The pointed hat could be seen as a representation of a witch's connection to the spiritual realm and her ability to harness mystical forces.

Witches have been persecuted throughout history. Despite the varied origins, a pointed hat has become an enduring symbol of witches in popular culture.

In contemporary times the witch's hat remains an essential part of the imagery surrounding witches and its silhouette is instantly recognisable and often utilised as a symbol of magic and mystery.

VOCABULARY

IDIOMS

A witch hunt -  this describes a situation where someone or a group of people are looking for another person or group of people to punish them or reprimand them. 

The boss is so angry about the drop in sales he’s on a witch hunt… he’s calling us all into his office one by one…

The witching hour - refers to a  time past midnight when supernatural events are supposed to happen and when witches are at their most productive.

A witch’s brew - This is to refer to a mixture of elements just like a mixture of what a witch would make in her cauldron. It’s often used in a metaphorical way to describe a chaotic or confusing situation. 

Which Witch? (make sure you listen to the audio)

Pronunciation: 

Which witch whispered wonderful wisdom?

Here are a couple of confusing sentences for practice:

"Which witch brewed the potion that made the cat twitch?"

"The question is, which witch cast the spell that made the broom switch?"

And finally a silly joke…

What is a witch’s favourite food?

Sandwitches!!!

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That’s all for today! I hope you enjoyed today’s episode! Happy Halloween!

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