TWT #2: "The Witch, Her Victim..."
Jenny
jenny@panix.com
Thu Jul 27 14:46:58 2000
If you can't find (or wade through...) Favret-Saada's _Deadly Words_, Willem de Blecourt has done a very good survey of modern research on traditional witchcraft, called "The Witch, Her Victim, the Unwitcher, and the Researcher:  The Continued Existence of Traditional Witchcraft".  This lengthy essay appears in Bengt Ankarloo and Stuart Clark's _Witchcraft and Magic in Europe:  the 20th Century_ (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999).*p*Blecourt begins by summarizing the various "types" of traditional witchcraft: the traditional division between the "witch" who harms with her magick and the "unwitcher" who blesses;  the idea of conscious witchcraft (cursing) and unconscious witchcraft (the evil eye).  He also briefly notes some of the social issues involved in this labelling.  Throughout Europe, most "witches" are women and most "unwitchers" men.  The closer you live to somebody, the worse you're likely to think of them.  "Witches" tend to be neighbors, "unwitchers" residents of other towns.  In fact a traditional witch will tend to be labelled a malign "witch" by her neighbors, and a helpful "unwitcher" (wise-woman, devin, etc.) by people who live further away.  *p*After this introduction, Blecourt describes the various sources of information we have on traditional witchcraft:  field work (ie., talking to practicing "unwitchers"), folklore journals from the 19th century, newspaper reports, folklore indexes, legend repertoires, and court trials from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Quickly and concisely, he talks about the strengths and weaknesses of these various sources, the ways that they can mislead us.  If you're interested in doing some serious research on the topic, this is a good guide to where to start looking.*p*Finally the essay concludes with a series of short discussions of special topics, like the evil eye.  He also briefly mentions some of the evidence for "active bewitchment".  That is, for people who actually do try to harm other people with magick.*p*Again, the witchcraft presented here is very different from the average Pagan view of it.  Most people who practice magick don't call themselves "witches" (or whatever the word for "witch" is in their language).  Most people who are accused of witchcraft don't practice it.  Witches are again very active in encouraging fear of witchcraft.  And there is nothing Pagan about the traditional witchcraft modern researchers have found.  It is thoroughly, even aggressively, Christian.  One cunning woman in Germany, for instance, said that God and the Bible commanded her to fight witches, and she would not stop lest she anger God.*p*On the other hand, there are details that occasionally remind one of modern Witchcraft.  For instance Blecourt believes that traditional witchcraft has its roots in Paganism.  When he gives specific examples of traditional witchcraft, there are a few details that resonate with modern Craft practices.  One German case, for instance, mentions that a witch's power must be passed from man to woman or woman to man -- a tenet of some Wiccan traditions.*p*The familiar details, however, are few and far between.*p*Jenny*br*