Witches have long captured the public imagination, whether accused of consorting with the devil or simply threatening mainstream society. Today, many are seen as feminist icons while others are associated with death and destruction.
Sometimes terrifying and sometimes inspiring, here are ten of the most famous witches throughout history:
1. La Voisin
Catherine Monvoisin, also known as La Voisin, lived in France in the mid-17th century. She practiced medicine, including midwifery and abortions, mixed potions and poisons, told fortunes, and held black masses where clients could bargain with the devil. She was also one of the leaders of the Affaire des Posons cult, which poisoned many members of the French aristocracy and planned to poison King Louis XIV. Her most famous client was the king's mistress, Madame de Montespan. On Montespan's orders, La Voisin tried to poison the king for his infidelity.
In the late 1670s, fear of poisoning and witchcraft reached a fever pitch on the streets of France, and many successful diviners and poisoners, including La Voisin, were arrested. Later in 1680, she was publicly burned after being tried for witchcraft.
2. Alice Kyteler
The first recorded woman tried for witchcraft in Ireland, Kyteler lived from the late 1200s to the early 1300s. Kyteler was married four times, which already marked her as an ordinary woman. When her fourth husband died, fearing he had been poisoned, her children and the children of her three previous husbands accused her of using poison and magic against their father. She was accused of countless other wicked acts, such as animal sacrifice, Satan worship, and using her powers to manipulate and control Christians. Ecclesiastical authorities tortured one of her servants, Petronella de Meath, who confessed to witchcraft and was thus guilty of Kyteler's actions. At that point, Kyteler fled the country, presumably to England. She was never heard from again.
3. Isobel Gowdie
Convicted and executed for witchcraft in 1662, Gowdie is known for her detailed confession, which she made voluntarily, without torture, like many other women of the time. Gowdie was a young housewife living in Auldearn in the Scottish Highlands. Her confessions about the activities of her congregation, including their supposed ability to transform into animals, provided a great deal of insight into the European folklore surrounding witchcraft at the time. She also claimed that the Queen of the Fairies "entertained" her in her home "under the hills." Some speculate that Gowdie's confession may have been due to psychosis or a ploy to get a lighter sentence.
4. Moll Dyer
If you've seen The Blair Witch Project, you already know the legend of the infamous Moll Dyer. Although her story is more lore and superstition than recorded fact, this supposed resident of Leonardtown, Maryland has been the inspiration for many local stories and even major motion pictures. Dyer lived in the late 17th century. A group of fellow townspeople accused her of witchcraft and a group of men chased her out of the house on a winter night. Her body was found days later, frozen in a large rock.
Stories of his malevolent spirit haunting a forest cabin and terrorizing anyone who approaches in revenge on those who wronged her are rampant.
5. Marie Laveau
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Recently played by Angela Bassett in American Horror Story: Coven, Marie Laveau is best described as a voodoo priestess. She lived in New Orleans from 1794 to 1881, and although little is known about her life, it is widely documented that she had a huge following and was respected when she walked the streets of New Orleans. It is speculated that her magic mixed Catholic and African spiritual traditions; that her predictions were supported by the network she built while working as a barber and brothel hostess; that she possessed a snake called Zombi, after an African god, and many others. After her death, her grave was vandalized and many visitors believed that Laveau's spirit would grant wishes if they drew an X on her tombstone.
6. Dion Fortune
Violet Mary Firth Born in 1890, Dion Fortune was a British occultist and author considered by many to be a modern witch. She has written extensively on occult subjects in both fiction and non-fiction. In 1924, she founded the Fraternity of the Inner Light, a magical society dealing with religious philosophy and alternative realities. She died in 1946, leaving behind her magical society that survives to this day. In his book The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft, Ronald Hutton considers her to be the "the foremost female figure" in early 20th-century British occultism.
7. Tituba
You've probably heard this name from Arthur Miller's The Crucible, but like many other characters in the play, Tituba was inspired by a real person. Although it is not clear from which South American country she is, Tituba was brought to the American colonies as a slave to Samuel Parris. In the Salem witch trials of 1692, Tituba was the first to be accused of witchcraft by Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams.
At first Tituba denied her involvement, but as with many accused, her will was quickly broken. Tituba admitted to participating in an occult ritual, saying that she baked the witch to help her lover, Elizabeth Parris. Tituba embellished her confession by adding information about her service to the devil, riding on sticks and commanding a black dog to harm children. Her testimony was both strange and terrifying, as Tituba said she had pressured the girls and signed the devil's book. Tituba, like many others, was imprisoned for almost a year, but she could not be among the women hanged for witchcraft.
Finally, in 1693, an unknown person bought Tituba from prison for her prison fees. After that, the woman's path disappeared from history.
8. Malin Matsdotter
The largest witch trial in Swedish history, known as the Great Noise, spawned a tenacious Swedish widow. In July 1676, the witchcraft of Malin Matsdotter was reported by her own family. Matsdotter's daughters accused their mother of kidnapping their children and taking them on a satanic sabbatical. Matsdotter was convicted thanks to the testimony of her daughters and her lack of religious knowledge and prayers.
Matsdotter, along with Anna Simonsdotter Hack, became the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Stockholm. Although witches were usually beaten or hanged to death, the court decided to give Matsdotter a different punishment when she refused to admit her guilt. When Anna apologized, Matsdotter maintained her innocence, thus becoming the only Swedish witch to be burned alive. A local said Matsdotter did not scream or appear to be in pain as the flames engulfed her body.
9. Mother Shipton
Ursula Southeil, better known as Mother Shipton, was a highly respected and feared English prophet in the 16th century. Mother Shipton was nicknamed "Hag Face" by the locals because of her ugliness and disfigurement. Many believed she was the daughter of suspected witch Agatha Southeil and the devil.
Despite her appearance, Mother Shipton was considered England's greatest psychic and was even compared to Nostradamus. Some of Mother Shipton's prophecies predict many modern events and phenomena; she is said to have predicted the Spanish Armada, the Great Plague of London, the Great Fire of London, the execution of Mary Queen of Scots and the Internet. Unlike many other famous witches, Mother Shipton died of natural causes and was buried on the outskirts of York in 1561.
10. Agnes Waterhouse
Agnes Waterhouse, also known as Mother Waterhouse, was the one of the first women executed for witchcraft in England.
In 1566, she was accused of witchcraft along with two other women: Elizabeth Francis and Joan Waterhouse. All three women were from the same village, Hatfield Peverel. She confessed to having been a witch and that her familiar was a cat by the name of Satan, sometimes spelled Sathan, which originally belonged to Elizabeth Francis. Agnes was put on trial in England, in 1566, for using witchcraft to cause illness to William Fynne who died on 1 November 1565. She was also charged with using sorcery to kill livestock, cause illness, as well as bring about the death of her husband. Joan Waterhouse's testimony ultimately helped to convict the two other women. Agnes was hanged, and was one of the first women executed under the Witchcraft Act of 1562 in England.
So, who do you think is the scariest witch? Leave your answer in the comments below.
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