The Origin of Witches: From Ancient Magic and Pagan Beliefs to Medieval Witch Hunts and Modern Witchcraft
The witch — from ancient healer to feared heretic to feminist icon. This article traces how magical practitioners in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece became the target of medieval witch hunts that claimed tens of thousands of lives, and how the modern Wicca movement and popular culture reclaimed the witch as a symbol of power and resistance.