erinthul
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Half Demons - Witches
🕑 Added 2024-07-30 17:42:42 +0000 UTCSo far, I have only discussed nature demons appearing in Polish folklore, but it is important to remember about semi-demonic characters living among people. The most famous example of such creatures are witches.
Relatively recently, due to the influence of the Christianization of Polish lands, witches were perceived as pure evil. They were accused of contacts with the devil and working to destroy humanity, but the figure of the witch was known to the Slavs already in pagan times. Back then, herbalists and medicine woman were called hags who, thanks to knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation, were able to heal people and animals. Women from witch families carefully guarded their secrets, which is why they were credited with using magic, which made them respected and feared by the local population.
They were depicted as old and ugly women living on the outskirts of the village. Sometimes they could take the form of young and beautiful women, and also turn into moths, cats or owls. Sometimes they met at night on the tops of treeless mountains and held their Sabbaths. People called such places the Bald Mountains and avoided going near them. As a rule, witches were mainly women, but in some parts of the country you can hear about male witches.
As I mentioned above, the Catholic Church has blurred the old perception of witches, and the progressive demonization of these figures has led to witch hunts. Women accused of witchcraft were subjected to terrible tortures, the most popular of which were burning alive at the stake or the so-called "water test". It involved tying a woman and throwing her into the water. If she did not sink, she was considered a witch, because it was commonly believed that a witch's body was as light as a feather and therefore would float on the surface of the water.
It is estimated that in Poland about 10,000 people legally tried for witchcraft lost their lives, but we cannot forget about the lynchings that were common at that time, which probably doubled the number of victims. One of the last such lynchings in Poland took place in 1836 in a small town located on the Baltic Sea. The fisherman's widow was then accused of witchcraft. She was subjected to a water test, but she survived it and finally died at the hands of her torturers.
This is the subject that I am the most passionate about. I think you can see that clearly in my photography and that's why almost every photo worked for that theme. I posted here my favourite ones but I'd love to know if there's a specyfic photo in which you can see me mostly as a witch (I hope you get what I mean).
Love, Erinthul.
Comments
Evan Bond
I've always been fascinated by witchcraft lore and history. Thank you for sharing and teaching me more about the subject! So hard to choose a favorite of these shots as they're all incredible. I really love the one in the snow with the axe and the lightning striking the tree is amazing.
Steven Angulo
I didn't learn very much, but yes, exactly, the magic that the black warlocks practice in a coastal area of Venezuela called Barlovento is related to voodoo in Haiti because they are both descendants of West African magic. The female mediums in cities read Tarot cards and they do other things (they all have their own style).
Erinthul
Thank you so much!
Erinthul
Thank you kindly for taking your time to write this comment. Are those witches practice something like a voodoo magic? I heard about it a long time ago but didn't do much research
Erinthul
Thank you!
Magnus Börjesson
Beautiful mixture❣️
Steven Angulo
This is another highly interesting and informative post! In Venezuela, where I grew up, there are lots of mediums in most cities (typically women), who are commonly referred to as witches, but they aren't witches in the European sense. However, a segment of the coastal area has a predominantly black population, and those who practice magic (a variant of West African magic) are mostly men (warlocks). The problem in Venezuela is that these mediums and warlocks often use magic not just for healing but also for very evil purposes. Anyway, what an awesome collection! I think your witchiest portraits are 1, 5 (what a lovely path, too!), 8 (in front of the bonfire), 9 (you cast a winter spell on the forest!), 10 (the autumn witch), 13 (my favorite, you're about to join the coven and dance with the others), and 17 (so sinister at the well, my second-favorite). Wonderful art!
Steven Niehaus
I love witches and lore about witches. That lightning struck tree is so good
