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If asked to imagine a witch, most people would probably picture an ugly old woman with a broomstick, a black cat, and a bubbling cauldron into which she throws “eye of newt and toe of frog.” This quote is from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and the tale’s three witches simultaneously drew on and helped shape popular perception. In stories, witches cast evil spells and put curses on whole villages. In history, on the other hand, they have been viewed as everything from wise women to devilworshippers and followers of modern spiritual beliefs.
If asked to imagine a witch, most people would probably picture an ugly old woman with a broomstick, a black cat, and a bubbling cauldron into which she throws “eye of newt and toe of frog.” This quote is from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and the tale’s three witches simultaneously drew on and helped shape popular perception. In stories, witches cast evil spells and put curses on whole villages. In history, on the other hand, they have been viewed as everything from wise women to devilworshippers ...