The Black Series
The Witch Series is a project that explores tone, value and mark-making through printmaking. The works explore the classical archetypes of the witch, exploring the common historical and horror troupes of how women and witches were negatively portrayed. Presenting in only one colour - black- the series is a reflection of primarily intensive research of speaking to many people from different regions on their cultures and countries' views of what a witch is. The archetypes chosen for the subject of the prints were the ones that showed multiple links, cross references and connections across many different countries and continents.
The Witch Series was kindly funded by the Grand Plan.
Hut
A symbol of isolation and excommunication from society, the witch's hut is a basic archetype of Witch in pop culture in both the West and East of Europe and Africa.
It has its cultural and historical roots in many different countries. In England after the plague the nuclear family was first created, this was an effect of a large number of older women surviving the plague who were now seen as useless and burdens, as such they were cast out to huts and shacks on the edge of society. The isolation from society left them vulnerable to schizophrenia and as older people they were more susceptible to dementia. The personality shifts caused as a result of said isolation gave witch hunters and villagers, and excuse to ostracise and demonise these women even further.
In Ghana Witch Camps are both a sign of excommunication and safety. Isolated away from the main population they are sent to these camps for protection, the beliefs of witchcraft are strong in West Africa even to this day. If a villager has deemed you a witch due to bad luck befalling the village a person could be tortured, mutilated or murdered. The witch camp is Gambaga, Ghana has existed since the 18th century and is believed to have had 8,000 inhabitants throughout its existence. In this way the hut, similar to English beliefs, is a symbol of evil and otherness.
We also see this historical phenomenon echoed in the media such as movies, fairytales and video games.
A selection of spells, a series summoning circles, rune written rituals. A Witches Book contains many unknowns to the regular people. The term coined for said book was grimoire.
A symbol of power used in Tv Shows like Charmed and films like Suspiria. The Grimoire is the most modern troupe out of all of them when it comes to female witches having spellbooks as, throughout history, very few women have been given the chance to be literate. And as most accused female witches have been poor, usually illiterate, women its unlikely they could use the spells though written word.
However that doesn't mean that historically there have not been Grimoires or spellbooks linked to witchcraft. Iceland for example had a high rate of female literacy in the 16th century and as a result anyone found with a Grimoire, something very difficult to get a hold of, was tried and punished for witchcraft.
The Shams al-Ma’arif was created in Algeria in the 13th century centred around Arabic magic and spell communication for most of Islamic history; this book has been suppressed as it’s seen as a book for devil worshipers and witches.
Grimoire
From Cuba to Peru, Russia to Germany the Cauldron is well associated with witches and witchcraft in both Western Europe and Southern America.
In the 16th century woodcuts by Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg and Paulus Frisius depicted witches gathering by cauldrons, something that solidified the archetype of Witches and Cauldrons throughout western Europe.
While the basis of European witchcraft's relationship to cauldrons comes from anti-witch propaganda in Cuba the cauldron, also called a Nganga, is a symbolic and integral piece of equipment that is central to the Palo religion. Often a demonised religion Palo to many outsiders is seen as witchcraft and the Nganga and its need to ‘feed’ is a major factor in this.
Due to the western association with cauldron = Witch; colonised South America was influenced by how it perceived medicine women. Usually older women who were tasked with making remedies and spells would use a cauldron as part of this process.
The cauldron is a good archetype to see how western influence turned a symbol of indigenous practise into something sinister.
Cauldron
In Europe familiars were seen to be spiritual entities that would protect or guide witches. Due to the association in the 14th century of witches becoming a symbol of evil, so did their familiars. Common creatures that were seen as familiars in Europe were cats, toads, rabbits and dogs. However as depicted in the illustration in Matthew Hopkins book Discovery of Witches(1647) there were other common animals that could be familiars as well; basically any animal a woman associated herself with could be seen as a servant of evil.
The influence of christian ideology and the evilness of witches and their familiars has not just influenced Europe. In Africa animals such as baboons, hyenas and owls as well as the common cats and dogs.
Familiar
Bad Luck
The most common link between most cultures views and beliefs on witches is bad look, the belief that witches have the ability to curse an individual or a community to bad look has been a common factor in the torture, mutilation and death of witches for many centuries.
Still to this day women and men are accused of being witches when others experience ‘bad luck. In Saudi Arabia today it is common for people to report others to the Anti-Witchcraft unit when they experience bad luck or misfortune. n Africa and India a witch can be seen as the epitome of evil, bringing disease, death and misfortune to those around them; even to this day.
A large part of early to mid 17th century Europe was plagued with extensive witch hunts due to the extreme changes constantly happening; war and peace, prosperity and austerity. The lack of consistency and control over the situation caused many to need a scapegoat for the instability of their country, as such witches and witch hunts became popular.
Death
Whether it be the death of others, or more commonly themselves, witches have an unfortunate relationship with death. From children to old women from the 14th century to modern day the killing of witches is a tried and true practice for many countries.
Within the height of witch hunting in Europe from the 15th to 18th century it is believed that around 35,000 witches were murdered in Europe.
Hanging and beating to death are the most common and popular methods of killing witches in modern day. However the burning of witches, while uncommon, is both an iconic way of killing a witch in modern media and in real life. In Kenya 2008 a mob burnt 11 people to death after they were accused of witchcraft.
In India around 768 women since 2008 have been killed for allegedly practising witchcraft. In Tanzania it is estimated around 20,000 people have been put to death for the accusation of witchcraft throughout the last 20 years.
Historical and modern murders of people being accused of witchcraft is unfortunately the most common link between all of the countries discussed and many more unmentioned. The archetype of the witch can be incredibly dangerous as it ends up leading to these kinds of atrocities happening.
