Witches have been a central obsession of western culture for centuries. However, they haven’t always been seen in the best light. History has let us watch these powerful women go from gruesome, malicious, inhumane characters to empowering, humanly protagonists.

Witches, simply put, are women who are thought to possess magical powers. Many times they’re depicted as wearing a black cloak with a pointed hat and riding on a flying broomstick. This image has faded throughout the years. There has been a lot of diversity in recent portrayals as societal and cultural imagination is growing.

These women are seen in literature as far back as the beginning of written history. Through Greek Mythology all the way to this very month, probably this very day, witches have been written about and given a power that some of us can only dream of possessing. So, who are these women that have taken the world by storm?

Boss Witches: A Timeline

Hectate is the “first” witch in literature. As the Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, and doorways, she is often forgotten about since she is not one of the 12 Olympians. She is known as one of the goddesses of the underworld. Hectate is usually seen carrying torches to remind people of her association with darkness, like the night and moon. As the first witch in written history, Hectate is the first standard of what a “witch” should be. Hectate was once an image of beauty and wisdom with her powers. However, through time her image changed to that of an old hag, one with dark and cynical wants and desires. Unfortunately, this depiction set the idea of witches for a while.

Another Greek mythological “witch” is Circe. The Odyssey portrays this enchantress as someone who removes a person’s manhood with her magical ways. She would transform men into all kinds of different animals including, but not limited to, wolves and pigs.

Morgan le Fay, also known as Morgana, is from Arthurian Tales, is King Arthur’s half-sister, and her magical powers have been under scrutiny for decades. Depending on the story, Morgan le Fay is one of evil and hatred like in T.H. White’s, The Once and Future King. In other variants, like Le Mort D’Arthur, Morgan le Fay uses her abilities as a healer.

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, The Weird Sisters, or Wayward Sisters, play a prophesizing role. They resemble the Grey Witches and the Three Fates from Greek Mythology. Older than dirt itself, these women have the knowledge of the world, man’s destiny, and they control his fate. This implements the idea that women not only have worldly knowledge, but that it is so powerful that it controls the destiny and fate of others. The images of the witches are still stuck in the past. Yet, their representation of power is significantly underrated. Fun fact: the word “weird” comes from the Old English word “wyrd” which translates to “fate.” Hence, the Weird Sisters who control the character’s fate.

In all this time and literature, witches are viewed as hags with hideous moles on their faces. Using their magic for malicious purposes. Then Frank L. Baum gave the world The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Sure, the Wicked Witch of the West takes on the scary, very green, image of witches that are normal to the world. She is the evil ruler of the Winkie Country. In the books, she only has one eye and is the main antagonist of the first book. She’s the one with the terrifying flying monkeys. Yet, this children’s novel is coming out in the turn of the century. Things are turning around for literature and witches.

Baum also gives the world Glinda the Good Witch, the very first good witch in pretty much all of written history. Glinda is the most powerful sorceress in the entire Land of Oz. She is one of the “good” witches, the other one being her sister, The Witch of the North.

There is no proof that Mary Poppins wasn’t a witch. The books describe her as a very standoffish and grumpy nanny, very different from the Julie Andrew’s portrayal of her. Nonetheless, she has a flying umbrella, can transport the children to magical places, and helps the medicine go down. Also, there’s been a theory going around in recent times that she attended Hogwarts and was in Ravenclaw. Headcannon accepted.

Chronologically, C.S. Lewis’ The White Witch is first seen in The Magician’s Nephew before she comes back in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Lewis obviously didn’t take on the “good witch” theme. Since the Chronicles of Narnia is a religious-based series, the White Witch is said to represent the devil in the novels.

The three witches, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Whatsit exist in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. These three women are ones of mentorship and amazement.  While all three are set apart not only personality-wise, but by physical appearance too, they all have the Murry children’s trust. They fight for good and help the children in many ways throughout their journey.

Witches start to become a pin in mainstream society when Scarlett Witch/Wanda Maximoff is first seen in Marvel Comics in 1963. Introduced in the X-Men issue, Scarlett Witch makes her strong presence known. Wanda, and her twin brother Pietro, are first depicted as supervillains. However, soon after her entrance into the X-Men, she is recruited by the Avengers and the rest is history. After much speculation, Scarlett Witch, aka Wanda, is said to be the most powerful supervillain turned hero in the entirety of the MCU. The 20th century became a commonplace for witches and there was much tug and pull from grotesque evil creatures to superheroes. Marvel proves through Scarlett Witch that this image of “evil” witches can be overturned.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is next up as a short strip in Archie Comics. Yet, the teenage witch soon gets her own comics, along with her cat and two aunts. Sabrina is your average teenager going to high school, dealing with her boyfriend and friends. Oh, and she’s a half-witch being raised by her witch aunts and has a talking black cat. Nothing abnormal to see here.

Roald Dahl paid tribute to witcherature in many ways. The Witches are featured in his dark fantasy novel, The Witches. As a kid, these witches gave quite a fright, wore gloves, had color-changing eyes, and were bald. However, the witches that Roald Dahl writes about are very problematic. His depiction of witches is heavily misogynistic and antisemitic. Yet, if there is one thing to learn from the 20th century, it’s that some witches can disown their frightful and evil representations. So, let’s look at these witches as important feminist icons. It even says in the book, only a woman can be a witch. Only women can have this kind of power. Dahl seems to catch on to the good witch theme and writes about another infamous witch, one that takes a new stance from the “scary, evil” witch woman that is featured in The Witches.

Matilda makes her debut in Roald Dahl’s Matilda. You might know her from the movie that took the world by storm. Remember the books flying everywhere and maybe being traumatized by the chocolate cake scene? This magnificent little girl reminds the world just how magical it is to be a kid and just how powerful a girl can be!

Serefina Pekkala isn’t the main character of the series, but her presence is still greatly noticed. She is the queen of the Lake Enara clan of witches and serves as a kind of mentor and guide to Lyra in the His Dark Materials trilogy. You might recognize the title better as The Golden Compass which is the first book of the series.

J.K. Rowling gives us a plethora of diverse and empowering witches in the Harry Potter series. Hermione Granger is the brightest witch of her time. Taking being a know-it-all and giving it a powerful and inspiring new twist. Professor Minerva McGonagall is genuinely an aspiration for all generations. Not only a teacher and mentor but a complete and total Boss Witch. There’s Luna Lovegood, The Weasley Women, Cho Chang, Lily Potter, Fleur Delacour, Pomona Sprout, Nymphadora Tonks, Madam Pomfrey, Narcissa Malfoy, and so, so many more. Every witch is individually set apart from the rest and every single one is an icon in the modern-day.

Paybacks a Witch …

Despite historical views of witches and their “evil” ways, these magical women have turned around their grotesque image. Witches have come to symbolize female empowerment. Over the decades, they’ve gone from hideous beings who must perish to people who strongly challenge patriarchal narratives. They’re teachers, and mentors, mothers, and daughters. They’re very intelligent and are always there to pick up the pieces. Let’s face it, Harry Potter would’ve died his first year at Hogwarts if he didn’t have Hermione or McGonagall for that matter. There have even been witches who rewrite their narratives, like Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West. Gregory Maguire redeems the wickedness of the green-skinned witch in his Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Witches are strong. Witches are powerful. They will no longer be accepted as mean old hags that steal men’s wills and morals. There has been much progress in the history of what witches portray but one thing has always remained true: Witches have always been a source of power and fate and empowerment. They’ve put a spell on all of us. So, got magical abilities? If you’ve got ‘em, haunt ‘em. Happy Halloween, Witches!