How witches were recognized in the past and how this can be done in the modern world

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Woman is not in vain dubbed the vessel of the devil. She seduces and subjugates, gives unbearable pleasures and can turn life into torture, lure with illusions, let in fog and, in general, makes the whole world revolve around her. Of course, not every representative of the weaker sex is capable of such feats. “Femme fatale”, a witch, a witch – this is how their victims and ordinary, average citizens dubbed the “lovely ladies”

Witch signs

So let's figure out how witches were recognized before and how to identify them among others now. As a textbook, you can, of course, take the famous treatise "Hammer of the Witches", but we will go the other way. And to begin with, let's recall situations when we encountered something special in a female form. For example, a completely ordinary girl or an ancient old woman will look at you - and her gaze is not for her age, tenacious, attentive, straight to the soul. And you will feel uncomfortable, somehow scared … And then your head will hurt, everything is out of your handsfall down. How witches were recognized in the old days: by the evil eye that they directed at their victims. Another fairly striking example: sometimes men call their lovers that, especially after a stormy, passionate night, or when a lady manages to force a gentleman to do something that he did not want to do. Moreover, he achieves this not by blackmail and threats, but by completely different, beyond the control of reason methods. How witches were recognized by such signs: if there is increased sexuality, promiscuity, the ability to subdue one's will, then the lady will certainly sniff with the devil! And of course, every self-respecting sorceress simply must be able to fly on a broom, broom or, alternatively, in a mortar! At least have the listed items in your arsenal. Their presence somewhere in an inconspicuous corner of the house was considered as indirect evidence of a woman's connection with the “other” world. The listed facts are a small fraction of how witches were recognized in the century, commercials, 17-18. And if you go further, look into the depths of centuries?

Gogol for answers

It's clear that sorceresses must have some distinctive features. A fair question arises: "How to recognize a witch by appearance?" Let us turn to the true connoisseurs of everything infernal - Gogol and Bulgakov. In "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka" and "Mirgorod" we meet with the most different devilry from popular beliefs and observations of real events. Here is the charming, cunning and unlucky Solokha. She is just over 40, and she is in the prime of female strength, beauty, sexuality. Eager for compliments, ready to listen to them even from a demon. How to recognize a witch by appearance, because Gogol Solokha has a diligent, hospitable hostess, kind in speeches, and outwardly does not drop herself. Dressed to the face, clean and neat. But here's the bad luck: she has a sure sign about which rural gossips gossip - a tail. Small at all, imperceptible under puffy skirts. But there is!

Stepmother and Pannochka

The tail, more precisely, the process on the coccyx, can be classified as idle speculation, although in biology they call this phenomenon an atavism, and in nature cases of the birth of people with such deviations have been recorded. Since everything unusual frightens and repels, atavism was called a devilish omen. And woe to those who had it! After all, how witches were recognized in the Middle Ages: if you have a tail, you are a witch. The next sign is long hair. Women were generally not recommended to cut their braids in the past, and not only because they were considered a symbol of femininity and beauty. The longer the hair, the more active the life force and the closer the connection with the cosmos. Intuition and the gift of foresight are more clearly manifested. And a magical gift too! Do not forget, in all witch rituals, women always let their hair down, “untangle”, wrapped in them like a cloak. And the pannochka witch in "Vie" appears before us untwisted, with black strands along her pale cheeks. Yes, she has black hair. And dark eyes, deep as a whirlpool. Even the dead pannochka is strikingly beautiful. The stepmother from May Night is also good-looking. However, her gloomy essence is given outan evil look and the ability to turn into magical animals. How to recognize a witch among people: get accustomed to the behavior of cats and dogs, if they are nearby! In her presence, they will behave restlessly: throw, attack, or, conversely, hide.

Following Bulgakov's footsteps

Mikhail Afanasyevich called Gogol his favorite writer for a reason. Bulgakov himself is not only a wonderful satirist, but also a mystic who deeply penetrated the secrets of the other world. His "Diaboliad" excites the imagination. And "The Master and Margarita" is a real encyclopedia that lifts the veil over witchcraft secrets. If you want to know how to recognize a witch by her eyes, read Gella's descriptions. You will not only encounter already known facts, but also get acquainted with new ones. Gella is a classic creature from the "other" world, a vampire, a servant of Woland. And her appearance is appropriate: colorful, spectacular, memorable. A red mane of thick hair, green, lewd, phosphorescent eyes, ideal proportions of the body and - as a special sign - an ugly scar on the neck. What we have: For the portrait of the heroine, Bulgakov uses precisely those ancient stereotypes of the image of a witch that have developed in Slavic, Russian-Ukrainian mythology. Red hair and green eyes have long been considered a sign of lascivious, dissolute, shameless, vicious women. And a sign of connection with the supernatural.

Queen Margaret

And here is another classic witch - Margarita. Before her transformation, she was a life-weary, tormented woman -with fine wrinkles on the forehead, dull eyes, yellowish shadows on the temples. What is the transformation of the heroine after the wonderful Azazello cream? The eyes turned green (again green!) and began to squint slightly, the eyebrows plucked into a thread became thick, laid down in even, smooth arcs. Hair is black, curly - instead of artificial perm. Smooth forehead, no wrinkles, clean, soft skin with an even pink blush. Thanks to the transformation, Margarita lost 10 years. She feels complete inner freedom, emancipation, therefore she “grins her teeth” carelessly in laughter. Here is an instruction for you - how to recognize a witch in the modern world.

Household witch Annushka

In the novel, there is another representative of the witch's clan-tribe: Annushka. She is pure incarnation of the lowest category of sorceresses - evil ones. Gella may also seem like that, but only at first glance. She punishes evil with evil, biting Varenukha, frightening Sokov. Its "impurity" is very conditional, even neutral. Annushka is different. Where this woman appears, squabbles, quarrels, gossip begin. She has a "filthy" language, from which nothing kind and friendly comes off. Annushka sniffs out, peeps, eavesdrops, in order to later spread another fable among the neighbors. And the nickname of the heroine is appropriate: Plague! And when Margarita's horseshoe falls into her hands, the woman's eyes light up with "completely wolf fire." By the way, each of them looks in different directions.

Birthmarks

Moles are the marks of the devil. So unambiguously and undeniably stated the Catholic priests in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. True, not all, but a special form, irregular, or too large, protruding above the skin. How to recognize a witch by moles? Usually, a woman suspected of witchcraft was stripped naked and carefully examined. If the unfortunate woman had marks on her body, and even with a few hairs - trouble! They were necessarily pierced with a long needle, piercing it deep under the skin. Droplets of blood appear - the "witch" has a chance to escape. There is no blood - that's all, this is one of the "evidence" according to which the woman was accused of being impure and sent to execution. Many people suffered a terrible death because of such birthmarks. However, there is no smoke without fire. And according to knowledgeable people, real witches really have special marks. If you look closely, then their moles are really special: in the form of numbers or strange icons. According to these signs, one can also distinguish modern "Witchers".

Hand lines

Since we are analyzing all the signs that indicate the magical essence of some ladies, it is impossible not to remember how to recognize a witch by her hand. Firstly, in real, ancestral sorceresses, the lines on the palms are arranged so that the Russian letter “M” or the inverted English “double yu” is clearly visible, i.e. W. Secondly, such a skin pattern is considered a sign of a witch, when a human eye is formed from the interweaving of small lines. Traditionally, it is located on the hill of the Moon - after all, this planetis responsible for the work of the subconscious, everything unknown, mysterious, associated with the zone of the night. "Witch's eye" indicates the presence of certain abilities, inner strength and special energy. It reveals to its owners such knowledge that an ordinary person does not even suspect. "An eye in the palm of your hand" happens to natural healers, healers, herbalists, astrologers, fortune-tellers, psychics, mediums, magicians. It is this, by and large, that distinguishes a truly gifted person from a charlatan and a deceiver. And finally, one more sign: a triangle, which is formed by the lines of the heart, liver and fate. According to ancient treatises, it also occurs only among witches or women who are prone to witchcraft, but do not practice it.

White and black

Experts say: there is no white and black magic - it is one-color. But there are good and evil witches who use their gift in different ways. Some heal, advise, help, warn, remove damage and the evil eye, avert trouble. Those. act in accordance with the primary meaning of the word denoting their occupation. Others act differently: they do all sorts of filth and dirty tricks. Often, for their dark deeds, such "witches" use the house of God. How to recognize a witch in a church? This is quite difficult, especially if you are not specially trained. Still, here are a few suggestions. Some of them may seem stupid or pointless. Take your time: magic, witchcraft defies rational explanation! Method one: on Easter Clean Thursday, you need to go to church in an invertedinside out clothes. Stand on the sidelines without touching anything. Then you will see the sorceress, completely naked, with her back turned to the priest. Just don’t give a look, otherwise it won’t be good! Method two: when a dead man is buried in a church and psalms are read, take a closer look at the women's faces. The witch hardly tolerates holy words, her face is distorted by pain and anger. And one more thing: if a woman is spinning around you, asking you to put a candle in her place, or kind of accidentally pushes you, hits you on the arm - congratulations, you are faced with a sorceress, and quite unkind. Return the blow to her, with your left hand. And move away, better to the priest.

Modern Witch

Speaking of sorceresses, we forgot two more prominent representatives of this tribe: Olesya and her grandmother, Manuilikha - the heroines of Kuprin's story. We need them, because give additional information on how to recognize a witch in the modern world. So, Olesya: tall, slender, long-haired brunette, with a strong, he althy body, because. she grew up among the freedom of the forests. In passing, we note: real witches preferred to live on the outskirts, away from curious human eyes and general fuss, but closer to nature, from which they drew their strength and knowledge. Her eyes are dark, shining, her eyebrows are thin, gracefully curved, slyness, imperiousness and naivety slip through her face, her skin tone is delicate, swarthy pink. She is charming, Olesya's beauty is original, she cannot be forgotten. The girl is endowed with the strongest charisma, giving the whole appearance a special appeal. But her grandmother resembles fairy-tale heroines. The face is thinsunken cheeks, a long and hooked nose, an equally long and sharp chin, faded round eyes under reddish eyelids, a twisted figure and a gnarled stick to boot. Manuilikha speaks unusually, with sayings and riddles, her voice is now hoarse, now whispering, her fingers are twisted - a real Baba Yaga! Isn't it true that you also met such lovely grandmothers? It's quite possible that some of them have actually done some shady dealings before!

Image transformation

Female essence indeed contains an element of the mysterious, unknown, magical. The fair sex lives more with emotions than with reason. The world of feelings is subtle, irrational, based on intuition, premonitions, the influence of the subconscious. Therefore, women are more closely in touch with the transcendent, otherworldly, sometimes without even noticing it. Their energy is more strongly connected with the natural, with tribal ties. After all, thanks to a woman, new life comes into the world. Because once the word "witch" was not abusive. On the contrary, it had a positive semantic coloring. This was the name given to women endowed with special - higher - knowledge: coastlines, able to heal people and animals, protect, protect, communicate with the spirits of nature and command the elements. So it was with paganism. But Christianity, alas, did not tolerate any rivalry in the sphere of influence on man. And because the beregini turned into sorcerers, accomplices of the devil. Those. those same witches who were hunted down by the Inquisition. To make women confess, their subtlytortured: on the rack and with a “Spanish boot”, tied hand and foot and thrown into the water. Will emerge - a witch, on her fire or the gallows; drown - the priest will sing as a random victim. Later, those accused of witchcraft were stoned and given to the mob to be torn to pieces. But even now you can be sure: a real witch has a special look, a completely different aura around her, in her purse, in addition to a powder box and a comb, there are strange objects: stones, roots and bunches of herbs, a candle stub. And she's all special!