Witches and Cobwebs

[Jade Moon]

I've always thought it was funny that "witches" are associated with old rickety houses and cobwebs and dust. It seems to me that the witches I know are more into growing plants and using natural cleaning potions and making their homes a virtual sanctuary. Where did this dark, dusty image of the witch come from?

[Cindlady2]

:foopsies:


not from me



:fpeek:




hehehe

[Flux]

Ummm, christians? _inabox_ At least that's where I learned ALL of my misconceptions about Paganism, witchcraft and other non-christian [religions].

Although, I must confess that I am fond of my cobwebs and my house was built in 1898. :D

[skilly-nilly]

Cobwebs are a good thing, imo!

In old days, cobwebs were used as bandages by the common folk who didn't have extra cloth. You cut yourself, put a healing leaf over the cut, held it in place with a wodge of cobweb, and there you were.

The imagery of spiders and spinning/weaving is a very Magical concept in many cultures. Spiders and Spider Woman taught the art of weaving to 'the' people (whatever people in question) and so are valuable.

Spiders also catch and eat annoying bugs.

[Rudas Starblaze]

I've always thought it was funny that "witches" are associated with old rickety houses and cobwebs and dust. It seems to me that the witches I know are more into growing plants and using natural cleaning potions and making their homes a virtual sanctuary. Where did this dark, dusty image of the witch come from?

i resemble that remark!

and where did it come from?

history.

[Nitefalle]

Honestly, I am arachnophobic, but I have trained myself over the years not to harm the spiders and generally just not mess with them. I get my SO to nudge them out of the house and I only kill if it is a known dangerous species (such as brown recluse or black widow, etc.).

Cobwebs are just yucky because I hate when something gets so dirty and dusty that cobwebs form. I like a clean house.

[blueangel]

It's probably because witches we outcasts in history, so they lived in old houses alone which were rickety etc. and so there were lots of spiders. Town people probably told scary story about the cobwebs to frighten children.

Or maybe it was something related to Miss Haversham!

[Crysiira]

While I respect spider symbology and mythology and even imagery, real spiders scare the crap out of me! Spiders and their webs are at their best when they are outside. I can deal with it then. I even find them useful and beautiful out there. But not in my home. No way. I am too terribly afraid of them. It's something I'm trying to tame, but I can't help it; I see one and I literally quake for days.

[Amilee]

Goodness! Christianity had nothing to do with the dusty old misconception!! It was entirely a story used to scare children! Witches were thought of as evil by Christians to begin with true, but the pointy hat witch with the broom, the cat and the scary old house came entirely from ghost stories and kids trying to scare eachother!

I think that in those stories, a lot of our culture was burried deep inside! Can any of you name any famous witch stories? If you can, what kind of symbolism was used to describe her? Her house?? Why?

You'll be surprised!

[Sage Rainsong]

I've always thought it was funny that "witches" are associated with old rickety houses and cobwebs and dust.

I would love a scary old New England style house with cobwebs. That sounds lovely!

[Flux]

Christianity had nothing to do with the dusty old misconception...Witches were thought of as evil by Christians to begin with...

So Christianity did have something to do with it. Had early Christians not demonized witchraft and instead likened it to rainbows and unicorns, there would have been no basis to create the image of witches as cobweb-loving, wart-covered, dust-dwellers.

[Empress Stillnight]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that witches are more prone to embrace the entire life cycle as natural, whereas Christians often have the view that death came about through disobedience/sin, and therefore is not a natural part of the cycle.

When I think of old houses and cobwebs and dust, it reminds me of decay, Samhain, the dark, introspective side of the year. Christianity condemns dark for the most part, and focuses only on light.

I think many people are afraid of death, also, because we usually no longer have personal exprience with the dying. Also, even if one has seen someone die, there is no guarantee that your death will be similar. Death is alot like birth-a very individual experience. And unlike birth, those who die can rarely come back and explain what it's like.That makes death the Great Unknown.

Of course, aversion to cobwebs and dust COULD be an evolutionary survival reflex, also.Look how quickly we made advances in medical care after the existence of pathogens were confirmed.

And some folks just find spiders and dust icky:)

[BFD_Zayl]

it was a concept brought up by people to make witches and other magic users seem dark, evil, and scary. now me, i love cobwebs, the night, and secluded old buildings, as well as dust and decay, but hey, thats just me.

[Empress Stillnight]

So do I, BFD_Zayl:)
I live in a rickety old house and never feel comfortable in a newer one.I love spiders (well, except maybe the time some recluses took up residence in my laundry room-that was not so great), and while I'm kinda allergic to dust, I just have to get my hands in some soil to feel whole. I love to wander at night in all kinds of weather (ever been out in a blizzard after dark-ITS AWESOME)!

I was only doing a little free association, tossing some ideas out there from different perspectives. People tend to declare evil that which they oppose. But WHY do they oppose something-that's what makes me curious? Sometimes it's because of political agenda, sometimes it's because they don't want another ideology to compete with their paradigm of Truth. Sometimes they really GENUINELY can't see past their paradigm to consider a different view.Sometimes they're afraid. Sometimes they want power.Sometimes they've just never been introduced to any perspective outside of the one they grew up with.Sometimes they just don't want to know there are other perspectives, because they are perfectly happy thinking theirs is the only truth (but then again, that might be the same as wanting power).

Do you kinda get what I'm trying to say here, even though I'm rambling a bit down the garden path, lol?

Why do you think they felt a need to make witches and other magic practioners appear to be evil?

Ohh, I just thought of another one. Maybe the deity they worship told them that all other gods and magic were evil, and they believe their deity, and never having had any contact with any other deity (because their own deity forbids that), they choose to believe that their deity has given that order as loving protection.

What do you think?



it was a concept brought up by people to make witches
and other magic users seem dark, evil, and scary. now me, i love cobwebs, the night, and secluded old buildings, as well as dust and decay, but hey, thats just me.

[trueseeker]

I think many people are afraid of death, also, because we usually no longer have personal exprience with the dying. Also, even if one has seen someone die, there is no guarantee that your death will be similar. Death is alot like birth-a very individual experience. And unlike birth, those who die can rarely come back and explain what it's like.That makes death the Great Unknown.


So is it possible sometimes for the dead to come back?Or is just an invented hollywood story...What about reincarnation?

About the deity of Christians..It's true ,it's written in the Bible,thou shall practice no magic or indulge in the practice of babilonians/egyptian etc.Also says that Jehova god hates all magic and considers an ugly thing the practice of magic by humans.I think he only reserves that to himself and his team,maybe that is what it means.How selfish :))

[cydira]

Ok! Ok!

I didn't get the dusting done! I'm still unpacking boxes, sheesh! :toofless:

That said, somewhere I've got some notes I wrote down about how the sterotype about witchcraft and witches developed here in the USA. I did it for a paper years ago for college. Where the heck that is now... *shrugs* I've a suspicion.

With luck, I'll find it next week and post it. :) :boing:

[Corvis Canis Latrans]

Dusty, cobwebby thread, from the looks of the dates....:D

That's ok, thread archaeology is fun.

*Pets corner spider*

[Amythyst]

I've always thought it was funny that "witches" are associated with old rickety houses and cobwebs and dust. It seems to me that the witches I know are more into growing plants and using natural cleaning potions and making their homes a virtual sanctuary. Where did this dark, dusty image of the witch come from?

I have no idea...maybe the association of cobwebs is connected to the spider-- as in Grandmother Spider.

Most witches I know are cleaning demons. Their houses are spotless. Unfortunately, I'm not among these cleaning demons. I'm a very 'hit and miss' housekeeper and you will, indeed, find cobwebs in my house-- and sometimes an impressive layer of dust (gravel roads, you know).

I also refused to let my husband wipe away a cobweb in our bedroom during the winter months-- a lovely little spider had decided to take up residence between the legs of a sculpture on my dresser. I was honored by her presence.

[Shawn Blackwolf]

Just speaking from my Tradition...

Two columns of eight symbols each...

Sum of symbols , by gematria...994

994 = Wietch's Book Of Shadows

994 = Perfect Love , Perfect Trust

994 = Inner Tradition : Initiate Blindfolded , Then Bound

994 = Rebirth Into Path

Among many other things...

One column alone , by itself , equals 603...

Other column , equals 391...

391 = Spider

603 = Spiderweb

995 = Black Widow

Also known to us , as the Old Woman...:thumbsup:

[green aventurine]

Dusty, cobwebby thread, from the looks of the dates....:D

That's ok, thread archaeology is fun.

*Pets corner spider*

lol yes, I think thread archaeology can be fun as well, especially for newbies like me :)

Reading this thread remind me of watching The Munsters reruns on TV after school while eating my dinner except Lily was a vampire, apparently:



Lily is mainly a housewife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housewife), and her duties include spreading garbage around the mansion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansion) and "dusting" with a vacuum cleaner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_cleaner) operating in reverse so that it blows dirt about in the nine-room-and-a-dungeon house.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Munster

I'm sure TV hasn't helped the association between witches and cobwebs etc

Cydira: I'd be interested to hear a bit about your paper if you have time to post it.

[mephistopheles]

Ummm, christians? _inabox_ At least that's where I learned ALL of my misconceptions about Paganism, witchcraft and other non-christian [religions].

Although, I must confess that I am fond of my cobwebs and my house was built in 1898. :D

Ooh, do you live in the old part of YourTown? If so, you lucky lucky little... *Homer Simpson strangle thing* :lol:


..atleast I think I have the right town, I know you aren't far from me XD.