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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 8333
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
10/30/2003
11:32:22 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,682
RSS: 0
Comments: 14
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Real Witches Won’t Turn You Into A Toad
Author: Chris Butler Source: The Idaho Statesman
Title: HALLOWEEN CRONES ABOUND, BUT REAL WITCHES WON’T TURN YOU INTO A TOAD
There´s a little something the real witches of Boise would like to clear up about themselves this Halloween.
They don´t have green skin, long crooked noses and broomsticks. And they don´t cast evil spells.
Yes, they are hooked on Halloween. It´s their new year and their time to honor the dead. But if you run into a real witch (or warlock) Friday night, you may not be able to tell her or him from your next-door neighbor.
So go ahead and wear a pointy black hat Friday. But ditch the witch myth if you want to understand the people who call themselves real witches.
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Community Thoughts: There are 14 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Huh | Oct 31st. at 12:14:26 am EST |
by Denise (Bremerton, Wa) - wc_xemail
A few years ago, I read in a book that the term "Warlock" was an archaic Scottish term meaning a male witch.But I don't remember which book that I read it out of and have not found any information to back it up.
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| Interesting | Oct 30th. at 5:08:32 pm EST |
by Sunflower (Calgary AB) - wc_xemail
AeisLugh's link is well worth checking out - the article it leads to was written by someone who certainly seems to know his way around when it comes to checking on etymology from Teutonic languages, and the case he makes is excellent.
I've often pondered myself on the semantic shift from "oathbreaker, traitor" to "male witch" - I considered the possibility that it might have been equivalent to the Crusaders and Saracens both calling each other "infidels" ("Ours is the True Faith, therefore anyone not following it is unfaithful to it even if they have never been part of it") , but had to regretfully relinquish that theory since the OED (my friend's Unabridged for that one, not my faithful portable Oxford Current which wasn't up to this task) indicated the timing wouldn't work ; by the time a hostile Established Church would have been using that as propaganda, "warlock" already referred to a sorcerer. (BTW, the Oxford people do give that "traitor" origin.) Not being a philologist, that's as far as I went.
I learned quite a few years back that male Wiccans using the word "warlock" weren't necessarily fraudulent, incompetent, or even ignorant other than (sometimes) about common attitudes - quite a lot of books, teachers, and other sources don't make a point of ruling that word out; they usually just say "both men and women are called 'witches' " and leave it at that. As well, there's a small but significant body of male practitioners who intentionally use "warlock" to reclaim the word - I think we'd look pretty silly objecting to that, after all we've done in the same vein to reclaim "witch" (and, yes, many of our strongest and quite sincere voices on that happened to also get a bit of a kick out of the spectacularity. If there was a rule saying Wiccans couldn't be exhibitionist, that'd let Gardner and Sanders, among others, out) . Sure, when you hear "warlock" you check carefully to see if the guy using it is a charlatan or a dolt - but he may not be.
I appreciated the word from Idaho on just how "warlock" came to be used in the article, and what was done about it - I wasn't surprised; aside from that it was an especially good article, and its usage seemed heavy-handed and afterthoughtish.
Sunflower
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| Unless You Want To Be A Toad | Oct 30th. at 4:27:51 pm EST |
by David Aquarius (Renton, WA USA) - wc_xemail
But then all I can do is get you a membership into the Republican Party. Newts used to be the big thing but fell out of favor. Weasels are available, but only for a larger contribution.
Lots of articles about us, not all will be very accurate. What the hell...it's only for a few more days. Then we can go back to being rather innocuous.
The term warlock has taken on the meaning of 'oathbreaker' by popular means. Perhaps the folks who first thought of referring the term to oathbreaker forgot to check with the people at Oxford.
I am always amazed at the lengths people will take to correct the definitions of words. English is a growing language. It's alive!
Parts of it grow, parts die. Some words hibernate until they are remembered and brought back into use. Still other words come back in a different package, with a new and improved definition.
Our society moves ahead at breakneck speeds sometimes and the words we used as children have to evolve with us as we grow to adulthood. The Dictionary, like the Bible (IMO) is a source of reference, not absolutes. We learn what words mean now, but this may not be the case later.
I say etymology is a good thing, taken in moderation. If you can't find the right word for a situation, you are welcome to make one up.
No one will come to your house in the middle of the night and arrest you for assaulting the language.
That is, unless you're a toad.
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| Warlock Misconception | Oct 30th. at 4:03:44 pm EST |
by AeisLugh Silveroak (Ontario, Canada) - wc_xemail
I thought I'd just post a lil tidbit of knowledge with all the hoopla over the use of the term Warlock. Alot of entymologists no longer think the term orinally meant "oathbreaker". A lot of those who really look into the linguistics of the word, find that the origins of the word are actually in old norse, translating literally to "spirit song" evolving, through kennings, to mean "conjuror" or "enchanter"
Just a little tidbit. Do some research. just because Christians use a term for something, does not mean they originated the term.
btw, here's a link to some entymology on the word.
http://www.boudicca.de/warlock-e.htm
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| I Dunno | Oct 30th. at 3:29:22 pm EST |
by BlackberryRemedy (Hurricane, WV) - wc_xemail
If they mess with my cat, I might turn them into a toad!! bhaaaaa
hehe
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| Re: The Term "Warlock" | Oct 30th. at 2:36:17 pm EST |
by Coontail (Phoenix) - wc_xemail - Web
If people use the term incorrectly or not, it shouldn't effect our reality. Do we have the market cornered on our knowledge of correct Christian terminology? We might want to lighten up a little! Ignorance on their part shouldn't be met with hostility on ours!
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| I'm Not So Sure | Oct 30th. at 2:29:48 pm EST |
by Starlight Bunnybutt (FL, USA) - wc_xemail
After a very frustrating day with the local library, I'm no so sure I'm not the kind of Witch that does toad spells. Argh!
Besides the obvious use of the ---lock word, this article wasn't that bad. At least it wasn't an "All Pagans are basically Witches" piece.
Blessed uh...your seasonal observance here...everyone.
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| I Happen To Be A Part Of...... | Oct 30th. at 2:29:33 pm EST |
by Magestorm Allgoode (Taterland) - wc_xemail
......Idaho Witches, which is an online community. The people interviewed for this article had already talked to the reporter about the warlock business. Come to find out, The reporter did not use that term. However, his copy editor added it at the last minute before sending it to press. Considering that the rest of the article was fairly well researched, I would have been supprised had it been otherwise. The reported went ahead and apologized for the blunder, and assured that there was no malice or ill intent in the article he wrote, but to merely inform others that we are not the boogeymen and women that some claim us to be.
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| I Toad You Once | Oct 30th. at 1:20:48 pm EST |
by Trickster (Smokies) - wc_xemail - Web
I've considered turning a few people into toads, but never did because it was alway redundant.
"He's afraid we'd hex him
and he'd end up cursed
but he's already Jack Harvey
we can't make it any worse"
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| Sent Him A Correction | Oct 30th. at 12:51:37 pm EST |
by Kathy (Murfreesboro, TN) - wc_xemail
I emailed him and thanked him for a positive and mostly accurate article and did correct him about the warlock thing. :-) at least he didn't use that totally obnoxious 'self-proclaimed.'
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| Not A Toad | Oct 30th. at 12:29:58 pm EST |
by Bear (FL) - wc_xemail
No we would turn you into a Cow. At least we have a choice of having Milk or a hamburger.
See what happens to reporters who don't do there research. Burger :)
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| Someone Has Been Watching Too Much "Bewitched | Oct 30th. at 12:17:28 pm EST |
by Athenea (Alabama) - wc_xemail
No one who knows the meaning of the word "warlock" would have used that term to describe a male witch. I'm only hoping that the reporter of this article didn't get that word from the folks he/she interviewed.
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| Research? | Oct 30th. at 11:51:07 am EST |
by Kara Harkins (Arlington, VA) - wc_xemail - Web
not bad, but I wonder how much research was done when the word warlock
is used?
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| Who? | Oct 30th. at 11:37:31 am EST |
by Ares Hearthfire (ny, ny) - wc_xemail - Web
How did suc a nicely written, positive article still find a way to mention warlock?
Ares
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