Dime Store Magic

Witches.

More than vampires, werewolves and monsters witches have been a fear of people for ages. You only have to look back at our fairy tales and most of the time, the villain is a witch- generally an old crone who lures people so that she can use them for her dark purposes. They are a popular theme for Halloween and even in more modern literature. I think, however, like vampires and werewolves, they have taken a more gray meaning. If a vampire or a werewolf can be a monster that can be understood and even liked, why can't a witch? Why can't a witch use magic that benefits others instead of magic that is meant to curse and harm?

I think, though, it can be agreed that witches are a form of fear for female power. In the stories, the witch is always a woman. They are almost always ugly (or have used power to make themselves beautiful). Back in the Middle Ages, and even more current, women were burned who were simply suspected of witchcraft. These are the tales that are handed down to us and our children. It is, in a way, disturbing.

But the more current stories begin to call into the fictional world helpful witches. For example, in C.S. Friedman's Feast of Souls, her witches use a part of their life force to help their fellow villagers. The first witch introduced sacrifices the last part of her life force to save a young child for a woman. It is grim, yes, but it is power they use to help those around them rather than harm (which is a wonderful comparison to the mages in the book who are male and feed their infinite magic off of other people!). Of course, compared to the magi, they are considered lesser being they are not only women but that they fade with use of their magic.

Another example is in Kelley Armstrong's world where her main witch, Paige Winterborne, is one that doesn't have any offensive spells. She can call into being defensive shields but her powers cannot be used to harm. She is one of the only otherworld races in the series that doesn't get anything to use offensively against the bad guys that often end up in her path (but that is probably why she is married to a sorcerer).