We’ve all heard of witches, but do witches really exist? Yes, they have existed since the beginning of history, and most likely have for thousands of years. In the Bible, Saul, fearing the might of the Philistine army, began to seek advice from the Witch of Endor.
In classical literature, we have Homer’s Circe, who casts a spell on people and turns them into pigs. Ovid tells us about strings; erotic creatures that fly through the air to perform acts of murder. But such an old story, when did the witch first appear? Early mythology: In Norse mythology, we have the Valkyries; maidens of Odin who fly through the skies and bring slain warriors to Valhalla to help settle battles.
Many theorists believe that witchcraft was a product of the worship of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. British archaeologist Margaret Murray similarly theorized in 1921, arguing that the craft’s roots could be traced back to pagan fertility cults.
The Christian image of the devil is actually a hybrid of pagan god forms, such as the Greek Pan and the pagan horned god, sometimes known as Herne the Hunter. The idea no doubt goes back to most male shamans who would don the skin of the animal they were about to kill; hence the horned idol.
