witchcraft
Sign in to savethumb|Depiction of witchcraft in John William Waterhouse's painting The Magic Circle (1886)
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Article
32 sectionsContents
- Concept
- Etymology
- Beliefs about practices
- Witchcraft and folk healers
- Witch-hunts and thwarting witchcraft
- Accusations of witchcraft
- Modern witch-hunts
- Religious perspectives
- Ancient Mesopotamian religion
- Abrahamic religions
- Jewish
- Christian
- Islamic
- Modern paganism
- Regional perspectives
- Africa
- Americas
- North America
- Latin America
- Asia
- East Asia
- Middle East
- Europe
- Early modern and contemporary Europe
- Oceania
- Witches in art and literature
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Works cited
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Depiction of witchcraft in John William Waterhouse's painting The Magic Circle (1886)
Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. Though the idea of witchcraft is largely imaginary, it has nevertheless served in many cultures as a way to explain the presence of evil. The belief in witches has been found throughout history in a great number of societies worldwide. Most of these societies have used protective magic or counter-magic against witchcraft, and have shunned, banished, imprisoned, physically punished or killed alleged witches. Anthropologists use the term "witchcraft" for similar beliefs about harmful occult practices in different cultures, and these societies often use the term when speaking in English.