Myths and Legends of the World

Famous Witches: The Immortal Witch Circe is one of the best-known mythological mistresses of mayhem. According to the Odyssey, Odysseus and his Achaeans found themselves fleeing the land of the Laestrygonians. After a bunch of Odysseus’ scouts were captured and eaten by the Laestrygonian king, and nearly all of his ships sunk by large boulders, the Achaeans ended up on the shore of Aeaea, home to the witch-goddess Circe. Circe is well known for her magical mojo, and had quite the reputation for her knowledge of plants and potions. She may have been the daughter of Helios, the sun god or a daughter of Hecate, the Goddess of Magic and Witchcraft. When Odysseus visited Aeaea, Circe turned his men into swine, but Odysseus was given a magical plant by the gods that prevented Circe from morphing him. After making Circe swear not to betray him, Odysseus and his men lived under Circe’s protection for a year before attempting to sail back to Ithaca. Morgan le Fay , whose na...

Witches and wizards are people thought to possess magical powers or to command  supernatural  forces. They appear in the myths and folktales of many cultures. The word  witch  usually refers to a female, though male witches exist in some traditions. Men who possess the powers associated with witchcraft are often known as wizards. Witches are, for the most part, humans who gained arcane power either through birthright or, more commonly, by making a pact with some sort of spirit.  They often have a familiar animal or spirit. Are They Bad or Good?   In many myths and legends, witches are evil, dishonest, or dangerous. Some cultures do not consider them fully human. If not evil by nature, witches may be possessed by demons or wicked spirits determined to harm humans according to the religious teaching.  Yet ordinary men and women may learn magic for the purpose of hurting others. Such people are sometimes called sorcerers and sorceresses rather...