Dissecting Dragons: Episode 85: Witches, Bitches & Shrews - The Wise Woman Archetype in Speculative Fiction

Episode 85: Witches, Bitches and Shrews - The Wise Woman Archetype in Speculative Fiction

 

The wise woman or witch archetype is one of the oldest in collective human memory, dating back far further than we can track it. Once it hovered on the edge of being a respectable, if occasionally feared, profession. Just how did the word 'witch' come to be loaded with so many varied and often negative connotations? Why is it such an enduring archetype? From the Witch of Endor to the Alewives of York, from the 'keening women' of Ireland to modern day practitioners of wicca, the dragons examine exactly what makes a witch and how the archetype is used in speculative fiction. In the petri dish this week - The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis, The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden and many more.

 

Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic