In the beloved classic film, The Wizard of Oz, the character of Glinda, the good witch, is known for her stunning attire. Glinda's outfits perfectly capture her ethereal and magical nature, making her a truly memorable character. Throughout the film, Glinda is seen wearing a variety of enchanting gowns, all of which are adorned with sparkling sequins, pearls, and other delicate embellishments. These details not only add to the visual appeal of her costumes but also enhance the sense of otherworldliness that surrounds her character. One of Glinda's most iconic outfits is her bubblegum pink ball gown, which she wears when first meeting Dorothy in Munchkinland. This gown features a full skirt that seems to float around her, creating an almost dreamlike appearance.

New online database tracks historic 'witch marks' carved into England's trees

A new online database has launched that allows users to browse more than 100 examples of graffiti etched on trees in the New Forest in England. The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) has curated examples of symbols and writing on trees at the national park, some of which date back hundreds of years, including marks from those seeking protection from witches.

The 28,924.5-hectare national park is located in the south of England, and it was designated a national park in 2005 to give it the highest level of protection and preserve it for the future. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, and remains a habitat for many rare birds and mammals. Earlier this year, the New Forest NPA put out a public call for sightings of tree graffiti, saying that "scribblings on trees from many years ago are a window into the past, revealing how some of our ancestors used the area."

According to the New Forest NPA, initials, dates, pictures, poems and royal marks can all be found throughout the park, although it warns against people carving trees today. Among the most common tree graffiti is the King’s Mark, used to identify trees reserved for building Royal Navy ships. Once iron and steel were introduced to shipbuilding, the trees remained untouched, but still bear their royal mark.

Pictures including eagles, boats, houses and people have been discovered as well as concentric circles, or ‘witch marks,’ thought to have been carved into trees to ward off evil spirits. The New Forest NPA wanted to document the tree graffiti because the marks are warping or are being damaged by animals or humans. Trees blowing over or dying also threaten the longevity of these historic records.

According to Lawrence Shaw, archaeologist at the New Forest NPA, the project came about because there was no central record of the known tree graffiti found across the New Forest. "We want to be able to refer back to these glimpses into the New Forest’s past, even when the trees themselves are lost," he said. You can see the graffiti database online here.

The Spooky Beauty Mark Quiz That Could Tell You If You Come From A Line Of Witches

As the months slip from summer to fall, our days grow darker and shorter and we welcome the onset of that most wonderful time of the year — Spooky Season. Carved pumpkins appear on porches and wispy cotton strands that look like spiderwebs are draped over trees. For some people, the buildup to Halloween is even more meaningful, due to one specific piece of folklore.

This gown features a full skirt that seems to float around her, creating an almost dreamlike appearance. The bodice is embellished with intricate beading and sequins, adding to the garment's enchanting aura. In addition to her ball gown, Glinda is also often seen wearing a flowing cape that billows behind her as she moves.

There’s a spooky beauty mark quiz that might tell whether you come from a line of witches.

If you travel through the realm of TikTok to WitchTok, you’ll find posts on the various ways to know if you are a witch. Some posts rely on palmistry, the study of marks on the palms of a person’s hands, to determine if someone has healing marks, also known as witches' marks. Yet apparently, there’s an even easier test to uncover if your ancestry is rooted in witchcraft.

According to the TikTok account @rainbowmoonreadings, women can look at their beauty marks to know if they come from a witchy lineage. One particular post instructs women to look at their forearms, where the presence of a beauty mark in one certain spot means that they are, in fact, a witch.

The beauty mark test for witches made its way to Instagram, where one astrology account called @cancer.horoscope0 reposted the TikTok test. The post brewed over 365,000 comments, many coming from women who noticed a mark on their arms.

“So how do I unleash my powers?” Asked one woman who found the mark. Another woman with the witch's mark asked, “Where are you, my fellow sisters?”

While most people have freckles, moles, or beauty marks on some part of their body, there is historic precedence surrounding the idea that witches have special markings.

According to a website focused on the history of Massachusetts, the concept of witch’s marks gained traction during early 16th-century witch hunts. They were defined as marks on a person's skin that proved they were a witch, as the mark was said to be evidence of a pact made with the Devil. An anonymously written book from 1645 defined witch’s marks as “a blue-spot, or red-spot, like a flea-biting.”

Witches were also said to be marked with a witch’s teat that their families nursed from. As a result of this lore, one popular tactic of witch-hunting was stripping the accused witch down and searching their naked body for the mark.

There are other ways to find out if you're descended from witches, stemming less from body-based markings and more from historical record-keeping.

A 2016 press release from the Wellcome Library in London announced the presence of a digitally-archived, 350-year-old manuscript called MS3658, also titled Names of Witches in Scotland, 1658. The manuscript is a ledger dating from 1658 to 1662 that lists the full names of accused witches in various towns and provinces in Scotland. Accompanying certain names are details of alleged confessions, which were most likely received by committing torture.

Photo: Anete Lusina / Pexels

An article from Smithsonian Magazine reported that following the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563, which made witchcraft a crime punishable by death, 3,000 to 5,000 people were openly accused of witchcraft during the 16th and 17th centuries. 84 percent of accused witches were women, and about 65 percent were over the age of 40. Around 64 percent of those accused were from what would now be called the middle class.

Witches mark meaning

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Witches mark meaning

This type of pattern scratched into the stone wall of a building can be inside or out, and are known colloquially in English as witches' marks. It is to protect the building and the occupants from the activities of witches. It seems that witches are remarkably easy to fool or distract, as the idea is that the pattern will attract the witch, who is then obliged to follow the line. They cannot help themselves, but the line has no end, so they are trapped in a never ending series of arcs, and are thus not in a position to be able to harm the occupants of the building.

This particular pattern, known as the 'daisy wheel' or 'hexafoil' is the most frequently found, made using a mason's compasses or dividers. The other very recognisable marks one sees sometimes are the Marian symbols -- a double interlocked V, standing for Virgo Virginum or an A or inverted V overlaying an M, for Ave Maria or Virgin Mary. The wooden panelling in the bedroom of our early 18th century house in London had several of these. Typically these marks are placed over points of entrance such as doors, windows and fireplaces, and date from the mid-16th to the mid-18th centuries. I would guess that the one above is 17th century, dating from a period when there was an absolute obsession with witches. It's scratched into a small window lintel in the end of a barn in the hamlet of Les Viaullières, a very typical position for a hexafoil style witches' mark, to protect stored crops.

Witches' marks are not to be confused with masons' or carpenters' marks, general graffiti or idle doodling, all of which can sometimes be found close together in the same building. Technically, in architectural history speak, they should be called apotropaic marks, meaning 'to ward off evil'.

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This cape is usually made of translucent fabric, allowing viewers to catch glimpses of her opulent gown underneath. The cape's ethereal quality further enhances Glinda's mystical and radiant presence. Another notable aspect of Glinda's attire is her crown. The crown is encrusted with glittering gemstones and sits atop her perfectly coiffed blonde curls, solidifying her status as the gracious ruler of Oz. Overall, Glinda's attire in The Wizard of Oz not only reflects her character's magical qualities but also adds to the overall enchanting atmosphere of the film. The attention to detail in her costumes, from the sparkling sequins to the flowing cape, showcases the artistry and creativity that went into bringing this beloved character to life..

Reviews for "Fashion Lessons from Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz"

1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the attire of the good witch from the wizard of oz. The dress looked cheap and poorly made. The fabric was flimsy and the stitching was coming undone in some places. It just didn't look like a high-quality costume at all. Plus, the fit was completely off. The waistline was too tight and the length was too long. It was uncomfortable to wear and didn't flatter my figure at all. Overall, I expected much better from a costume based on such an iconic character.

2. Sarah - 1 star - I couldn't believe how poorly designed and poorly executed the good witch's attire from the wizard of oz was. The colors were all wrong, the shade of pink was garish and didn't match the movie at all. The dress was also way too short, it barely covered my knees. The fabric felt cheap and itchy against my skin. The overall look was just very underwhelming and didn't do justice to the character. I would not recommend this costume to anyone looking to dress up as the good witch.

3. Alex - 2 stars - I was really let down by the attire of the good witch from the wizard of oz. The dress arrived with several loose threads and the glitter on the dress was already falling off. The quality was extremely poor and it felt like a waste of money. The size chart was also inaccurate, and the dress ended up being too tight in the bust and too loose in the waist. It just didn't look flattering at all. I was really hoping for a better costume for my Halloween party, but unfortunately, this one was a complete letdown.

4. Emily - 1 star - The good witch's attire from the wizard of oz was a complete disaster. The dress was poorly made, with sloppy stitching and uneven hems. The fabric was thin and wrinkled easily, making it look very cheap. The sizing was also way off. I ordered my usual size, but the dress was both too tight in the chest and too loose in the waist. It was very uncomfortable to wear and did not look anything like the character's iconic outfit. I definitely regretted my purchase.

The Influence of the Good Witch's Attire on Pop Culture from The Wizard of Oz