Overcoming Fear: Resisting the White Witch's Spell in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a well-known fantasy novel written by C.S. Lewis. One of the key characters in this book is the White Witch, also known as the Queen of Narnia. The White Witch, whose real name is Jadis, is a cruel and powerful sorceress who rules over Narnia with an iron fist. Jadis is first introduced in the story as the main antagonist.


Boasting almost 20 million pages from coast to coast, this Library of Congress project digitizes US newspapers from 1777 to 1963 and offers a directory to help you find newspapers in libraries.

This venerable free site still serves up how-to articles, databases of surnames and US locations, mailing lists, pedigree files and much more making it an oldie but a goodie. These so-called witches didn t attend a fancy wizardry school, and they couldn t Expecto Patronum their way out of trouble, earning this title is actually much darker than Harry Potter would have you believe.

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Jadis is first introduced in the story as the main antagonist. She is responsible for the endless winter that plagues the land of Narnia. She keeps the land trapped in a state of perpetual winter, with no hope of spring.

Are You Descended From Witches? New Digital Document Could Help You Find Out

Genealogy has gotten pretty sophisticated in recent years. There are now massive online archives that make it easier than ever to hunt down obscure ancestors, not to mention mail-in DNA tests that can reach back centuries. But an approximately 350-year-old manuscript published online for the first time can reveal another fascinating detail about one's family history: whether any ancestors were accused of practicing witchcraft.

Just in time for Witch's Night (Halloween that is, not Walpurgisnacht), London’s Wellcome Library, which specializes in medical text and history, has digitized Manuscript 3658, Names of Witches in Scotland, 1658. The ledger records all the men and women accused of witchcraft in Scotland in between 1658 and 1662, during the apex of a century-long witch scare. According to a press release, the bound book contains the names of the accused, their town and notes about their “confessions,” which likely took place under some sort of torture.

According to The Scotsman, about 3,000 to 5,000 people in Scotland were publicly accused of witchcraft in 16th and 17th centuries, spurred on by the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563, which made witchcraft a crime punishable by death. That Act was vague, both in its definition of witchcraft and in how to identify witchcraft. At least 2,000 people were killed for being witches before the Act was repealed in 1736.

“This manuscript offers us a glimpse into a world that often went undocumented,” says Christopher Hilton, Senior Archivist at the Wellcome Library says in a press release on Ancestry.com, which hosts the list, though the manuscript is also available for free from the library. “How ordinary people, outside the mainstream of science and medicine, tried to bring order and control to the world around them. This might mean charms and spells, or the use of healing herbs and other types of folk medicine, or both. We’ll probably never know the combinations of events that saw each of these individuals accused of witchcraft.”

According to the extensive Survey in Scottish Witchcraft, there are records for 3,837 people accused of witchcraft, and 84 percent of the accused are women. About 65 percent of the accused were over the age of 40. Contrary to popular legend, the Survey found that folk healers and widows only made up a fraction of the accused witches. Nor were they necessarily poor; while nobles only made up about 6 percent of accused witches, about 64 percent of the accused came from what would now be considered the middle class.

Torture was often used to elicit confession, with sleep deprivation being a favorite tactic. In Scotland, at least, the swimming test, known as indicium aquae, was rare. The test judged whether those believed to be witches (or criminals) were guilty by tying them up and then tossing them into water. If the water rejected them as a “servant of the devil,” they floated and were deemed guilty. If they sank, and often subsequently drowned, they were found not guilty. Most witches were tortured into a confession. If they were found guilty they were typically strangled at the stake then burned.

Over time and especially during the panic covered by the Wellcome manuscript, lawyers in Scotland began to distrust some of the tactics used to identify witches, such as searching for "witches marks" or "witches teats" on their bodies which were often just scars, moles, warts, skin tags or birth marks. As the state became more secular and the Enlightenment began to take hold, belief in witchcraft decreased. In 1736, when the Scottish Witchcraft Act was repealed, it was replaced with the crime of “pretended witchcraft” which carried a 1-year prison sentence instead of death.

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Jason Daley is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, science, travel, and the environment. His work has appeared in Discover, Popular Science, Outside, Men’s Journal, and other magazines.

An offshoot of 101 Best Websites fave WorldCat, ArchiveGrid searches more than 7 million descriptions of archival records from 1,400 different institutions. Learn about historical documents, personal papers, family histories and other materials that may mention your ancestors. A clickable map makes it easy to find archives near you.
Lion witch and the wardrobe wjite witch

This icy and desolate landscape symbolizes her cold-heartedness and cruelty. The White Witch is known for her distinctive appearance. She is described as having pale white skin, long silver hair, and piercing blue eyes. She often wears a dazzling white gown, which adds to her ethereal and otherworldly presence. Her beauty can be captivating, but it is overshadowed by her malevolent nature. Jadis possesses powerful magic, which she uses to maintain her control over Narnia. She can freeze her enemies with a single touch, turn creatures into stone statues, and even resurrect the dead. This makes her a formidable and fearsome opponent for anyone who dares to challenge her authority. Despite her powerful magic and imposing presence, the White Witch is not invincible. She is ultimately defeated by a group of children who stumble upon Narnia through a wardrobe. These children, along with the help of Aslan the lion, the true ruler of Narnia, wage a battle against the White Witch and her forces. The character of the White Witch serves as an embodiment of evil and tyranny. Her ruthless rule over Narnia highlights the importance of courage, loyalty, and the fight against oppression. Through her defeat, the story shows that goodness and justice will triumph over evil in the end. In conclusion, the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a powerful and ruthless sorceress who rules over Narnia with an iron fist. She represents evil and the oppression of the land. However, her defeat by the courageous children and the return of spring symbolize the triumph of good over evil..

Reviews for "The White Witch's Influence on Narnia's Inhabitants: A Psychological Analysis"

1. John - 2/5 stars
I found "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: White Witch" to be quite underwhelming. The story lacked depth and the characters felt one-dimensional. The White Witch, who was supposed to be the main antagonist, was portrayed as more of a cartoonish villain rather than a complex and mysterious character. Additionally, the pacing of the story was slow and it took a long time for anything interesting to happen. Overall, I was disappointed with this adaptation and would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: White Witch" was a complete letdown. The special effects were cheesy and the costumes were laughable. The acting was subpar, with no real emotional connection between the characters. The plot lacked coherence and left me feeling confused throughout most of the film. I would not recommend wasting your time on this poorly executed adaptation.
3. Michael - 2/5 stars
I was excited to watch "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: White Witch," but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The film felt rushed, and important plot points were skimmed over, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. The White Witch, who should have been a compelling and terrifying character, came across as more annoying than anything else. The cinematography was uninspiring, and the overall production quality was lacking. I would not recommend this adaptation to fans of the book.
4. Michelle - 1/5 stars
I couldn't even finish watching "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: White Witch" as it was so poorly made. The acting was stiff and unconvincing, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. The visual effects were low-budget and cheesy, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the pacing of the film was off, with important scenes feeling rushed and others dragging on unnecessarily. Save yourself the disappointment and skip this adaptation altogether.

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