The origin of witches hats is shrouded in mystery and folklore. These pointed hats have long been associated with witches and their magical powers. While it is difficult to trace the exact origin of these hats, their association with witchcraft can be found throughout various cultures and historical periods. One theory suggests that the witches hat design was influenced by traditional forms of headwear commonly worn during ancient times. For example, pointed hats were prevalent among certain religious groups or sects in the ancient world. The cone-shaped hats worn by ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses, or the hats worn by Babylonian priests, bear some resemblance to the witches hat.
The alewives hats got their negative connotation for a mix of (stupid) reasons. The changing brewing industry accused alewives of selling diluted and tainted beer to crush these competitors. The ‘good’ Christian wives having their husbands come home drunk at all hours of the day hated the alewives because they preferred accusing these independent women of being evil than putting the fault on their drunk husbands. Making those hard-working brewers enemies of the church. The combination of these reasons mixed with the myth that women with knowledge of herbalism were working with occult forces created the myth of alewives being linked to witchcraft. The fact that the traditional alewife hat looked like the middle age Juden hat just made it even easier for the church to demonize these women.
Women in brewing and selling of ale were accused of being disobedient to their husbands, sexually deviant, but also frequently cheating their customers with watered-down ale and higher prices. Another of Pratchett s Witches the ancient Eumenides Treason orders fancy dress accoutrements and interior decor from the Boffo Novelty and Joke Emporium.
The cone-shaped hats worn by ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses, or the hats worn by Babylonian priests, bear some resemblance to the witches hat. Another theory links the origin of witches hats to the Middle Ages, a period rife with superstitions and belief in witchcraft. During this time, hats with pointed tops were worn by various groups, including jesters and fools.
The Witches Hat
Samhain Greetings to you all! Today we have the second instalment of Nell's wonderful blog series.
The Witches Hat.
Those of you who did not grow up in Blighty, or who were born after the death of Elvis may not recognise this picture.
It is a Witches Hat, one of the scariest, most exciting, and deathly dangerous of all the many forms of playground equipment which were banned in the course of the 1980’s. This was a period during which the realisation slowly dawned that small children, high velocities and concrete surfaces were not such a good mix. Needless to say, you couldn’t get me off the things. I fell off repeatedly, I also threw myself off, as I did with swings, slides, those manic roundabout things, even the tandem rocking horse. This sort of thing was considered as a mark of valour and a character-building challenge to which one could only rise with honour or sink with shame in the playgrounds of the early Thatcher years. I draw attention to the Witches Hat to illustrate just how ingrained this symbolic shape is. The playground equipment was actually patented as ‘The Ocean Wave’ when it was invented in the early Twentieth Century, but even the campaign to have it re-instituted refers to it as ‘The Witches Hat’. The real ‘Witches’ Hat is a bit of a contentious issue. Its important to bear in mind that even the things we think of as iconic and immoveable are innovations, the Green Skinned Wicked Witch of the West was a victim of technological change just as much as Dorothy’s Slippers: changed from Silver to Ruby, which just looked so much better in Glorious Technicolour. The real or imagined antiquity of a tradition has a bizarre moral force. Things aren’t really hallowed by time, if they were then slavery, domestic violence and stoning would all be considered sacred. In fact all three have been supported by arguments of ‘time immemorial’, Biblical Authority and indeed legal precedent. Rather than recycle claims about pointy hats and ancient magical practices, in this post I’d like to briefly examine the how the symbolic importance of the Hat evolved in print.
In discussing the symbolic value of the Witches Hat there is no better place to start than with a quote concerning one of my favourite Witches, Terry Pratchett’s Granny Weatherwax, from her apprentice Esk: ‘It’s a Witches hat because you wear it. But you’re a Witch because you wear the hat’. Granny, whose combination of headology and herbology makes her a woman after my own heart, invests heavily in her costume. Looking the part is essential to the ‘Headology’, which lends efficacy to her Craft. Another of Pratchett’s Witches the ancient Eumenides Treason orders fancy dress accoutrements and interior decor from the Boffo Novelty and Joke Emporium. Her apprentice adopts the name ‘Boffo’ as the term for ‘putting on a show’. Like Granny, Mother Treason employs Boffo to inspire the appropriate respect for herself and her Witchery and to activate the powers of both expectation and suggestion, all essential aspects of Headology. Granny wears her Hat in public, not in the forest. She wears it to be seen, this is real power dressing, albeit without the big hair and shoulder pads.
The point is, if you’ll pardon the pun, Hats are extremely visible, some of them quite literally eyecatching, especially tall pointy ones, which lends a great deal of power to their symbolic use, and their role as easily identified marks of status. In the era of Westerns the Black Hat and White Hat of the Cowboys performed this function, a trope which has now crossed over to differentiate different types of computer Hackers. The status which a Hat marks can vary however. The alleged Heretics prosecuted by the Spanish Inquistion were made to wear paper Capirotes, at the highly public ceremonies, the ‘Auto de Fe’, which sealed their fate. Red hats were worn by those sentenced to death, whereas penitents and other criminals wore Hats of different colours. In an interesting twist, Silk versions of these are still worn by the Penitent Orders in Catholic Countries.
As in this picture, different colour denote different Penitential organizations.
The point is, if you’ll pardon the pun, Hats are extremely visible, some of them quite literally eyecatching, especially tall pointy ones, which lends a great deal of power to their symbolic use, and their role as easily identified marks of status. In the era of Westerns the Black Hat and White Hat of the Cowboys performed this function, a trope which has now crossed over to differentiate different types of computer Hackers. The status which a Hat marks can vary however. The alleged Heretics prosecuted by the Spanish Inquistion were made to wear paper Capirotes, at the highly public ceremonies, the ‘Auto de Fe’, which sealed their fate. Red hats were worn by those sentenced to death, whereas penitents and other criminals wore Hats of different colours. In an interesting twist, Silk versions of these are still worn by the Penitent Orders in Catholic Countries.
It is believed that witches may have adopted this style of headwear to further distinguish themselves from society and provoke fear. Interestingly, the depiction of witches in popular culture, such as in fairy tales or Halloween imagery, has also influenced the perception of witches hats. These depictions often feature witches wearing black, wide-brimmed hats with a pointed crown. This imagery has become deeply ingrained in popular culture and has further solidified the association between witches and their pointed hats. Overall, the exact origins of witches hats remain elusive. They have been influenced by a combination of historical headwear, cultural traditions, and popular imagination. Today, witches hats continue to be a symbol of witchcraft and are commonly associated with magic and Halloween festivities..
Reviews for "The Influence of Witches Hats in Pop Culture"
1. John Doe - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Where do witches hats come from". The story felt weak and unoriginal, as if I had heard it a thousand times before. The characters lacked depth, and the plot was predictable. It was not engaging at all, and I found myself easily distracted while reading it. Overall, I expected more from this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. Jane Smith - 1/5 stars - "Where do witches hats come from" was a complete waste of my time. The writing style was dull and monotonous, with no flair or creativity. The dialogue was unnatural and cringe-worthy, making it incredibly hard to connect with the characters. The plot was disjointed and confusing, jumping from one scene to another without any clear transitions. I struggled to finish this book and felt unfulfilled by the end. I would not recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable read.
3. Emily Johnson - 3/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Where do witches hats come from", but sadly, it fell short of my expectations. While the concept was interesting, the execution was lacking. The pacing was slow, and the story dragged on unnecessarily. Additionally, I found the characterization to be weak, as I couldn't fully invest in any of the characters. However, I will say that the descriptive language used throughout the book was beautiful and vivid. It's a shame that the overall storytelling didn't match up to the quality of the writing.
4. David Thompson - 2/5 stars - I found "Where do witches hats come from" to be quite underwhelming. The plot was predictable, and there were no real surprises or twists that kept me hooked. The writing style was also bland, lacking any distinctive voice or excitement. The book didn't explore any new ideas or bring anything fresh to the genre. Overall, it was a forgettable read that I wouldn't recommend to others.
5. Sarah Baker - 2/5 stars - "Where do witches hats come from" was a letdown for me. The story felt disjointed and lacked a clear direction. The characters were shallow and didn't develop much throughout the book. I struggled to stay engaged and found myself skimming through the pages to reach the end. Although the premise had potential, it failed to deliver an engaging and captivating narrative. I wouldn't recommend it to fellow readers.