The Wicked Witch of the West is a character from L. Frank Baum's famous novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She is the main antagonist in the story, and her menacing presence adds a sense of danger and conflict to Dorothy's journey to find the Wizard. The Wicked Witch of the West, also known as Elphaba Thropp, is a green-skinned witch with a crooked nose and a pointed hat. She is portrayed as an evil and power-hungry sorceress who seeks to obtain Dorothy's magical ruby slippers in order to increase her own power. Throughout the story, the Witch employs various tactics to try and stop Dorothy and her friends from reaching the Emerald City.
Taoism (also known as Daoism) traditionally is said to have been founded in the 6th century B.C.E. by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. Adherents live predominantly in China and Taiwan. The World Religion Database estimates there are more than 8 million Taoists.
Yet it must be emphasised that there is a diverse spectrum of views and practices, and there are practitioners who beg to differ with the views espoused by Gardner, Murray and Sanders. Reliable regional data on the median age of followers of other world religions is available only for Asia and the Pacific, where it is 33, four years older than the overall regional median 29.
Throughout the story, the Witch employs various tactics to try and stop Dorothy and her friends from reaching the Emerald City. She sends her flying monkeys to attack them, creates obstacles such as a field of poppies that put them to sleep, and even captures Dorothy and Toto at one point. Despite the Witch's attempts to thwart them, Dorothy and her companions are ultimately able to defeat her.
Other Religions
Worldwide, there are an estimated 58 million members of other religions, accounting for nearly 1% of the global population. The “other religions” category is diverse and comprises groups not classified elsewhere. This category includes followers of religions that are not specifically measured in surveys and censuses in most countries: the Baha’i faith, Taoism, Jainism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Tenrikyo, Wicca, Zoroastrianism and many others. Because of the paucity of census and survey data, the Pew Forum has not estimated the size of individual religions within this category, though some estimates from other sources are provided in the Spotlight on Other Religions sidebar below.
Members of other world religions are heavily concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region (89%). The remainder is divided among North America (4%), sub-Saharan Africa (3%), Latin America and the Caribbean (2%), Europe (2%) and the Middle East and North Africa (less than 1%).
Although the majority of members of other religions live in Asia and the Pacific, only about 1% of the people in the region adhere to these faiths. In the remaining regions, members of other religions make up less than 1% of the population.
India has the largest share (47%) of all members of other religions, including millions of Sikhs and Jains. Outside India, the largest shares of people who belong to faiths in the “other religion” category are in China (16%), Japan (10%), Taiwan (7%), North Korea (5%) and the United States (3%).
Adherents of “other religions” do not make up a majority of the population in any country.
Median Age
Globally, members of other religions are older (median age of 32) than the overall global population (median age of 28). Reliable regional data on the median age of followers of other world religions is available only for Asia and the Pacific, where it is 33, four years older than the overall regional median (29).
Spotlight on Other Religions
The “other religions” category is diverse and comprises all groups not classified elsewhere. It includes followers of religions that are not specifically measured in most censuses and surveys, including but not limited to the faiths listed below. Estimates of population sizes for these groups generally come from sources other than censuses and nationally representative surveys.
The Baha’i faith began in Persia (now Iran) in the 19th century. Baha’is are widely dispersed across many countries, with significant populations in India, the United States, Kenya and elsewhere. The Baha’i International Community reports more than 5 million adherents.
Jainism originated in India and dates back to at least the 6th century B.C.E. Today, the vast majority of Jains live in India, though significant numbers also are found among Indian immigrant communities in Kenya, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The 2001 Indian census enumerated more than 4 million Jains in India, but some Jains have contended that number is a substantial undercount. According to estimates by the World Religion Database, there are fewer than 250,000 Jains outside India.
Shintoism is a Japanese faith that has been part of religious life in Japan for many centuries. Although Shinto rituals are widely practiced in Japan, only a minority of the Japanese population identifies with Shintoism in surveys. The World Religion Database estimates there are almost 3 million Shintoists worldwide, with the vast majority concentrated in Japan.
Sikhism was founded at the turn of the 16th century by Guru Nanak in the Punjab, a region now split between India and Pakistan. More than nine-in-ten Sikhs are in India, but there are also sizable Sikh communities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. The World Religion Database estimates there are a total of about 25 million Sikhs worldwide.
Taoism (also known as Daoism) traditionally is said to have been founded in the 6th century B.C.E. by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. Adherents live predominantly in China and Taiwan. The World Religion Database estimates there are more than 8 million Taoists.
Tenrikyo was founded in the 19th century by Nakayama Miki in Japan. The faith is one of many new Japanese religions; others include Shinreikyo, Mahakari, Omoto and PL Kyodan. Reliable estimates of the number of followers of Tenrikyo and other new Japanese religions are not available.
Wicca is a Pagan or neo-Pagan religion that gained popularity in the 20th century. It is practiced mostly in the United Kingdom and the United States. Reliable estimates of the number of Wiccans around the world are not available.
Zoroastrianism traditionally is said to have been founded by Zarathustra in Persia sometime before the 6th century B.C.E. Adherents live mainly in India and Iran. The World Religion Database estimates there are about 200,000 Zoroastrians worldwide.
Other faiths in the “other religions” category include Cao Dai, I-Kuan Tao, Mandaeism, the Rastafari movement, the Rātana movement, Scientology and Yazidism, to list just a few.
The Witch's downfall comes when Dorothy accidentally throws a bucket of water onto her, causing her to melt away. This weakness to water is revealed earlier in the story when the Witch avoids encountering any form of water. The Wicked Witch of the West is often seen as a representation of evil in various adaptations of the Oz story, including the beloved 1939 film version, where she is famously portrayed by Margaret Hamilton. Her green skin and black attire have become iconic symbols of wickedness and Halloween costumes. In addition to Baum's original story, the character of the Wicked Witch of the West is also central to Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked, which provides an alternative perspective on the character and presents her as a complex and sympathetic figure. Overall, the Wicked Witch of the West is a memorable and sinister character in the world of literature. Her role as the main antagonist in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues to captivate readers and viewers alike, serving as a reminder of the power of imagination and the triumph of good over evil..
Reviews for "The Wicked Witch's Curse: Myth or Reality?"
- Sarah - 2 stars - I found "Wicked Witch of the" to be quite disappointing. The storyline lacked depth and the characters felt one-dimensional. The pacing was incredibly slow and I found myself constantly losing interest. The writing itself was also lackluster, with poor dialogue and repetitive descriptions. Overall, I was expecting much more from this novel and unfortunately, it fell flat for me.
- John - 1 star - I couldn't even finish "Wicked Witch of the". The plot was predictable and cliché, and the characters were uninteresting and poorly developed. The writing style was also very amateurish, with simple and boring sentences. It felt like a waste of time and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping and well-written story.
- Mary - 2 stars - "Wicked Witch of the" was not my cup of tea. The story felt disjointed and scattered, with no clear direction. The world-building was also confusing and inconsistent. The main character was unlikable and hard to root for, which made it difficult for me to connect with the story. I was disappointed with the overall execution and would not recommend this book.