21st Century Witch Hunts
Witch hunts and persecutions are still going on today in some parts of Africa, the Pacific and Latin America. Those thought to be involved in sorcery, witchcraft and occult practices are often condemned to death.
The Saudi Arabian government has an Anti-Witchcraft Unit that seeks out and jails those suspected of performing witchcraft. In 2007 one person was executed whilst another died in prison waiting for a verdict. Unfortunately the ‘crime’ of witchcraft is often used to discriminate, particularly against women.
In a separate example, the president of Indonesia is one of the only world leaders that has publicly admitted that he believes in witchcraft. However, due to a strange incident where the president believed he experienced black magic first-hand, his government proposed changing the country’s Criminal Code, to ensure that practicing black magic be deemed a criminal offense.
Unfortunately there are reports from many countries where people, including children, are regularly being executed for allegedly practicing witchcraft and sorcery, sometimes by Government officials, but often by local people. Some of these countries include Colombia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Gambia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania and India.
White Witches
From the 15th century until at least the early 20th century, many who practiced the art of healing were often considered to be White Witches. Using traditional practices and herbal medicines these witches provided medical support ranging from setting bones and stopping bleeding to midwifery and childbirth remedies. Other terms for white witches, particularly in England include folk healers and cunning folk. In Italy, white witches were known by different names depending on the region. These include Praticos (wise people) and Donne che Aiutano (women who help). In Scandinavia they were called Klok Gumma (wise woman) or Klok Gubbe (wise man).
Why are Witches Green?
Many suggest that this is all down to the popular MGM movie, “The Wizard of Oz” (1939). With the advent of Technicolor, the studio was keen to showcase the vibrant colors available. So, rather than the witch having a yellow face (which she had in the book), MGM decided to depict the Wicked Witch of the West in bright green! As for those ruby slippers, which were originally silver, it was thought that bright red would contrast better against the famous yellow brick road!
Sources: TheRichest, Wikipedia, Examiner.com