05-13-2014, 08:34 AM
05-13-2014, 03:22 PM
So, what precisely is the difference?
05-14-2014, 12:13 PM
(05-13-2014, 03:22 PM)Elkhound Wrote: So, what precisely is the difference? Hexe / Zauberin are synonyms, at least I can't define a difference. As I've said before, Hexe is more common for females, Zauberer for males. You see, we talk about fiction. Anyone can write a story with a good Hexe and a bad Zauberin or vice versa, no problem.
05-14-2014, 01:03 PM
Well, in English "witch" almost always means bad, while "sorceress" usually means good;although there are exceptions both ways--but in any story if a character is called a 'witch', I'd assume she was evil until I found out otherwise, and if a character was called a 'sorceress' I'd assume she was good until I found out otherwise.
Oddly enough, on the male side a 'wizard' would be assumed to be good, while a 'sorcerer' would be assumed to be bad. But there are many exceptions on both cases. A 'warlock' is almost always a male practitioner of evil magic.
05-15-2014, 11:23 AM
(05-14-2014, 01:03 PM)Elkhound Wrote: Well, in English "witch" almost always means bad, while "sorceress" usually means good;although there are exceptions both ways--but in any story if a character is called a 'witch', I'd assume she was evil until I found out otherwise, and if a character was called a 'sorceress' I'd assume she was good until I found out otherwise. Hi Elkhound. Just to contribute, in portuguese is almost the same. I can say witch means "bruxa", that usually means evil. And sorceress means "feiticeira" that usually menas good. For male we have "bruxo" for warlock in english and "mago" or "feiticeiro" for wizard. Same times we can use "mágico" with the same meaning of wizard in English, although "mágico" usually means magician. The point (I believe you were trying to explain) is that usually languages have words for good sorceress/wizard and diferent words for evil witch/warlocks.
05-15-2014, 12:04 PM
In Spanish, 'bruja/brujo' means a warlock or witch (evil magic user); a 'majo/maja' means wizard/sorceress (good magic user)--but it can also mean a sexually attractive person (as in English we say that such a person is 'charming' or 'enchanting'.)
05-15-2014, 12:42 PM
Thinking about it, every Hexe/Zauberin, every Zauberer in Grimm fairy tales is evil, I don't know any exception.
In German, I would expect "good magic" from a Fee (fairy, always female), but an evil Fee is also possible. I don't know a Grimm fairytale with a Fee though. Hexe is a negative word, Zauberer is pretty neutral. In the original Grimm fairytales you can find good magic-users, but they don't have a designation, they are described. The good fairies in "the Sleeping Beauty" are only "wise women" http://www.grimmstories.com/language.php...&l=de&r=en another example: this time an "old woman" http://www.grimmstories.com/language.php...&l=de&r=en Here a male good-magic-user is called a "little old grey man" http://www.grimmstories.com/language.php...&l=de&r=en Cinderella doesn't hay a fairy but a white bird: http://www.grimmstories.com/language.php...&l=de&r=en Here the good-magic-user is a fish: http://www.grimmstories.com/language.php...&l=de&r=en I enjoy our discussion, thank you for the Portuguese and Spanish contributions!
05-15-2014, 12:52 PM
"Wise woman" is the etymological meaning of Witch (Wizard means 'Wise Man'.) It is odd that the two words have different implications depending on gender. (Etymologically, 'warlock' means 'traitor'.)
In the English/Scots/Irish tradition, fairies are either good or evil, but the general idea is that fairies are *different*---so different that our human ideas of 'good' and 'evil' don't really apply to them. Even more-or-less beneficent ones can be capricious, and all are easily offended--and can be vary nasty when offended.
05-15-2014, 01:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-15-2014, 01:23 PM by wfmyers1207.)
It's also interesting to note that in Native American lore a 'medicine man' can be both good or evil. Where as a 'wise woman' is always good.
I noticed you mentioned that in British Ilse traditions fairies are often capricious. In Irish lore leprechauns are at best tricksters, and at worse down right wicked. In Norse mythology, gnomes and elves are just plain evil, and also territorial. That's where the custom of putting a gnome in the yard comes from. The other gnomes/elves think the place is occupied and stay away. |
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