From Burning at the Stake to Popular Culture: A Change in Perception of Witches

U radu se prikazuje promjena negativne percepcije vještica i čarobnjaka u pozitivnu, pri čemu se kao ključni faktor prevrata ističe djelo Harry Potter J. K. Rowling. Promjena je rezultat dugotrajnog i postepenog procesa. Povijesni čimbenici uzrokovali su anomalije u paradigmi, a kao glavni faktori izdvajaju se opadanje moći Katoličke Crkve, napredak znanosti koja je dala objašnjenje fenomenima pripisivanim vješticama, stvaranje relativne društvene stabilnosti te ostvarenje ženskih prava i izmijenjeno viđenje ženske seksualnosti. Prema autorima Malleusa Maleficaruma, žene su bile prikladnije od muškaraca da padnu pod Sotonin utjecaj zbog navodnog manjka inteligencije i pretjerane seksualne žudnje. Veći je broj spaljenih žena nego li muškaraca jer su one, zbog izostanka osnovnih prava, bile lakša meta. Za optužbu je bila dovoljna samo sumnja, a dokaz je činilo priznanje optuženog (dobiveno mučenjem). Vještice su arhetip koji se čuva u kolektivnom nesvjesnom što znači da je njegov temelj postojan, a mijenja se samo sadržaj. Ista se stvar događa i kod koncepta mita, a spomenute je elemente J. K. Rowling uvrstila u svoje djelo, što je dovelo do dobre recepcije Harrya Pottera. Iako je ostvareno pozitivnije viđenja vještica, paradigma se nije u potpunosti promijenila jer vještice čine arhetip i Drugost ljudskoga društva.This paper presents the change from a negative perception of witches and wizards to a positive one, where the key factor of this overturn is J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. The change of perception is the result of a long-term and gradual process. Historical factors have caused anomalies in the paradigm and the main ones that stand out in this process are decline in power of the Catholic Church, scientific progress which has explained the phenomena ascribed to witches, development of relative social stability, realization of women’s rights and change in perception of women’s sexuality. According to the authors of Malleus Maleficarum, women were suitable to fall under the influence of Satan more than men, because of their supposed lack of intelligence and excessive sexual lust. More women were burned than men, because the absence of their basic rights made them easier targets. A mere suspicion was enough for accusation, and a confession of the accused (obtained by torture) was taken as evidence. Witches are an archetype stored in collective unconscious, which means its foundation remains the same and only content is changing. The same thing is happening with the concept of myth and J. K. Rowling has incorporated aforementioned elements in her work, which led to a good reception of Harry Potter. Although a more positive view of witches has been achieved, complete change of paradigm wasn’t realized because witches are the archetype and Otherness of human society