History Main / WitchClassic

-->[[spoiler: '''Camila''': A good witch ''always'' has to have her hat.]]

-->[[spoiler: '''Camila''': A good witch ''always'' has to have a hat.]]

Alternatively, they may appear [[NudeNatureDance naked]] (or "skyclad"). This is not (always) an artistic convention to allow depiction of nudity but has been found in religious traditions going back to Jainism (where the term skyclad came from) and Creator/{{Hesiod}}'s ''Literature/WorksAndDays''; however, the association of witchcraft with ritual nudity only goes back to [[NewerThanTheyThink the foundation of Gardnerian Wicca in the 1950s.]]

In modern media, [[GoodWitchVersusBadWitch witches tend to be more neutral or outright good figures]]. Media that has both often pit them against each other to form a BlackAndWhiteMorality dynamic. Usually, good witches are pretty and bad witches are very ugly, though when an evil witch is beautiful, she's usually a VainSorceress. Witches are often shown in contrast to a WizardClassic, sometimes being rivals or outright enemies, or just often having differences in opinion.

Alternatively, they may appear [[NudeNatureDance naked]] (or "skyclad"). This is not (always) an artistic convention to allow depiction of nudity but has been found in religious traditions going back to Jainism (where the term skyclad came from) and Hesiod's {{Literature/Works and Days}}; however, the association of witchcraft with ritual nudity only goes back to [[NewerThanTheyThink the foundation of Gardnerian Wicca in the 1950s.]]

* '''Witchcraft''': Witches practice witchcraft specifically as their [[UnEqualRites type of magic]], which, because of the above aspect, is usually strongly tied to nature and may resemble European pagan-like traditions. Commonly their magic employs the use of herbs and strange ingredients like "EyeOfNewt" bubbling away in [[MagicCauldron cauldrons]], as well as nocturnal ceremonies under the moon. Usually, a witch has a SpellBook, perhaps passed down through the family. In modern media, witchcraft is strongly associated with Hollywood versions of RealLife religions of UsefulNotes/{{Wicca}} and other forms of UsefulNotes/NeoPaganism[[note]]although most practitioners of these religions would not consider themselves "witches" and to call them as such could be taken as insulting, media tends not to differentiate.[[/note]] although in the past they were associated with many forms of local folk traditions. Witches usually belong to "covens", groups of witches who practice magic together, share knowledge and resources and often meet to cast more powerful spells. Witches do not usually use a MagicWand or MagicStaff, both of which are more commonly associated with the WizardClassic for [[FreudWasRight some reason]].

While the term ''witch'' itself is often applied as a catch-all word for female magic users in fiction, the witch, as it has evolved out of Western traditions and folklore, has a number of distinct trappings and tropes. While witchcraft beliefs -- the folkloric that people work malicious magic on their neighbors -- are found in virtually every culture, being absent only in certain hunting and gathering societies and modern industrial ones, the details of the trope as it appears in Western works in almost exclusively derived from Western folklore.

* ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia'': The witches wear pointed hats, ride brooms, wear black [[PurpleIsTheNewBlack or purple]] dresses and brew potions. Every witch-in-training at Luna Nova form a group of three classmates who do almost everything together.

** Calpernia is another subversion. Her darkly-colored outfit looks like a tomboyish pantsuit variant of the Evil Queen's outfit from ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' (in contrast to how Gwen and the old lady look like the Evil Queen after she transforms herself into a hag), she lives in a dilapidated mansion in the supposedly [[DontGoInTheWoods haunted forest]] down the cliff from the Pastel Palace, and at one point receives a letter from a crow that looks like it could be her {{Familiar}}. Like Gwen, though, she's a benevolent princess without any magical powers, though she and the rest of the Cursed Princess Club members have {{Curse}}s that were forced on them by others (one of whom, Monika, is the aforementioned crow, and she only becomes a crow when she's anxious).

* '''[[RobeAndWizardHat Traditional Witchy Attire]]''': Black medieval or colonial period dresses and a black [[NiceHat pointed hat]] are the most traditional, but not every witch buys into the uniform. Often they dress normally, especially if they want to blend in, and the traditional clothing only comes out for spell casting or ceremonies. The HotWitch especially tends to dress more wildly while the WickedWitch is almost always traditionally attired. {{Goth}} clothing is also associated with classic witches, as is the NewAgeRetroHippie's typical style of flowy garments.\\

** Princess Gwendolyn, the main character, is a subversion. Her [[FaceOfAThug appearance]], with her messy green hair, sallow skin, creepy eyes, and occasional darkly-colored outfits among other things, makes her look more like a teenage witch than a princess. But not only does she lack magical abilities, she's a NiceGirl who would never be interested in maliciously hexing people anyway. Plus, she and her royal siblings (who are more conventionally attractive) were raised to see her as just another PrincessClassic. But people outside of their social circle ''do'' frequently mistake her for a witch. This most prominently includes Gwen's fiancé Prince Frederick, who assumes based on her appearance and some [[PoorCommunicationKills awkward and misunderstood interactions with her]] that she's trying to bewitch him.

* ''Website/CollegeHumor'': In a sketch called "The Apothecary Barista", a witch (enthusiastically portrayed by Brennan) is hired to treat people at College Humor's office. She looks old, wears a brown robe and brews potions with magical properties. Those Millenials though... She's baffled by their tastes and general approach to her craft.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'': Gruntilda "Grunty" Winkybunion wears black clothes and a pointy hat, rides a broomstick, uses magic as her primary method of attack, has three sisters (one of whom is a FairyGodmother), [[RhymesOnADime talks in rhyme]] (except in ''Banjo-Tooie'' at the request of an annoyed Mingella and Blobbelda), and owns a cat named Piddles in ''Nuts and Bolts''.

* '''Association with Nature and the Earth''': Witches are often portrayed as very knowledgeable in the workings of nature, especially plants and weather. Whereas a WizardClassic will have his [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} head in the clouds]], always watching the stars, a witch will be CloserToEarth, watching the seasons turn and advising people when to plant their crops. It's common for a witch to [[SolitarySorceress live alone]] [[TheLostWoods in the woods]], and to be a NatureLover and OutdoorsyGal. A witch probably has a GreenThumb too, so she can grow herbs for her {{Magic Potion}}s, or just to scent her homemade soaps. Being in tune with nature, she may be both an EarthyBarefootCharacter and a MagicalBarefooter.

While a WitchDoctor also practices magic, they have nothing to do with the Witch Classic. While sometimes witches are a WitchSpecies, this is not always, or often the case.

* Mrs Dzwon in ''Literature/ShamanBlues'' fits the mold quite well, being not the WitchSpecies typical for the story, but more of a hedgewitch, complete with nature magic, affinity with earth and dark clothing.

* ''ComicBook/YorickAndBonesFriendsByAnyOtherName'': The group of witches that [[DemBones Yorick]] and [[CanineCompanion Bones]] meet in the woods all wear black robes and witch's hats, and are all gathered around a large cauldron reciting the "Double, double, toil and trouble" poem. [[spoiler:However, they aren't evil, and are just making soup.]]

%%[[folder:Comic Books]]
%%* Apart from being {{good|IsNotNice}}, short-lived superhero ComicBook/MotherHubbard fits all the requirements.
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService'': Kiki doesn't wear the pointed hat but does wear a black dress, rides on a broomstick and has a black cat whom she can speak to through magic. Her mother does magic with potions but other witches do things like fortune-telling. The witches go on a journey to live alone for a year as part of their training, and leaving on a full moon is the best night.

%%* ''Series/TheAddamsFamily'': Granny Addams has many witch characteristics except for the hat. The original series is more ambiguous whether she's actually a witch or not, but the reboot ''The New Addams Family'' has her doing spells and even having to renew her witch license in one episode when she's visited by two classic pointy hat witches.

%%** In one Halloween episode, Endora turns Darrin into a Witch Classic to teach him a lesson about tolerance. However, he volunteers to be the chaperon for his daughter's class's trick-or-treat outing, and he garners rave reviews for his perfect witch costume.
%%* ''Series/BigTimeRush'': Camille auditions for a movie about witches impersonating one of these. This is a case of WrongGenreSavvy since the producers weren't looking for witch classic and rather by more contemporary {{hot witch}}es.
%%* ''Series/Blackadder'' referenced this trope a few times, with three witches who are based on the ''Theatre/Macbeth'' ones in the first series, and a "Wise Woman" in the second.

* ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'': The Witches, including the men, wear a pointed hat, ride brooms, and use wands with pentagrams on them.

* WickedWitch: When the witch is evil.

Alternatively, they may appear [[NudeNatureDance naked]] (or "skyclad"). This is not (always) an artistic convention to allow depiction of nudity but has been found in religious traditions going back to Hesiod's {{Literature/Works and Days}}; however, the association of witchcraft with ritual nudity only goes back to [[NewerThanTheyThink the foundation of Gardnerian Wicca in the 1950s.]]