Sorcerers and witches are a kind of "classics" of folklore. They have the ability to come into contact with evil spirits, to influence the physics of the universe: on natural and atmospheric phenomena, human health, crops, etc.
Witches
In the lower mythology of the Eastern Slavs, witches are the most important characters. The witch is the one who knows, has witchcraft, that is, knowledge. Depending on the area, she could be called a sorceress, enchantress, oyster, sorceress, etc. The witch pays for her abilities with her own soul and after death knows no rest. By the way, this happens, in the view of the Eastern Slavs, regardless of whether the witch induces damage or heals people.
In popular belief, witches are divided into two categories: who received witchcraft by inheritance and who made a deal with evil forces. They were called, respectively, "born" and "scientists", and the people believed that the former are much stronger and can do good in addition to bad, while "scientists" are only capable of evil. In addition to sending damage, witches resort to two more main methods of sabotage: stealing the milk of other people's cows (using witchcraft) and spoiling the harvest. To spoil the harvest, the witch could send pests, break or confuse a bunch of ears. The people believed that after this not only the harvest would deteriorate, but the reaper, who accidentally cut off such a bunch of ears, would certainly get sick or even die. They also believed that witches are capable of abducting unborn children from the womb of a sleeping mother.
Christianity also influenced the ideas of why one can be born a witch. Namely, the idea of the legality of birth. If a girl is born out of wedlock, and her mother or mother and grandmother were also born out of wedlock, then such a girl is a witch. True, solid girls, even legal spouses, do not eat well either: the fifth or seventh of them will probably be born a witch.
A witch becomes a "learned" after performing certain rituals associated with the renunciation of Christ and blasphemy, or the transfer of witchcraft to a woman from a dying old witch (the people believed that a witch could not die if she did not transfer her power), but an obligatory condition is acquaintance a demon who makes a contract with a witch and cohabits with her. You can distinguish “born” from “learned” by the tail: the first has it. And the rest of the image of the witch was accompanied by signs known to us from fairy tales, such as hunched over, twisted, bony, etc.
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It was believed that witches are capable of werewolf, especially the "born". One Russian legend tells how, during the time of Ivan the Terrible, two witches suspected of witchcraft turned into magpies and flew away through a pipe. The time when the witch acquires special power is night, in particular midnight, and also the eve of great holidays. But the witches' favorite entertainment was flying to the Sabbath. To get on it, witches need to rub with a special multi-component witch ointment, the recipe for which is known only to them.
M. P. Klodt. Witch.
Rarely, but still there were beliefs about some benefits of the witch for others. She could ask for advice on an auspicious day to start plowing or sowing, as well as help in case of illness or natural disasters.
Sorcerers
If women are called witches, then men are called sorcerers. The version about the origin of the name "sorcerer", which many researchers adhere to, is as follows. "Sorcerer" is a noun related to the word "koltun", and in this case means ears of corn entangled for damage. This is not the only name for a man who made a deal with evil spirits or "born". Depending on the locality, the sorcerer can be called a witcher, witch, magician, warlock, etc. It is likely that ideas about sorcerers date back to ancient pagan times and are associated with the Magi, that is, the priests ("sorcerer" - from the Proto-Slavic verb meaning "it is not clear to speak"). With the advent of Christianity, everything pagan began to be perceived as demonic, and the wise men - as people entering into contact with demons. And yet the Magi for a long time enjoyed authority not only among the common people, but also among the nobility. Confirmation of this can be found in the annals. However, they fought with them no less zealously than with witches: many documents of the 17th-18th centuries have survived, telling about executions for witchcraft and accusations of it.
The hallmarks of a sorcerer are basically the same as those of a witch: hunched over, twisted, lame, some kind of injury (no right hand), sometimes red hair, red or black eyes, two rows of teeth. Some beliefs say that the sorcerer has one human soul, and the second is demonic, for this reason the sorcerer after death turns into a ghoul. You can become a sorcerer by concluding a contract with the demon, which is signed with blood on the skin of the gallows and is supported by a blasphemous act on the part of a person. True, some beliefs say that a man who decides to become a sorcerer must sell his child to the demon. As in the case of witches, the sorcerer before death was obliged to transfer his power, and then a person who received an object from the sorcerer unwittingly received the power of demons that served the former sorcerer. If you involuntarily receive a person's witchcraft power, you can get rid of it by praying.
V. M. Maximov. The arrival of a sorcerer at a peasant wedding.
Other beliefs say that the sorcerer, in general, harms people against his will, because the demons who have been subordinated to him must be constantly busy with work, preferably harmful to people. If the demons have nothing to do, then they can torture the sorcerer to death. Therefore, the people said that a good sorcerer sends evil power not to people, but to the forest, or makes demons do meaningless, but laborious work, for example, breaking trees or carrying water in a sieve.
The Russians had a tradition to invite a sorcerer to a wedding, where he would protect the bride and groom from other sorcerers or witches. And if the sorcerer is not called, then he will be offended and send hysteria or other evil on the bride. Many stories tell about the confrontation between sorcerers or a sorcerer and a witch at a wedding, since it was popularly believed that sorcerers were different in strength. The people also believed that the sorcerer should be buried with the observance of special precautions so that after death he would not torment people.
Author: Evgeny Suharnikov