Category: Witches

The Witches' Sabbath

10/1/2017

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Halloween is coming, which means the spooky archive finds come to light!

Let's start by exploring this amazing print from 1510 of a bunch of witches doing witchy stuff!

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In the Dark, She Comes with Light

12/13/2016

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With candles in her hair, dressed in white with a bright red sash, Lucia comes to bring warmth, light, and goodies in the dark Swedish winter.

Celebrating Lucia at Koberg in Västergötland, 1848, watercolor by Fritz von Dardel, Nordiska Museet

The story I always heard growing up is that Lucia is the Patron Saint of Light, and she comes on (what used to be) the darkest day of the year, today, December 13th. She is based on St. Lucy, who, in the 3rd century, brought food and aid to hiding and persecuted Christians in the catacombs. She wore candles on her head so that she could see in the dark while carrying food, and her red sash is said to represent the blood from when she was slain. Her martyrdom lead to Sainthood, but this all happened it Italy, so how did she become the figure of a Nordic holiday? It might have to do with witches. Yup, another Swedish holiday with witch connections...)

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Lost Witch Song from the Wizard of Oz

10/27/2016

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Image of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and Dorothy from the 1902 production of "The Wizard of Oz."

While searching through the Levy Collection at in the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries Special Collection for witch images, I came across "The Witch Behind the Moon," and it was so complex that I thought it deserved it's own post.

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The Witching Hour Arrives...

10/11/2016

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It's October! That means we can start with Halloween-themed posts, right?

I was recently made aware of the fact that there are a number of sheet music covers with witches in the Lester S. Levy Collection at the Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries Special Collections. So just in time for Halloween, I'll share some of them here!

The Celebrated Witches Dance crops up in sheet music archives across the country, especially this edition transcribed by Wm. Vincent Wallace, and printed in New York City in the 1850s.
Originally titled "Le Streghe," or The Witches, it was published in 1813 for violin accompanied by piano. (You can hear and see a performance of the original arrangement here.) The flighty staccato notes and quick runs punctuated by longer, more melodic sections definitely evokes what the cover to the right depicts.
This edition was published by William Hall & Son in New York City. Hall seems typical of sheet music publishers during the mid 1850s - he not only published this Americanized European classical music, but sold the instruments (pianos, guitars, melodeons, and woodwinds) to play it.

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Happy Easter! Time to dress up like a witch!

3/24/2016

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Wait, what? Easter? Witches?

If that was your reaction, you are not Swedish, sorry! But you might have already known that. If you are Swedish, you know that during the week leading up to Easter, it's common for boys and girls to dress up like Easter Witches.

Don't worry, they are mostly friendly witches! These photos from Nordiska Museet.

So what the heck do witches have to do with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus? I asked myself that this morning and found a pretty good explanation from Nordiska Museet/ the Nordic Museum in Stockholm.

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Come in, the stacks are open.

The Witches' Sabbath

Halloween is coming, which means the spooky archive finds come to light!

In the Dark, She Comes with Light

With candles in her hair, dressed in white with a bright red sash, Lucia comes to bring warmth, light, and goodies in the dark Swedish winter.

Lost Witch Song from the Wizard of Oz

While searching through the Levy Collection at in the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries Special Collection for witch images, I came across "The Witch Behind the Moon," and it was so complex that I thought it deserved it's own post.

The Witching Hour Arrives...

It's October! That means we can start with Halloween-themed posts, right?

Happy Easter! Time to dress up like a witch!

Wait, what? Easter? Witches?

Come in, the stacks are open.

Archives

Categories

Come in, the stacks are open.

The Witches' Sabbath

Halloween is coming, which means the spooky archive finds come to light!

In the Dark, She Comes with Light

With candles in her hair, dressed in white with a bright red sash, Lucia comes to bring warmth, light, and goodies in the dark Swedish winter.

Lost Witch Song from the Wizard of Oz

While searching through the Levy Collection at in the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries Special Collection for witch images, I came across ​"The Witch Behind the Moon," and it was so complex that I thought it deserved it's own post.

The Witching Hour Arrives...

It's October! That means we can start with Halloween-themed posts, right?

Happy Easter! Time to dress up like a witch!

Wait, what? Easter? Witches?

Come in, the stacks are open.

Archives

Categories

While searching through the Levy Collection at in the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries Special Collection for witch images, I came across "The Witch Behind the Moon," and it was so complex that I thought it deserved it's own post.