Witch Mother/doctor

[ashton_albright]

In my story I have a witch that in effect took care of a village right around the turn of the first century in England (1000 a.d. or c.e.).  I have been trying to find if there was any honorifics entitled to that position.  I found the term witch mother once, but it was in reference to another time period.

Was that even something they would

Comments

[sushidog]

Not just the North of England; Long houses, with the cattle at the lower end and humans at the higher, were certainly used in Devon (in the South-West of England) too, and I think were widespread throughout the country.

Obviously in 1000 AD, they're not going to be speaking English, but it's worth bearing in mind that throughout the Mediaeval and Early Modern period, a Witch wasn't simply someone who used magic or charms or herbal medicine; it was specifically someone who did harm by magic. As another commenter has said, pretty much everyone used charms of one sort or another (these days, medicine, religion, and magic are three separate things; back then, they weren't, and diseases were generally considered to be the result of curses or of punishment for sins, and were cured by prayer or by turning back the curse), but you could look into Cunning Folk; there's no record of them that far back, but from the late mediaeval or early modern, you do get stuff about Cunning Folk who are basically herbalists/expert charm-makers.

[teithiwr]

Obviously in 1000 AD, they're not going to be speaking English

Well, it was English, just Old English instead of Present-day English. :) Obviously a vastly different stage of the language, but the same language nevertheless.

/linguist nitpick

[sushidog]

*heh* Yes, there should really be a "modern" in there!

[summersdream]

try searching "Anglo-Saxon society" or something like that. "witches in Anglo-Saxon England" might be a better phrase for what you want- your example phrases are too broad.

Iirc the Saxons weren't entirely all that Christianized that early so 'witch' probably wouldn't come up. Maybe 'wise woman' or 'village women' or 'midwives' ? Try just looking up "Anglo-Saxon women" and you'll come up with information on the basic roles women would be playing at that point which may lead to the right terms for female healers/midwives in that time.

[sollersuk]

You clearly mean first millennium, not first century

[transemacabre]

Okay, well c. 1000 AD England was Anglo-Saxon. It was a fascinating time period and a fascinating culture, and I strongly encourage you to study it

[transemacabre]

Oh by the way, your witch would've been called a wicce, "witch"! Fun fact: the name for the religion/movement, Wicca, actually derives from the Anglo-Saxon term for a MALE witch, wicca.