Witch

“*“The angry mob has come 'burn the witch' they cry, 'she has summoned the beast!' I must defend myself. Don't let them harm me... for my sins are not as great as they say!”*”
―- Abigail, Witch of Vizima's Outskirts
"Witch" is a term with many meanings in the Northern Kingdoms and the confederation of Northern Kingdoms colonies known as Fabiola (since the late 14th century) and, to a lesser extent, Nilfgaard, primarily in vassal or conquered territories following the conquest of Gemmeria. On one hand, it is a colloquial term to describe the even rarer female counterparts ( until 1358 ) to male witchers and sorceresses (as happened to Keira Metz in 1272, or the sorceresses present in Novigrad during the Witch Hunts, 1272 - 1276).

But the most accurate definition is that witches are women who master magic but are not affiliated with any organization, nor have they been taught in schools. They are distinguished from both witchers, witcheresses, and sorceresses. In a sense, they could be considered a hybrid between a priestess and a mage. They tend to be "wise-women," healers, renegade druids, or renegade mages and are usually, but not exclusively, old women, even hags. Some witches organize themselves into covens, where they celebrate different rituals at different times of the year.

Regarding hags, the term often refers, perhaps unintentionally, to the monster, when in reality, its meaning is more associated with supposed cases of renegade mages who have become witches and subsequently corrupted by magic. The most notable examples are Yaga (although there are many diverse stories and opinions about her) and the witches of Ebbing. There are also very powerful beings that fit this description, such as She Who Knows and her daughters The Crones, the Bloody Mistress, or Mamunna.

For information on their equivalents in other parts of the world, click here.

## Notable witches

### Beings ( unclear nature )

* Bloody Mary ( lesser demon, speculated, although like Yaga, some stories placed her as a good being )
* Crones
* Fada Morgana ( supposedly, a corrupt fairy )
* Mamunna
* Muma Pădurii
* She Who Knows
* Yaga ( is described as an evil being and a possible relic from another world, but there are stories that she has helped people in a "good way" unlike the Crones. It is also not known for sure if she is a unique being, it is believed that there are two more under the same name, her sisters )

### Hags

* Black Annis ( the most powerful specimen of Annis Hag and the reason for the naming of this subspecies of the monster )

### Witches

* Aberewa
* Adraza
* Alvina
* Aradia
* Berila
* Befana
* Brina
* Carnila
* Carey of Fabiola
* Cerriden
* Dela Bella
* Eruqa
* Eudoxia
* Freya of Poviss
* Fortuna Howler
* Fidelis Digby
* Gormula
* Grimhild
* Illyana of Kovir
* Jezelda of Vinland
* Koine
* Kirene
* Kyla Inígealach
* Maehori
* Melissa of Toussaint
* Mava
* Mekea
* Moira Church
* Morgause
* Mokoska
* Odessa Borges
* Petulia Gager
* Rosalinda
* Sarize
* Shirley Inígealach
* Skuld of Faroe
* The Three Witches
* Voleth Meir ( in reality, a Navigator of The Wild Hunt who experimented with Goetia )
* Waka
* Witches of Ebbing
* Witch of Endor
* Witch of Lynx Crag
* Witch of Ruach
* Witch of Redania
* Yaga ( unclear )
* Zafiro
* Zelena of Redania

## Type of witches

* Skinwalkers
* White witches
* Grey witches
* Black witches
* Dwarven witches
* Elven witches
* Nahual witches

## Notes

* If you have ideas for the witches mentioned in this article, feel free to make articles for them.

## Image Credits

* *Witch Apprentice* by Oleksandr Kozachenko for *Gwent : The Witcher Card Game*.
* *Lesser Witch* by Karol Bem for *Gwent : The Witcher Card Game*.

## Trivia

* The different types of witches are inspired by the different types of witches that have existed in Pop culture or folklore with the exception of the witches by race.
* The Witches of Ebbing are a reference to one of the most famous cases of Witch Trials in Spain, the Basque witch trials.