Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers. Witchcraft can refer to the use of such powers in order to inflict harm or damage upon members of a community or their property. Other uses of the term distinguish between bad witchcraft and good witchcraft, the latter involving the use of these powers to heal someone from bad witchcraft. The concept of witchcraft is normally treated as a cultural ideology, a means of explaining human misfortune by blaming it either on a supernatural entity or a known person in the community.[1] A witch (from Old English wicce f. / wicca m., also compare hag) is a practitioner of witchcraft.
Belief in witchcraft, and by consequence witch-hunts, are found in many cultures worldwide, today mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. in the witch smellers in Bantu culture), and historically notably in Early Modern Europe of the 14th to 18th century, where witchcraft came to be seen as a vast diabolical conspiracy against Christianity, and accusations of witchcraft led to large-scale witch-hunts, especially in Germanic Europe.[2]
The "witch-cult hypothesis", a controversial theory that European witchcraft was a suppressed pagan religion, was popularised in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since the mid-20th century, Witchcraft has become the self-designation of a branch of neopaganism, especially in the Wicca tradition following Gerald Gardner, who claimed a religious tradition of Witchcraft with pre-Christian roots.[3]
Samhain (pronounced /ˈsɑːwɪn/, /ˈsaʊ.ɪn/, or /ˈsaʊn/ in English[1] — from Irish Samhain [ˈsˠaunʲ], cf. Scottish Gaelic Samhuinn [ˈsavɯɲ], Manx Gaelic Sauin and Old Irish Samain [ˈsaṽɨnʲ] — roughly translated as "summer's end" — is a festival held on October 31–November 1 in Gaelic cultures. A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic paganism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times.
Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half". Many scholars believe that it was the beginning of the Celtic year.[2][3][4] It has some elements of a festival of the dead. The Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on Samhain. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. People and their livestock would often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.[5]
The Gaelic custom of wearing costumes and masks, was an attempt to copy the spirits or placate them. In Scotland the dead were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white.[6][7] Samhnag — turnips which were hollowed-out and carved with faces to make lanterns — were also used to ward off harmful spirits.[7]
The Gaelic festival became associated with the Christian All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, and has hugely influenced the secular customs now connected with Halloween. It continues to be celebrated as a religious festival by some Neopagans.[3][4][8]
Samhain and an t-Samhuinn are also the Irish and Scottish Gaelic names of November, respectively.More:
"Witchcraft" is a popular song from 1957 composed by Cy Coleman with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It was released as a single by Frank Sinatra, and reached number twenty in the U.S., spending sixteen weeks on the charts.[1]
Composed as an instrumental piece by Coleman for the revue Take Five, lyrics were added by Leigh, and "Witchcraft" was subsequently recorded by Sinatra in May 1957, in an arrangement by Nelson Riddle.[2]
Versions
Sinatra recorded "Witchcraft" three times in a studio setting. The first recording was in 1957, for his single release, and was later released on his compilation album All the Way (1961). Sinatra re-recorded "Witchcraft" for 1963's Sinatra's Sinatra, and finally recorded it as a duet with Anita Baker for Duets (1993).
Grammys
At the 1st Grammy Awards, Frank Sinatra was nominated for six Grammy awards, with Sinatra's recording of "Witchcraft" being nominated for the Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Vocal Performance, Male, and Nelson Riddle's arrangement nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement. Sinatra had two albums nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover.
That sly come hither stare
That strips my conscience bare
It's witchcraft.
And I've got no defense for it,
The heat is too intense for it.
What good would common sense for it do?
'Cause it's witchcraft,
Wicked witchcraft,
And although I know it's strictly taboo
When you arouse the need in me,
My heart says yes indeed in me,
Proceed with what your leading me to
It's such an ancient pitch,
But one I wouldn't switch,
'Cause there's no nicer witch than you
**Instrumental break**
'Cause it's witchcraft,
That crazy witchcraft,
And although I know it's strictly taboo
When you arouse the need in me,
My heart says yes indeed in me,
Proceed with what your leading me to...
It's such an ancient pitch,
But one that I would never switch,
'Cause there's no nicer witch than you
Click These Links and Sing Along:
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Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
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