This essay will analyze how Paganism is portrayed in modern media
and TV shows. Specifically, several shows and a film will be analyzed: Merlin (BBC), Reign, and The Craft. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed are other shows that have
already been reviewed in other research texts. Some of the shows and films that
will be covered have also been studied by scholars, but not to the same extent.
In fact, there has been very minimal research conducted on Wiccan
religion/spiritual representations in popular media. Further research from more
professional scholars with more knowledge on this topic would be beneficial in
helping individuals of various faiths (or lack thereof) to learn more about
these ancient practices as well as the sacredness of the environment held by
most Pagans.
The first part will analyze portrayals of so called
"witches" in the Merlin BBC show
(2008), Reign TV show (2013) and The Craft film (1996). Part two will
cover the predominantly negative representations of witches and covens from the
Supernatural TV show (2005) and
positive representations of the elemental guardians from the TV show W.I.T.C.H (2004).
Merlin BBC
Merlin (2008) is a fantasy
drama television series based on the legend of King Arthur and Merlin. The
story follows the journey of Merlin as a young boy, who secretly uses magic to
protect Arthur and the kingdom of Camelot from enemies and monsters. The main
antagonists consist of a Druid Mordred, and the sorceress Morgana. These
villains clash with King Uther’s Great Purge, a law that bans individuals from
performing magic. Feeling oppressed by the system, Morgana and the various
villains wage war on Camelot, using dark magic and harming anyone who stands in
their way.
In Merlin, the Druids,
High Priestesses, and most individuals who can use magic are portrayed as
villains. Morgause, Morgana, Mordred, and Nimueh were all characters who
practiced the Old Religion (presumably Paganism). It is called the Old Religion
since it predates the “newer” traditions that are practiced by the dominant
society in Camelot. However, witchcraft and Wicca are not old at all. Harvey
states the Craft “is clearly a new religion in the sense that it has evolved
since the 1930s” (52). Wicca recognizes eight seasonal periods called Sabbats
which are shown on a chart called the “Wheel of the Year.” Each season falls on
different dates and honors different moments in nature associated with birth,
fertility, the harvest, and death. Pagan holidays such as Samhain, and Beltane
were mentioned in several episodes. In addition, the sacred Isle of the Blessed
looks similar to Stonehenge. On the contrary, King Uther, Arthur, and the
knights of Camelot presumably practiced a form of Christianity. Dark magic is
primarily used by the villains, while the main character Merlin uses magic for
good.
Regarding the holidays celebrated in the show, the Great Stones of
Nemeton (similar in appearance to Stonehenge) is a place where the High
Priestesses would summon the spirits of their ancestors using the Horn of
Cathbhadh. On Samhain, the High Priestesses would sacrifice a living human to
gain access to the spirit world, where they could temporarily harness magical
power. It is also worth mentioning that the three High Priestesses in the movie
wore red, a color often representing evil, beauty, blood, and war. In addition,
the Triple Goddess, an important deity in Wicca, is hardly mentioned in the
series.
Reign
Reign is a fictional drama TV
show about Mary, Queen of Scots. In the show, Pagan individuals are portrayed
as dark and sacrificial. Their deity is a creature called The Darkness that
feeds off humans. The Darkness can be equated with the devil or a dark monster.
The Pagans in the show are part of a Blood Cult that sacrifices humans to their
dark deity. The majority of Pagan characters are portrayed as villains. The
deer necklace in Reign is symbolic of
choosing the next victim to be sacrificed. In one scene, the character Mary
wakes up to find a dead stag head above her bed, left by a Pagan. Although a
"lighter" form of Paganism is mentioned, one that honors nature
instead of sacrifice, the "darker" version is more prominent. Additionally,
the Pagans are called "heathens" and "savages." These are
derogatory terms used to discriminate against a variety of individuals who do
not follow the “default” religion of Christianity, particularly in the U.S. The
words conjure up stereotypical images of “primal” people who rebel against
orderly society.
The examples above demonstrate some of the ways in which Paganism
is portrayed in Reign and other forms of media. Many individuals associate Paganism
with evil, witchcraft, Satanism, or devil-worship. While Christianity and Jesus
Christ are associated with everything pure and good, any faith outside Judaism,
Islam, and Christianity is perceived by many Americans to be “abnormal.” Author
Graham Harvey explains “Some do this out of ignorance but others do it
deliberately, believing either that the devil is behind everything other than
Evangelicalism, or that paganism is a stepping-stone towards devil-worship”
(211). Due to the desire to create drama and tension for the audience, it has
been a common practice for films and TV shows to portray Pagans as spell-casting,
blood shedding antagonists.
The Craft
The Craft (1996) tells the story
of Sarah, a newcomer who meets a trio of teenage girls at a Catholic Academy.
Bonnie, Nancy, Rochelle and Sarah use magic and rituals to get revenge on
bullying individuals. Bonnie wishes to be beautiful, Rochelle wishes for
revenge against a racist bully, Sarah wishes to love herself more, and Nancy
wishes for "all the power in the world." After the four girls summon
a fictional deity Manon, they experience consequences for casting spells for
selfish purposes. Nancy kills her abusive step father, Bonnie becomes
beautiful, Laura, the school bully loses her hair and sobs, and the selfish
Chris falls in love with Sarah after she put a love spell on him.
After Sarah attempts to bind Nancy from doing more harm to others,
Nancy and the others turn on her. It is later revealed that after being struck
by lightning, Nancy is the villain, who tried to kill Sarah after she is
accused of betraying the coven. Nancy uses illusion magic to make snakes and
vermin appear to scare Sarah, and making her believe that her family was killed
in a plane accident. Nancy even tries to get Sarah to kill herself. However,
Sarah fights back after invoking Manon, defeating Nancy and showing the other
bystander girls their worst fears.
However, there are a few portions that are somewhat accurate. In
one scene, the girls initiate each other into their coven using the real life
Wiccan saying "In perfect love and perfect trust." They also say
"Blessed Be," afterwards.
These are a few examples of how Paganism, Wicca,
and witchcraft are portrayed in modern society. All too often, they are
misrepresented as Satanists and those who practice dark magic. In real life,
Paganism is an umbrella term for certain types of polytheistic religions:
Germanic, Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, among others. People of this
pre-Christian faith typically hold the view that the Earth and life is sacred.
They celebrate the turning of the seasons with eight Sabbat holidays. One of
the lines in the Wiccan Rede states: “An’ ye harm none, do what ye will” which
means that people are free to do anything unless it causes harm to other people.
Harvey adds, “Pagan rituals and festivals tell a story in which it is important
to recognize and to offer greetings to all who participate” (205). The deities,
the four elements, humans and other living things are each given importance and
value.
Pagan individuals do not believe in Satan, but
rather, in general, a God and a Goddess. Wicca, Druidism, and other minority
faiths are hardly brought to the attention of mainstream society, and when it
does occur, it is portrayed in a sinister manner, more often than not. With
gradual positive representation of Paganism, more people will likely become
accepting of those who identify as witches, Wiccas, etc.
Supernatural
Supernatural (2005) is an American
television thriller series created by Eric Kripke. The story follows two
brothers Sam and Dean Winchester who hunt demons and monsters. After their
mother is killed by supernatural forces, the brothers are raised by their
father as monster hunters. Two episodes in season 3 reference witchcraft and
pre-Christian deities. The first episode is “A Very Supernatural Christmas” and
the second is “Malleus Maleficarum.”
In “A Very Supernatural Christmas,” Sam and Dean investigate a series
of murders where the victims were pulled up through a chimney. The brothers
discover they are dealing with a demonic figure found in Pagan mythology. They
suspect the being is Krampus, who punishes the wicked at Christmas. Sam and
Dean search the house of the Carrigans and find human remains and a suspicious
sack in the basement. The brothers are knocked out and find themselves tied to chairs.
The Carrigans are revealed to be pagan gods who have adapted to human society
for thousands of years. They resent the fact that humans practice Christianity
and worship a different god instead of themselves. The deities also appear to
desire human sacrifice (which does not apply to the pagan deities in real-life
mythology). The Carrigans start the ritual, taking blood from the brothers and
pulling out Sam’s fingernail. They are about to pull out Dean’s teeth, when
they are distracted by a neighbor by the front door. This gives time for Sam
and Dean to escape and eventually, they kill the gods with stakes from
evergreen trees.
The Pagan Gods are portrayed as villainous, selfish, and sacrificial.
Christianity, the dominant faith is seen as pure and normal. Any other faith is
perceived to be “deviant” by many Americans. This form of discrimination is
reflective of prejudice in real life. According to Harvey, many Pagans have experienced
other religions (ex, Christianity) where “power is vested in dominating leaders,
scriptures and deities,” however, their own experiences have been “denied,
ridiculed and suppressed” by mainstream society (205). From the perspective of
paganism, Pagan deities are not perceived as sacrificial, destructive beings. Rather,
they are perceived as higher forces present in both the cosmos and everyday
life. In fact, many Pagans do not consider the worshipping of their deities to
be the most important. Harvey further emphasizes this statement, saying, “Paganism
is not centered around the worship of deities. Pagans may have invented
theology—and some are deeply concerned with Goddess centered thealogy—but a
concern with correct and fervent belief is not common in Pagan discourse”
(Harvey 156). In general, Pagans focus more on the divinity in nature and the
seasons.
“Malleus Maleficarum” begins with a woman, Janet Dutton coming
home from a party and brushing her teeth. Meanwhile, a witch is shown cutting
her hand with a ritual knife, chanting a spell and dropping her blood on a toothbrush.
This causes Janet’s teeth to start falling out. Her husband tries to get into
the bathroom, but the door is locked. In an investigation, Sam and Dean
discover the woman dead on the floor. Sam searches the house and finds a hex
bag filled with bones and animal parts, indicating a witch was involved in the
act. Later on, the witch who is called Amanda Burns, casts a spell to infest
Paul Dutton’s burger with maggots. The man is saved with Sam and Dean Burns
another hex bag they find in the car. Amanda is soon killed by a member of her
own coven, when her wrists are slashed and she bleeds to death. Elsewhere,
three women meet together, claiming they are part of a book club, though they
are practicing witchcraft in reality. One scene shows them holding hands and
chanting around a Book of Shadows.
It is later revealed
that one of the women, Tammi, is actually a demon, who is controlling the
coven.
Instead of using magic for growth and positivity, the
witches in the show use magic for dark purposes and their own gain. The magic
is also used to harm and murder other people. In this sense, Paganism could be
equated with devil-worshipping and Satanism. In reality, most pagans do not
believe in the devil, and harming others goes against the Wiccan Rede of “do no
harm.” The magic in the show is very different from magic in Pagan practice. Aleister
Crowley offers his definition of the term, saying “Magick is the Science and
Art of causing change to occur in conformity with Will” (Harvey, 84-85). Georg
Luck explains magic in different terms, stating that it is “a technique that
aims at imposing the human will on nature or on human beings by using
supersensual powers” (Harvey qt. Luck, 85). In other words, magic is used as a
way to impose one’s desires onto the world around them. Many magicians aim to
learn more about their true selves and connect with “ultimate reality” or the
universe.
W.I.T.C.H.
W.I.T.C.H. (2004) is a French-American
television show based on the W.I.T.C.H. Italian comic book series. The show
follows five teenage girls—Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin who gain
elemental powers. These powers are water, air, earth, fire, and quintessence.
In similar terms, Wiccan tradition acknowledges the four elements, with spirit
being equivalent to quintessence, the combination of all four elements. The
Heart of Kandrakar serves as the physical manifestation of their power.
The five protagonists serve as Guardians of the Veil between
worlds. In the show, they protect Earth and the fictional land of Meridian from
the evil sorcerer Phobos, and later on, the evil sorceress Nerissa. The acronym
spells out the word “witch” despite none of them actually being witches
themselves. On the other hand, Nerissa is revealed to be the holder of
quintessence in the previous group of Guardians. Nerissa was the leader of the
older Guardians, and also the only one who was evil.
According to author Scott Cunningham, traditional Wiccan values include
the oldest and most important concept: Harm none. In other words, do not cause
harm to others or oneself. A second rule involves the use of magic. Cunningham
explains “Magic is…never to be used to boost one’s pride or to cause harm in
any way” (142). Magic, in Wiccan real life terms is not a way to gain power,
but rather, is an expression for growth and positive energy. In opposition to
this rule, Nerissa uses her magic for her own purposes in an attempt to rule
the worlds. The teenage girls using spells to cause harm to bullies in The Craft is another example of
individuals using magic for harmful purposes and personal gain.
References
Alder, Margot
(1979). Drawing Down the Moon: Witches Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and
other Pagans in America. New York, NY. Penguin Books.
Cunningham, Scott
(1993). Living Wicca: A further guide for the solidary
practitioner. Woodbury, Minnesota. Llewellyn Publications.
Engstorm, Erika, &
Valenzano III, Joseph M (2014). Television, Religion and Supernatural:
Hunting Monsters, Finding Gods. Lanham, Maryland. Lexington Books.
Retrieved December 13th 2018 from
https://books.google.com/books?id=KD7oAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=supernatural+pagan+representation&source
Gardner, Gerald B.
(2004). Witchcraft Today. New York, NY. Kensington Publishing
Corporation.
Harvey, Graham
(1997). Contemporary Paganism: Religions of the Earth. New
York, NY. New York University Press.
Merlin Wiki. Retrieved 12-15-18 from https://merlin.fandom.com/wiki/Merlin_Wiki
Reign Wiki. Retrieved 12-15-18 from
http://reign-cw.wikia.com/wiki/Reign
Supernatural Wiki. Retrieved 12-15-2018
from http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum
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