11 Witches From Fiction Who Embody What Feminism Really Means

Of all the spooky beings spotlighted on Halloween, none is more truly badass than the witch.

Sure, they may seem a little square in the age of sexy zombies and shimmering vampires -- the black pointed hat and broomstick have a musty, traditional air -- but lets not turn our back on the supernatural beings that made fantasy exciting to the mainstream again. From "Bewitched" to "Charmed," witches have always maintained a cozy spot in the popular imagination, but with the arrival of Harry Potter, witchcraft exploded into a genuine craze. Though the changing tides of cultural fashion have elevated other fantastical beings, leaving witches in the dust, its worth asking whether wed even be enjoying this bonanza of "The Walking Dead" and "The Vampire Diaries" were it not for J.K. Rowlings internationally beloved witches and wizards.

Witches didnt pop up in the 20th century, of course. Their historical record, which is largely quite grim, complicates a modern image glimmering with Hogwarts feasts and Melissa Joan Hart. Witchcraft was, for centuries, considered a capital offense. Historians have noted that those accused of witchcraft were predominantly women, especially women who didnt adhere to societal convention . Witch trials enabled persecution of these more free-minded or unconventional female figures in society, such as those who were older and unmarried. Though witch trials represented an unpredictable and mortal threat to women of the time, this very fact is indicative of the close link between the concept of witchcraft and feminine power in a patriarchal and narrow-minded world.

Appropriately, many witches from fiction have personified female strength and supremacy, even as many of them have faced decidedly hostile circumstances. Here are 11 of the most badass witches from literature, who truly epitomize woman power: