Set Project - Tell me a story

 During today's lessons, everybody has to create a story for their Set Project using text and images. As I am not sure which idea I want to choose for my project yet, I decided to just make one of the concepts which in my opinion seems to be matching my characters sketching from my previous post on my blog Set Project - 10x sketch. 

These sketches were made to find which style will match the best if I want to develop this subject and made Set Project from it. I decided to create some drawings which will show my concept for this project. I wanted to focus on how witches were described - as charlatans who through rituals sacrifice souls of innocent to Satan, women who use black magic, lure people and make dead alive again. This is what I want to show things that become fairytales and legends which were created through a misery thousand of women.

Women were put to death because of envy - because some lady was jealous of her maid's beauty or just because she has ginger hair. Because of willingness to help other people, women could not know the meaning of the herbs which have a curative effect. Or when women stepped outside their prescribed roles - they should have babies, raise children, manage household life and be a model of Christian subservience to their husbands - when they do something differently or God forbid to do not want to be the only housewife they become targets.

That time every reason was good enough for a witch hunt (mostly in the US and England - just English spiking countries, colonies) for example too much wealth might reflect sinful profits. On the other hand, having not enough money demonstrated bad character. Too many children could suggest a deal with the devil and having few of them was also suspicious.

People (because not only women were accused of being a witch also a few men were) were checked if they are witches for various ways. For example through attachment stone to the woman and throw her with it to the water if she will rise to the surface then she was a with if not then she was not. The next way was pricking the Devil's Mark (moles, birthmarks, scars, or extra nipples) with a blade if it does not bleed or hurt when it is pricked it is definitely a witch. Or what is the most "clever" way was reciting The Lord Prayer - if they did not do it they are guilty if they do so they are still guilty because Satan let them say it for sure. 

Sometimes I wonder who has come to such ideas how to distinguish the difference between a witch and a normal Christian girl. I am aware of how big effect church has on it and people that time was not educated but still I just can not understand it at all. 

As I want to show witches as they were described in legend, stories, and fairytales as a woman that at the night is flying in the sky on her broom here are some of the sketches which I made using a color palette that includes only three colors 

Women that during full moon night are dancing very often naked in the forest around flaming fire or in the stone circle for paying respect to the devil. These scenes were presented as full of lust and wild dancing young and beautiful women singing a song to honoring Satan.

These women which have knowledge about the use of herbs in a medical way, these people were showed as witches who prepare at their homes some kind of mixtures with various weird and unique integrations such as Dragon scales or a unicorn horn.

There are a lot of ways in which witches were describes I just illustrated a few but this is unexpectedly a really suitable topic for me as Set Project. I can learn new things about history and challenge myself in drawing with a dark vibe and poor color palette. 

References:

Stacy Conrad (2018) 10 ways to identify a witch (Online) https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/24090/10-ways-identify-witch [21.04.2021]

D.G. Hewitt (2019) 18 Reasons One is Executed for Witchcraft during the "Burning Times" (Online) https://historycollection.com/18-reasons-one-is-executed-for-witchcraft-during-the-burning-times/  [21.04.2021]

English Heritage (-)  Witchcraft: Eight myths and misconceptions (Online) https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/eight-witchcraft-myths/ [21.04.2021]

English Heritage (-) A journey into witchcraft beliefs (Online) https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/journey-into-witchcraft-beliefs/ [21.04.2021]