Randy Mootooveran
Sci fi, Fantasy, Horror Lit
February 8, 2018

The Witches of The Witcher and Silent Hill

The witch has multiple definitions depending on who you ask. Some people would say they're simply the female version of a sorcerer. Others claim they're servants of the devil, drawing their power from the Earth as they devour young children and places curses on entire settlements. What makes the witches from the Witcher and Silent Hill so unique is the fact that both versions of the myth exist in their universe.

In the dark fantasy landscape of the Witcher, the definition of the witch changes from continent to continent. In the monster filled swamps of Velan, the villagers claim the witch protects them from the monster hordes, heals their sick, keeps their crops growing, and are all around seen in a mostly positive light (the witches also collect different forms of payment in exchange for her service). Go up north, and witches are burned on a daily basis in the city streets. The people there believe the witches are responsible for all of the war, famine, and poverty ravaging their country. At the same time, they're feared for their power. It takes entire squads of witch hunters to successfully track down a real witch to combat their deadly magic. In this world, they're just people motivated by their own goals and are just as flawed as anyone else. True, power hungry and bloodthirsty witches are out there (a group of them tried to destroy the world with a mythical beast), but there are also the kind female sorceress willing to help others and are now fighting to survive in this world. In my opinion, it adds depth to the legend of witches by not only portraying both types; the story takes time to characterize them in order for the audience to see who that person is before getting to the subject of their actions.

If there is one series that gives character to the face of evil, I don't know any other that does it better than Silent Hill. The entire premise centers around the torture and abuse of a girl with strange powers that ended up creating an eternal punishment for her attackers and anyone else who enters the town. In the beginning, Alessa Gillespie was only the odd girl born without any father. Everyone around her mistreated and shunned her in fear of what she might become. Ironically, their neglect helped turn her into the monster they were always afraid of. She never asked for anyone to fear her, but she became driven to revenge after being burned alive and left to rot in a hospital bed. If you look at the 2006 movie adaptation of the popular series, the witch angle is explored even further by depicting the people of the church as the real monsters hiding behind their faith instead of paying repentance to their actions. They had no qualms about burning a little girl to death and hiding behind their faith. The society can be seen as a matriarchy, but they were no better than the men conducting the Salem Witch Trials. Silent Hill's central theme is showing everyone who enters it the darkest parts of their subconscious. Anyone is capable of great acts of evil, and running away from the truth will only have the demons pursue you. Only through accepting those demons will they turn into angels to carry you from the hell you've lived.