When we think of the words “witch” or “Wiccan”, the image that might come to mind is an older woman practising at home, shrouded in secrecy for fear of being discovered and later burned at the stake. But where did the word “wicca” come from and how is it used today?
History
The origins of the word wicca are slightly uncertain, as is most history of witchcraft. But what looks likely is that it came from an older Germanic word that meant “sorcerer” or “necromancer” and found its origins in the word that would now be “bewitch”.
The original root of the word, weyk, meant separating or dividing, which is thought to be a reference to ancient Germanic pagan practices that involved cleromancy - a form of divination, similar to that of runecasting, where outcomes were predicted and believed to be the will of God or other supernatural entities.
Over the centuries, the word wicca changed and evolved into English and had a similar root to the word wikked (no prizes for guessing what the word is in modern English). But one thing was for certain: wicca was the masculine word for witch or spellcaster! The feminine version was wicce, and both eventually developed into the word we know today, witch.
It’s important to note that wicca is pronounced completely differently to Wicca (the neo-pagan religion): wicca is pronounced witch-ah, explaining how we got from wicca to witch.
This is also where the stereotype that “wizard” means male witch originates. The word wizard was synonymous with wicca, giving it masculine origins, and the modern English word wise stems from it, too.
WIcca's Origins
The origins of modern Wicca came from Gerald Gardner, who travelled extensively in Asia before setting up a coven in the New Forest area of England. But Gardner himself didn’t use the word Wicca – he was mentioned occasionally as using the word ‘Wica’, but this was in reference to plural practitioners. A rival, Charles Cardell, later referred to the practitioners as Wiccens when advertising a coven in a newspaper.
Contemporary Wicca
The first recorded use of the modern version of Wicca was reportedly in 1962, when a group of Cardiff-based practitioners advertised their Dianic and Aradian coven by using the word. Further usage of the word was seen all through the 1960s, gradually arriving to the contemporary version of Wicca we know today: a neo-Pagan tradition that has ties to old religions practiced pre-Christianity, especially in England.
In the modern day, Wicca is a hugely diverse practice which is viewed slightly differently by all who practice it. Some use the word to avoid the stigma associated with the word “witch”, and for some it’s a word that fully encompasses all of their practices. But we think it’s important to remember the origins of the word witch – because it turns out they’re not so different after all.