In Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, witches are wise and powerful. They are also practical and down-to-earth. Wizards are often arrogant and think they are better than witches. They focus on theory and study rather than practical magic.

Witches always wear black. Wizards have pointy hats. Witches fly on broomsticks but wizards think this is beneath them. They prefer to fly on magic carpets. There is a popular song in Discworld taverns called "A Wizard's Staff Has a Knob On The End". No one dares to sing songs about witches.

In the Discworld series, witches are usually women and wizards are usually men. But Equal Rites tells the story of a young woman named Eskarina Smith who wants to become a wizard. The last book, The Shepherd's Crown, features a young man named Geoffrey who wants to become a witch.

In the Wizard of Oz, Glinda the Good is a kind witch. Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West is, well, wicked. But in the musical Wicked, Elphaba is shown as a misunderstood character. She is fighting against the bad system of Oz. She sings the famous song "Defying Gravity" at the end of the first act. This song has become an anthem for empowerment and self-acceptance.

In King Arthur legends, Morgan le Fay is a powerful and mysterious witch. She is both a friend and an enemy of Arthur. The sword in the stone is not the same as Excalibur. Arthur pulls the sword from the stone to prove he should be king. Later, The Lady of the Lake gives him Excalibur. Merlin is based on several historical and mythical people, including the Welsh prophet Myrddin Wyllt.

Baba Yaga is a character from East European folklore. She is often shown as a scary witch who lives in a hut that walks on chicken legs. But she is also known for her wisdom and knowledge of magic. In some stories, she helps heroes. In other stories, she is a dangerous enemy.

During the European witch trials of the 15th-18th centuries, about 40,000-60,000 people were killed for witchcraft. About 75-80% of the accused were women. These trials were about fears of power, gender, and religion rather than real magical practices.

In England, witches were hanged, not burned at the stake. The last person killed for witchcraft in England was Alice Molland. She was hanged in Exeter in 1685. However, some say Mary Hicks and her daughter Elizabeth were the last, hanged in 1716. After that, the Witchcraft Act of 1735 made it illegal to accuse someone of witchcraft. This ended executions for witchcraft in England.

Sir Isaac Newton was a famous physicist and mathematician. He discovered gravity. (Well, everyone who dropped something also discovered gravity, but he was the one who wrote it down.) Newton was also interested in alchemy and the occult. He wrote a lot on these subjects, but much of his work was not published when he was alive. He believed that alchemy could lead to the Philosopher's Stone. This was a mythical substance that could turn base metals into gold and give immortality.

Arthur Miller's play The Crucible is set during the Salem witch trials in America in the 17th century. It explores mass hysteria and the results of false accusations. It is a powerful message about the dangers of fear and ignorance and how they can lead to tragic outcomes. It was written as a story about the McCarthy era in the 1950s. At that time, people were accused of being communists without any proof. This led to widespread fear and suspicion.