Young Luca Witch

My second witch inspired by the Hungarian folk superstition revolving around the Luca Day festival. (You can see the first witch and read about this strange superstition here).

 This time I decided to depict a young girl, and her horns are those of the Hungarian breed of sheep known as Racka – they have long twisting horns and their wool is either black or cream coloured dreadlocks.

In accordance with my other witch portraits so far, I was more interested in suggesting my witches were the victims of mass hysteria and the cruelty capable by mobs singling out someone who did not “fit in” in a small town. I was joking that I did not want to attend midnight mass with the locals because if someone stood on a Luca chair they would single me out because of my weird Australian-Hungarian accent - to which my comrades replied not to be silly, the boys would only accuse someone they did not like of being a witch (confirming my point.)

I thought of the way children often “flirt” with each other by bullying and teasing the one they secretly fancy, and the unfortunate consequences this might have in a superstitious community.