I see the phrase “We’re the daughters of the witches they didn’t burn” used as a modern slogan. How accurate is it, and is there a respectful way to use it?
Is “daughters of witches” meant literally, or is it a bad bit of history?
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marmalade.exe
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As a literal claim of inherited practice, it’s shaky. Many people accused in historical witch trials were not practicing anything like modern witchcraft, and some were Christians or Jews who rejected the accusations. Calling them all witches in the modern sense can overwrite what they said about themselves.
If someone uses the phrase, I’d frame it as a present-day metaphor about resisting the persecution of women, not as proof of a direct spiritual lineage.
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I’d be careful with the word “witch” here. It can make it sound as though the accused shared a coherent practice or community, when an accusation was often something imposed on people. Some accused people may have been healers or used common remedies, but that alone doesn’t establish a link to modern pagan or Wiccan traditions.
Remembering the persecution doesn’t require claiming those people would have identified with us. Their own identities and circumstances deserve to stay visible.
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For a short slogan, the historical caveat is easy to lose. If the point is solidarity with people punished under misogynistic systems, say that directly. If you keep the phrase, a quick explanation that it’s symbolic, not a claim about ancestry or shared beliefs, makes it less misleading.
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marmalade.exe:
So the main issue is presenting it as history, rather than using it as a metaphor?
quietly.rude:
That’s the distinction I’d make. Being clear about the metaphor leaves room to honor people who were persecuted without assigning them beliefs they may not have held.