Friday Photo: The Wookey Hole Witch Hunt

Fri, 07/31/2009 - 4:41pm

Jobseekers audition for the role of a resident witch at Wookey Hole Caves on July 28 2009 in Wells, England. The Somerset tourist attraction is looking for a new witch to teach visitors about witchcraft and magic after its previous employee retired and it will come with a salary of 50,000 GBP pro rata. The job advert, which was advertised earlier this month states that the successful applicant 'must be able to cackle' and 'must not be allergic to cats'. and has recieved 2,319 applications as well as 23 letters of complaint from church or religious groups. Legend has it that the caves were home to the Wookey Witch who was turned to stone by Father Bernard who had been appointed by the Abbott of Glastonbury to rid villagers of her curse.
Matt Cardy/Getty Images 
Joshua Keating | Permalink | | Comments? Login or register
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Wookey Witch

by Manfred Ostrowski on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 3:46am

I think there was no witch who had been "turned to stone",
but quite probably a woman who was killed for being considered "dangerous" by superstitious and cruel people who
claimed religious justification for their murder of a
helpless outsider. Many innocent "witches" were killed during the dark ages of superstitious fear. The tourists
should not be confronted with alleged "witchcraft" but
with the uncomfortable truth of unjustified witch-hunts
during many centuries, also in "civilized" England,
which brought death to many victims of hate, defamation,
and ill-disposed denunciation.

Thanks

by JimmyM23412 on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 5:10am

Great article - thanks

Jimmy

Early halowen

by josephspark107 on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 8:00am

Very unusual job, Nice articles specially when Halloween.

mohel

The job is fine, they paying

by mallive777 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 1:11pm

The job is fine, they paying very good money, no wounder so many people came.
dead sea premier

Much to difficult to selct

by Paul L. on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 3:14pm

Much to difficult to selct the right appplicant. There is a much easier way, the official Witches Weighhouse. If you can fly, you will be very light.

'Visitors from all over the world visit for almost a hundred years the Witches Weighouse in Oudewater. They take place on the original scales and receive a certificate. In the building already in the 17th century this weighing took place'.

http://www.heksenwaag.nl/nl/talen/English?PHPSESSID=ac4da75993542de9855af4177568ac1d