A witch (Art. Slavic vadma - "one who possesses witchcraft, knowledge" from Art. Slavic vadati - "to know, to know"; also veshtitsa, sorceress, witch, enchantress) is a woman practicing magic (witchcraft), as well as possessing magical abilities and knowledge.<br> <br> The witch (literally: "the one who owns secret information") is one of the brightest characters in demonology. Its descriptions and characteristics are presented in some detail in the ethnographic literature. She symbolizes not only abstract evil; sometimes she can act as a symbol of a deadly ulcer or even death, and in this sense her actions are similar to those of a vampire.<br> <br> People with dangerous knowledge and skills have long been respected or feared. In the Middle Ages, the idea was that a woman becomes a witch by concluding an agreement with the devil. This superstition led to a surge from the late 15th to the mid-17th centuries of mass persecution and executions of women believed to be witches. This period in Western Europe entered the historiography under the name "witch hunt".