Witches are featured in many popular television, film, and book series, such as True Blood, Harry Potter, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. These witches have magical powers that allow them to manipulate the world around them which can be used for both good and evil. The fact that these powers are used for evil purposes is the truly scary part. For example, many witches and wizards in Harry Potter are Death Eaters for Voldemort and use their powers for evil by killing people and causing chaos in society. This is why people are afraid of witches, even if they are good they still have the potential to perform evil acts and destroy lives. Their powers can be used for greater evil. Witches and witchcraft began long before the times of our modern media. For centuries, women (and even some men) would be accused of being witches. From the early Romans to the Salem witch trials to modern voodoo, the idea of ​​witchcraft has existed. However, witchcraft most likely does not exist and is just part of the imagination. Also according to Asma, the author of On Monsters, "Witches were the monsters most present in the imagination" (197). People invented witches as an explanation for situations that couldn't be explained. People want explanations for what is happening in the world, and when they can't get answers, they make things up to get answers, even if those answers aren't ultimately true. It makes people feel a little happy, even though the answer may not be accurate. A great example of this is ancient Greek mythology. All the myths written in the times of the ancient Greeks were used to explain why certain things happened because science back then was not advanced enough to explain them. Even the witches for...half of the card...characters are called witches and it stays the same. They have powers inexplicable with any form of science or technology. Now they are simply seen in a more positive light because many people now desire powers like that and dream of them being magical. They are not terrified by the thought of witches because they understand that they can be good. Works Cited Asma, Stephen T. On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print."Salem Witch Trials." Conspiracy Theories in American History. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2003. Creed Reference. Network. February 14, 2012.Winkler, Peter. “National Geographic: Salem Witch Hunt: Interactive.” National Geographic: Inspiring People to Care for the Planet Since 1888. Web. February 15, 2012. Yanak, Ted, and Pam Cornelsion. The great explorer of American history. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Print.