The Gender Metamorphosis of Witches Throughout History: Evidence from the Zagros Region.

Beyond academic definitions and scientific research, magic in public belief and perception is an extraordinary phenomenon that not everyone can perform. It requires specific physical and spiritual traits. In the majority view, practitioners of magic are usually women. However, the cause and rationale behind this perception have not been clarified in most scholarly works.

While numerous studies on magic have been conducted, primarily aiming to define it and distinguish it from similar fields, any focus on the gender of its practitioners has largely been limited to statistical reports and quantitative data, without providing sufficient reasons for the predominance of a particular gender.

This study examines key works in the field through library research and employs anthropological and mythological data to investigate the gender of magical practitioners. It seeks to uncover the reasons behind the proposition that "women are skilled in magic" or "most sorcerers are women," and to classify the origins of this notion.

The conclusion reveals that this proposition is a product of a matriarchal era, during which magic was not viewed negatively. On the contrary, it was a positive phenomenon essential for accomplishing tasks and sustaining life. As worldviews shifted and positive values were transformed into negative ones, this proposition and practice gradually became perceived negatively.