But the wicked witch image was also made to demonize female practitioners of pre-Christian European folk magic and midwifery, from faiths that actually treated men and women as equals.

Modern witches use the term witch to honor those women and to stand against the Puritans and other witch hunting psychos.

Don't believe me? Look at history.

But enough of that, GoldenEye, despite the lack of major bloodshed, was very violent for a Nintendo published game.

Technically a female practicioner of pagan religion in Europe could be considered as a witch. The European pre-christian religions weren't dogmatic, and everyone could practise them to their liking. And as always, every religion that is "not your own" comes from the devil, so technically these witches worshipped the devil from christian viewpoint. Bayonetta is a Japanese game, so it views witches how the Japanese intreprets the Euro-christian witch. Japanese have a tendency to take something from western culture and sell it back re-packaged.

I strongly dislike that viewpoint because, like I said, it was used to kill anyone suspected of doing pre-Christian European magic, or anyone who they thought was a heretic. Bayonetta feels like a glorification of the negative witch stereotypes that fueled the witch hunts. Honestly I'd be happy if she was cut from the next Smash Bros., just like I'd be happy if a certain someone stopped being a douchebag about how I felt.

There is zero connection between things that happened literal centuries ago and a video game character from 2009, you are being ridiculous. Nobody is rounding up and killing people because of Bayonetta. Nobody is being harmed in any way because of Bayonetta.

Technically a female practicioner of pagan religion in Europe could be considered as a witch. The European pre-christian religions weren't dogmatic, and everyone could practise them to their liking. And as always, every religion that is "not your own" comes from the devil, so technically these witches worshipped the devil from christian viewpoint. Bayonetta is a Japanese game, so it views witches how the Japanese intreprets the Euro-christian witch. Japanese have a tendency to take something from western culture and sell it back re-packaged.

I strongly dislike that viewpoint because, like I said, it was used to kill anyone suspected of doing pre-Christian European magic, or anyone who they thought was a heretic. Bayonetta feels like a glorification of the negative witch stereotypes that fueled the witch hunts. Honestly I'd be happy if she was cut from the next Smash Bros., just like I'd be happy if a certain someone stopped being a douchebag about how I felt.

Technically a female practicioner of pagan religion in Europe could be considered as a witch. The European pre-christian religions weren't dogmatic, and everyone could practise them to their liking. And as always, every religion that is "not your own" comes from the devil, so technically these witches worshipped the devil from christian viewpoint. Bayonetta is a Japanese game, so it views witches how the Japanese intreprets the Euro-christian witch. Japanese have a tendency to take something from western culture and sell it back re-packaged.