Topic Research: The Witches of Oz

I would like to do a storybook that tells about the four witches of Oz: The good witches of the North and South and the evil witches of the East and West, from their perspective. I would like to add dimension to the witches and let them tell "their side" of their origin story or possibly how they interacted with Dorothy. I think to get a full breadth on all the witches I would need to read parts of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), The Wicked Witch of Oz (1993- Payes), Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908), The Unknown Witches of Oz (2000-Hardenbrook), and possibly Glinda of Oz (1920).


Resources:
Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the East
Good Witch of the South
Good Witch of the North

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Week 3 Story: Venus's Revenge on Psyche

        Venus had done her best to forgive the girl. She obviously made her son very happy, and she did love the grandson that was born out of their union. But every time she looked upon that wretched girl's face, she was filled with a rage that threatened to rattle the heavens! The girl had been made a deity, and this had only intensified her beauty and reputation among the mortals. Venus tried to shrug off the whispers of Psyche usurping her one day as Goddess of Love, but these rumors slithered around in the back of her mind like venomous snakes. She hated Psyche, and she could try her best to convince herself and others that she did not, but that was never going to change. And shouldn't Venus, one of the most highly-revered goddesses, not have to live tormented by this villainous girl for the rest of her days? No, something must be done. Venus paced her chambers, rattling her brain for a solution to the problem of her daughter-in-law. Suddenly, her violet-colored eyes flashed with a light that had not been seen since Psyche had set foot on Mount Olympus. She knew exactly what she must do and who to call to help her. In a puff of pink smoke she disappeared to Zeus's court.
           Zeus jumped, startled, when Venus appeared before him. He hated how his goddesses poofed to and fro, it was quite unnerving. Zeus's jaw set when he saw the expression on Venus's face. He knew it all too well from years of hearing Venus's wishes. He bellowed, "What is it you have come for, my child?" Venus reclined on one of the marble steps below his throne and replied, "No need to bellow, you old fool. It's just me. I have come to see about your love life. You seem very tense lately and as the Goddess of Love I feel it is my duty to make sure the King of the Heavens is well attended to when it comes to love and pleasure." Zeus shifted uneasily, stammering, "My love life is fine and none of your concern. I take any damsel I wish and my desires are sated. Maybe I am tense because I have goddesses like you running around causing trouble. I distinctly remember Olympus being turned upside down only a short while ago while you were looking for that daughter-in-law of yours."
          Venus waved away his comments with her slender hand. "The Goddess of Love knows the difference between sexual tension and other stresses, and it is coming off of you in waves. I remember when you used to take any damsel you wish, yes, you were much more relaxed then," the goddess continued nonchalantly. As Zeus began sputtering incoherently at this insult, Venus cut him off, "Speaking of my daughter-in-law, she is a pretty thing, isn't she? They say she is the fairest deity on Mount Olympus. A perfect damsel for the Tamer of Lightning, don't you think? I bet a pretty face like hers could relieve any and all tension those old bones have."
           Zeus cocked his head and asked, "What are you up to Venus?" The Goddess of Love leaned in with a feral glint in her eye, "I need the girl gone. She torments me day and night, and my reputation is in ruins while she is here. All I ask is that you awe her with your power and seduce her, and if Cupid happens to discover you two while in the act, then it is a sad coincidence that you could not help. That love-struck fool will not be able to bear the sight of her once she is soiled, and he will exile her somewhere where I never have to see her face again. Now, can you do me a favor and bed the most beautiful girl in the world?"

Jupiter and Juno by Annibale Carracci

Story source: Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Author's Note: This story is an extension of Cupid and Psyche, a fairy tale written by Apuleius. Psyche is hailed as the fairest girl in all the world, and Venus, the Goddess of Love, becomes extremely irritated and jealous because the mortals are forgetting to worship her and believe that Psyche is Venus reincarnated. So Venus sends her son Cupid to curse Psyche to fall in love with someone terrible. But instead, Cupid makes Psyche fall in love with him. There is of course some turmoil including Venus trying to destroy Psyche with a number of tasks but the story ends happily ever after with Venus dancing at their wedding ceremony and Psyche turning into a deity. This did not sit well with me because Venus had this all-encompassing rage throughout the entire story that just ended at the very end quite suddenly. So I incorporated a seething grudge in this extension to show how Venus got her revenge. 

Reading Notes Part B: Cupid and Psyche

- I love that in Roman mythology the gods and goddesses are so flawed and humanistic. Venus is an almost all-powerful goddess who is worshipped the world over yet she is tormented by this mortal, by a girl whose lifetime is the blink of an eye for Venus. It makes for very interesting reading.

-I cannot imagine how absolutely frightening Psyche’s first night with her husband must have been. She was taken away from her family on a morbid prophecy, swept away to a strange castle filled with invisible servants, and then her virginity was taken by someone she cannot see! It is hard to imagine someone falling in love with a person who treats them like that, but maybe Psyche is so starved for human interaction that she is unable to maintain these feelings

-It seems that Venus could be taking out some of her own guilt on her son. Her speech was awfully harsh, threatening to clip his wings and have another son to replace him. It is known that Venus was unfaithful and has had some love affairs that were not exactly great for her marital reputation, possibly she is feeling guilty about that and taking it out on her son?

-The goddesses have a very fierce protection of one another. All of the gods and goddesses are so close knit in this big, dysfunctional family

-While the gods and goddesses seem awfully harsh with their punishments, they also seem extremely understanding of some faults. Jupiter talks of how Cupid constantly disrespected him and ruined his reputation, yet he grants him his wish right when he asks for it. It would be a tight line to walk as a god or goddess

-Venus quickly turned around from hating Psyche with all her might to dancing merrily at her wedding. A whole other story could be done about the inner turmoil there

Story source: Apuleius's Golden Ass, as translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Image: Cupid and Psyche by François-Édouard Picot