Witch hat
| [ witch hat | |
|---|---|
| Appearance | wide-brimmed conical hat |
| Slot | helm |
| AC | 0 + 0 DR |
| Special | (none) |
| Base price | 80 zm |
| Weight | 4 |
| Material | cloth |
A witch hat is a type of helm that appears in dNetHack and notdNetHack. Its base material is cloth, and it appears as a wide-brimmed conical hat when unidentified.
Generation
Witch hats are not randomly generated.
Witches, apprentice witches and the coven leader are always generated with a witch hat.
Description
When worn, a war hat grants 0 base AC and 0 DR as well as MC2. As a wide-brimmed helm, it additionally gives protection from the acid rain monster spell.
Origin
Witchcraft refers to the alleged use of supernatural or magic powers primarily to inflict harm and misfortune upon others, with practitioners of the art known as "witches". European belief in witchcraft traces back to classical antiquity, with medieval and early modern European cultures playing host to witch hunting: the accused "witches" were usually women believed to have used black magic or maleficium against their own community, with the accusations borne of social tensions and believed by some anthropologists to have been focused on supposed enemies of the Church. Believed to be driven by evil spirits or substances, suspected historical witches were intimidated, banished, attacked or outright killed - often they would be formally prosecuted and punished if they considered or simply believed to be guilty, resulting in tens of thousands of executions.
Witchcraft is also generally considered malevolent in many indigenous belief systems, with people seeking healers and medicine people for protection against witchcraft. In its modern context, witchcraft generally refers to followers of certain types of modern paganism, who self-identify as witches and use the term witchcraft for their beliefs and practices, though some other neo-pagans avoid the term due to its negative connotations. Witches are also depicted in various forms of media as practitioners of magic that can range from empowered humans to almighty sorcerers to monstrous hag-like beings, and there are many instances of a witch "species" separate from mundane humanity. Witches in fairy tales and cartoons, particularly of the "monster" variety, are often depicted as long-nosed crones that are malevolent and seen as hideous witch croaky voices and shrieking laughs - they often wear distinct pointed brimmed hats and are sometimes depicted taking flight, with the stereotypical witch using a broom; many of these qualities are sometimes omitted or even subverted in modern depictions.
