<p>We’re off to see… the Wicked Witch of the West, as she returns to the silver screen in <em>Wicked: For Good</em>, the second part of the fantasy epic based on the popular stage musical. But where would Elphaba be without her trademark look, including the iconic black, pointed and wide-brimmed hat?</p><p>Along with a cat, broomstick and black robes, the pointed hat is a required feature of any depiction of the typical ‘evil witch’, and has been for centuries. How it became the headgear of choice, however, remains the subject of numerous theories – as there is no single hat to point the way to the archetypal witch.</p><h3 id="the-myth-of-the-alewives-73402a5c">The myth of the alewives</h3><p>Before getting to the major theories, there <em>is</em> one that can be debunked. The internet is well-populated with the claim that the image of the witch began with alewives, medieval women who brewed ale in their homes and sold it locally.</p>
<img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2025/11/2H47Y5Y-0a977be-e1763737655969.jpg" width="1500" height="1002" alt="A line engraving of one Elinour Rummin, a well known landlady of an ale-house. (Image by Alamy)" title="A line engraving of one Elinour Rummin, a well known landlady of an ale-house" />
<p>Dominating the brewing industry for a time, these women could achieve a degree of financial independence. In an era where any woman who baulked social norms was suspicious, this autonomy would have been enough to single them out, putting them at risk of being accused of witchcraft. In addition, the fact that they stood over bubbling cauldrons while brewing and wearing pointed hats to be easily spotted at markets, it is clear why some have argued that alewives were the inspiration for the image of the witch.</p><p>Except, there is just zero historical evidence to back this up.</p><h3 id="the-highly-symbolic-history-of-the-pointed-witch-hat-598884c5">The highly symbolic history of the pointed witch hat</h3><p>Instead, theories have taken in pointy hats from throughout history, some with highly symbolic meaning. The <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/phrygian-cap-history/">Phrygian cap</a> of antiquity, for instance, came to represent liberty and freedom in the American and French Revolutions of the 18th century, while the ancient Romans presented <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/roman/qa-could-roman-slaves-buy-their-own-freedom/">freed slaves</a> with a special pointed felt cap, called a <em>pileus</em>.</p>
<img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2025/11/GettyImages-2695344-3b2c4e2-e1763737823942.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" alt="A young woman, wearing a Phrygian cap" title="Liberty" />
<p>In medieval Europe, the <em>hennin</em> came into fashion: an extremely tall cone with flowing material hanging out of the top. Yet while it certainly has a resemblance to the witch’s hat, it was the preserve of noblewomen rather than the typically poor and disenfranchised targets that most often provoked accusations of witchcraft.</p><h3 id="persecution-and-prejudice-5648ff09">Persecution and prejudice</h3><p>Other pointed hats became symbols of persecution, which could be a more promising place to look. The Fourth Lateran Council, a meeting of church leaders convoked by the pope in 1215, decreed that all Jews had to distinguish themselves by wearing distinctive clothing. In some regions, this included a tall, conical hat called the <em>pileum cornutum</em>. That one was usually yellow or white, though.</p><ul><li><strong>Quiz | <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/membership/history-quiz-witchcraft-trial/">Would you have been accused of witchcraft?</a></strong></li></ul><p>A more likely origin can be found in the persecution of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded in the mid-17th century. Better known as the Quakers, they rejected the established doctrines of the church, refused to conform with many social norms, and they believed in equality for all.</p>
<img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2025/11/G5HCHW-35e2f08-e1763737997721.jpg" width="1500" height="1000" alt="A 13th-century depiction of Suesskind von Trimberg, Jewish poet (right) wearing a pileum cornutum" title="A 13th-century depiction of Suesskind von Trimberg, Jewish poet (right) wearing a pileum cornutum" />
<p>Two upshots of this were that the Quakers would not take off their hats in the accepted display of respect and they permitted women to preach, which caused consternation in England and colonial America. Quaker women became a source of ridicule and condemnation, and their hats – which got pointier over time – came to be associated with the evils of society.</p><ul><li><strong>Watch now | <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/membership/what-is-a-witch-with-professor-marion-gibson/">What is a witch? Don’t miss episode 1 in our Academy on the history of witchcraft</a></strong></li></ul><p>While none of these theories are conclusive, a pattern does emerge of pointy hats being worn by minority groups. So, as the witch hunts took hold in Europe, it is possible to see a rationale to equip the typical image of a witch with a hat that has a history of identifying someone as a troublesome ‘other’.</p><p>By the 18th century, the witches seen in woodcuts firmly established the pointed hat as part of the uniform. In the 1720 book, <em>The History of Witches and Wizards</em>, for instance, a behatted witch can be seen flying on a broomstick – alongside a demon, no less – enshrining the conical pointed hat in the spooky, fantastical tradition.</p>
