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I was looking through Chretien's Cliges and came across a footnote regarding Thessala, the sorceress-nurse of Fenice. Something about the name being a generic word for witch or sorceress.
Lo and behold, turns out, "Thessala" really is a term for witch.
Lol, Chretien. Very Subtle.
But more interesting to me is how this word came about from Greco-Roman culture. Thessaly is the home of the (infamous) Greek hero Jason, leader of the argonauts and husband of the sorceress Medea.
Apparently, Pliny the Elder here states that Thessaly owes its knowledge of the Healing Arts to Chiron, the centaur mentor of Jason, Achilles and other Greek Heroes.
The funny fact is: Jason (Ἰάσων (Iásōn)) means "Healer":
So, it seems to me the association of Thessaly and Witchcraft came about through Jason's knowledge of Herbs and Medicine and through Jason marriage to the barbarian Medea.
The study of medicine, and drugs, in Ancient Greek is Pharmakeia - the origin of the word "Pharmacy"... and is synonymous with Witchcraft. Indeed, the magic of Medea is described as "Pharmakon" and certain translations of the Bible also use the term "Pharmakeia" to refer to magic and witchcraft.
It kind of makes me imagine Jason and Medea were a wizard couple together. It helps that both Jason and Medea were both subjects of cultic worship in various areas of the Hellenic World.














