The Russian Witch, Vasilisa the Beautiful: A Heroine in Folklore and Fairy Tales

Throughout history, there have been several famous female witches who have left their mark on the world. These women, often shrouded in mystery and intrigue, have captivated the imagination of people around the globe. One of the most well-known witches in history is Joan of Arc. Born in 1412, Joan claimed to have visions of saints and angels, guiding her to lead the French army during the Hundred Years' War. She was eventually captured by the English and accused of witchcraft. Despite her claims to divine inspiration, Joan was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake in 1431.

Despite her claims to divine inspiration, Joan was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake in 1431. Her courage and conviction have made her an enduring symbol of female empowerment. Another famous witch is Tituba, an enslaved woman from Barbados who was at the center of the Salem witch trials in 1692.

Elsa doll with magical movements

Well, I am making some progress through my crazy-busy week (seven more lanterns done!) and wanted to post a short review of a Frozen doll. in honor of yesterday's much-anticipated DVD release. Many of us were hoping for an enduring re-stock of Disney Store Frozen dolls to accompany the DVD debut, but this hasn't happened yet. Most of the dolls seem to have come back into stock a few days ago (I don't know exactly when..I missed it), but they quickly sold out again. As I'm writing this, only the mini doll set is still available.

I reviewed the Disney Store's 16" Singing Elsa doll a few months ago, and so today I want to give you a quick overview of one of Mattel's musical dolls, Musical Magic Elsa. There is also a Musical Magic Anna, and these dolls have a retail price of around $26 each. Musical Elsa, like every other Elsa doll on the planet these days, has become quite scarce, and so her current asking price is more like $50-$60.

This doll's musical feature is activated by touching two metal discs on the palms of her hands. The box has holes in the plastic window so that you can sample the music before you buy her. This test gives a very short snippet of music, rather than activating the full song.

Elsa's ice dress looks really frumpy in the box. This is partly because of the clumsy yoke neckline, and partly because one of the plastic strings that holds the doll in place is wrapped around the train, making the outfit look like a loose-fitting, dropped-waist pinafore. or maybe a flapper dress:

Here's Musical Elsa removed from her box. The dress looks a little better with the train released from the packaging, but it's still not a very attractive dress:

Elsa has a sweet, slightly blank face with features that are very similar (identical?) to the Mattel Anna doll:

Elsa's hair is styled into a messy, lopsided, thick ponytail with one stray curl of bangs in the middle of her forehead. This might be the worst I have ever seen play doll hair look right out of the box:

Elsa is wearing a large, glittery blue plastic tiara. The tiara is held on with a clear head strap, but is also stapled to her head with plastic ties:

Elsa is wearing a tunic-style cape and a blue skirt with an elastic waistband. I was disappointed (but not surprised) to see that the pretty snowflake decorations on the cape do not continue in back. Ironically, it's the back of the dress that really needs some decoration--to hide the obvious singing apparatus.

The fabric of this outfit is extremely cheap and very few of the edges are finished. The neck piece is sewn all around both edges, but it's not sewn particularly well:

The polyester skirt is simple and unadorned, but it's very easy to slide on and off and would be perfect for younger children just getting started with changing the clothes on their dolls.

The design of the cape makes this piece of clothing slightly difficult to put on and take off. The garment opens in the back, but only at the top. In front, the collar prevents the cape from sliding on over Elsa's shoulders. You have to have Elsa step into the cape, pull it up, wrestle her arms into the arm holes, and then fasten it in back.

I think these shoes are the only thing about Mattel's Elsa that is superior to the 12"Disney Store Elsa dolls.

Musical Elsa's body has only five points of articulation (her knees don't bend). Her hips have ball-jointed movement, but her shoulders can only spin around. Her head can look up and down a little bit.

In order to facilitate activation of the music and lights, this doll's arms are slightly bent at the elbows, and angled away from her body. This position is great for triggering the song (and joining hands with Anna, as we'll see. ) but it's not so great for playing or posing.

Elsa has a very glittery, translucent torso with a molded snowflake pattern This area lights up when the music is playing.

The back of the doll reveals all of the features necessary for the song mechanism. There's a small speaker, a battery compartment and a plastic tab that prevents the whole song from playing in the stores.

At this point, I was anxious to activate the musical part of the doll. In order to play the song while I was filming, I attached a wire to one of Elsa's hands and then touched the other end of the wire to her other hand once I got the camera ready:

As you can hear, there are no words to the song, but it is a fairly pleasant (maybe slightly shrill) version of Let it Go. It's hard for me not to love this song in any form. The nice thing is, Elsa stops singing once the connection between her hands is broken, so she can't be left crooning on for ages like the Disney Store dolls. I do wonder how easy it is for younger kids to maintain this connection throughout the whole song, though.

As much as I enjoy the a cappella Let it Go sung by the Disney Store's Singing Elsa doll, this instrumental version really invites a child (or adult. ) to sing along.

This doll's hair looks much nicer once it's taken down. It is very thick and reasonably soft. While it brushes out well, I had a hard time re-braiding it in a way that looks tidy. I think part of the problem is that the hair isn't long enough for a solid braid, and also that the ends are quite rough and tend to frizz out.

Of course I had to see what Anna and Elsa sound like when they're singing together. I was very curious about how this would work.

Rather than playing an instrumental version of For the First Time in Forever (as I had hoped) Anna just plays back-up to Elsa's song:

The mechanism for making the dolls sing together is actually quite clever: the metal contact points on the dolls' hands stick to each other with magnets, so it's very easy to activate the songs and keep the dolls connected until the music is finished. The problem is, the dolls will keep singing until you pull them apart.

The bigger problem is that if they are left connected, they will continue to sing. but will get increasingly out of synch. It becomes downright unbearable after a while:

The dolls look adorable when they're singing together, though:

Bottom line? I am ridiculously excited to have the Frozen DVD in my house. I cannot wait until this weekend, when I plan to make some serious popcorn and watch this amazing movie again. and then maybe again. Unfortunately, I am not as enthusiastic about the Musical Magic Elsa doll. I certainly don't think she's worth the inflated prices on eBay and Amazon. She is minimally articulated, with awkward, half-bent arms that stick out from her body. Her clothing is very cheaply made and is nowhere near as attractive or movie-accurate as the Disney Store outfits. The combination of a molded bodice and an elastic-waisted skirt is a great idea for making the doll easy to handle for younger children, but the awkward tunic-like cape negates this by being unnecessarily difficult to use. This Elsa's face is not bad--she's happy and bright, but her features are missing all of the movie character's wonderful spunk and personality.

This doll's electronic features will probably delight younger Frozen fans, provided that the activating mechanism isn't too difficult for small hands. Elsa's blue illuminating torso is quite pretty. In fact, the glowing plastic bodice of the dress is the best part of the whole outfit. The instrumental version of Let it Go might be missing Idina Menzel's voice, but it will invite children to sing the words themselves, karaoke style. Singing along to the music (as I've discovered from personal experience) is really fun (although maybe a little off key. ). Whatever you do, though, don't let the two sisters sing their duet. It's a train wreck.

The Elsa doll market is difficult to navigate right now. Prices and availability are highly unpredictable, and while reason and experience tell me that both the Mattel dolls and the Disney Store dolls will come back into stock eventually (at their regular prices), how much help is that for an excited young child who desperately wants a Frozen doll to play with now? Given the current market, I would say that if you are shopping for a child, and can find this Musical Magic Elsa for $25, go for it. That's about as good as you'll get right now, and the musical element of the doll is a fun reminder of the movie. However, if all of the prices remain inflated, I'd much rather pay too much for a Disney Store doll than for a Musical Magic doll. The Disney Store's 12" Elsa has more articulation, a beautiful outfit, softer hair, a more unique face, and better overall quality. Even my J.C. Penney version of Elsa, with her simplified dress and unarticulated arms, is a superior doll in my opinion.

I think that the best option by far is to get a Disney Store Elsa doll at its normal, reasonable price. That seems a bit like a fairy tale right now, granted, but the dolls will be re-stocked eventually, and they--just like the DVD, will surely be worth the wait.

Elsa is wearing a large, glittery blue plastic tiara. The tiara is held on with a clear head strap, but is also stapled to her head with plastic ties:

Tituba, along with two other women, was accused of practicing witchcraft and was one of the first to be publicly examined. Her confession may have been coerced under harsh conditions, but it played a significant role in sparking the hysteria that swept through Salem. Tituba's story highlights the vulnerability of marginalized individuals in society. Marie Laveau, known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, is another iconic witch from history. Born in the late 18th century, Laveau was a powerful practitioner of Voodoo and became highly influential in the community. She was known for her healing abilities, as well as her involvement in political and social issues. Laveau's legacy continues to fascinate people today, with many visitors to New Orleans seeking out her grave for spiritual guidance. A more recent addition to the list of famous witches is Laurie Cabot, often referred to as the "Official Witch of Salem." Cabot is a prominent figure in the Wiccan community and has been instrumental in advocating for the acceptance and recognition of witchcraft as a legitimate religious practice. Her efforts have helped to dispel stereotypes and promote understanding and tolerance. These are just a few examples of the famous female witches who have shaped history. While their stories vary greatly, they all share a common thread of defiance, resilience, and the ability to challenge societal norms. These witches have left an indelible mark on the world, inspiring countless others to embrace their own unique power and magic..

Reviews for "The Witchcraft of Queen Elizabeth I: Examining the Rumors and Accusations"

1. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I was really excited to read "Famous female witches in history" as I love learning about strong women in history. However, I was extremely disappointed with this book. The content was extremely shallow and lacking in depth. It barely scratched the surface of the lives and achievements of these women, and I wanted to learn so much more. The writing style was also quite dry and uninspiring, making it feel like a chore to read. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a thorough and engaging exploration of famous female witches in history.

2. Robert - 2/5 stars - As someone who is interested in the topic of witches and their history, I was expecting more from this book. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The author seemed more focused on listing facts and dates rather than delving into the stories and experiences of the female witches. It lacked a narrative flow and felt more like a list of names and events. Additionally, I found the language and writing style to be quite dry and dull. Overall, I found "Famous female witches in history" to be a disappointment and I wouldn't recommend it to others seeking a captivating exploration of this topic.

3. Angela - 3/5 stars - While "Famous female witches in history" certainly provided some interesting information about famous female witches, I felt that it lacked depth and detail. The book skimmed through the lives of these women without really allowing the readers to truly understand their experiences and the challenges they faced. Additionally, the writing style was average, not particularly engaging or inspiring. On the positive side, the book did introduce me to some lesser-known witches, which was a valuable aspect. However, overall, I think there are definitely better books available on this topic that are more comprehensive and captivating.

The Witchcraft of Ann Putnam: Accuser and Accused in the Salem Witch Trials