History Main / SolitarySorceress

* Zecora of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' lives by herself in the Everfree Forest. Everypony thinks she's an evil enchantress until they get to know her. She's good at potion making, but she's rather benign and even helpful.

* Circe from GreekMythology lives in a solitary palace in the middle of a clearing at the center of a forest on a small island.

* Tia Dalma from the [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest second]] and [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd third]] ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' movies is a voodoo lady living in a hut on a remote island. She provides information via divination, specifically reading crab bones, and can bring people BackFromTheDead. [[spoiler: In the third movie she is revealed to be the sea goddess Calypso, trapped in a human body.]]

* Tia Dalma from the second and third ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' movies is a voodoo lady living in a hut on a remote island. She provides information via divination, specifically reading crab bones, and can bring people BackFromTheDead. [[spoiler: In the third movie she is revealed to be the sea goddess Calypso, trapped in a human body.]]

A notable exception to this trend exists, however: sisters. Specifically, [[TheWeirdSisters three]] of them, often according to the pattern of TheHecateSisters. Like the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Fates]], who shared a single eye and tooth among them, a typical trio of [[FamilyOfChoice sisterly]] witches function narratively as a single unit and thus qualify as "solitary" for the purposes of this trope.

A notable exception to this trend exists, however: sisters. Specifically, three of them, often according to the pattern of TheHecateSisters. Like the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Fates]], who shared a single eye and tooth among them, a typical trio of [[FamilyOfChoice sisterly]] witches function narratively as a single unit and thus qualify as "solitary" for the purposes of this trope.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-352 SCP-352 ("Baba Yaga")]]. She's the original Baba Yaga, including child eating. She used to live in an "Enchanted Forest" in southern Russia before the Foundation captured her. She can lift more than 200 kilograms of weight and move at speeds of more than 70 km/hour. She secretes an enzyme that renders her prey helpless and has PrehensileHair.

* Creator/UrsulaVernon's short story "[[http://www.apex-magazine.com/razorback/ Razorback]]" has two: Sal and Elizabeth Gray. Between them they demonstrate the typical gamut of the trope between helpful and callous.

* [[Literature/TheForgottenBeastsOfEld Sybel]] is a young sorceress, descended from a line of wizards, who lives alone in a white stone house surrounded by a large garden stocked with legendary magical animals. People do ''not'' come to her for help, there's a witch farther down the mountain for that, until a young lord knocks at her gates with a baby he wants her to shelter and raise.

* The Witch in ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' is an elderly woman living alone (apart from her [[CleverCrows sapient crow familiar]]) in a cottage in the woods. Merida finds her cottage following a group of WillOTheWisp, and asks her help to fix her relationship with her mother.

A notable exception to this trend exists, however: sisters. Specifically, three of them, often according to the pattern of TheHecateSisters. Like the [[ClassicalMythology Fates]], who shared a single eye and tooth among them, a typical trio of [[FamilyOfChoice sisterly]] witches function narratively as a single unit and thus qualify as "solitary" for the purposes of this trope.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThundarrTheBarbarian'': In the episode "Island of the Body Snatchers" the witch Circe (no relation to the Circe from GreekMythology) lives alone on an island except for some mooks she keeps as soldiers and servants.

Out in the wilderness, probably in TheLostWoods, lives a woman with magical abilities. She may be a [[UnequalRites sorceress]], witch ([[WickedWitch wicked]] or [[GoodWitchVersusBadWitch otherwise]]), [[DivineParentage demi]][[OurGodsAreDifferent goddess]], [[OurMonstersAreDifferent supernatural creature]] in [[VoluntaryShapeshifting human form]], or some combination of these. Whatever the case, she at least looks like a woman, lives apart from the rest of society, and has some kind of special ability.

In order for the characters to encounter her at all, her solitude must not be absolute—perhaps she lives within walking distance of an otherwise normal village, maybe even right on the outskirts of town. She may be a friend of the community, visited frequently by its members according to their need, or be shunned and feared by them. This latter characterization is common of a WickedWitch, who may even prey on the townsfolk, steal babies, etc.

In order for the characters to encounter her at all, her solitude must not be absolute -- perhaps she lives within walking distance of an otherwise normal village, maybe even right on the outskirts of town. She may be a friend of the community, visited frequently by its members according to their need, or be shunned and feared by them. This latter characterization is common of a WickedWitch, who may even prey on the townsfolk, steal babies, etc.

The Solitary Sorceress can be beneficial to the cast, maleficent -- perhaps even the main villain of the story -- or ambiguous, either serving her own ends at the expense of everyone else or giving aid only at great cost to the characters.

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the Queen Mothers of [[TheFairFolk Faerie courts]], most powerful of their kin and theoretically mortal enemies, live together in [[AFormYouAreMoreComfortableWith what seems to Harry]] a simple cottage. Their isolation here is near-absolute: they occupy a corner of the [[SpiritWorld Nevernever]] that is inaccessible by normal means]], and don't like uninvited visitors.

* Red Reera of the Literature/LandOfOz books is a Yookoohoo (a powerful magic user specializing in transformations) and lives isolated with her pets in a cottage in the woods, because she dislikes human company. Usually she neither helps nor harms others, but Ervic manages to trick her into restoring the Three Adepts to their true forms. She takes being tricked with good grace, but tells him and the Adepts not to spread the word of her uncharacteristic helpfulness, because she doesn't want people to start pestering her for help all the time.

* Red Reera of the [[Literature/LandOfOz]] books is a Yookoohoo (a powerful magic user specializing in transformations) and lives isolated with her pets in a cottage in the woods, because she dislikes human company. Usually she neither helps nor harms others, but Ervic manages to trick her into restoring the Three Adepts to their true forms.

* ''Literature/GoodOmens'': Agnes Nutter, witch and prophetess, seems to have lived alone on the outskirts of Tadfield until a {{witch hunt}}ing mob came to burn her on a stake, and she, having foreseen this, packet her garments with gunpowder and roofing nails. Agnes' many descendants seem to have occupied the same house over the centuries, but by the time of the modern day her last scion, Anathema Device, also lives there alone.