Witch

This article is about the term as it is featured in Umineko. For a similar term in Higurashi, see here.

	This article is about a piece of terminology in Umineko When They Cry.

MAJOR UMINEKO SPOILER WARNING This article or section contains untagged major spoilers for all of Umineko When They Cry, possibly including the manga. Readers who have not completed the story are advised not to proceed further.

Witch (魔女, Majo) is a term that indicates, from an imaginary point of view, a human being skilled in using magic who has ascended to a higher plane of existence and is therefore capable of existing outside the physical world. Witches represent a concept or an ideology particularly linked to their human version, which is capable of existing independently of the witch version.

Becoming a Witch

Despite the word witch being associated with the female figure, any human being regardless of gender can become and be recognized as a witch. Having said that, the way in which someone can develop their witch side takes two perspectives: the fantasy one and the reality one.

Fantasy Perspective

In the Meta-World and in the Game Boards, all the human beings involved can learn to use magic to a certain extent to develop particular skills capable of empowering them, but few can ascend to witch level. The methods by which this happens vary depending on the person and the mechanics involved:

EVA-Beatrice's coronation ceremony

• Recognition: A human who becomes in all respect a witch by being recognized by other humans and/or similar witches by signing, in a sacred register, their witch's name with consequent titles related to the type of magic they use. Sometimes it is customary to organize a special ceremony in which even high ranking and powerful witches are present to celebrate this special occasion.
• Inheritance: Witches can pass on their titles and powers to other witches or human beings.
• Solving and winning the game board: A human being who has become a witch's piece on a board of the latter has the chance to become a witch if they can solve all the challenges and/or mysteries and discover the answers.

Reality Perspective

Some humans like Yasuda (Beatrice), Maria Ushiromiya (Lady MARIA) and, to some extent, Ange Ushiromiya (ANGE-Beatrice) can imagine being witches as a way to cope with their difficulties.

Others, like Chiyo Kumasawa (Virgilia) and Rosa Ushiromiya (The Black Witch), can be considered as witches by other people who believe in the existence of magic as an allusion to their significant role in their lives or to a specific side of their personality.

Finally, some human beings like Eva Ushiromiya (EVA-Beatrice), Ikuko Hachijo (Featherine Augustus Aurora) and Battler Ushiromiya/Tohya Hachijo (Lord BATTLER) can be considered as witches because of a certain significant influence or power that can affect the real world (such as the pure simple economic wealth used for obtaining everything one wants or the ability to create a series of stories based on events like the Rokkenjima Mass Murders).

Titles

Not all witches are the same and/or practice the same magic as the others. In fact, each witch is cataloged based on the magic they use.

Known witches and sorcerers:

• Beatrice: Golden and Endless Witch (黄金と無限の魔女, Ougon to Mugen no Majo)
• Kinzo Ushiromiya: Goldsmith (ゴールドスミス, Gōrudosumisu)
• Virgilia:
  • Golden Witch (黄金の魔女, Ougon no Majo) (former)
  • Endless Witch (無限の魔女, Mugen no Majo) (former)
  • Witch of the Finite (有限の魔女, Yuugen no Majo)
• EVA-Beatrice: Golden and Endless Witch (黄金と無限の魔女, Ougon to Mugen no Majo)
• ANGE-Beatrice:
  • Golden and Endless Witch (黄金と無限の魔女, Ougon to Mugen no Majo)
  • Witch of Truth (真実の魔女, Shinjitsu no Majo)
  • Witch of Resurrection (反魂の魔女, Hangon no Majo)
• Erika Furudo: Witch of Truth (真実の魔女, Shinjitsu no Majo)
• Lord BATTLER:
  • Golden Sorcerer (黄金の魔術師, Ougon no Majutsu-shi)
  • Endless Sorcerer (無限の魔術師, Mugen no Majutsu-shi)
• Piece: Witch of Pieces/Witch of the Piece (駒の魔女, Koma no Majo)

Voyager

Voyagers (航海者, Kōkai-sha) are special witches so powerful that they can travel between various domains, as well as visit the millions of worlds within in Sea of Fragments. All the witches that fall into this category are considered to be among the most powerful, and most of them were born or created like this rather than became one over time.

Known witches:

• Bernkastel:
  • Witch of the Fragments (欠片の魔女, Kakera no Majo) (Ep1 ??? only)
  • Witch of Miracles (奇跡の魔女, Kiseki no Majo)
• Lambdadelta: Witch of Certainty (絶対の魔女, Zettai no Majo)

Creator

Creators (造物主, Zōbutsushu) are very uncommon witches of immeasurably divine powers with the power to literally create something from nothing ("create 1 from 0"). Many Voyagers have the potential to become Creators but for some reason they fear this possibility. Their magic is comparable to the powers of a god, and each of them is potentially capable of creating entire galaxies if they are well trained.

In Memoirs of the ΛΔ, Lambda describes Creators and gods as omniscient and almighty. With that they are freed from all restrictions, meaning they even lose the ground under their feet. Thus they also lose the meaning of existence, life and death and could vanish like mist.

Known witches:

• Featherine Augustus Aurora: Witch of Theatergoing, Drama, and Spectating (観劇と戯曲と傍観の魔女, Kangeki to Gikyoku to Bōkan no Majo)

Lady MARIA, Witch of Origins (原初の魔女, Gensho no Majo) is just an Enchanter. She has the potential to become a Creator after one thousand years of training.

Trivia

• In the Japanese text, humans who become witches have their witch names written in katakana. The English translation carries this across by featuring the witch names in all-caps. (ex. Eva (絵羽, Eba) and EVA (エヴァ, Eva)).