It was not witches who burned.
It was women.
Women who were seen as
Too beautiful
Too outspoken
Had too much water in the well (yes, seriously)
Who had a birthmark
Women who were too skilled with herbal medicine
Too loud
Too quiet
Too much red in her hair
Women who had a strong nature connection
Women who danced
Women who sung
or anything else, really

History has a funny way of brandishing women as the evil incarnate—mankind has labeled its beauty and shouted wicked. Why is it that when women showcase their prowess, humanity can’t help but quiver in fear? And quickly they shun the women who dare to escape their leash. But within these stories, three women arise—Lilith, Delilah, and Bathsheba, the women who refused to be defined by men.

Lilith, the woman paradise could not contain. The woman who was branded as evil by men. And yet is she truly the devil? It was not Lilith who gave Adam the forbidden fruit. It was not Lilith who told Eve to take the first bite. If anything, she is only guilty of refusing to be treated anything lesser than Adam. The open-ended nature of Lilith has allowed different groups to use her as a destructive female symbol of power. Many feminists see Lilith as not only the primary woman but the first independent woman created. From the story of creation, she refuses to permit Adam to dominate her and flees the garden despite the consequences. So as to retain her freedom, she must give up her children. In retaliation, however, she steals the seed of Adam. Lilith is no demon; she is an independent woman who challenges the oppressive system in which she is placed.

Delilah, on the other hand, is known only for her beauty. Beyond this, she is also known for her betrayal and the silver she traded her beloved Samon’s life for. Nothing else is written. Nothing else is in her story. Aside from the portrait of treachery no one knows who she truly is. The truth being is that she is a woman who loved deeply despite knowing the truth. She loved a man despite knowing that the first woman who loved Samson was burned to death because of his pride. And at the moment when the Philistine came knocking on her doorsteps asking for Samson’s secrets with threats to end her life—she chose to save herself. As a result, she was branded as the serpent. Should Delilah die for him? Why should Samson’s life matter more than her own? Should she offer her own trembling hands and shout “take me instead?” No, Delilah is a woman who chose to survive and she should not be punished for it.

In another story, Bathsheba was the woman who became the wife of a warrior, desired by the king. And yet she is dragged into a life of dishonor and sin—a life of he said, she said. It did not matter if her heart belonged to another. It did not matter that her husband was out there on the battlefield risking his life for the king. The anointed one gets what he wants. Legs open, mouth closed and yet it was her who was marked as the one who ruined the king. As a consolation, David took her as his wife. Should she be thankful? Should she be honored? No, she did not want this. It was not her fault that her beauty was blinding. It was not her fault that David gave in to temptation. It was not her fault that men see women as objects. It was and will never be her fault.

History might have kept them silent but it is time for these women to take back their voices. It is time for them to take back their body. It is time for them to take back their ending. It is time for them to clear their names. Lilith, Delilah, Bethsheba—the women besmirch and branded as a temptress, traitor, and a trap. Yes, she refused to shrink in their presence. Yes, she sold her secrets. Yes, she became more than what he intends her to be. These women sacrificed their name and their life just to be recognized and their voices will no longer remain silent.