molly_the_mezzo t1_ixpigpd wrote on November 25, 2022 at 7:30 AM

Reply to comment by herrakonna in The Wizard of Oz Munchkins already had a memorized song about the death of the Wicked Witch. by psychodelephant

The lore of the movie is different and obviously less developed than the book series, but as far as we know she was the first witch of the east, following Ozma being deposed as an infant by either the wizard or the witches working in tandem, depending on who is telling the story and which point in the series you pay attention to. The books contradict each other extensively, but one of the more consistent versions has Ozma as either a fairy left behind by the fairy queen Lurline or a direct descendant of the same, so there wouldn't have been a witch ruling in the east until maybe 10-12 years before Dorothy got there.

herrakonna t1_ixpz1vp wrote on November 25, 2022 at 11:37 AM

Nothing you replied invalidates the possibility that there could have been many prior wicked witches (regardless of the compass direction) from which a traditionally known song emerged (despite what may or may not have been in any of the books or movie). The song lyrics aren't explicitly about Ozma, or a wicked witch of the east, but are suitably applied for any wicked witch.