The witch and the broomstick
As we all know witches have as one of their way of going from one place to another – the broomstick —, but where did this come from?
Today, we’re going to talk a little about the history of the association of the broomstick with witches, I am going to present to you some facts that influenced this association.
- The first identified illustration of a woman on a broomstick is Martin Le Franc’s “Le Champion des Dames”, where two women are portrayed – one riding a broom and the other riding a stick —
2. Witches used different herbs and potions in their rituals, one of the herbs they used was mandrake. Mandrake is known for its hallucinogenic effects, effects that make people euphoric. The rituals were performed nude, and they involved rubbing the mandrake oil on the body, and also in private parts, which caused a floating sensation, a sensation which was associated with flying on a broomstick.
3. Dylan Thuras said, “[…] so riding on one was a symbol of female sexuality, thus femininity and domesticity gone wild”. Therefore, the broomstick is also a symbol of what a witch is and represents.
4. Witches used brooms to clean the room before performing rituals, so it was part of a magical process. That might be another reason why brooms have been associated with witches.
I hope you found out something new, and you enjoyed reading. If you believe witches do fly on broomsticks follow me, because I do too.
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