A witch broomstick, also known as a flying broomstick, holds significant meaning in various cultures and mythologies. It is primarily associated with witchcraft and the concept of flying witches. The broomstick is said to symbolize the power and abilities of a witch, allowing her to soar through the night sky. The origins of the broomstick's association with witches can be traced back to ancient rituals and beliefs. In pagan traditions, brooms were considered sacred objects, representing the connection between Earth and the spiritual realm. They were believed to possess the power to sweep away negative energy and bring good fortune.
Hopefully, you’re starting to realise just why so many people would have broomsticks around their house. I assume the ‘cleaning’ properties of the broom lend themselves to the idea of ‘sweeping away’ anything negative.
I do think the broomstick enjoyed a makeover with the Harry Potter phenomenon, turning it into a piece of sporting equipment through the invention of Quidditch. It reflected a belief in the southern Tyrol region that newly married couples had to step over a broomstick when they first entered their home together Dundes 1996 327.
They were believed to possess the power to sweep away negative energy and bring good fortune. In medieval Europe, the broomstick took on a more sinister connotation. During the witch trials and witch hunts of the time, it was believed that witches used broomsticks to travel to their gatherings and Sabbaths.
A Bewitching History: Why Witches Ride Broomsticks
Among the throngs of this year's trick-or-treaters, hundreds of Americans will be dressed as Miley Cyrus or a minion from "Despicable Me," but more will go with a fail-safe getup. "Witch" once again reigns as the No. 1 costume for adults, according to the National Retail Federation's 2013 Halloween survey.
Many of the pointy-hatted sorcerers who roam the streets this Oct. 31 will be carrying broomsticks or besoms. But few likely know the murky tale of how witches came to be associated with those familiar household objects.
The story — full of sex, drugs and Christian inquisitors — starts with poisonous plants like black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), sometimes called stinking nightshade. [What's Witchcraft? 6 Misconceptions About Wiccans]
Flying ointments
Ingesting henbane, which is rich in powerful alkaloids, can cause hallucinations (if it doesn't kill you first). According to legend, witches used herbs with psychoactive properties like henbane in their potions, or "flying ointments." Some historical accounts suggest witches applied these ointments to their nether regions. And what better applicator than a wooden staff?
Lady Alice Kyteler, Ireland's earliest known accused witch, was condemned to death for using sorcery to kill her husband in 1324. (Kyteler escaped, and her maid was burned at the stake in her stead.)
The English historian Raphael Holinshed later recounted the case and described some of the supposedly damning evidence authorities found against Kyteler: "In rifleing the closet of the ladie, they found a pipe of ointment wherewith she greased her staffe, upon which she ambled and galloped through thick and thin."
Another oft-cited account comes a from 15th-century manuscript by theologian Jordanes de Bergamo. In his "Quaestio de Strigis" of 1470, Bergamo writes of witches who on "certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places." [13 Halloween Superstitions & Traditions Explained]
It's hard to know whether or not witches actually did the deeds they were rumored to have done (like mounting hallucinogen-laced wooden staffs in their covens). Sources from the era when fears about witchcraft peaked are unreliable and biased, noted Charles Zika, a professor at the University of Melbourne, who has written about the imagery of witchcraft. Modern knowledge of witches often comes from manuals written by inquisitors, ecclesiastical judges and testimony by accused witches — much of it produced under duress or torture, Zika explained.
"A lot of it we can't trust as descriptions of social reality at all," Zika told LiveScience.
Sexy witches
The explicit implications of staff riding, and the sexual nature of witches in images throughout the Renaissance, are difficult to ignore. Artists like Albrecht Dürer and Hans Baldung depicted them naked. The witch in one engraving by the Italian artist Parmigianino is not riding a broom, but rather a gigantic, anatomically graphic phallus.
German artist Albrecht Dürer created this engraving around the year 1500, showing a witch riding a goat. Between her legs, she holds a distaff, or stick used for spinning wool. (Image credit: Public domain)
But racy images of witches fit in with a culture in which there was much speculation about female sexuality, Zika said.
"It's bound up with an anxiety about women and what place they have in society at a time when Europe was undergoing fundamental changes and transformations in society," Zika said. With the Protestant Reformation, some religious leaders established bans on drinking and dancing, brothels were closed and marriage was more strictly codified and controlled.
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, images of witches riding up and out of chimneys start to dominate. During this period, women also were more closely associated with domestic space than they were 200 years earlier, Zika said. At that time, too, brooms are depicted more and more often in relation to domestic work in art.
"It seems to me that this idea of them flying out the chimney is actually kind of a protest against this confinement in domestic space," Zika said. "Witchcraft is symbolically in some ways freeing individuals from that kind of conception of their realm."
Can witches really fly?
Though the image of the broomstick stuck, early depictions in 15th- and 16th-century Europe show witches flying on a wide range of items, including stools, cupboards, wardrobes and two-pronged cooking forks, Zika said. But rarely are witches shown getting aloft on their own.
"There are very few representations of what you might call flying witches — they're usually riding some implement or animal," he explained.
"It's not their own bodies that are propelling them," Zika said. "The explanation in the theological handbooks is that they are being supported by demons and devils that are holding them."
Hundreds of years later, it can be tough to tease out what people and artists of the Renaissance actually believed about witches. In any case, some brave, if ill-advised, modern accounts suggest witches' flying potions probably worked. In his book "The Long Trip: A Prehistory of Psychedelia" (Daily Grail Publishing, 2008), author Paul Devereux recounts folklorist Will-Erich Peuckert's 20th-century experimentation with a mixture of belladonna, henbane and Datura:
"We had wild dreams. Faces danced before my eyes which were at first terrible. Then I suddenly had the sensation of flying for miles through the air. The flight was repeatedly interrupted by great falls. Finally, in the last phase, an image of an orgiastic feast with grotesque sensual excess."
The broomstick became a symbol of witchcraft and was often used as evidence to identify those accused of practicing the occult arts. The image of a witch flying on a broomstick has been ingrained in popular culture and folklore. It is often depicted as a mode of transportation for witches, allowing them to travel to their covens or across the night sky. This concept has been widely portrayed in literature, movies, and Halloween decorations. In modern witchcraft and Wiccan practices, the broomstick holds a symbolic meaning beyond its association with flying witches. It symbolizes the power of transformation, as a broom is used to sweep away negative energies or unwanted influences. It is also seen as a tool for creating sacred spaces and rituals, used to cleanse and purify an area before performing spells or divination. Overall, the witch broomstick holds a rich symbolism rooted in ancient folklore and beliefs. Whether viewed as a means of transportation for witches or as a tool for cleansing and magic, it continues to capture our imagination and intrigue..
Reviews for "The Witch Broomstick as a Tool of Transformation: Exploring its Spiritual Significance"
- Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Witch broomstick meaning". I was expecting a deep exploration of the symbolism and cultural significance behind witch broomsticks, but instead, it was a shallow and superficial overview. The author barely scratched the surface and failed to provide any real insight or analysis. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a meaningful exploration of witch broomstick meaning.
- David - 1 star - "Witch broomstick meaning" was a complete waste of my time. The book was poorly written and lacked any real substance. The author seemed more interested in filling the pages with meaningless anecdotes rather than providing any valuable information. I regret spending money on this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
- Samantha - 2 stars - I was hoping "Witch broomstick meaning" would analyze the historical and cultural significance of witch broomsticks, but I was sorely disappointed. The author made broad generalizations and relied heavily on clichéd stereotypes without providing any substantial evidence or research. It felt more like a hastily thrown-together collection of random information rather than a thoughtful exploration. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a thoughtful examination of witch broomstick meaning.