So Why Do Witches Ride Brooms?

The word broom is derived from the physical plant that was used in making some of the earliest sweeping objects on record. Over time, the Old English word besom was replaced with broom, although both terms had been used interchangeable until the early 18th century. Even at the beginning of the existence of brooms, they have been primarily associated with women. As a result, this common household item developed into a powerful symbol representing the domestic nature of women. 

However, the first witch to admit to riding a broom was actually a man. His name was Guillaume Edelin, and he was a priest from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a city near Paris. Even after his arrest in 1453 for criticizing the church's handling of witches, the belief that witches ride brooms as a means of flight was already common knowledge. One of the original images of a witch on a broom dates back to 1451, when French poet Martin Le Franc depicted two witches riding brooms in his manuscript Le Champion des Dames (The Defender of Ladies). 

The origins between witches and brooms may date back to a common pagan fertility ritual. This ritual consisted of farmers leaping and dancing while straddling pitchforks, brooms, or similar objects, during a full moon to promote the growth of their crops. This dance, which was later depicted as the "broomstick dance," became mixed up with specific accounts of witches hurling through the sky on brooms. Often these accounts included the witches purpose for flying on their brooms, which was to get to their orgies or similar unlawful activities quicker. 

In all, the relationship between witches and brooms is anything but clear. Some believe that over time the connection grew stronger as people began to associate witches solely with the female gender, while also drawing a similar connection between women and this common household item. When fear and rampant rumors are added to any situation, it becomes harder to extract the truth, which is exactly why this information should be viewed with a certain degree of skepticism. 

                                                                   Illustrations of witches on broomsticks, c. 1440.