Can witches really fly on brooms?

Our question for this Magical Monday. 

According to folklore, the Devil himself installed every new witch a broom and flying ointment, a concoction often including hallucinogenic and/or toxic ingredients. If the witch was inside a house, she supposedly flew up the chimney.

Legend tells witches flew their brooms to Sabbats, seasonal celebrations which included the great festivals of Walpurgis Night/Beltane (May 1^st) and Samhain (October 31^st). They often carried along demons or their familiars in the shapes of animals. They often flew from the Sabbat celebration to the nearby sea for a storm raising, using their collective magic to bring a tempest.

On these occasions, novice witches were sometimes seen falling from their brooms. On festival nights townspeople often laid out hooks and scythes to kill those who fell off. People rang church bells which were capable of grounding brooms.

Artwork of the 16^th and 17^th centuries showed a variety of “riding” techniques. The position of the twigs changed over time. Initially, the twig faggot was held down, so the witch could fly upward into the sky, sweeping away her trail. This is the typical portrayal in contemporary art. However, in the 17^th century, artists represented witches’ flights with the faggot upward, so a candle could be balanced upon it to light the way.

There are many origins for the association of witches and brooms. Following pagan fertility rites, witches rode brooms, poles, and pitchforks like hobby horses in field dances. Other lore stated witches were afraid of horses and chose brooms instead. The custom of putting a broom outside a house to indicate a woman was away may have given rise to this legend. 

If you see a novice witch fall off her broom this Samhain, will you help her back astride? 

Reference: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft & Wicca, Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Art: IrreFou (top)