Why Do Witches Ride Brooms? -The History Behind the Legends
- jr81568
- 6 hours ago
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Brooms have been associated with women's domestic roles as housekeepers and keepers of the home. Brooms have been associated with witches the image of witches flying through the air at night is common in artwork. Brooms can be symbol of women's rebellion against domestic servitude.
Early History of Witches and Brooms
The first person to confess to riding a broom was a man. The man was a priest in 1453 and his name was Guillaume Edelin. The main reason he was arrested and tried for witchcraft was because he criticized the church's warning about witchcraft. When tortured he confessed and repented but still remained in prison for life. The idea of witches riding brooms in the 1450's was well established.
A French poet named Martin Le Franc's wrote a manuscript called The Defender of Ladies. It had two illustrations of women riding brooms. One woman rode a broom through the air and another a stick, and both wore scarves on their head. They were Waldensians a Christian group founded in the 12th century that allowed women to become priests They were labeled heretics by the Catholic Church.
An anthropologist Robin Skelton believed the broom was rooted in pagan fertility rituals farmers used to help crops grow. During a full moon men and women would leap and dance using brooms and poles in the light of the moon believing it would produce a good harvest for crops in local farming communities.
People made ointments and salves during this time using herbs with hallucinogenic properties. When ingested through the skin it caused the illusion of flying in the air. Plants like nightshade were used by some in ointments and salves. Some added the ointment to their brooms to produce this effect.
In the Middle Ages bread was made with rye. It developed fungus and if consumed in large quantiles could kill people. In smaller quantities it produced delusions, dancing, foaming at the mouth, strange dreams and falling asleep.
It is hard to know if these tales are true as they were often reported by priests and religious staff, legal officers, and those accused of witchcraft. It was at the height of fear and anxiety over witchcraft during the Middle Ages.
More History on Witches and Brooms
In fiction witches rode brooms to attend secret meeting and gatherings. In some cultures, broomsticks represented protection, purification, and boundaries between the ordinary and magic. Sweeping with broom meant cleaning out evil spirits or negative energy.
Brooms were made of natural materials like birch, ash and hazel wood. The bristles were made of straw, birch and twigs. Making a broom can be connected to the earth and supporting the spirit of plants and nature. Brooms were used by witches in rituals like sweeping the doorway to remove negative energy. Sometimes they traced a circle around their family or friends for protection,
In folklore the broom used in wedding ceremonies jump the broom became a tradition symbolizing the start of a new life. This was practiced in African and Celtic culture.
Broomstick History For Witches in The Early 1900's and Later
Broomsticks often were associated with evil because women used this object to obtain physical and social liberation. Women were learning to ride bikes. drive autos, and get the vote. It was a symbol of rebellion against domestic roles. Soon books had good witches that fought against evil witches and had powerful magic spells.
People liked the symbol of the wicked witch that rode a broom and terrorized their victims. This role came back in the Wizard of Oz made in 1939 with a menacing witch that rode a broom following and terrorizing her victims. These witches were frightening and scary and enlivened the book or movie plot.
In the 1960's the Women's Liberation Movement made these broom riding witches heroes and a symbol of rebellion against the role women were forced to play. They rejected the domestic role and embraced freedom. Thus the broom became a symbol of rebellion against the traditional roles for women.
Even in the film Wicked the witch chooses to ride her broom alone rather than give up the freedom to make choices or to agree to be controlled by those that have little understanding about freedom . The witch rejects the role of servitude and opts for liberation by flying on her broom. This labels her as wicked in the eyes of the tyrants.
References:
Why Do Witches Ride Brooms? The History Behind the Legend by Sarah Pruitt, October 2020, History.com
The Enchanting History and Uses of Witches Brooms by Altar Room Website 2026
Why Do Witches Ride Brooms by Megan Garber, October 13, 2013, The Atlantic 2026
The Real History That Explains The Significance of Witches Broomstick in Wicked by Rebecca Scofield, November 21, 2025, Time 2026
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