The real (and bizarre) reasons witches ‘fly’ on brooms

The image of witches riding broomsticks through the night sky is one of the most enduring symbols of witchcraft and Halloween. But the origins of this idea are surprising, mixing ancient rituals, folklore, and centuries of mythmaking rather than literal flying. Here are six historical reasons behind this strange and iconic belief. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )

Household Tool: Brooms began as simple tools for sweeping hearths and homes. Because they were used predominantly by women, they became associated with the domestic sphere and, by extension, with beliefs about women’s roles and powers. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )

Earliest Artistic Depictions of Witch Flight: The first known images of witches riding broom like objects date back to 1451 in a French manuscript. These illustrations already linked broomsticks with supernatural travel long before the idea became widespread. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )

Pagan Fertility Rituals: Some historians suggest the association may come from pagan rituals in which people danced and “rode” poles, pitchforks or brooms during full moon celebrations to encourage crop growth. Over time, these customs became tangled with folklore about witches. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )

Witch Ointments and Hallucination Legends: Medieval accounts reported that suspected witches used special ointments made from psychoactive plants. Folklore suggested these were applied to wooden staffs or broom handles, leading to visions or sensations of flight, later exaggerated into literal flying broomsticks. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )

Chimney Legends and Domestic Rituals: By the 17th century, tales emerged of witches using broomsticks to fly out of chimneys on their way to secret gatherings. This may have been influenced by customs where chimneys or brooms signified that a woman was away from home. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )

Artistic and Cultural Reinforcements: Artists and storytellers across Europe began depicting witches flying on brooms alongside other objects (like poles or animals). These visual traditions helped cement the idea in popular imagination, long after the original folklore faded. (Source: Photo by wikimedia commons )