I love tales of witches–villain or heroine. They can do magic and really who wouldn’t want to cast a spell or twitch their nose and have their house cleaned?
Given that Halloween is based on the old Celtic holiday of Samhain, it’s no surprise that witches came along of the ride. (Sorry, couldn’t help the pun) But, I’ve watched the Wizard of Oz enough to know that there are good witches. So, what’s the deal with the ugly witches?
Apparently this comes from the Crone Goddess who stirs her cauldron–this represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth of the Celtic beliefs. Hardly the cackling, evil thing of modern Halloween. Read more here.
So what’s the deal with the broom?
I guess depends on who you ask. Obviously, the broom is a symbol of woman (housework being woman’s work and all of the big 3 religions have tremendous issues about women’s power) so naturally it would be associate with witches. Sorcerers (males) had pitchforks–Freud would be proud. The connection doesn’t seem to be very popular until the 17th century. However, the act of riding a broom or other implement does have roots in pagan fertility rituals, when both men and women rode shovels, rakes, etc. in the fields to ensure next year’s harvest. Click here to read more.
As for the flying bit, that seems to be associated with certain hallucinogenic properties of the potions mixed.
I for one wouldn’t mind a flying broomstick. Think of the gas it would save and it would be environmentally friendly, since I haven’t heard of any emission tests for brooms.