The hexagram consists of two overlapping triangles. The one thing that many people associate with a hexagram is the Star of David. Religiously, the hexagram symbolizes the relation of man and God. But the strange thing is that the hexagram is not mentioned in the Bible, so the origin of the hexagram’s connection to the Star of David is a little strange. The Star of David does mean ‘David’s Shield,’ and it was worn by Jews or placed on Jewish amulets so its wearer could have good luck and ward off bad luck.
Today the flag of Israel does have a hexagram, more specifically the Star of David. However, the hexagram can also symbolize male and female, like Yin-Yang. In European magick, the hexagram is used for spirit mastery and for removing malicious spirits, and it is also used in alchemy as a symbol of distillation. It may also symbolize the Philosopher’s stone, a stone that could change metals into more valuable ones, such as gold or silver.
This simple cleaning tool has been a keystone of witchcraft portrayals. Witches fly welkin high upon their wooden mount in the ebony sky. Some witches confessed to flying on a broomstick, and they have been a symbol of magic for a long time. But why?
Why are brooms associated with witches?
The image of a witch riding a broomstick is an icon of witchcraft. However, witches and warlocks were not always depicted as riding on brooms. This association developed and solidified more in the late Middle Ages, particularly in the days of witch-hunting.
A 1451 manuscript, Martin Le Franc’s Le Champion des Dames, depicts a very early illustration of a witch flying on the broomstick. However, it also shows another witch riding on a plain staff.
Not long after this depiction, a 1453 witchcraft case brought the issue of witches and broomsticks up. This case involved Guillaume Edelin, a French prior who was accused of witchcraft. In his confession, he admitted to riding a broom to get to the witches’ Sabbath. Edelin ended up repenting for the crime and spent the rest of his life in prison.
Oddly enough, prior to his accusation, Edelin denounced and ridiculed the idea of both the witches’ Sabbath and that witches could fly on brooms. His denial of such things ended up making him seem suspicious, as accusers seemingly believed Satan told him to preach such things so people would not believe it.
There is uncertainty regarding parts of the trial and interrogation. Many believe he confessed under extreme pressure, duress, or even physical torture.
If anything, this really shows us the absurdity of most witch trials. He denied witches could fly on brooms, and that is evidence of the devil telling him something.
Brooms weren’t the only flying machine for the witches. As stories developed across the late-medieval and early-modern witch periods, other objects would appear. They could be pitchforks, shovels, and even animals.
Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period: Isobel Gowdie and the Witch’s Broom
For one reason or another, the broom remained as the most iconic instrument for flight when it came to witchcraft.
Another famous confession and account comes in 1662 from a Scottish woman: Isobel Gowdie. She gave a variety of confessions, and in one of them, she said she placed a broom in her bed and, as she left the house, recited words intended to keep it there until she returned. This account may have helped push the idea that a broom is an extension of the witch. Though, this is an early modern myth and not medieval.
Why Did Witches Fly Through Chimneys?
A fairly common element derived from witches and their broomsticks is the idea that they could fly straight out of the chimney.
In 1598, a woman named Claudine Boban was accused of witchcraft. In her account, she claimed that both she and her mother mounted a broom and shot right out of their chimney to ride to the witches’ Sabbath. This may have been a part in contributing to this idea, but this association predates her confession.
Another explanation comes from a possible tradition of women placing a broom against the door or in the chimney to let others know they were away.
Witches, Chimneys, Sickles
As the idea of witches flying into chimneys became more prominent, it led to interesting folklore developments. Why are some chimneys at an angle? Well, one of the more well-known folklore explanations in the West is the witch’s crook. According to some legends, witches can only fly their brooms in straight lines. So, to stop a witch from landing in your chimney, bend the the flue. This would stop a witch dead in their tracks.
The real explanation for why they are lopsided is more boring and is about warmth and limits. Builders would employ that bend to guide the chimney safely past roof rafters or structural beams. Then, masons would adjust the angle of the flue to make sure the chimney emerged correctly,
Though, perhaps one of the more unique, and violent, accounts comes from South Slavic folklore. Friedrich Salomo Krauss, a 19th century folklorist, described an interesting account. According to him, some might launch volleys into the sky, aimed right at the clouds, to shoot witches down. This wasn’t blind firing. Some believed that witches thrived in the dark, stormy clouds of hail and thunder. According to them, witches were the source of these storms. Others would use potent herbs and let the smoke rise high up, as some of them were believed to be the bane of witches. A bonfire also might be lit, which was supposed to offer protection against the storm and hail.
It wasn’t enough to let a bullet or even the landing finish the job. Some would deliberately place sickles, scythes, billhooks, all other types of sharp tools to cut or impale any witch that landed on them.
