Can witches fly? A historian unpacks the medieval invention − and skepticism − of the witch on a broomstick
- Written by Michael D. Bailey, Professor of History, Iowa State University
One of the earliest depictions of flying witches is in a 15th-century text entitled "Le champion des dames," or "The Defender of Ladies."Martin Le Franc/W. Schild. Die Maleficia der Hexenleut' via Wikimedia CommonsThe image of a witch flying on a broomstick is iconic, but it is not nearly as old as the idea of witchcraft itself, which dates to the...