![]() ![]() According to accounts, as the drugs quickly began to take effect, riding the broom became even more fun. Take their readily available broomstick and dip it in the potion and then straddle or ride the broom. ( Public domain ) Riding the Broomstick: Were Witches Actually Junkies?įor any woman who wished to use these drugs, there was an obvious and convenient way to apply these ointments. Aliame based on Teniers the Younger painting. Preparation for the Witches' Sabbath Detail of engraving by J. “From all this, we may infer that all that those wretched witches do and say is caused by potions and ointments which so corrupt their memory and imagination that they create their own woes, for they firmly believe when awake all that they had dreamed when asleep.” This led Laguna to the following conclusion: “Why did you awaken me, badness to you, at such an inauspicious moment? Why I was surrounded by all the delights in the world,” she reportedly said. The woman was incredibly upset about being woken up. According to de Laguna, the woman then “fell into such a profound sleep that I thought I should never be able to awake her.” Luckily, after 36 hours he finally did. On one occasion he took one of these potions from the home of a woman accused of being a witch and tested it on another woman. “But the vulgar believe, and the witches confess, that on certain days or nights they anoint a staff and ride on it to the appointed place or anoint themselves under the arms and in other hairy places,” explained the 15th century theologian Jordanes de Bergamo.Ī 16th century physician Andres de Laguna also studied the potions. The best way to do this was through the delicate mucous membranes under the armpits or, for women, the genitals. This was by absorbing the drug through the skin. Undeterred, some creative people quickly realized that there were other ways to enjoy the witches brew besides ingestion that allowed them to avoid these side effects. When ingested they caused rashes, nausea, vomiting or even death. There were, however, some nasty side effects to these hallucinogens. ( Public domain ) But, Where Does the Witches Broomstick Come in? Johann Weyer, a Dutch physician and occultist named all these as ingredients in witches “flying ointment” in his 1563 work Praestigiis Daemonum.Ī witch mixing her cauldron by David Teniers the Younger. This included henbane, mandrake, deadly nightshade and jimsonweed. Unsurprisingly, many people liked this effect and began experimenting with it, as well as with other plants which produced similar results. Bodies Left Behind - A Cruel History of Persecution, Shamanic Ecstasies & the True Witches SabbathĮrgot has hallucinogenic properties, giving those who consumed it an LSD-like high. ![]() The Long History of Witchcraft Persecution.As result many people unknowingly consumed ergot, thinking it was part of the plant. At the time, bread was made primarily from rye which was commonly infected with a disease known as ergot, caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea. Source: Public domainĭuring the period witch hunts surged in popularity in Europe, people’s diets included large amounts of bread. Preparation for the Witches' Sabbath by David Teniers the Younger. You see, the use of powerful hallucinogens was very popular around this time, and this is intimately related to the reason for why witches were portrayed flying on brooms. ![]() While the image of a witch flying on a broom may be the most common depiction, the image of a witch standing over a bubbling cauldron as she prepares a potion is also iconic. Ever wondered why witches have been depicted riding broomsticks throughout history? Well, the reason is a shocker! Witches, Bubbling Cauldrons and Hallucinogens What comes to mind when you think of a witch? For most people, the first image that comes to mind is of a witch flying through the night sky on a broomstick. ![]()
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