![]() ![]() In researching this I have found modern witches who currently use flying ointment in their personal practice, and who claim the application of it to the genitals is “pure myth.” But then again, that account takes as true the inclusion of baby fat in the recipe, so it may just be trying to sanitize things. But these accounts provide an extremely probable explanation for the old image of a witch flying through the air on a broomstick. ![]() We can’t know for sure if such practices occurred anywhere outside of witch-hunters’ feverish imagination, as too much has been lost to the past. (Indeed I’ve seen it theorized that this is one source for the actual term “getting high”). So the people who used them (usually women) were getting high, almost literally. When absorbed, these ointments, because they contained deliriants (not hallucinogens) gave the feeling of flying. Historically, witches have been able to fly via the use of “flying ointments.” These were salves or unguents made of generally toxic plants that were applied to the body. So today we’re going to discuss how a witch can fly. But there’s lots of history and mystery just in that one trope, and a lot more sex and drugs (not rock and roll though) behind broomstick flight than you might imagine. We just assume that witches are some sort of supernatural creatures who can fly simply by magic, and we don’t examine it further. It’s an image we nearly take for granted. And there are few Halloween images more iconic than a witch on her broomstick, flying through the sky, usually across a full moon. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |