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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
imageOne 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 Commons

The 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...

Read more: Can witches fly? A historian unpacks the medieval invention − and skepticism − of the witch on a...

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