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Are there any witches here?

BTMO

Overlord of the Underthings
BTMO
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,521
Some time ago, I saw an interview with a witch on television complaining that popular depictions of broomstick riding are wrong - the handle of the broom is normally at the front and the bristles are at the back (think of the opening sequence of "Bewitched").

The person being interviewed claims this is wrong - that brooms go the other way - bristles at the front.

Unfortunately, I don't recall the interviewer asking the obvious question - "can you demonstrate this for me?"

So what's the deal, witches? Any of you willing to step up to the mark and demonstrate your broom-riding skills?

(Yeah, it's late here...)
 
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I'm sure you can find some women here who have ridden guys with all the inteligence of a mop head.

(Perhaps this will shed some indirect light on the witches riding broom sticks bit of folklore.)
 
I've tried it with the broom stick both ways round and I can categorically state that I couldn't 'take off' from either position.

So I'm guessing that the depiction of broomstick riding is wrong simply because it never happened.
goodwitch.gif
 
According a documentary I watched about this very subject, the bristles definitely point rearwards to aid aerodynamic efficiency, paticularly on models such as the Nimbus 2000™.
 
Depends on the gear box. If all of the forward gears are stripped then it may only function in reverse. You'd have to get it up on a lift to see for sure.
 
According to an article I read the practice was to coat the broom handle with an hallucinogenic paste (fungus based) and then straddle the thing. Underwear not yet being invented the direct contact of broom and paste with the delicate nether regions had a remarkable effect and the sensation was akin to flying with the added benefit of obtaining visions from the spirit world.

A cynic might say there was little else to do on a wet Tuesday night in medieval Europe...and they might be right. One might see why such practices attracted the prurient interest of the Church - ever eager to stamp out "that sort of thing*".


* see Father Ted.

Oh, in the above the direction of bristles would be academic but given the state they were in, health and safety might have played a part in it. Certainly one would want any potential broom handle splinters to be pointing the right way.
 
Are there any witches here?

Well, I'm fairly cranky most of the time...so I get dibs as the resident witch. :D
 
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