In order to understand how witches could fly on broomsticks, or at least believe they were flying, we need to consider the plant that Ron Weasley is holding in this still from a Harry Potter movie.

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 ...

Whether they’re knocking at your door trick or treating, or hung as decorations in shop windows, witches are rife at this time of year. They’re easy to recognise, wearing tall, pointed hats, carrying ...

The Harry Potter movies modernize the age-old concept of witches on flying broomsticks, turning these objects into the equivalent of cars. Shops in Diagon Alley sell everything from affordable, ...

For instance, on Halloween, a government study reported that witches who use cell phones while flying broomsticks are three times more likely to crash. And fashion critics panned an attempt to replace ...

Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content. Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State University (THE CONVERSATION) The image of a witch ...

(THE CONVERSATION) 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 earliest days of humankind. Several ...