The popular image of a witch largely consists of a haggard old women on a broom stick, dressed in a black cloak and hat. As with many other mythologies, there is a fragment of truth hidden under the surface.
During the lead up to the European witchcraft trials, the main staple bread was made from Rye. When the bread was baked fresh each day in the towns and villages, the rye bread caused no problems. As Europe expanded, the bread took longer to get from the bakery to the local shops, causing a form of mould on the bread. The mould is known today as ergot, and can be lethal if eaten in high quantities. For this reason, wheat bread became more commonly used, as it is resistant to the mould.
However, women found that when applied to the vaginal walls, the mould turned into a powerful hallucinogen. Many women in this era were spotted writhing naked around the floor with broomsticks between their legs, leaving their neighbours baffled and afraid. The ointment was administered by rubbing it on a smooth wooden pole, like a broomstick, and ‘riding’ it. As there is no equivalent known for men, the majority of witches were female. Clothes have been an additional feature for some time, to make the image more socially acceptable.
Archives show that such ‘flying ointments’ were recorded from the early 15th century, and consisted predominantly of ergot, herbs such as belladonna, and alcohol. Women reported tales of flying and travelling across the world during their hallucinations, yet when observed, the women did not leave their premisses.
They were labelled as witches, and feared by their peers. Rumours began circulating of the witches using the boiled fat from children in their flying oil, although there is no evidence to show this to be true. Many historians argue that it was the clergy who deemed witches a threat to children, to stop the spreading of ergot use and drive the surrounding neighbours into church.
Records of the Salem Witch Trials show the accused witches displaying symptoms of Ergot poisoning, such as the crawling sensations in the skin, vertigo, tingling of the fingers, hallucinations, and tinnitus. Their psychological symptoms also matched signs of ergot poisoning, including psychosis, mania and delirium. There was an abundance of rye growing in the region, and the weather conditions provided an ideal breeding ground for the formidable mould.
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