The Broom is intimatly connected with witches and witchcraft. It was a commonly believed that witches anointed their bodes with a slave given to them by the devil that enabled them to fly through the air upon a variety of sticks and stems, including broomsticks. The choice of the broom or besom as a likely means of transport is probably dew to teh association between brooms and female domesticity, though male witches were thought to ride in this way as well as women. In eastern europen folklore a broom maybe usaed in a exorcism ceremonies to sweep evil spirits out the door. It is also thoguth that stepping over a broomstick. lpacing it under your pillow or putting a broom across a threshold will offer protection against evil spirits and ghosts at night.