Analysis / Flying Broomstick

The origin of this trope is rather murky, since there's no obvious reason for a broomstick (or a staff disguised as a broomstick) to be associated with flight. One (considerably NSFW) explanation involves sex and drugs, in a certain sense. Accounts from the 16^th century revealed that witches' potions contained hallucinogens that, when consumed, gave the sensation of flying. As oral ingestion put them at risk of overdosing, suspected witches applied these hallucinogenic potions topically. It turns out the most effective places for absorption through the skin were on the armpits and in their lady parts, where the broom turned out to be quite handy. In other words, riding a broom is really a 500-year-old Double Entendre.