611 – Witch Picture

Physical description:
Reproduction of a woodcut from Ulrich Molitor's 'De Lamiis' (1489) showing 3 animal-headed witches flying on a forked stick (or stang).
Museum classification:
Images of Witchcraft
Information:

This woodcut from 1489 shows how witches sometimes 'shape-shift' into animal forms when flying.
The forked stick may be a wooden pitchfork.

See Document 7193 in the Museum archive: This is one of the earliest pictures to be passed down to us of European witches flying on forked flying poles. Note the familiar spirit. Symbolism is highlighted by the fact that the artist portrayed the three human witches as having animal head features rather than human faces and heads. Related to museum object 611.Short description:A typed interpretation panel on card, written by Cecil Williamson, regarding a picture of a European witch on a flying pole.

See also: https://academic.oup.com/gh/article/30/4/493/574863/Woodcuts-and-Witches-Ulrich-Molitor-s-De-lamiis-et

 

Resource:
Picture
Materials:
Paper

This woodcut from 1489 shows how witches sometimes 'shape-shift' into animal forms when flying.
The forked stick may be a wooden pitchfork.

See Document 7193 in the Museum archive: This is one of the earliest pictures to be passed down to us of European witches flying on forked flying poles. Note the familiar spirit. Symbolism is highlighted by the fact that the artist portrayed the three human witches as having animal head features rather than human faces and heads. Related to museum object 611.Short description:A typed interpretation panel on card, written by Cecil Williamson, regarding a picture of a European witch on a flying pole.

See also: https://academic.oup.com/gh/article/30/4/493/574863/Woodcuts-and-Witches-Ulrich-Molitor-s-De-lamiis-et