A Witch Walks Into a Brewery
- The Editors at Very Cool Facts
- Oct 9
- 1 min read
Updated: Oct 13
The witch’s hat, broom, and black cat might seem born of ghost stories and midnight folklore. But their origins are more practical than they appear. They trace back to women who brewed beer..
How Female Brewers Inspired the Witch Image
The pointed hat, broom, and bubbling cauldron weren’t symbols of sorcery at first. They belonged to alewives, women who brewed and sold beer in medieval Europe.
Tall hats helped them stand out in busy markets. Cats guarded grain from hungry mice. Iron cauldrons held their fermenting brew. And a broom or ale-stake placed outside signaled that a fresh batch was ready.
How Brewing Became A Business
As beer grew more profitable, men formed guilds and took over the trade, sidelining the women who had long run it.
Over time, the tools of a working brewer were transformed into the imagery of witchcraft.
Pointed hats and cauldrons no longer signaled good ale...they became icons of fear.
The witch's hat wasn't magic. It was marketing.
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