The man who flew like a witch

We were visited the other day by a gentleman who told us left us with this fascinating account...

Brian Plummer was an incredibly intelligent teacher (Mensa IQ 212), who was very interested in all country lore.  He had 16 books in print on dog breeding, hunting, falconry and similar subjects.  He also spoke many Indo European languages.

He decided to research the problem of witches’ ability to fly.  Apparently they could fly even when they were in prison.  They used badger fat and all sorts of herbs and similar materials according to ancient literature. 

He experimented.  He stripped naked and smeared himself all over with the badger fat mixture.  He felt peculiar and began to lose his bearings.  But then it happened.  He was flying!  Success!

Then there was a knock on his cottage door.  He opened it to his girlfriend who found him naked, stinking and so disorientated that she called for an ambulance.  He had probably poisoned himself, but the doctors were able to clean him off in time to save him.  (Later he tried to become a werewolf). 

Brian first taught me at Forest Comprehensive School Walsall in the 1980s. 

Dr R L Martin, Shropshire

Above: one of the earliest representations of witches in flight.