The Tricked Witch: Joninės Night and the Turned Broom

Genre: Mythological sakme
Source status: folkloric
Motifs: milk stealing, Joninės night, upturned broom, witches' gathering, chimney

The sakme

A woman lived on an estate, and neighbors spoke of her as a witch. People noticed that one day one household, the next day another, would find their cows left without milk.

The Tricked Witch visual interpretation with milk stealing, Joninės night, upturned broom motifs — The Tricked Witch: milk stealing, Joninės night, upturned broom motifs translated into a quiet story image.

Watching her, they saw a strange thing: the witch was not milking a cow, but a dishcloth hanging by the door, and milk flowed from it. In this way she took milk from other people’s animals.

Joninės came. It was known that on Joninės night the witch flew to a witches' gathering. In the house there was a spinning wheel without its wheel and a broom standing upside down. Someone took the broom and set it the ordinary way.

At midnight the wind rose. The witch returned through the chimney, but because the broom had been changed she missed her way. She rolled down from the roof and was ill for a long time. After that she no longer milked through the dishcloth.

Interpretation: what does the tricked witch mean?

The sakme speaks about magical harm done to a farm. Milk was an important household wealth, so its disappearance was explained not only by illness or chance but also by a witch’s action.

The dishcloth replaces the cow: an ordinary object becomes a magical link to the animal. The story shows the belief that a real thing or living being can be affected through a substitute.

Moving the broom is simple but effective countermagic. The human helper does not fight the witch directly, but changes the sign that guides her return.

The source variant

Vaikams.lt: „Apgauta ragana“, complete legend text. An editorial retelling of the specific cited variant, checked against its complete source narrative. This is not a literal transcript.

Joninės and the magical night

In folklore Joninės night is tied to plants, fire, dew, and hidden powers. It is the time when one may search for the fern blossom, but also meet witches.

"The Tricked Witch" shows the darker side of that night: thresholds open, but a clever person can turn them against the one who harms others.

The Tricked Witch: frequently asked questions

How does the witch steal milk from other people’s cows?

She milks not a cow but a dishcloth hanging by the door, and milk flows from it. The cloth thus becomes a magical substitute linking the witch to other people’s animals.

Why does the witch fly away specifically on Joninės night?

In the story she flies to a witches’ gathering on Joninės night. Folklore treated Joninės as a liminal time when hidden powers and witches’ activity intensified.

How does moving the broom trick the witch?

The broom had stood upside down in the house, but a man set it the ordinary way. Changing the sign that guides the witch’s return made her miss the chimney.

What happens when the witch misses the chimney?

She rolls down from the roof and remains ill for a long time. After this incident, she no longer steals milk through the dishcloth.

What does the dishcloth represent in this story?

An ordinary household object replaces the cow and acts as a magical link to the animal. It expresses the belief that a living being can be affected through a substitute.

What rural anxiety does the theft of milk reflect?

Milk was an important part of household prosperity, so its unexplained loss threatened a farm’s well-being. Such misfortune could direct suspicion toward a particular neighbor or estate woman.

The Tricked Witch