A besom is a broom made of twigs bound around a staff. Such brooms are long associated with witches in folklore, such as the following lore referenced by Robert Graves: The 'witch's besom' in the English countryside is still made of ash stake, birch twigs and osier[wicker] binding: of birch twigs because at the expulsion of evil spirits some remain entangled in the besom; of ash stake as a protection against drowning—witches are made harmless if detached from their besoms and thrown into running water; of osier binding in honour of Hecate. .