| Enchanted Broomstick | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
Der Zauberlehrling (1797) |
|
Created by |
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
Origin[]
The Enchanted Broomstick was brought to life by the Sorcerer's Apprentice to do his chores for him, using magic in which he is not fully trained. The floor is soon awash with water, and the apprentice realizes that he cannot stop the broom because he does not know the magic required to do so.
The apprentice splits the broom in two with an axe, but each piece becomes a whole broom that takes up a pail and continues fetching water, now at twice the speed. At this increased pace, the entire room quickly begins to flood. When all seems lost, the old sorcerer returns and quickly breaks the spell. The poem concludes with the old sorcerer's statement that only a master should invoke powerful spirits.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Magic Broomstick from before January 1, 1931 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Der Zauberlehrling (1797)
- The Communist Manifesto (1848)
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1910)
Public Domain Music Appearances[]
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1897)
Notes[]
- In the 1940 Walt Disney animated film Fantasia "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", Mickey Mouse plays the apprentice, and the story follows Goethe's original closely, except that the sorcerer (Yen Sid, which is Disney spelled backwards) is stern and angry with his apprentice after he saves him. It will enter the public domain on January 1, 2036.