Travellers by The Tall’n

Puzzle explanation

As described in Chambers, traditionally on Walpurgis night (30th April) witches travel on MALE GOATS and BROOMSTICKS to revel with the Devil (OLD POKER) on the Brocken in the Harz mountains. In the grid each of the four witches (HECATE, CARLINE, WICCAN, HAG) wears a witch’s hat, tracing the definition from Chambers: “black conical brimmed hat”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
6 IN-AND-IN INANE with DIN for E
7 ECOFIN E + CO + FIN
9 TANDOORI TAN + DOOR + I
10 AYAH A + YAH
11 ANCHORET ANT around CHORE
13 CRIMES CS around RIME
14 TELECOM TEL + COME with last letter first
16 AMONG ((wanderin)G NOMA(ds)) <
19 BRAWLED BRAW + LED
21 ONE-EYED O + NEED around YE
22 NILGAU LIN < + GAU
23 ILICES IS around LICE
26 CAPTION INTO * after CAP
27 DEADPAN DEAD + PAN
32 STAMP (PAST + M) *
35 ALAMEDA ADELA < around AM
37 ETALON AL (aluminium) in ETON
38 MIAOWING AIM < + OWING
40 CITS CITE with S for E
41 MOORBURN (N + RUB + ROOM) <
42 TERRAE ERR in TAE
43 UNDERGO UNDER + (O + G) <
Down
1 ENATE ((r)E(s)T(r)A(i)N (m)E(n)) <
2 SANELY ANE in SLY
3 CHICA CHIC + A
4 OCEANIA (OCEAN + A) around I
5 GIVEN ’VE in GIN
8 CYMA (AMY + C) <
12 ROKY ROY around K
15 MEAN-BORN MEAN + BORNÉ − E
17 BOLD B(ig) O(utstanding) L(iterally) D(epicted)
18 COCOONED COON in COED
20 DANT DANTE − E (Ecstasy)
24 CATHERINE CAT + IN in HERE
25 TALI L in TAI
26 CANCROID DRACONIC *
28 POSHEST SHE in POST
29 NOBELIUM NOB + ILEUM *
30 HALL-MOOTS HOOTS around (ALL + M)
31 POKER 3 meanings
33 ANTA A + N + TA
34 GAMME ME after GAM
36 DIRGE (E + GRID) <
39 GURKHA HARK * after GU
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