#frau perchta

[zal-cryptid]

have any of the toyfolk seen krampus mom

[nordseehexe]

[ihatemakingusernames]

Whenever someone asks my future career goals: this, just this.

[mrkotets]

[sixminutestoriesblog]

Frau Perchta

Etymologically, her name means 'bright one'. Or, perhaps, instead it means 'hidden or covered'. Both suit her, this winter figure of myth and folklore, haunting the shadows and stories in the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany.

Recently, there's been an upsurge in interest about beings like Krampus and the Mari Lwyd, figures that had, until recently for many of us, disappeared into Santa's shadow over the generations. So, given the time of year we're in, I thought I'd shine a bit of light on some of these older stories of yesteryear.

Perchta, or Berchta, is a female figure that haunted the Alpine regions of Europe. She has been likened to Frigg or Holda, possibly stemming from the same Ur archetype and, like them, has mutated and grown cloudy from her origins over time as Christianity and changing cultures adapted her. Perchta, according to, yes that Jacob Grimm, was both the guardian of animals and the overseer of domestic spinning.

Yeah, I don't equate the two either, which is what I meant by 'things get cloudy' the further away from whatever her original, unknown idea might have been.

Anyway, Perchta was a winter creature of myth and so, like so many of them, had a dual nature. She could take the form of a beautiful woman, tall, elegantly robed and as white as the snow - or she could take the form of a doubled over, withered hag, with darkly twinkling eyes, dressed in rags, sometimes even going so far as to have an iron nose. And, like her two forms, Perchta could either be generous or viscous, depending on what she found when she visited houses during the traditional time between Christ's birth and the visit of the Magi. Her day was the Feast of Epiphany, hence the shining or brightness associated with both her name and the star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi.

Perchta was, in some forms, a goddess of the household, a visiting deity checking to make sure the people were living up to societal standards. If, when she visited in the night, Perchta found a clean house and all the season's flax or wool already spun into thread and ready for the loom that would go up Epiphany day, she would leave silver behind, in shoes or buckets, as a reward for hard work. If however she found the women of the household with still unspun thread or a messy house, she would earn her nickname 'the Belly-Slitter' by taking her long knife, slicing the offenders' stomachs open and removing all their organs, replacing them with straw, garbage and rocks.

Remember, kids, don't leave dirty dishes in the sink between Christmas and January 6th.

Speaking of kids, like Krampus, Perchta could tell when children had been bad and seemed to have a particular penchant for lying ones. They too would end up stuffed with farmyard detritus.

In the duality of her nature however, Perchta was also said to be the guardian of the souls of children that had died before they'd been baptized, keeping them close to her and comforted.

She also, apparently, took them with her when she led the Wild Hunt, another pastime she was known to have. The crashing sounds of thunder in the mountains and the wild storms heard late at night, especially if they occurred on the Berchtl or Knocking nights, the three Thursdays between Christmas and Epiphany? That was Perchta and her followers, known as the Perchten, riding wild across the sky.

In hag or maiden form, there was one way to spot Perchta for sure. One of her feet was wide-spread and flat, either because it was the foot of a swan (or goose) signifying her ability to shapeshift as well as her role as animal guardian or else because it was a treadle foot, grown so large and flat thanks to all her time spent at the spinning wheel.

If you wanted to appease Perchta, beyond finishing your spinning in a timely manner and keeping your house, and children, clean, you left out a bowl of porridge made with fish, on the Twelfth Night for her and her followers. If she liked your cooking, you had an upcoming year of prosperity ahead of you.

In fact, in certain towns in Austria, you can find Perchta masks in use during winter festivities today. These masks, often made of wood, come in two varieties. The Schönperchten, the 'beautiful Perchten' masks are supposed to call in financial prosperity and the Schiachperchten, the 'ugly Perchten' masks, are to drive away evil spirits.

Santa, and Krampus, may have Christmas day, but the twelve that come after it belong to Perchta.

On a possibly unrelated but still very interesting to me note, there's apparently a video game called Hunt: Showdown that features a Frau Perchta. tw: for video game blood and violence

[witchyfashion]

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen…but do you recall the most petrifying Christmas figures of all? Not all children fear just a lump of coal in their stockings. Discover the terrifying Yuletide fables that have horrified kids for generations.

He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake. This lighthearted song is a bit more ominous in the context of other Christmas traditions. From beasts that threaten to cook children into stew to sinister crones who snatch little ones from their beds, you won’t find any dancing sugar plums here. Outside of the heartwarming Christmas tales we all know and love, there are an abundance of frightening stories to chill all who hear them to the bone. Discover folklore from all corners of the world, including:

Krampus (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and northern Italy), a demonic half-goat monster who drags chains and whips bad children with birch sticks, or stuffs them in his sack to take away

The Kallikantzari (Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Turkey), goblins who come out during Advent to cause mischief

Père Fouettard (France, Belgium, Switzerland), Saint Nicholas’ eternal cannibal manservant who deals with naughty children

Hans Trapp (Alsace-Lorraine, France), who roams the countryside disguised as a scarecrow and goes door to door on Christmas looking for children to feast upon

Gryla (Iceland), the giant ogre who emerges from her cave on Christmas to hunt children and cook them into stew

Mari Lwyd (Wales), a creature with a horse’s skull and a long cloak that is followed by a group of chanting people

Frau Perchta (Austria and Bavaria), who slits the bellies of bad children and stuffs them with straw

These tales are sure to leave you wishing for the Grinch. Whether you are a fan of history and folklore, you love learning about different cultures, or you just want to give a holiday gift that will bring the joy of Christmas to that lucky someone (just kidding), The Scary Book of Christmas Lore is for you. ’Tis the season! Is it beginning look a lot like Christmas, yet?

https://amzn.to/49IdLLI

[hexpositive]

Hex Positive, Ep. 041 - Holiday Folklore Frights with Ana Mor

BAH HUMBUG! The annual onslaught of holiday music has begun, we’re all up to our necks in consumerism, and the glitter is EVERYWHERE. Thankfully, there’s refuge from the mad rush here on Hex Positive, where I cozy with my CritWitchCon buddy Ana Mor to talk about fun and witchy folklore from the holiday season! Most of the stories come from Catholicism, with a smattering of pre-Christian figures…

[orderofthejackolantern]

Have you heard of the Perchten?

In the alpine regions of Eastern Europe, terror is very much alive throughout the winter season. However, during the Twelve Nights of Christmas, a witch and her minions (children? Cohorts?) wreak havoc through villages. The Perchten, led by Frau Perchta, are very similar to Krampus, and may be the origin of our beloved Holiday Devil.

Some villages hold parades and processions in costumes of these wicked creatures, called Perchtenlaufen! And it does indeed look like a ghoulishly good time!

We wish the Perchten well in their mischief! May they bring good holiday fear to all! 👹🎄❄️

[ratt-teeth]

Winter Waltz

Scary folklore figures are the only kind of holiday art you’ll ever get out of me

[crimson-spine]

Merry Krampus!

[zal-cryptid]

How long did it take for Santa and Krampus to go from enemies to lovers? And who initiated the polycule?

In my canon, Nick and Kramps first met in the Alps sometime around the turn of the second Millennium. Krampus was terrorizing a village one day, so some Christian converts called upon the Saint to come and protect the children from the demon. Krampus is technically a nature spirit, not a demon, and so Nick was having trouble figuring out how to stop the beast.

Fortunately, a young Befana was dispatched by Perchta to fetch Krampus and found the two duking it out in the town square. Thinking quickly, she created chains and shackles out of Nick's shadow, which he used to bind him successfully.

Perchta decided that it would be an apt punishment for Krampus to remain shackled to the Saint and be his twisted reflection. Krampus dispised his situation at first, expecting to be treated like some wild animal to be tamed or put on display. But Nick always treated him with respect. He always treated him like a fellow man. Perhaps it was Befana's mediation...perhaps it was Nick's "I could fix him" attitude...maybe it was even Krampus' "I could make him worse" attitude...but something eventually clicked between the three of them.

By the 14th-15th century, their love for each other became apparent. I think...I think Nick would have been the one to admit his feelings while Befana would have been the one to propose a polygamous relationship.

[nordseehexe]

Little Offering for the Rauhnächte

[gilgalahad]

[hansenshorror]

Prepare to be judged.

[janibii]

Frohe Berchtentag to everyone who celebrates!

[witchyfashion]

Some traditions should never be lost, like scaring your children into behaving well and teaching them to trick demons during the cold winter. Introducing Krampus and Other Yuletide Tales, a collection of wonderful macabre folk tales that have been nearly lost forever...until now. Featuring thirteen wintery stories and over sixty hauntingly beautiful illustrations, this book contains the kind of thrilling tales that will bring the family together and keep them up at night. So snuggle up with Snegurochka, the snow maiden who melts away as soon as she finds real love. Cozy up around the fire and read the story of Frau Perchta, a witch who happily slices open the bodies of misbehaving children. Watch your kids' eyes light up as they hear about Father Frost, the original present-giving bearded man who would rather freeze them to death than wastefully put a lump of coal in their stockings for being rude. Krampus is coming to town and everybody is on his naughty list. This is not your grandmother's collection of stories. These belong to her grandmother, the babushka, who knew how to celebrate Yule right: a bountiful feast paired with a little tale of murder.

https://amzn.to/419yXX8