Category Archives: Mythology

Perchta and the 12 Days of Christmas (Part 1)

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Snowstorms, such as this one in Central Park, were thought to be caused by Mother Holle shaking out her goose-down quilts.

Snowstorms, such as this one in Central Park, were thought to be caused by Mother Holle shaking out her goose-down quilts.

In Urglaawe, a name for Old German culture often best preserved now in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, Berchta is considered a major deity, particularly during the Yuletide celebrations of Elfder Daag (Eleventh Day) and Zwelfdi Nacht (Twelfth Night). Both of these celebrations fall on the current calendar date of December 31, which Grimm cites as her traditional Feast Day. The name of the observance in Urglaawe is “Berchtaslaaf.”

The perceptions of Berchta in Urlgaawe range from her being Holle by another name to her being Holle’s sister, therefore placing her among the Wane. She is seen as a goddess who demand order in one’s behavior and consciousness. Owls are seen as her sacred animal. The association between Berchta and owls also leads to the belief that owls are her messengers and that the presence of owls by the home can be warnings of danger or death. The association may also be related to the Eil (Owl) moon sign commonly falling around Yuletide on the Deitsch (Old German) lunar zodiac (Muunraad). The Eil sign is the ninth new moon after the Oschdre (the vernal equinox).

According to the Brothers Grimm, Berchta also commands that certain meals be consumed and offered to her on her feast day. The meals consist of zemmede (a mix of flour, milk, and water), herring and gruel, though variations do occur regionally. These food items are included in the Urglaawe Berchtaslaaf observances.

Grimm thinks Holda is her equivalent while the Weisse frauen may derive directly from Berchta in her white form.

The word Perchten is plural for Perchta, and this has become the name of her entourage, as well as the name of animal masks worn in parades and festivals in the mountainous regions of Austria. In the 16th century, the Perchten took two forms: Some are beautiful and bright, known as the Schönperchten (“beautiful Perchten”). These come during the Twelve Nights and festivals to “bring luck and wealth to the people.” The other form is the Schiachperchten (“ugly Perchten”) who have fangs, tusks and horse tails which are used to drive out demons and ghosts. Men dressed as the ugly Perchten during the 16th century and went from house to house driving out bad spirits.

Sometimes, der Teufel is viewed to be the most schiach (“ugly”) Percht (masculine singular of Perchten) and Frau Perchta to be the most schön (“beautiful”) Percht (singular of Perchten).

Today the Perchten are still a traditional part of Salzburg and Austrian holidays and festivals (such as the Carnival Fastnacht). The wooden animal masks made for the festivals are today called Perchten.

In Italy, Perchta is roughly equivalent with La Befana, who visits all the children of Italy either on Christmas Eve or on the night before 6 January to fill their socks with candy if they are good or a lump of coal if they are bad.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town — on December 6! Christmas is Coming!

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St. Nicholas and a devil in Wenceslas Square (Dec 6, 2014).

St. Nicholas and a devil in Wenceslas Square (Dec 6, 2014).

Devils on Stepanaska Street in Prague (Dec 2014).

Devils on Stepanaska Street in Prague (Dec 2014).

St. Nicholas, the 4th century bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey)often brings gifts to Dutch-speaking children on December 6, his feast.

St. Nicholas, the 4th century bishop of Myra (in modern-day Turkey)often brings gifts to Dutch-speaking children on December 6, his feast.

St. Nicholas, whom most Americans now recognize as “Santa Claus,” was a 4th century bishop in Turkey who was imprisoned for objecting to the imposition of Arian beliefs on local churches by local civil authorities. He was famous for his acts of charity, especially toward youth. He is said to have raised 3 young men from the dead after they had been slaughtered by an innkeeper who was already salting their corpses to use as meat to feed the inn’s guests. St. Nicholas is also said to have thrown 3 bags of coins into the garden of his poverty-stricken neighbor, thus providing dowries for the man’s 3 daughters and saving them from lives of spinsterhood or prostitution.

According to another legend, during a great famine that Myra experienced in 311–312, a ship was in the port at anchor, which was loaded with wheat for the Emperor in Constantinople. Nicholas invited the sailors to unload a part of the wheat to help in time of need. The sailors at first disliked the request, because the wheat had to be weighed accurately and delivered to the Emperor. Only when Nicholas promised them that they would not suffer any loss for their consideration, the sailors agreed. When they arrived later in the capital, they made a surprising find: the weight of the load had not changed, although the wheat removed in Myra was enough for two full years and could even be used for sowing.

He is now said to bring gifts to children across the world — sometimes on his feast (December 6), as in the Netherlands, sometimes on Christmas Day (as in the United States). In many European countries, he brings gifts to the “good children” and coal to the “bad children.” But he is also said to often carry away the bad children in his large sack (now empty of gifts) or is even accompanied by a devil or servant who binds and takes away the children undeserving of a gift.

(Photos of 2014 celebration of St. Nicholas’ Day in Prague taken from the Prague Post, the English-language newspaper of Prague and the Czech Republic.)

Pre-sales for “Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes”

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Castle Annaghs outside Waterford, Ireland is the location of the actual grave identified in local legend as that of the dearg-due ("red blood sucker").

Castle Annaghs outside Waterford, Ireland is the location of the actual grave identified in local legend as that of the dearg-due (“red blood sucker”).

For everyone waiting for the next adventure of the Evil Conference professors, I am working on Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes and hope to have it finished in time to release next November. It will follow the professors back to Ireland and they will once again confront both Elizabeth, the dearg-due (Irish female vampire), and Eva (the witch who created the dearg-due in 1700s Ireland).

As you recall from the Come Hell or High Water trilogy, the dearg-due was a young girl from 1700s Waterford (southeast Ireland). She was in love with a local shepherd but her father insisted that she marry the local landlord, a much older and wealthier man. (Clearly, her father hoped to profit from the marriage.) But the husband was a cruel and abusive man who beat his young wife to death. She was raised from the grave beneath the famous Strongbow’s Oak, however, and transformed into the DEARG-DUE (“red blood sucker”). She first killed and lapped up the blood of her abusive husband and then her uncaring father and now she continues to seduce and kill men. She is unharmed by sunlight, holy water, or garlic. She cannot be destroyed. But she can be pinned beneath the earth if a small tower of stones is built atop her grave. She will then be trapped in her grave until the stones are dispersed, allowing her to rise from the grave beneath the oak tree and begin the cycle of seduction and murder all over again. Incorporating local Irish history, mythology, and folklore, Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes will be a stand-alone novel (not another trilogy).

You can pre-order your copy now thru the Pubslush website here. By donating the cost of the book in advance, you help cover the cost of editing and research and will get an autographed copy of the paperback mailed to you as soon as the novel is available. Even if you can’t support the book financially yet, please click on the link and become a FAN of the project to show your support.

I will keep you up-to-date with my progress on the book by occasional posts here — but NO SPOILERS will be revealed! 🙂