At Christmas time, stories were told about Mrs. Perchta visiting people's homes and checking whether they were doing well or not. She would reward the good ones, but punish the bad ones by cutting open their bellies.
Christmas, a season associated with joy, love and warmth, also brings with it blood-curdling legends that evoke a sense of fear and caution. Among these eerie tales is that of Frau Perchta, often known as the Alpine Winter Goddess, Belly-Cut and Yule Witch, a figure from Alpine folklore whose story casts a obscure shadow over the holiday season. Known as the Christmas Witch, Frau Perchta is the sinister counterpart to the more benign Christmas legends, embodying a mixture of pagan and Christian traditions that make her one of the most terrifying characters of the holiday season.
The origins of Frau Perchta
The legend of Frau Perchta is deeply rooted in the folklore of Austria, Germany, Slovenia and other Alpine regions. Her name, which varies in spelling and pronunciation, is believed to come from the Old High German word “perht”, meaning “bright” or “shining”. However, despite this seemingly gentle name, Frau Perchta is not a sympathetic figure. She was given many names, many of them resembling Perchta, Bertha, and sometimes she was known as Posterli, Quatemberk AND Forced fasts for women
Originally Frau Perchta was a goddess of nature and fertility, associated with the cycles of life and the changing seasons, probably derived from Holda or Frija-Frigg. There are also connections to women in white tropes and beliefs from the German pagan tradition.
As Christianity spread across Europe, many pagan traditions and deities were transformed or demonized, and Frau Perchta's image darkened significantly. Even Martin Luther mentioned her in a negative way. She became a figure of fear and moral vengeance, known for her dual nature of rewarding the good and punishing the bad.
The dual nature of Frau Perchta
Frau Perchta's dual nature is central to her legend. On the one hand, he is a kind and generous person, rewarding those who were good and hard-working all year round, looking handsome and white as snow. On the twelfth night of Christmas, called Twelfth Night or Perchtennacht, she would visit homes and leave a silver coin in the shoes of those who had completed their tasks and behaved well.
On the other hand, Frau Perchta is a terrifying and sinister figure. She is often depicted as a haggard venerable woman with a beaked nose, dressed in rags and carrying a long knife hidden under her skirt. This darker side of her nature comes to the fore when she encounters slothful, disobedient or dishonest people.
A scary story about Mrs. Perchta
The most terrifying aspect of Frau Perchta's legend is her method of punishment. According to legend, Mrs. Perchta would enter homes on the twelfth night of Christmas to check that the children and servants had worked solid and behaved well throughout the year. If she thought that was what they wanted, she would do more than just leave a piece of coal or kindling.
In the darkest versions of the legend, Frau Perchta cut open the bellies of the slothful and false, removed their internal organs, and filled the cavity with straw, pebbles, or other keen materials. This gruesome punishment was intended to serve as a dire warning to both children and adults, ensuring that they would follow social norms and perform their duties conscientiously.
This is the main legend about her today, but there are many stories. Like when she crashed a wedding she wasn't invited to, cursed them all, and turned them into wolves.
Traveling on the wild hunt of the twelve days of Christmas
She is said to be more of a witch now, flying through the sky and taking part in the Wild Hunt with the rest of the demonic forces of Christmas on Rauhnächte, the darkest night of the season. She is followed by a crowd of minions known as Perchten, who are said to be unbaptized children who died.
Today, in parts of Austria and Bavaria, processions called Perchtenlauft of Schönperchten and Schiachperchten, the handsome and ugly Perchtas, take place during the twelve nights between Christmas and Epiphany. People wear masks, make noise and lightweight fireworks.
You should also leave her a compact tribute, which varies by region. In Thuringia in central Germany they gave her dumplings and herring, in parts of Austria they gave her a porridge made of oatmeal and herring called Perchtenmilch, and in Tyrol they gave her eggs and other dumplings left on the roof.
So by Perctentag Christmas Eve on January 5, you better get your house in order and hang around, if you don't, the Christmas witch will come for you.
Reference:
The story of the Christmas goddess Perchta, a belly-slitting demon, a half-woman
The fearsome Frau Perchta is the historic alpine goddess of winter – Atlas Obscura
Frau Perchta, The Creepy Christmas Witch – Dead Quarters
Image Source: Pixabay.com
