Berchta

Berchta moves through Central European folklore through many guises. Like most ancient figures, she never quite fits into any single definition. Across the region she is called by a whole constellation of names—Frau Holle, Gode, Herke, Perchta—but the heart of her lore beats strongest in Bavaria, where she was once honored as a goddess of abundance. She lives in the borderland between life and death. Older stories say she watches over anyone who dies without proper rites or remembrance—unbaptized infants, miscarriages, stillbirths, those who died from heartbreak,  and many general restless spirits. Supposedly she will remove troublesome ghosts in the home if you evoke her presence.  With the arrival of Christianity, this beloved goddess was recast as a frightening figure. The Church painted her as a queen of demons, a night wanderer who punished misbehaving children during the winter season. Parents were warned to baptize their babies so they wouldn’t fall into her realm. Yet even thro