Instead of commenting on Dennis Rodman's umpteenth trip to North Korea or the Duck Dynasty "just in time for Christmas" controversy, I thought we could take a look at some more European Christmas folklore. And Perchta, today's entry, is decidedly crazier than Phil Robertson. Called Bertha in English, she's a supernatural being of German pre-Christian origin who arrives during the twelve days of Christmas. Like Santa Claus, Perchta might leave you a little present if you've been good. If you've been slacking, however, this winter deity will slit your belly open and fill your insides with straw and pebbles.
The threat of being filled with straw was traditionally levied at children and servants, two groups in the household that parents wanted to focus on their work during the autumn. In particular, Perchta targets those who have not spun their quota of cloth for the winter. Interestingly, there seems to be a lot of Christmas folklore centered around getting your spinning done. I hope you have finished your allotment of wool by now. If not, get ready to either be eaten by the Icelandic Christmas cat or have your belly slit open and filled with straw by Perchta. Merry Christmas!
Straw waiting to be packed inside your belly
The threat of being filled with straw was traditionally levied at children and servants, two groups in the household that parents wanted to focus on their work during the autumn. In particular, Perchta targets those who have not spun their quota of cloth for the winter. Interestingly, there seems to be a lot of Christmas folklore centered around getting your spinning done. I hope you have finished your allotment of wool by now. If not, get ready to either be eaten by the Icelandic Christmas cat or have your belly slit open and filled with straw by Perchta. Merry Christmas!
Straw waiting to be packed inside your belly
No comments:
Post a Comment