Perchta of the Twelve Nights
In the Alps, a figure visited homes in the nights after Christmas, rewarding the hard-working and punishing those who'd been idle.
What was reported
In Alpine folklore, Perchta, or Berchta, roams the countryside during the twelve nights between Christmas and Epiphany. She checks that the spinning has been finished and the house is tidy, leaving a silver coin for the diligent and threatening the lazy with dreadful punishments.
In parts of Austria and Bavaria, people still hold Perchtenläufe: parades of masked figures, some beautiful and some hideous, with bells and horns, to drive away the spirits of winter.
Explanations offered
Perchta is probably descended from an older goddess or spirit of midwinter. The parades are a living custom, popular with visitors. She's related to other Christmas-season figures who reward and punish, such as Krampus and the Yule Lads.
- When
- Told since the Middle Ages
- Where
- Salzburg, Austria
- Witnesses
- Alpine tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Austria