Celebrate Beltane

The Rauhnächte is the time between the years when old memories carry out traditions from pagan times in Germany. Before you brush it off or think to yourself, “Modern people can’t possibly still believe any of that stuff,” I think you may be surprised at how many traditions we follow. Certainly, not many people expect to see Woden leading a Wild Hunt across the heavens, but families across Germany (and the world) engage in fortune telling and loud fireworks. This time between Christmas and the Epiphany crackled with magic.

It takes 365 days for the Earth to go around the Sun, but the Lunar Calendar, measuring the time it takes for the moon to wax and wane 12 times, takes only 354 days. How did people deal with those missing 11 days (and 12 nights)? By treating them as a separate entity, as an in-between time from the end of the old year to the beginning of the new one.

Those 12 days from Christmas, December 25th, until midnight, January 6th, the Epiphany, were known as the Raunächte. During these cold, dark Winter days, without electricity or central heating, staying close to the hearth meant safety. This wasn’t a time for working. Battering storms made stories of ghosts easy to believe. Rituals were created to see it all, though.

(Note—since the Christian Church didn’t officially celebrate December 25th as Christmas until 336AD and the Germanic tribes began converting to Christianity in 496AD, some older traditions say the cycle starts on December 20, St Thomas Day, the first day of Winter, the darkest day of the year, and the turning point for the light.)

So, what is Rauhnacht? The origin of the word Rauhnacht is fuzzy. Some say the root comes from “Rauch,” meaning “smoke,” since smoke and incense are important during this time. Others believe it comes from “ruch,” meaning “wild, hairy,” from the wild beasts who roam the woods and mountains. But who were these beasts? And why was incense needed to cleanse the home and barn of spirits?

The Wild Hunt of the Rauhnächte

Jacob Grimm not only collected Fairy Tales with his brother Wilhelm, but he also compiled Germanic folklore, old customs, and ancient beliefs in his 1835 work, Deutsche Mythology or German Mythology (published in English as Teutonic Mythology). According to Grimm, the Wild Hunt, or Wilde Jagd, was a spectral hunting party, a das Wütende Heer (angry army) led by Wotan. The tales of the Hunt vary depending on which corner of Germany they were collected. Sometimes, Wotan leads the group alone, but in the north, he might be accompanied by Holda (Frau Holle)… in the south, Perchta… and in the east, you might hear about Barborka (Barbara). Together, they led the spirits of those who died during the year to the afterlife.

Keep your eyes down! To see the Wilde Jagd meant certain death, but you could hear it coming in the howling of the wind and rattling of the tree branches. So, how did people protect themselves? Traditions kept people safe. Rules were created: “Stay out of a barn with doors on opposite sides at night because the hunt could sweep through and take you up!” We may smile at the quaint superstitions, but we aren’t as removed from those times as you might think.

Perchten

Rauhnächte Traditions and Superstitions

Traditional beliefs and practices still observed during the Raunächte today.

No Laundry

No laundry could be done during this time, and no Clotheslines should be left out. Why? When the Wild Hunt rides by, they might get caught up in the laundry or the line and miss their chance to go to the next world. Spirits left behind get angry and ruin the next harvest. Some believed that Frau Holle would snatch the white linens from the line and use it to sew a shroud for someone in the home.

Smoke and Incense in the Home and Barn

Burning certain herbs and resins, such as Frankincense, Myrrh, juniper, and pine, would protect the home and animals from harm. Coals and herbs would be carried from room to room in buckets or special holders, and the smoke cleansed the home. Today, we have adorable smokers who do the job for us with small cones of incense that smell of pine or frankincense.

Order and Cleanliness

Everyone knows that demons and ghosts love disorder and are comfortable in chaos. If they find it, they will happily stay. A clean and orderly home means the Wild Hunt will pass you by. Today, we still focus on a clean home for Christmas, and my mother insisted that all of our toys and dolls be cleaned and lined up neatly before Christmas Eve.

Animals Could Speak

When I was a child, my mother told me that animals could speak like humans at midnight on Christmas Eve. I waited up and watched, spying from behind the door, hoping that my dog would finally say more than “woof.” It’s good that I never heard anything. Although it is said that animals are given the power of speech during this time, any human who hears them speak would surely die. Barn animals would use their power to tell the house spirits if they were mistreated by the farmer.

Food Sacrifice

Flying across the heavens makes Woden hungry. A plate of leftovers from the Jul or Christmas dinner should be left on the doorstep for passing spirits to ensure good fruit harvest (Frau Holle is said to be particularly fond of poppy seed cakes). Much like today we leave cookies for Santa…

Spinning Wheels

The year’s spinning should have been finished by this time and woe to the young woman who left it late. Spinning wheels (and some say Milling Wheels) are to be still during this time, or Frau Perchta will come and punish you. In some stories, the Boar (a Germanic Fertility god) sets the wheel back in motion on January 6th when the New Year begins.

Pigs

Speaking of the Pig, in Germany, pigs have long been considered good luck charms. On a farm, a pig meant meat for winter. In Teutonic times, a Pig was sacrificed at the New Year to honor Freya, the goddess of love and good fortune. Today, people commonly gift each other Marzipan Pigs over the New Year.

Other Superstitions

There should be no card playing or gambling. Women and Children should not be out at night alone. Beggars should be fed and looked after. Doors and gates should be locked, and a candle should be set on the windowsill at dusk (today, we set up Schwibbogen,or hang Christmas Lights).

Fortune Telling and Divination

All of the rules and superstitions act as touchstones—ways to control or understand the inexplicable in cold, dark times. But the Rauhnächte weren’t just a time of protection, they were also a time for looking forward. The time between the years makes Divination… Fortune Telling… much easier, and there many Fortune Telling traditions!

Fireworks and Noise

The flash bang of fireworks, the crack of whips, and the banging of pots all drive spirits away. Bells are rung in the church and by people walking door to door during the Glockennächte (Bell Nights). In some villages of northern Germany, young men go door to door banging on pots to let people know they are coming, and then they collect cookies and nuts in exchange for reciting poems. Even today, some Austrian villages hold a Perchtenlauf. Perchten, people dressed in furs that look a bit like Krampus, or SchnabelPerchten, people dressed as women with ugly masks, make noise to chase the evil spirits.

Bleigiessen

Rauhnächte weren’t just a time of protection, they were also a time for looking forward. The time between the years makes Divination… Fortune Telling… much easier, and there many Fortune Telling traditions!

Lead Pouring, or Molybdomancy has been practiced for thousands of years. On New Year’s Eve, German families might sit around the table and melt lead over a small fire in a spoon, then pour the melted lead into water. The lead hardens into a shape. By determining the shape, and checking a chart, the future is revealed. Today, the Bleigiessen kits are getting harder to find because of the lead content.