I started work on this bag on during the Witches’ Nights (Czech and Slovak) in December—nights of deep midwinter magic stretching from St. Catherine’s Night through St. Lucy’s Night.

This bag honors revelations I had during the Witches’ Nights about my work with Armadillo, Deer Mother/Rozhanitsa, Vulture, Wren, the Cat Coterie, the Good God Bird/Pileated Woodpecker and the Cherry Tree. The bag is filled with relics given to me by them and/or honoring them. I was happy to have finished the majority of the work during the Witches’ Nights and Koleda.

The central medallion represents Morana/Smrtka and Saints Catherine, Barbara and Lucy.

Lammnachten ist selbstverständlich das bekannteste und heiligste Fest, doch es gibt viele andere Festtage in dieser Jahreszeit! Drum lasst uns auch andere Feierlichkeiten der Zeit sehen: fangen wir mit der Heiligen Barbamar, mit ihrem Turm. Erinnert euch, an diesem Barbaratag einen Kirschzweig abzubrechen und ins Wasser zu stecken, so dass die Heilige zu Heilig Abend ihr Wunder bewirken kann.

Everyone knows Lambmas to be the most celebrated holiday, but there are many more festivities in this lambday season! Let us see a few of these: starting with the day of saint Barbamar, with her tower. Remember to pick a cherry branch today and put it in water, for the saint to do her miracle on the holy eve.

Tutti sanno che l' agnellatale è la festa più popolare di tutte. Ma non è l' unica di questa fredda stagione, quindi vediamo quali altri giorni bisogna ricordare: cominciando dal giorno di santa Barbamar, colla sua torre. Ricordatevi di cogliere oggi un ramo di ciliegio e di metterlo in acqua, affinché la santa faccia il suo miracolo alla vigilia!

Sankt Heketlaus mit Schellenpercht

(non tanto) immacolata concezione

Santa Leshia coll'asinello

Heiliges Lamm

St Barbara, France, 1420s

Angela from Misericorde, 2023

A Roman ring showing Diana the Huntress, reaching for an arrow, and accompanied by a dog.

On the fifth day of Christmas: Norfolk's five gold rings

(BBC News)

'Archaeologist Helen Geake works in Norfolk - the treasure finds capital of the UK - and often thinks of the Twelve Days of Christmas carol in her work.

There is one particular verse that stands out: "On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, five gold rings."

Bohemian parcel-gilt polychrome figure of St Barbara (limewood, c.1430-50)