Perchta
Perchta o Berchta (anche: Bertha), e altre varenti, era una volta conosciuta come una divinità nelle tradizioni Alpine pre-cristiane. Il suo nome significa La Splendente. Le parole peraht, berht e brecht significano radioso, liminoso e/obianco.
Perchta è anche chiamata la Signora delle Bestie. Era una guardiana del mondo animale e della natura nelle antiche culture cacciatrici Germaniche, probabilmente dalle stesse origini di Holda.[1] Secondo Grimm e Motz, Perchta è una cugina meridionale di Holda, in quanto entrambe si dividono il titolo ed il ruolo di signora delle bestie e compaiono nei dodici giorni compresi tra il Natale e l'Epifania.[2] In alcune descrizioni Perchta ha due forme: può apparire bella e bianca come la nave oppure vecchia ed anziana.
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In southern Austria, in Carinthia among the Slovenes, a male form of Perchta was known as Quantembermann (the man of the four Ember days).[3] Grimm thought that her male counterpart or equivalent is Berchtold.[4]
Traditional Narratives
According to Jacob Grimm (1835), Perchta was spoken of in Old High German in the 10th century as Frau Berchta and thought to be a white-robed female spirit. She was known as a goddess who oversaw spinning and weaving, like myths of Holda in Continental German regions. He believes she was the feminine equivalent of Berchtold, and she was sometimes the leader of the Wild Hunt.
In many old descriptions, Bertha had one large foot, sometimes called a goose foot or swan foot. Grimm thought the strange foot symbolizes she may be a higher being who could shapeshift to animal form.[5] He noticed Bertha with a strange foot exist in many languages (German "Berhte mit dem fuoze", French "Bertha au grand pied", Latin "Berhta cum magno pede"): "It is apparently a swan-maiden's foot, which as a mark of her higher nature she cannot lay aside...and at the same time the spinning-woman's splayfoot that worked the treadle".[6]
Bertha is reportedly angered if on her feast day, the traditional meal of fish and gruel is forgotten, and will slit people's bellies open and stuff them with straw if they eat someting else that night.[7]
In the folklore of Bavaria and Austria, Perchta was said to roam the countryside at midwinter, and to enter homes between the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany (especially on the Twelfth Night). She would know whether the children and young servants of the household had behaved well and worked hard all year. If they had, they might find a small silver coin next day, in a shoe or pail. If they had not, she would slit their bellies open, remove stomach and guts, and stuff the hole with straw and pebbles. She was particularly concerned to see that girls had spun the whole of their allotted portion of flax or wool during the year.[8]
Characterization
Perchta was at first a benevolent spirit. In Germanic paganism, Perchta had the rank of a minor deity. That changed to an enchanted creature (spirit or elf) in Old High German - such as Grimm describes - but she was given a more malevolent character (sorceress or witch) in later ages.[9]
The cult of Perchta was condemned in Bavaria by the Thesaurus pauperum (1468). It requested of its followers to leave food and drink for Fraw Percht and her followers, in exchange of wealth and abundance. The same practice was condemned by Thomas Ebendorfer von Haselbach in De decem praeceptis (1439).
Later canonical and church documents characterized Perchta as synonymous with other leading female spirits: Holda, Diana, Herodias, Richella and Abundia.
Related beings
Grimm thinks Holda is her equivalent while the Weisse frauen may derive directly from Berchta in her white form.
The word Perchten is plural for Perchta, and this has become the name of her entourage, as well as the name of animal masks worn in parades and festivals in the mountainous regions of Austria. In the 16th century, the Perchten took two forms: Some are beautiful and bright, known as the Schönperchten (the beautiful Perchten). These come during the Twelve Nights and festivals to "bring luck and wealth to the people." The other form is the Schiachperchten (ugly Perchten) who have fangs, tusks and horse tails which are used to drive out demons and ghosts. Men dressed as the ugly Perchten during the 16th century and went from house to house driving out bad spirits.[10]
Today the Perchten are still a traditional part of Salzburg and Austrian holidays and festivals (such as the Carnival Fastnacht). The wooden animal masks made for the festivals are today called Perchten.[11] -->
In Italia la Perchta è associabile alla Befana.
Vedi anche
Note
Bibliografia
- Frazer, Sir James George. 1920. The Golden Bough. A Study in Magic and Religion. IX. Part 6. "The Scapegoat", pages 240-243. MacMillian & Co. (Facsimili Elibron Classics, 2005) ISBN 1-4021-8348-8. (Online). File retrieved May 18, 2007.
- Grimm, Jacob (1835). Deutsche Mythologie (German Mythology); From English released version Grimm's Teutonic Mythology (1888); Available online by Northvegr © 2004-2007: Chapter 13, page 6;Chapter 13, page 8; Chapter 17, page 7;Chapter 31, page 4.
- Hilton, Edward. Winter Goddess (A Summary of Lott Motz) (Online). File retrieved May 18, 2007.
- Motz, Lott. 1984. The Winter Goddess, Folklore 95:11.
- Müller, Felix and Ulrich. 1999. Percht und Krampus, Kramperl und Schiach-Perchten. Wunderlich, Werner (Hrsg.): Mittelalter-Mythen 2. Dämonen-Monster-Fabelwesen. St. Gallen, S. 449-460. (Online, German) File retrieved May 18, 2007.
- Reginheim. 2002. Forgotten Gods. (Online). File retrieved 05-17-2007.
- Wagner, Alexander. 2007. Perchtenläufe: Salzburg’s Pagan Heritage. (Online) File retrieved May 18, 2007.