Holles-Brauch

A medieval woodcut depicting Perchta with a long crooked nose. This version of Perchta is known as “perchta der eisernen Nase” or Perchta of the Iron nose. This hag shape the goddess takes is terrifying, in this form she punishes evil men and the wicked. All those that break the taboos of her cult are likewise punished and their bellies slit open by her schnabelperchten.

“Jacob Grimm derives  Holle from Old High German  hold, huld (Old Norse  hollr) ; one of its name variants is  Holda / Hulda . The original meaning is the  affectionate , gracious one , the goddess who is devoted to her creation  , the friendly, mild, gracious goddess and woman.” cf. Jacob Grimm, German Mythology, p. 220

“The oldest evidence of the name  Holle can be found in the Decretorum libri Burchardi , books of instructions by Bishop Burchard of Worms (d. 1025) for the treatment of priests with their parishioners.” "They should be asked whether they believe (or know) that there are women who 'ride on certain animals with a band of demons transformed into women - which the stupidity of the people  calls Holle - on certain nights and are accepted into the band of these demons.' It goes on to say: '... to ride on certain animals with the pagan goddess Diana and with an innumerable number of women at night, in order to cross many countries of the earth in a silent, deep, eerie night.'"

Mutter von allem , Königin des Himmels und der Erde , großer Liebhaber

The Following is a Thuringian folktale regarding Holle. “In the old days, it must be over two hundred years ago, Holda once wandered through the Saal- Valley where at the village Wilhelmsdorf an old grouchy ferryman lived, who each day brought people across the river Saale each and every day, sometimes he did that until late in the evening. One day, at Holle's Eve, as the ferryman already had dressed for the night he heard the well-known call “Take across!” coming from the other side of the river. He quickly dressed again, put on his boots and coat lit his lantern. He stepped out into the frosty evening and hurried down to his boat. As he had reached the river he saw at opposite bank a tall and noble woman waiting there and while beckoning him her clear voice repeated: “Take across!” Grumping and shivering, he crossed over to the other side cherishing the old ferryman‘s saying: Always honor the old ferryman‘s commandment! Shall you refuse freight the Lord will refuse Your last crossing! It was indeed his duty as a ferryman to take everyone across the river, who asked for it, and he always had stuck to his duty. As he neared his wharf, he heard the voices of many children, although he did not see one child. After the ferry had docked, the tall woman came to him and said: “We need three turns, because we are many.”The old ferryman got a little scared, as he saw no one but the woman. But as she drew a circle with her hand in front of his face he saw through the circle a group of children of various age. The elder children carried parts of a shiny plow, while the younger were sitting on small goats. Of course by now, the ferryman had understood that it was Frau Holle with her ghost children, who had asked for the ferry to cross the river. As the ferry was full, he quickly crossed over. After arrival each child threw something in his ferryman-bowl at leaving the boat The same happened during the second crossing and third time. As Holle and her bevy had disappeared, he took a desirous look at the bowl in the light of his lantern. Because he only found many little pebble stones instead of coins he got angry and threw the stones in the water and annoyed went back home. There he saw that in the bowl two stones still were in it, but when he took them to throw them away, he saw to his great surprise that they were little gold nuggets now. He realized that Holda had turned all the stones into gold, while leaving. Although he immediately went out to the river, he could not find back anymore the other stones. In Thuringia the Hörselberg near Eisenach has been since ancient times the dwelling of Holda. The Wild Hunt, which is lead by Holda. disappears into this mountain at daybreak. People who with a broom sweep away the leaves down on the slope and then grit sand there, they often find on the next day the footsteps of many animals in it. And that concludes my prepared talk during this Sacred Sites walk. Thank you kindly for having the patience to listen.”

Tannhauser was a medieval minnesinger ( love singer ) a tradition of wandering minstrel's or bards, typically landless knights who travelled from court to court professing their chivalric love to a lady. In the famous 13th century account, Tannhauser while on his pilgrimage to Rome came upon the Venusberg deep in the Alps, when entering the subterranean realm, Tannhauser encountered a large hall and seated there were ancient knights who feasted and boasted of past glories, here Tannhauser meet the lady of this hall, the golden and divine Goddess of the dawn, Venus whom he feel in love and resided with her for a whole year in her realm beneath the mountain. Overcome with fear and regret, Tannhauser felt he had betrayed his Christian values and God, leaving the Goddess to return on his pilgrimage. When entering Rome, the knight Tannhäuser pleaded with Pope Urban IV to be absolved of his sins, the Pope replied that forgiveness would be as impossible as it would be for his papal staff to blossom. Filled with anger, the knight stood up, cursed the Pope in his mother tongue and made his journey north again, to his ur-heimat, to his cold mountains and dark German Forests, to re-enter the Venusberg and be reunited with his Lover. Upon his re-entering of the Venusburg, and to the surprise and horror of Pope Urban IV, his papal staff did blossom again, upon which it is said that Pope Urban turned his bed to face the south for when he woke he wished to see the warm Roman south, out of fear for the cold north. This myth was made famous during the time period, and was a legitimate fear of the respectable christian of that time to stumble across the abode of a heathen Goddess. But how is this myth and the Goddess Venus related in any why to Holle? Holle, outside this particular myth is often conflated with other deities or other times just wrongly named, for example going by Diana,Judith,Ceres or in this case Venus. In many of the Venusberg myths the location of the holy mountain is often centered in the exact locations as the Horselberg which is considered the mountain of Holle or the cave of the Hörselloch or Venus Cave as they both are attributed to either Goddess. In some tales a Knight by the name of Eckart is a sworn guardian of the berg, whom Venus commands to ride forth and warn of Holles wild hunt further connecting the goddesses. I believe it is safe to assume this Venus is none other than Holle, whom these fateful knights have sworn themselves too. Not only is this a goddess of farmers and witches, but of knights and warriors.

Fuerstenberg-type bracteate found in a grave in central Germany and dating to the 7-8th century possibly depicting Holle/Frigga

Frigg takes oaths from all living Creatures Howard David Johnson

It begins A new cult site to Holle

Vater Wudan und Mudder Holle by Iwobrand

The King and Queen of Heaven

Holle is multi faceted Goddess, a goddess of no ill quality. She shares both a celestial, heavenly disposition and a chthonic one. In lore she is found to inhabit both dark caves, wells/springs and dim forest groves. Her troop skulk through musty attics and basements accepting the offering that have rightly been given to her, left either outside or on dining room tables. In the form of a hag does she test the hospitality of her people and investigates the state of the household. To the wicked and vilest she oftentimes takes different forms that express her contempt and anger, often appearing as an old crone with a large nose ”Perchta die eisen nas”. She is seen with her entourage of “perchten” or “Schiachperchten” meaning the ugly perchten who are depicted with fangs, horns and claws. These Schiachperchten drive out evil spirits and people. An example of her wrath is quoted below: “Frau Holle soon became tired of this and dismissed her of her duties. This is just what the lazy girl wanted, for she thought that she would now get the rain of gold. Frau Holle led her too to the gate. She stood beneath it, but instead of gold, a large kettle full of pitch spilled over her. "That is the reward for your services," said Frau Holle, and closed the gate. Then the lazy girl returned home, entirely covered with pitch, and it would not come off as long as she lived. “ - Kinder- und Haus-Märchen: Gesammelt durch die Brüder Grimm On the other hand, she is also described as an immensely beautiful, shining and bright woman . She likewise inhabits the heavens and high places. She is responsible for the weather and thunder and lightning are often attributed to her. In this form she truly shows her power and motherly nature, totally encompassing her role as “Queen of heaven”. In this form she comes upon the dispossessed and incapable to render them aid and offer wisdom. She rewards the hard working, industrious and honest. This is best shown in the tale of Krumme Jakob, the second son of a local noble who was promised his rightful half of his inheritance, but then his brother deceives him and withholds it from him. Holle punishes the wicked brother and brings Jakob to her realm and teaches him farming and other crafts and later in life he becomes a wealthy farmer. What follows is a small excerpt of the story: “You are Crooked Jakob from the castle", she (Holle) said , "and I can and will help you, if you will give me your trust”.   Thereupon Jakob opened his heart, told Frau Hülle of his plight. Frau Hülle then spoke:    "Come with me, Jakob. In three years we will go to your brother. Perhaps by then he will come to his senses and finally give you your property."   She took Jakob with her to her small cottage, there he had to water her rosemary bushes, feed the cats and tend her flax fields.   In the winter, he had to cut staves for the wine farmers and barge poles for shippers.   In the spring he carried them into the valley to market. Frau Hülle took up her distaff like a cane, packed her yarn together in her shawl, and went with him.   When Jakob’s load got too heavy for his leg to bear, she took the wood with her thin arms, carrying it on top of her bundle as if it were straw. “ The other tale is Mother Holle and is recorded by the Grimm Brothers. I sweet and industrious girl is miss-treated by her stepmother and sister until the bright girl enters Holles realm through a well. Here the girl proves herself to Holle and Holle howers her in gold. Hulda the greatful, Hulda the powerful and loving, sinless and endless, the great mother , Queen of heaven. May she show us the way.

Die Alte im Hollenloch - by Iwobrand

Cistercian monk named Rudolf 'Summa fratris Rudolfi de confessionis discretione' in manuscript UB Breslau written between 1235 and 1250 says : “In order to be happy and successful in worldly matters, certain women indulge in god-hated fantasies: on Christmas night they set the table for the Queen of Heaven- whom the people call Frau Holle - so that she will help them."

The train of Frau Holle former ceiling painting in the town hall of Kassel, which was completely destroyed in 1943