Walpurgisnacht Brocken

In germany walpurgisnacht the night from 30 april to 1 may is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the brocken and await the arrival of spring.

Walpurgisnacht brocken. In sweden the ever present bonfires are lit and folk songs are sung. Walpurgis night in german folklore the night of 30 april may day s eve when witches meet on the brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods. To ward off evil and protect themselves and their livestock people would traditionally light fires on the hillsides 10 9 1 a tradition that continues in some regions today. Walpurgis night in german folklore the night of 30 april may day s eve when witches meet on the brocken mountain and hold revels with their gods. The origin of the festival can be traced back to an ancient pagan legend which says that the devil wotan married his beloved freya on the brocken on the night of april 30. Brocken spectres is the topic of polish poetic folk band na bani titled brocken from the album 20 lat z górą. In german folklore walpurgis night was believed to be the night of a witches meeting on the brocken the highest peak in the harz mountains a range of wooded hills in central germany.

The brocken became a synonym for blocksberg. German heavy metal band edguy mentions brocken and walpurgisnacht in their song angel rebellion from the album kingdom of madness. After goethe faust and mephisto had the witches walk to the brocken summit to dance with them walpurgis night in the harz became known nationwide. In germany walpurgisnacht the night from 30 april to 1 may is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the brocken and await the arrival of spring. This has continued to shift into modern walpurgisnacht which is still celebrated in a few germanic countries as kind of the other halloween in germany they like to dress in costumes such as a witch and play pranks on one another. Poster for a theatrical performance of goethe s play showing mephistopheles conjuring supernatural creatures on the german mountain the brocken or blocksberg which according to the tale is the scenery for the walpurgis night from 30 april to 1 may. Walpurgis night is so named as it takes place on the eve of the feast of saint walpurga who was an 8th century abbess.

From 1896 organized walpurgis night celebrations took place on the brocken plateau with celebrations in the brockenhotel and move to the teufelskanzel. Universal music deutschland recommended.