Walpurgis Night - the most significant of the pagan holidays dedicated to fertility, is celebrated at night from April 30 to May 1 (in the Slavic tradition, Zhivin's day). Since ancient times, this is the time of gaining strength and the fulfillment of desires; It is considered a very suitable time for all kinds of cleansing, as well as rituals for beauty and gaining love. It is believed that dreams that occur on Walpurgis Night are prophetic ...

The name of Walpurgis Night is associated with the name of Saint Walpurga, a Wimburn nun who came from England to Germany in 748 to found a monastery. Having earned a good name for herself by many deeds, she died revered as a saint. More than a century later, during the restoration of the temple, her grave was desecrated by workers, and at night the formidable shadow of the abbess appeared to the bishop, frightening him half to death. Soon - namely on May 1 - the remains of the nun were transported to Aystadt, laying in the void of one of the rocks. And healing oil began to flow from the rock, which helped from many diseases. Walpurgis was canonized, canonized as a saint. The appearance of the shadow of the late British woman gave rise to various gossip about her personality.

On May 1, the pagans celebrated the first spring holiday with special solemnity; on Zhivin's day, women perform a ritual dance with brooms around the fire, symbolically clearing the place of evil spirits. Everyone jumps over the fire, removing the glamours after the long winter. The whole coming day of the first grass is devoted to rest. On Zhivin day, ritual bonfires are made along the banks of the rivers in the evening and then they bathe, cleansing themselves with cold water. This festival gave roots to gossip about the Sabbaths. They were disbanded by people who could not immediately abandon pagan rites in favor of Christianity, and, despite a strict prohibition (under pain of the death penalty of that Inquisition), continued to gather in inaccessible places in order to properly, i.e. songs and dances, meet May 1. The setting (bonfires, wilderness) contributed to the spread among the people of stories about witches gathering that night in various inaccessible places.
Weaving together pagan and Christian motifs, they brought to light an amazing quintessence - the main holiday of evil spirits under the name of the righteous.

And here is the famous mountain Brocken in the Harz. The most elite evil hangs out there. Well, after Bald Mountain in Kyiv, of course :)

may day- the day that those of us who still found pioneer sincerely considered the day of exclusively working people ... And now even exactly I won’t say EXACTLY how it is called in our wonderful new states, but know for sure, What's on end of April - beginning of May from time immemorial BELTAIN– Celtic holiday of the beginning of summer

Beltane has its symbols. So, if the symbols of the Spring Equinox were young shoots and sprouts, for Beltane the obligatory symbols are flowers. During this period, everything blooms, the trees are covered with young greenery - nature reveals itself in all its glory. Therefore, Beltane was traditionally celebrated in the forest - under the shade of green trees…. (http://zagadochnoe-ostavi.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post.html)

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BUT April 30- BELTAIN Eve falls just on WALPURGIAN NIGHT…

It is believed that on the eve The 1 of May (as on the eve of November 1) open borders between worlds, and evil spirits of all stripes are gathering on mine holiday. That's why in the evening 30 April all over Europe bonfires were burning...

The German Walpurgisnacht -.Every year, on the night of May 1, thousands of European witches flocked to the peaks of the Brocken (and Blocksberg) in the Harz mountains (from Hart - “wooded mountains”, firs grow there) ....

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First official references to Walpurgis Night appeared in the protocols of the Inquisition in the Middle Ages.

Correct the place for the celebration of Walpurgis Night is naturally Bald Mountain - that is, a hill with a bare top. The classic Bald Mountain is, of course, the Brocken in Germany… In the German witchcraft doctrine of Walpurgis Night - the most significant of the pagan holidays dedicated to fertility, and one of the main covens celebrated by witches. Walpurgis Night is the same as Beltei, or May Eve, and is celebrated on the night of April 30 in commemoration of the blossoming spring.

Johannes Praetorius: Blockes-Berges Verrichtung 1668 from http://ru.wikipedia.org

In the Middle Ages, there was a belief that Walpurgis Night was the night of the feast of witches throughout Germany and Scandinavia. Witches mounted broomsticks and flew to the mountain peaks, where they spent time in wild feasts and dances with demons and the devil ...

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.. The most famous sites of large covens in Europe are the Brocken mountain in Germany and Bald Mountain near Kyiv.(This place is iconic for everyone Slavic witches) . By the way - Kyiv Lysaya (Castle) mountain d still kept her primeval view - that is, it completely lacks any signs of civilization including lighting fixtures. ….

"Our", (or rather Kyiv) Bald Mountain from the site http://www.wedma.fantasy-online.ru/wedma.travel/wedma.lysayagora.htm

They say that in other places (where there are no "bald mountains") the coven is usually arranged in a clearing on the shore of a reservoir, where a huge fire is bred… In addition, a mandatory accessory coven sites- a black stone slab-altar.

Just in case, remember that at part accidental eyewitnesses of Walpurgis Night is usually deplorable

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Rev. Walpurga. Sculpture from the monastery of St. Walpurgis in Eichstat. Germany. 11th century (?) from the site http://www.pravenc.ru/text/154029.html

And Saint Walpurga - real historical figure- a noble British woman who lived already in the 8th century AD ... She is considered patroness of sailors- because once in a storm, having turned to the Lord, she “pacified” the sea ... Subsequently, Walburga became the abbess of a monastery in Heidenheim, a town in Bavaria near Eishtadt, and after the death of her brother, St. even led the men's monastery. Her virtues and numerous miracles brought her fame. Walburga died on February 25 777 G….

More than 100 years have passed... The new bishop of Aystadt decides to restore the monastery and the church. In the process, the workers defiled the grave of the abbess, and then something happened that was not listed as a saint - at night, her formidable shadow appeared to the bishop, frightening him half to death.

The 1 of May- the remains of the nun were transported to Aystadt, laying one of the rocks in the void. And healing oil began to flow from the rock, which helped from many diseases. Walburga was canonized, canonized as a saint. In the Roman list of saints, her day is - The 1 of May.

The appearance of the shadow of the late British woman gave rise to various gossip about her personality and... After that and intertwined pagan and Christian motifs and holiday evil spirits named Saint...

Because if you look closely at the ancient frescoes in the many churches named after Walpurga ...

The crown at the feet of the saint indicates her royal origin, this is understandable. The staff is a sign that Walburga was the founder of the monastery….

But there is also other symbols. Often Walburga is depicted in the background old lindens and hills. lindens- sacred trees of the pagan goddess of fertility Friggi. The mountains, (especially lonely) - dwellings Holdy, as well as outposts world of the dead….

Also, a dog was often depicted next to Walburga. There is no mention of dogs in the biography of the saint No. But among German and Scandinavian pagan goddesses (Friggi, Dutch Nehalennia) - this is the most common "helper". In Goethe, Mephistopheles appears for the first time to Faust in the guise of a black poodle ... In addition, the image of a dog is associated with fertility and health. To have a good harvest, the ancient Germans "fed" the mysterious wind dog, windhound.

And also triangular mirror in the hands of a nun on some frescoes... There is a legend that at the end of April, in the forests, the peasants saw a girl running away from the hunters with a mirror in her hand, which showed the future.
Hunters - winter the runaway girl Spring…. P direct connection with pagan legends, and no relation to Christian saints….

So, once again, pagan and Christian patterns are intertwined into one canvas….

(http://www.wedma.fantasy-online.ru/wedma.prazdniki/wedma.valpurgis.htm)

And also walpurga(English Walpurga) is a small dark asteroid the main belt, discovered on April 3, 1886 by the Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at the Vienna Observatory. Named (of course) in honor of the same Saint Walpurga ... (Wikipedia)

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Of the widely publicized data on this topic, there is the following “Walpurgis Night, or, in the Slavic tradition, Zhivin - the day is the annual holiday of witches.

Witches gather that night around their master, Satan, on the high, inaccessible Mount Broken (she is the one in the picture), where they celebrate their "sabbath".

In fact, Walpurgis Night, celebrated on the night of April 30 to May 1, is an ancient pagan fertility festival, and horror stories about witches are far-fetched.

Where did the tradition of the holiday come from and how was it celebrated?
In pagan tradition, there were eight holidays, dividing the year into eight approximately equal parts. In addition to the winter and summer solstices, three more are known:

The day of the meeting of winter with spring - Imbaelk, or Groundhog Day - in the Scandinavian tradition, in Russia is celebrated as Candlemas. He managed to avoid notoriety.
Samhain, Halloween (November 31), or All Saints' Day in the Christian tradition marked the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic new year, but just like Walpurgis Night, it was overgrown with a bunch of horror stories.
Walpurgis Night, or Beltane (April 30), the end of winter, for example, for the Celts marked the onset of the summer period of time - the “big sun”. It was believed that on both these holidays the gates to another world, the country of elves, etc. were wide open, perhaps that is why they scare us with them.
How was it celebrated and how do you and I celebrate it?
Walpurgis Night, or Zhivin's Day, is considered a very suitable time for all kinds of cleansing, as well as rituals for beauty and gaining love. It is believed that dreams that occur on Walpurgis Night are prophetic.

Walpurgis Night, Beltane or, or Zhivin's day is a time of gaining strength and fulfilling desires.

Walpurgis Night is a pagan holiday dedicated to the gods who give the earth the most important thing - fertility. On this day, our ancestors appeased the gods and asked them for a good harvest and healthy offspring.

The goddess of fertility and birth is alive - the giver of the Life Force of the Family, making all living things actually alive. In addition, it is known that the word "life" used to sound like "stomach" and meant: body, existence and property.

Under Christianity, the cult of the goddess Zhiva was replaced by the cult of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, who, in terms of her functions and attributes, strongly resembles another pagan goddess - the goddess of fate Makosh, or the Scandinavian goddesses of fate Norn.

It is curious that Muslims also have a holiday from April 30 to May 1 - Laylat al-Qadr - the night of shaping destinies. Agree a funny coincidence again fate. On this day, at sunrise, Muslims make a bright wish into the air, turning to the Higher Forces, and no one bothers us to do this.

male power
Beltane, like all holidays in honor of the beginning of summer, in any tradition is dedicated to the sun and fertility, and therefore to male power. This is reminiscent, for example, of the phallic symbol that has come down to our times - the May pole. The tradition of dancing on May 1 around a pole decorated with flowers and ribbons was preserved by the inhabitants of Britain and Ireland. You and I, living in the constant stress of big cities, economic crises and other phenomena of our time, this tradition is most welcome. Turn on the TV, and 30 percent of all advertising will be on the topic of "fighting impotence", "erectile dysfunction" and other manifestations of male impotence.
Alas, this is really a big problem of our time and how to eat pills, maybe it’s on May skewers, stick a stick with the Zenith flag into the ground, or somehow mark the “May pole” and dance around it ?. Note that earlier this holiday was not tied to a clear date, but was tied to the end of the flowering of the hawthorn, which means for you and me that you can dance not only on the night of the first of May. And on any May Day weekend, when you are going out of town.

Bonfires of Beltane
Another symbol of Walpurgis Night was the bonfires, between which they themselves ran, drove away cattle in order to get rid of winter ailments. It will also be beneficial for you and me to walk between the two fires, and it’s not at all difficult to organize it, many just these days burn winter garbage in their summer cottages, or go to the forest for barbecue.

A good start
You can not ignore the sexual side of this festival. Yes, in the pagan tradition, fertility holidays were necessarily accompanied by ritual copulations, under various sauces and masks.

According to legend, the reborn God reaches maturity, and at this time he and the Goddess indulge in sensual love, which should initiate a new life. At this time, the body receives a new charge of energy, we feel our vital juices fermenting, all five of our senses are sharpened. There is something very fertile and natural about it, and if you do not miss this night and have sex with your loved one, there will be no harm, and the benefits for your relationship and your common affairs can be enormous.

ward off trouble
Also on this day, sand or grass was poured in front of the threshold of the house, so that no evil spirits could enter the house until it counted all the blades of grass, or grains of sand. Note that this is also a very useful thing. For example, the author of the article has a house in the village, which is accompanied by nature and weather, hunting and fishing, a clean, pretty residential village and two drunks in the whole village, from whom there is no peace. What prevents you from pouring sand and a gate so that they cannot enter, or from mosquitoes so that they fly in until they are counted? Either “sellers of happiness” tortured you in the office, or something else, or someone - it’s up to you to protect yourself from unwanted visits.

Morning dew - beauty all year round
From fairy tales and folk beliefs, the miraculous power of morning dew is known to restore youth and beauty and has many magical properties. That she is magical is known, but! It is not necessary to collect it and wash it every day - the morning of May 1 is one of those days.

In the evening, put the dew bowl outside, if you forget to do this in the evening, you can collect the dew with your hands directly from the grass in the morning. At sunrise, wash yourself with morning dew, saying the words of the spell:

"Blessed dew, help my face not to grow old,
Wash away the wrinkles from my forehead, smooth my skin,
Erase the wrinkles around the eyes, Give me beauty and purity.
Hear my words, make my wish come true
From Beltane to Beltane, extend my spell."

The spell is valid for a year, until the next Beltane, aka Walpurgis Night.

Money ritual of Walpurgis Night and Beltane:
You will need: 1 golden candle, 6 green candles, 9 white candles, pine oil, salt (you can use Thursday).

Prepare everything in advance. Lubricate all candles with pine oil. Place a golden candle in the center of the table, around it in a circle green candles, and surround the green ones with white ones. At the first minute after midnight, pour a circle of salt around the white candles and light the golden candle first, then the green candles clockwise, then light the white candles clockwise. Go around the table (altar) three times, singing three times:

Three times Jupiter will go around the sun, it will bring me money.

Sit quietly for a few minutes and imagine your monetary needs. Then the candles can be extinguished in the reverse order of ignition.

Walpurgis Night is one of the most mysterious and controversial holidays of the pre-Christian era. Many associate it with the revelry of witches, covens and dances around the fire.

history of the holiday

The history of Walpurgis Night is rooted in the pagan holiday of spring and fertility and falls on the night of April 30 to May 1. For the inhabitants of Central and Northern Europe, the holiday symbolizes the blossoming spring. The Celtic peoples on May 1 had a similar holiday - Beltane - the day of summer and love.

Translated from Finnish, German and French, Walpurgis Night means - the night of the witches, the Czechs call the night from April 30 to May 1 the Witch's fire. It is believed that on this night, the villagers performed a magical ceremony to exorcise the witches. People kindled bonfires, on which a straw effigy of a witch was burned, rang church bells and made a detour around the dwelling with torches to ward off evil spirits.

It was also believed that the healing herbs collected on this night acquire magical powers. In part, this pagan holiday of spring echoes the rites and rituals of other peoples. So, on Ivan Kupala - a folk holiday of the Eastern Slavs, dedicated to the summer solstice and the highest flowering of nature - it was customary to collect plants that, according to popular beliefs, acquired miraculous powers and served as amulets against evil spirits. The Slavs also believed that on this day all evil spirits come to earth in the form of witches, sorcerers and mermaids, the dead come to life.

The belief about the dances of evil spirits on Walpurgis Night developed at the end of the 8th century, around the time when legends about witches and sorceresses appeared. After the adoption of Christianity, not all pagans could and wanted to adapt to new traditions. Of course, everything that was contrary to religion was prohibited. Historians note that old women and all those who could not abandon the traditional pagan rites on which their ancestors brought them up continued to secretly gather in the desert and celebrated the onset of May 1, the holiday of spring, on a grand scale. Perhaps it was at that time that the pagans, who wanted to scare off the curious, began to compose legends that grew into stories about witches. One such campfire gathering was mentioned by John Kohler in 1603.

On Walpurgis Night, feasts were traditionally held, at which salted salmon was the main dish. Raw fish was covered with salt and buried in the sand at the high tide line. They started eating only after all the fires were kindled. It was believed that until the fire burns, demons can spoil food.

According to another legend, which is considered to be erroneous, the name "Walpurgis Night" was given to the holiday in honor of Saint Walburga (Walpurgis) of Heidenheim- English Benedictine and abbess of the monastery in Heidenheim. She was canonized on May 1, 778.

Walpurgis Night in Russia and in Russia

The celebration of Walpurgis Night in Russia is not so common. The Russian belief about the flight of witches to Bald Mountain is very similar to the German legend, according to which sorceresses, werewolves and the souls of the dead gather around the fire.

The Russian folklore collector Alexander Afanasiev wrote in his works “Poetic Views of the Slavs on Nature”: “Each witch comes to the festival together with her lover-devil. The lord of demonic forces himself - Satan, in the form of a goat with a black human face, importantly and solemnly sits on a high chair or on a large stone table in the middle of the meeting. After the report to Satan, a feast begins, accompanied by dancing and loud music. Instead of a bagpipe or violin, the musician plays on a horse's head, and uses a cat's tail as a bow.

In modern Russia, rich in its own traditions and pagan and semi-Christian holidays, Walpurgis Night is not as popular as Ivan Kupala or the same Halloween.

In Russia, on the night of May 1, it is customary to burn garbage that has accumulated over the winter. However, no one bothers you to turn to the goddess of fertility and ask for a harvest, especially for avid summer residents. The tradition of collecting medicinal herbs has passed from the Middle Ages and into our modern world. Herbs can still be used for medicinal purposes and, of course, for divination. From ancient times, the custom has come down to us to make a wish and write it down on a piece of paper or ribbon, which was then decorated with a May pole. The whole structure was subsequently burned so that the desire flew away to the gods. Now, instead of the May pole, ribbons are simply hung on a tree.

How is it celebrated in Germany?

The descendants of the Celts and Germans, on whose lands Walpurgis Night was born, still celebrate spring day on a grand scale. From the traditional farewell to winter, the celebration turned into a real Witch's fire. On the streets of cities and villages, you can meet witches and other evil spirits dressed up in costumes. People are having fun, dancing and singing. However, bonfires are still held in high regard by the inhabitants of Germany, because people still believe that fire drives out evil spirits to this day. The capital of Walpurgis Night in Germany is the town of Thale, where the largest costume festival with a performance is held.

How is it celebrated in Sweden?

In the interpretation of the Swedes, Walpurgis Night is a traditional spring festival, and not a rite to scare away demons and witches. People put on their best clothes and walk, dance and sing all night long.

However, the tradition with bonfires has taken root here as well. The bigger the fire, the better. In Sweden, they believe that bonfires protect cities from trouble and disease. In Stockholm, Walpurgis Night is reproduced in the original, with all the traditions and customs, as pagan ancestors celebrated.

Walpurgis Night and Easter

In Russia this year, Walpurgis Night coincides with Easter and May Day.

The last time these dates intersected was in 1921 and, according to historians, that year was hungry for Russia.

In general, bonfires, witches, and sabbats should not be given much importance. The holiday should give joy to any person, regardless of what he believes in and what religion he professes. More smiles and fewer negative thoughts in your head, and spring will sparkle around you with new colors.

Congratulations on Walpurgis Night

On Walpurgis Night

Not averse to flying on a broomstick

Any witch. My friend,

Stay away from such friends.

Harvest is born

This night, you know it

Ask for fertility

And bring gifts to the gods.

Meet the holiday cheerfully

Congratulations to everyone today

Enjoy life, and I

Congratulations, friend, you!

The night is not easy

Troubles all go away.

'Cause today is coming

Witches Walpurgis Night.

Full of mysticism and mystery

This holiday is not easy.

Let all the experiences

They will go away on their own.

Let this holiday be unusual

You will be given happiness, peace.

To keep up appearances

It is necessary to celebrate a glorious feast.

After all, while the witches are flying there

Breaking the moonlight

We wish you good luck

Happiness, joy, victories.

Witches in the Broken Mountains

Will gather at this hour.

Well, we are with you, friend,

What are we thinking now?

Let me congratulate you

With this magical night,

I wish not to meet

With pain, grief and longing!

Each witch comes to the feast with her devil lover. The lord of demonic forces himself - Satan, in the form of a goat with a black human face, solemnly and solemnly sits on a high chair or on a large stone table in the middle of the meeting. All those present at the meeting declare their obedience to him by kneeling and kissing. Satan particularly favors one witch, who plays the leading role in the circle of sorceresses and who is easily recognizable as their queen (hexenkönigin). Flocking from different countries and regions, unclean spirits and witches report that they have done evil, and conspire to new intrigues; when Satan is displeased with someone's tricks, he punishes the guilty with blows. Then, by the light of torches kindled from a flame that burns between the horns of a large goat, they start a feast: they greedily devour horse meat and other dishes, without bread and salt, and drink prepared drinks from cow hooves and horse skulls. At the end of the meal, a frantic dance begins, to the sounds of unusual music. The musician is sitting on a tree; instead of a bagpipe or violin, he holds a horse's head, and either a simple stick or a cat's tail serves as a pipe or bow. Witches, grabbing hands with demons, with wild joy and shameless gestures, jump, spin and lead round dances. The next morning, in the places of their dances, circles are visible on the grass, as if trodden by cow and goat feet.

- Afanasiev A. N. Poetic views of the Slavs on nature

This belief, also reflected by Goethe in the tragedy Faust, developed around the end of the 8th century, probably in the same way as the belief in sorcerers and witches in general arose and spread: since May 1 was celebrated with special solemnity by pagans, then old women and in general, all those who could not immediately abandon pagan rites in favor of Christianity, despite a strict ban, continued to gather in inaccessible places in order to meet May 1 in a proper way, that is, with songs and dances. The setting (bonfires, wilderness), and perhaps the rumors deliberately spread by these secret pagans (in order to get rid of unnecessary witnesses), contributed to the spread among the people of stories about witches gathering that night in various inaccessible places. John Kohler mentions these celebrations in 1603, later in the same XVII century, but already in the second half, there is a mention by Johann Praetorius.

According to beliefs, the same gatherings of witches take place on Christmas nights, on the eve of Great Lent (Germ. fastnacht), on Bright Week, on spring Yuryev's day (among the Eastern Slavs), May 1 (among the Germans), and on Ivanov's night.

Traditions among European peoples

Among the Italians, on the last evening of April or May 1, companies of village boys go from house to house. They carry a green branch (Italian majo, maggio) adorned with colored ribbons and fresh flowers, sing a song announcing the coming of spring, and ask for offerings. Here and there, on one of the evenings in May, the guys put a green branch at the entrance to the house of their sweetheart. This is in the form of a proposal. If the girl agrees to marry him, she takes this branch into the house. Otherwise, throw it on the road. In Sicily, everyone from young to old goes to the meadows on May 1st. There they pick flowers (yellow daisies) and make bouquets, wreaths and garlands out of them. Then they go to the chapels, where they express their cherished desires. The Sicilians believe that these daisies are supposed to bring happiness and health.

Among Slovaks and Czechs, on the night before the first of May, young men put up trees - “May” (Slovak maj). This is a tall coniferous tree (fir or spruce), peeled from the bark, with a crown left at the top. The top of the tree is decorated with multi-colored ribbons, scarves, rolls. A wide wreath of spring flowers is hung below the crown. In each village, several such trees are placed, the tallest of them is on the main village square. In addition, each young man places a tree (usually a birch) in front of his girlfriend's house. Under May, the first youth "music" in the open air was arranged on the main square. Guys with a small tree went from house to house with carols and invited girls to dance. For this invitation, the girls had to give presents to the boys.

Among the Lusatians, on the first of May, the custom of establishing a May tree and beliefs associated with belief in witches is dated. On the eve of May 1, the young men cut down a tall pine or spruce in the forest, brought it to the village at night, cleaned the trunk, leaving the top green, and then decorated it with a wreath, colored ribbons, a wooden cross, and set it up in the central square before sunrise. In the morning, under this tree, a celebration was held with dancing. Lusatians believed that on May 1, witches flock to their Sabbath and at this time they are especially dangerous. Various measures were used for protection: they painted crosses on the doors, put a broom on the threshold, hung green branches, hit metal with stones, fumigated the barn; tried not to leave milk and household utensils outside the house. There was a custom to "burn witches" ( khodojty palic): guys with burning brooms in their hands ran into the field, threw brooms into the air.

Among the Croats and Slovenes in some areas on the eve of May 1, ritual processions of children and youth were organized. Festively dressed groups of children and girls went around the houses with good wishes and received gifts for this.

Images in culture

In literature

• "Dream on Walpurgis Night" in "Faust" by W. Goethe.
• Scenes in the novel "The Master and Margarita" by M. Bulgakov.
• The novel "Walpurgis Night" by Gustav Meyrink.
• The events of H. F. Lovecraft's story "Dreams in the Witch's House" take place shortly before Walpurgis Night and are directly related to it.
• Assassination attempts on Merlin, the hero of the Chronicle Amber (Merlin's Pentateuch), systematically take place before Walpurgis Night.
• In the book "Little Baba Yaga" by the writer Otfried Preusler, Walpurgis Night is mentioned throughout the book. The little witch is not allowed to attend the Walpurgis Night celebration, as she has not yet grown up “for dancing”.
• A play in five acts "Walpurgis Night, or the Commander's Steps"

The night from April 30 to May 1 is considered mystical. For different peoples of the world, this night is associated with the holiday of witches and all evil spirits. In the Slavic tradition, this night is called Zhivina night or Velesova. Europeans call it Walpurgis Night.

It is believed that witches flock to the Sabbath on Walpurgis Night. There was a belief that witches sat on broomsticks and flocked to the mountain, where they spent their time in dancing, fun and violent debauchery.

Beliefs and legends

The holiday got its name in honor of Saint Walpurgis, who, being a nun, performed many miracles. After her death, the nun was canonized as a saint. She was depicted on icons with a dog, which symbolized a guide to the world of the dead, and with a triangular mirror capable of showing the future.

It was believed that on Walpurgis Night you can see your future and call on higher powers for help, making contact with the afterlife. It should be noted that the night from April 30 to May 1 is really special. At least that's what astrologers say. The combination of Mercury and Venus in Aries establishes a strong connection with the past, which is activated with the help of Pluto, the patron of the dead. It turns out that on this night the doors to another world are really open and you can establish contact with the souls of the dead.

Today, Walpurgis Night has become a holiday that is entertaining. It is especially actively celebrated in European countries. On this day, bonfires are lit to welcome spring and carnival processions and games are held to ward off evil spirits. However, people still believe in signs and beliefs associated with this holiday.

Born on Walpurgis Night - who are they?

There is a belief that women born on Walpurgis Night, from April 30 to May 1, are not like the rest. These are other, completely different from most women, persons. In other words - witches. Not everyone is aware of their strengths and abilities. But, according to popular belief, all women born on May 30 and 1 (not necessarily at night) have unusual talents.

For the most part, they love animals and nature more than people. They often have a bad temper. As a rule, their unusualness is noticed at an early age. Sometimes relationships with peers do not develop in the best way if the child does not control his magical abilities. Also, people born on this holiday are endowed with a sharp mind, insight and a special perception of reality.

Rituals on Walpurgis Night

On the night of April 30 to May 1, you can get rid of a bad life and attract joy, happiness and good luck. To do this, light a candle in a dark room, write on a piece of paper what worries and torments you, what you would like to get rid of, and burn the sheet with the words: “It burns with a blue flame.” The candle must burn to the end.

In order to attract something bright, good and kind into your life, pour sand or grass in front of the front door at night. It is believed that in this case, the evil spirits will not enter your house and no witch will spread her negativity on you, since first she will need to count all the blades of grass or grains of sand.

And remember that on the night of April 30 to May 1, you have prophetic dreams that can show you the future or help you find a solution to a problem that torments you. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

29.04.2015 09:32

In Europe, in the Middle Ages, a mole on a body could be burned at the stake. That's because unusual skin changes were considered...

Holy Walpurgis. Source: Public Domain

On the night of April 30 to May 1, Walpurgis Night is celebrated in many countries of Western Europe. In today's understanding, this is a holiday of the final arrival of spring.

Why is Walpurgis Night so called?

The tradition of celebrating the final arrival of spring has its roots in pagan times. It was believed that on the night of May 1, all the souls of the dead come out to people, and the witches sit on broomsticks and flock to the Sabbath to spend time dancing and having fun. In many villages on this day, a ceremony was held to exorcise the evil spirits of winter and their servants: bonfires were kindled, on which effigies of all evil spirits were burned.

Coven. Walpurgis Night. Source: Public Domain

This holiday remained with the advent of Christianity, however, it received a new name and content. In 748, from England to the territory of modern Germany came Christian nun Walpurgis, who soon gained fame as a healer. 100 years after her death, while restoring the monastery she founded, the workers desecrated the nun's grave. According to legend, at night her formidable shadow appeared to the bishop. After that, the remains of the nun, it was decided to transport.

The relics were laid in a gap in one of the rocks, from which healing oil soon began to flow, which helped with many diseases. After that, the Catholic Church decided to canonize Walpurgis and canonize her as a saint. The remains of the nun were taken to different cities in Germany, and the day of remembrance of the saint began to be celebrated on May 1.

Over time, the Germans and other residents of Western Europe experienced a kind of mixture of two holidays, on the same day they began to celebrate the final arrival of spring and commemorate St. Walpurgis.

How is Walpurgis Night celebrated?

Following ancient traditions, people make huge bonfires to purify themselves from the evil spirits of winter with the power of fire. Concerts, round dances and games are held on the squares of the cities all day long. Walpurgis Night is accompanied by explosions of firecrackers and fireworks.

Bonfire on Walpurgis Night.