Berchta

Berchta, who traveled the earth With elves and fairies and With the ghosts of tiny children (in Christian times, Berchta served in the world of humble folk She cherished the souls of infants who had died unbaptized and so forfeited the protection of the Church) The goddess rode over farm and cottage, examine the barns for cleanliness, judging the distaffs and spindles of the housewives Hearths were swept clean for her Inspection Houses were adorned with evergreens. Pancakes were left out for her to and Cakes were baked in the shape of slippers that could be filled With small presents the goddess left behind If she was not fed or If the households untidy and unthrifty, Berchta sent plagues and mutilations, if people spied her activities, she blinded them But goddess had a gentler side according to a tale told in the Tyrol, showed great generosity towards a farmer who, against all Wisdom ventured outdoors on Epiphany Eve with his lantern in his hand, he walked through his own stable yard that night. He had drunk deep of Yule ale, and the cold air refreshed him. He stopped in his tracks however, when he heard the sound of high voice singing and calling. White figures moved among the stars Berchta was aloft. Swiftly she descended, alighting her train of infant ghosts The Company flitted through the farmer's barn and across the stable yard, Berchta swept past the farmer, apparently unseeing, and he shivered as the cold mist Of her robe brushed his arm. Little figures tumbled after her like so many chicks, chattering in light voices, but one of them lagged behind, a toddler in a long nightshirt that clung to his feet and upset his uncertain balance so that, every few steps, he fell clumsily onto the cold earth. The farmer, a father himself, acted with rough kindness. He picked up the little ghost and held him steady with one hand, while with the other he bound his own garter around the belly to serve as a belt that would hold up the nightshirt, Then he set the creature on his feet and gave a little push to send him in the goddess's direction Berchta stood on the farmer's threshold observing She smiled when the ghost reached her, and her old eyes were gay. “A kind man," she said. "My blessings on your own children, “They shall never want” And so it was farmers children enjoyed long lives, and good ones. Such simple tales were told of Berchta when her ancient powers had been weakened by new beliefs, but once she had.