Since pagan times, our ancestors feared and looked forward to this night most of all; they believed that on Walpurgis Night there is a rampant of evil spirits, devilry, and witches fly to a big Sabbath on Bald Mountain. Therefore, our ancestors used Walpurgis Night to drive out devils and cleanse the house of evil spirits and burned large bonfires.
The history of Walpurgis Night
There are several versions about the origin of the “unclean” night itself. The first, most controversial, is associated with a specific person - Saint Walpurgis - Walburgia of Heidenheim. She was born around 710 in the family of King Richard of West Saxony. At the age of 11 she entered a monastery. Then, as part of a group of missionaries, the nun of royal blood went to Germany. One day, the ship on which Walpurgis was sailing was caught in a storm. She threw herself on her knees and began to pray. The hurricane stopped and the sea calmed down. Thanks to this miracle, Walpurgis became the patroness of sailors.
Another miracle happened after her death in 777. She was buried in the abbey, which was later renovated and the saint’s grave was desecrated. Walburga's soul came to the abbot, and he ordered the remains of the deceased to be transferred to a cave in Eistadt. This happened on May 1st. Soon life-giving oil began to ooze from the rock. After this, Walpurgis was honored as a saint.
You may wonder what connected a holy woman with evil spirits? There are several interesting and at the same time suspicious facts. The day of her commemoration coincides with the celebration of a pre-Christian celebration dedicated to the arrival of spring. On the frescoes depicting the saint, there are strange symbols that are not characteristic of the image of a nun. She is depicted against a background of linden trees and mountains, as well as with a dog and a mirror. All these symbols speak of her connection with natural or pagan beliefs, rather than with Christian ones.
Pre-Christian celebrations of Walpurgis Night
The name of the Beltane holiday is known to few people in our time, but in the 8th century it was the most desired and long-awaited for the pagans. In many Gaelic dialects, the name of the holiday is translated as May, which means it’s time to drive the cattle out to summer pastures. On this day, the most important pagan deity, the Sun, descends from heaven to earth and it is necessary to make a sacrifice to him. This is done to ensure that the whole year is productive.
The burning of fires, which were lit in the highest places, was considered an obligatory ritual. Two huge fires on the mountain were surrounded by a deep ditch. It was intended for spectators. They took their place in the ditch and waited for the bonfire to be lit and the chants to begin. Three times all the people walked around the fire, drove herds of animals through it and brought torches into their houses to consecrate and illuminate the family hearth.
Traditions of Walpurgis Night
The ball is ruled here by Satan himself, who, in the form of a horned goat, sits in the place of honor in the center. Every witch is obliged to show her respect to the lord. They take turns approaching the dais and kissing the ruler. The most beautiful witch, who is the ringleader and is considered the queen of the meeting, enjoys special favor from Satan.
Having shown their respect to Satan while singing and dancing, everyone began to tell what they had done over the past year and what evil they had done. Here it is decided what the witches will do throughout the next year, and what meanness they will commit against the human race. Satan is a strict judge; he does not forgive those who disobey him and severely punishes them with blows of the whip. To begin the devil's meal, witches light torches.
The dishes on the table are unique. This is primarily horse meat, which is consumed without salt and bread. All drinks are served from animal horns, hooves and skulls. The sounds of a devilish orchestra consisting of cat tails and horse skulls are heard above the mountain. After a hearty meal and libations, the witches dance wildly around the fire. Their cavaliers, the demons, never stop jumping and spinning around like in a frying pan. Depraved and lustful orgies are also held here, in which everyone on the mountain participates.
When Walpurgis Night ends, according to legend, at the site of the Sabbath people see bare bones and hoof marks.
Walpurgis Night today
The traditions of our ancestors have found their response in our days. Many peoples of Central and Northern Europe continue to celebrate the holiday of spring and the blossoming of nature. Following ancient traditions, people burn huge bonfires. Thus, they disperse the witches gathered for the Sabbath and purify themselves by the power of fire. All day long, concerts with student performances, round dances and games take place in city squares. For more than a hundred years, celebrations on Walpurgis Night have been held according to this program.
On Walpurgis Night, Scandinavians, like other peoples, light bonfires and perform cleansing rituals. They burn all the garbage that has accumulated over the year. In honor of the holiday, a special dish is prepared - gravlax. It has no analogues: fresh fish - salmon - is pre-seasoned in salt with the addition of sugar and dill (this is what ancient people did on Walpurgis Night, only they buried it in the sand and ate it after lighting the fire).
This is a special holiday for Czechs. In this country there are many legends about this day and among people there is a fear of evil spirits. To prevent any witch from entering the house and harming people, a lot of sand and grass are poured onto the threshold. According to legend, before entering the room, they count everything that lies on the threshold. The more sand there is, the less likely it is that the witch will cope before dawn. Walpurgis Night is a busy time for Bavarians.
Prohibitions
It is believed that on this day you should not bring lilacs into the house, especially where there is a sick person. It is believed that lilac intoxicates the patient with its smell and calls him to another world. Caution must be observed in words and actions.
It is believed that commemoration of evil spirits, swear words, active gestures, irritability and aggression also make a person a toy in the hands of evil forces. You cannot wear clothes on this night that you wore during some conflict or event.
It is believed that such clothing retains negative energy and attracts spirits. You should also forget about black color.
Hello dear readers. According to legend, witches gather here every spring for a Sabbath in honor of Walpurgis Night, which is reflected in Goethe’s Faust. This is Mount Brocken. With its dark beauty it attracts thousands of tourists. Although in reality, it turned out to be not gloomy at all, with a picturesque ecological path through the forest and river, with blueberry meadows and clean air. The famous microbiologist Robert Koch was born at its foot.
Mount Brocken is located in Germany, Saxony-Anhalt, in the Harz National Park. The Harz is an important natural site. Is under the protection of UNESCO.
Map of the Harz National Park
It’s worth going here for at least a day to see the museum and the tower at the top, calmly go down the rocky path, through the forest and river. Enjoy a walk, go to the town of Shirke, where there are a lot of cafes and restaurants with traditional food, local beers and the famous Schirker Feuerstein schnapps (Shirk fire stone).
Monument to the local Schierker Feuerstain. The drink is infused with herbs. Strong.
Climate and unusual phenomena
Brocken is the highest point in the Harz - 1141.1 m.
This mountain also has other names: Blocksberg, Brokesberg or Brochelsberg.
The climate here is harsh. The mountain is shrouded in thick fog almost all year round; in winter the air temperature can drop to -28°C. These weather conditions are similar to the Icelandic climate with very short summers and long winters.
Moreover, here on the mountain there is a very interesting optical effect. A rainbow halo may appear around a person. This is the so-called Brocken spectrum, which was described by John Silberschlag.
Walpurgis Night
According to legend, witches flocked to Brocken to organize a Sabbath with sacrifices, summoning the Prince of Darkness and huge pillars of hellfire.
Gloomy forest
Quite gloomy pieces of forest can also be found on the ecological trail along which there is a descent to the town of Shirke.
Walpurgis Night is the main witches' Sabbath, as well as one of the most important pagan holidays dedicated to fertility. This is a holiday that every self-respecting witch must pay attention to.
The Germans love traditions, and besides, this is a reason to gather tourists, have fun and make money. So this night is loved here and celebrated every year.
Witches are everywhere - local color.
In fact, the holiday is an analogue of the American Halloween. People dressed up as all kinds of evil spirits climb to the top of a mountain called Hexenplatz. And there they have fun until they drop.
Well, it all ends with a large-scale fire show, which symbolizes the victory over evil spirits and the cleansing of the city’s surroundings from evil spirits.
Of course, even without Walpurgis Night there is something to see here. For example, visit a museum. And even fly on a broom. But we will not reveal all the secrets. Let this remain a little intrigue for you.
Historical facts
The mountain gained quite wide popularity in the 15th century. In subsequent centuries, a variety of people, communities and societies were interested in it.
The royal road along which kings and kaisers traveled ran through it. Unusual natural conditions and phenomena attracted researchers here.
Major changes on Mount Brocken
And now there are walking trails called the “Witches’ Road” leading to Hexentanzplatz (the dance floor on Hexen) and the road of the Kaiser and Kings.” Along the royal path there are platforms from which magnificent natural views open.
Saxony-Anhalt. View from Mount Brocken
Brocken attracted the attention of not only researchers, travelers have long been attracted to this place.
For example, Goethe came up here several times. Another German poet Heinrich Heine was also a big fan of this place.
Monument to the great German poet Heinrich Heine (Heinrich Heine)
In the 19th century, the Prussian general headquarters was located here. During the division of Germany, the country's government appreciated the advantageous location of the mountain. And here the base of the GDR Ministry of State Security or Stasi was built.
At the top of Mount Brocken
Soviet radio intelligence officers were also based on the mountain.
Now Brocken is a tourist destination with a hotel, TV tower, meteorological station, restaurants and a railway station.
Diesel locomotive and train in Brocken
The building, formerly owned by the Stasi, houses a museum. Its exhibition is dedicated to the nature of the Harz, the history of television of the GDR, as well as the border of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, which lay here.
The border between East and West Germany passed here.
At the top of the mountain there is wind, grass clinging to the ground and a lot of small stones, giving the impression that someone has thoroughly frolicked here.
There are many stones of different sizes on the mountain. Who scattered them?
At the highest point, at an altitude of 1141.1 m, stands the main stone.
Highest point of the mountain
And around it are slabs with the names of cities, indicating the direction in which the city is located and the distance from the stone to the city.
This is a friendly group. Either it’s warming up, or it’s casting a spell.
Cheerful group of tourists
Forest path on Shirk
From the top you can see the vast expanses of Saxony - forests, low mountains and walking trails.
Crossroads of walking trails on Mount Brocken
Start of descent from the mountain
It seems easy to get lost here.
Where will we go: to Ilsenburg or Schirke?
But it only seems so. At each turn, with German precision, detailed signs are placed with directions indicating the nearest settlements, trails, and what they are.
We chose the direction to Shirke, and went to the pretty town of Ilsenburg by car the next day.
Detailed indexes
We decided to go to Shirke. At first they walked together, the rest of the people from the mountain somehow unnoticeably dispersed along the paths. Then we went out onto the asphalt road. You can use it to get to Brocken by car.
Cars were rare, but people rested as best they could. Some walked light, some with backpacks, some with Nordic poles, some on bicycles.
Nordic walking. By the way, walking on asphalt is not very convenient. The track is so-so.
Cyclists have fun. It is especially pleasant to drive from the mountain.
There were also those who went to Shirke on a horse-drawn cart. The animals are similar to a special type of Saxon horse, which the first settlers of Saxony harnessed to their carts. Now the Germans are restoring the population of these traditional animals.
A Saxon cart carries tourists in Schierke.
After some time, a branch appeared to the right - onto the ecological trail.
A piece of the eco trail
Place to rest on the trail. There are benches, tables for snacks and restrooms.
Boardwalk and stones are the path leading down through the forest.
Also a piece of the eco trail.
There are a lot of children, families, especially dads, who tell and explain something to their children.
Dad took the children out into nature.
Everyone walking nearby or towards you says hello. At first we didn’t understand, we decided that the person had made a mistake, but fortunately we quickly guessed what was what. It is enough to smile and say “morgen”.
When the sun is shining, even the gloomy forest looks like a fairy-tale picture.
Along the way there are stands with descriptions of the tree species in the area and their age, and there is also information for children.
Stories for children are written on a white tablet.
From time to time we came across such posts with a raven. Inside are short stories for children.
And finally, near the river we found blueberry clearings. Apparently you can’t eat it, because... This is an ecological trail. But we couldn't resist.
Schierke
The descent took about an hour or an hour and a half. The road led to the small town of Shirke.
Stone bridge over the river and the road to Shirka.
The road goes along this small calm river.
There are ancient buildings and a church made of stone, and traditional half-timbered structures can be found here. Many restaurants and cafes with traditional food, local beer and schnapps.
Building with half-timbered elements
The house is made of stone, but there is also traditional decor.
ABOUT! And here is our cart from Brocken!
The pride of Saxony is Schierker Feuerstain schnapps. Strong and tasty.
There are many houses in Shirk with “for rent” signs. Tourists love these places. In summer you can walk through the forest and practice Nordic walking, and in winter you can ski on the slopes.
View of Shirke from the city church.
Modern houses. Quite a few apartments are available for rent.
I really liked the place. It was not for nothing that we noticed it on our first trip to Germany, but decided not to go to the Harz in winter. Left for the summer)
How much does the train to Brocken cost?
- A one-way ticket costs 25 euros. Round trip 38 euros.
- The price of a child ticket (from 6 to 11 years old) one way is 13 euros. Round trip - 19 euros.
No matter from which city you go to Mount Brocken (Wernigerode, Quedlinburg, Nordhausen), the ticket price will be the same.
You can also buy tickets on the company’s official website:
- one way - 24 euros
- round trip - 37 euros.
- children - 12 euros one way. 18.50 euros return.
But in this case you will need to pay a commission of 1.5 euros.
Budget and interesting option to Mount Brocken and back
You can choose our option:
- We bought a one-way ticket to Brocken Mountain for 25 euros.
- Back from the mountain we went down the ecological trail to Shirke (about 1.5-3 hours of walking). In Schierk we had lunch in a cozy restaurant, walked around the town and took bus number 257 to Wernigerode.
The bus runs every 30-40 minutes. Travel time is 20-25 minutes. The cost of a bus ticket is approximately 3-4 euros per person.
Bus number 325 still runs from Schirke.
You can get to Brocken by train from Wernigerode, Quedlinburg or Nordhausen. More on this later.
It's best to leave in the morning. Then the carriages are almost empty, which means you can calmly photograph the landscapes from the window.
The train, although it looks simple, is well thought out: there is a ramp for wheelchairs. People with limited mobility can also travel.
In addition, in the morning you will be able to see the mountain in the fog. Without it in all its glory - closer to evening.
If you want to avoid crowds of tourists, it is best to go here in late September - early October.
Another plus for morning travel is the ability to park your car in the parking lot next to the station. If you are traveling by car.
Another very important point! It's cold and windy on the mountain, we're freezing. Take a warm sweater and be sure to wear a windbreaker. You should also cover your ears.
The dream has come true - we are on Brocken.
How to get there
Easily accessible from Wernigerode. That's what we did. From Quedlinburg and Halberstadt. From Goslar to the mountain it is generally 18 km.
There are many direct non-stop flights to Brocken. You can go through Schierke. The entire journey by direct train from Wernigerode will take you 1 hour 40 minutes.
We took the train. This diesel locomotive is something of a legend.
The train route passes through picturesque places, right through the forest.
They love it; in Wernigerode there is even an observation deck near the depot. And someone is standing on it, admiring the steel horses.
Brocken on the map
Be cheerful and healthy) And we are ready to help you travel further. See you soon.
In Germany and the Scandinavian countries today after sunset, lovers of mysticism will begin to celebrate Walpurgis Night. Thousands of tourists and fans of witches, devils and sorcerers from different countries gather here for the traditional holiday of “evil spirits”, taking with them carnival costumes.
Walpurgis Night/Walpurgisnacht/ is a traditional spring festival and the most significant of the pagan fertility holidays. It was always celebrated on the night of April 30 to May 1 in most of Central and Northern Europe. This is how the ancient Germans and Scandinavians welcomed the blossoming spring.
The very name of "Walpurgis Night" is associated with the name of Saint Walpurga, the Wimburn nun who came from England to Germany in 748 to found a monastery. She was very popular and soon began to be revered as a saint. In Germany, Walpurga was considered the patroness of sailors, a healer who expels evil spirits. At the site of her grave, “healing holy oil” streamed myrrh in the rock, which helped people cast out demons. In the Roman list of saints, her day falls on May 1st.
In the Middle Ages there was a belief that Walpurgis Night was a time of feasting for witches in Germany and Scandinavia. People believed that witches sat astride brooms and flew to mountain peaks, where they spent time in wild feasts and dances.
Many now believe that the center of this exuberant festival is Mount Brocken in the Harz. Those gathered will celebrate the Witches' Sabbath by dressing up as evil spirits, jumping around bonfires, driving out evil spirits, and dancing around the magical "maypole."
Russians know Walpurgis Night from the children's fairy tale “The Little Witch,” where the main character tries to get to the main gathering of witches, but is expelled from there. If you believe the old legend, there really was no place for little ones at this holiday, because witches gathered in the Harz for orgies. Using a special ointment, the witches flew to Bloksberg, to Mount Brocken, on brooms, cats and goats, and there they honored their patron, the devil, who appeared to them in the form of a horned one. To strengthen and prolong the validity of their pact with evil spirits, the participants of the coven lined up and kissed the goat on the butt.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe poeticized the ancient beliefs about the witches' Sabbath in his immortal Faust:
On Brocken the witches are drawn in a row.
The oats have sprouted, the barley has not been harvested.
There is Urian, the prince of obscurantism
Shows off in the sky.
...A squad is flying through the air,
Goats and horsewomen stink...
It is no wonder that in the Middle Ages any healer who knew how to prepare ointments could easily be classified as a witch. Thus, the remnants of pagan beliefs perished at the hands of the Inquisition. However, judging by the modern festivities on Walpurgis Night, it becomes clear that the dark pages of European history attract many people.
The pre-Christian inhabitants of the Harz celebrated the onset of spring on April 30, as well as the wedding of Wotan (the German supreme deity), making numerous sacrifices. The first of May was considered the beginning of summer for them. On this day, they dressed up in costumes and, lighting a fire, drove out evil spirits. Then, in the process of Christianization, both the name of the holiday and its meaning changed. Now it combines pagan Germanic and Celtic traditions with Catholic ones. It is almost impossible to figure out where one begins and the other ends.
The holiday received its modern name from Saint Walpurgis. Walpurgis was a nun of the Order of Saint Benedict. She was born in 710 to St. Richard and Queen Wunna in England and later became abbess of the monastery of Heidenheim. Walpurgis was the holy protector against plague, cough, madness, and hunger. She was also considered the patroness of peasant women and young girls.
Walpurgis Night is celebrated with much noise to this day: tourists from all over Germany, dressed as devils and witches, gather on the highest mountain of the Harz Brocken. It all starts with dancing, then giant bonfires are lit. Fireworks displays are often held. Sometimes this day is also called the “Dance in May” (“Tanz in den Mai”). The combination of magic, pagan customs and eroticism attracts people of all ages. In many places where the holiday is celebrated, the election of the May Queen is also included in the program. By the way, the first impromptu witches’ festivities, where people dressed as witches and devils took part in a comic sabbath, took place back in 1896.
At the same time, many traditions are associated with fear of evil spirits and the desire to protect oneself from their rampage. Thus, in the old days, the courtyards of peasant houses were protected with the help of folded rods and brooms. Crosses and bunches of grass were fastened with nails on the doors of houses, brooms were placed with brushwood up, and bells were rung loudly at night. To protect livestock, blessed salt was poured onto the thresholds of barns.
Many ancient Walpurgis rituals are still found in peasant life. In many areas of Germany, on April 30, a witch fire (Das Hexenfeuer) is lit, which is used to drive out evil spirits. The tradition of passing between two fires has also been preserved, the flames of which are supposed to cleanse and protect against infections. Sometimes young people jump over the fire holding hands. On Walpurgis Night, according to tradition, young men place gift birch trees in the yard of their beloved ones. A huge tree, decorated with colored paper ribbons and symbolizing fertility, is erected in the middle of the village. Residents dance around him.
In Ireland and Scotland, Beltane is celebrated on Walpurgis Night, named after the god Belen. In the old Celtic calendar, it is the beginning of summer - just as Halloween is considered the beginning of winter. Here, too, bonfires are lit, and houses and gardens are decorated with flowers.
Walpurgis Night is not only an ancient pagan holiday dedicated to fertility, but also a day on which all sorts of evil spirits gather for the Sabbath. Otherworldly forces are an international concept, but domestic witches claim that the main meeting place is planned in Kyiv. The ancients believed that the earth was surrounded by a snake biting its own tail, and the place where it bit itself was located above one of the Bald Mountains of our city.
Since there are only officially four Bald Mountains in Kyiv, disputes continue among Ukrainian witches over where the gates to the other world open.
The most ancient
Where: at the beginning of Vladimirskaya Street, not far from Andreevsky Spusk.
One of the most ancient Bald Mountains is called Starokievskaya - now the National Museum of the History of Ukraine is located here (Vladimirskaya St., 2). According to legend, it was on its top that one of the founders of Kyiv, Kiy, stood. They also say that on this mountain, even before the Baptism of Rus', Prince Vladimir organized sacrifices, including human ones. Since that time, according to legend, evil spirits have settled on the top.
Even in ancient times, the Tithe Church was built on the mountain. But, despite the fact that the ground was consecrated, the building collapsed several times. And now only the ruins of the old temple can be seen there.
The most “unclean”
Where: Petro Sagaidachny and Khreshchatyk streets adjoin the mountain.
Back in the days when idolatry flourished in Rus', it was on Vladimir Hill that there stood a large wooden idol of the pagan god Perun, which Vladimir ordered to be thrown into the Dnieper in 988. Legends have survived to this day that it was in this idol that the devil sat. When the Russians threw the god into the river, the demon screamed so much that his screams could be heard for many years. They disappeared only when the St. Michael's Monastery was built on the hill. But during the Great Patriotic War the monastery was destroyed.
Now there is a funicular railway here.
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The bloodiest
Where: Andreevsky Descent.
Another cursed place in Kyiv is Castle Hill. In the 14th century, there was a wooden castle of a Polish magnate on it, near whose walls public executions of criminals were carried out and witches were burned. According to rumors, about one and a half thousand of them were burned at the fire near the castle walls.
In 1648, the castle itself was not spared an evil fate - it was burned to the ground by Bogdan Khmelnitsky, starting his campaign against Poland. Then, in 1854, the Frolovsky convent was built on it, and the mountain was named Frolovskaya. But he couldn’t resist either. Now there is only a wasteland there, and in a few thickets there are the remains of an ancient cemetery.
It is interesting that in ancient times this mountain was called Kievitsa. In some dictionaries, this name is a synonym for the word “witch”. Old-timers say that already in the 19th century, during construction work, a whole bunch of aspen stakes were dug up here - supposedly it was in this place that witches were buried in old times.
The most important
Where: Vydubychi, Saperno-Slobodskaya and Lysogorskaya streets, Stolichnoe highway lead to the mountain.
It is this mountain that is called Lysaya, or, as it is also called, Maiden Mountain. We are talking about the famous Shchekavitsa, where the Kiev prince Oleg was buried in 912. It was here that Bulgakov’s Margarita flew to the Sabbath after becoming a witch.
According to an ancient legend, the idol of Perun with a demon inside, thrown from the Vladimir Hill, sailed along the Dnieper and floated (“vidibal”) at the foot of this mountain. Hence the name of the area - Vydubychi. In the 19th century, the Lysogorsky fort was built here. But even then, evil spirits were in full control of her. An order was circulated among the officers serving there, which stated: when sending soldiers on guard, explain to them that all sorts of strange sounds are only the wind and the cries of birds, and there is nothing to be afraid of. Almost 100 years later, the fort turned into a prison and execution site for state criminals. It was here that the killer of the Prime Minister of Tsarist Russia, Pyotr Stolypin, Dmitry Bagrov, was executed. There are rumors that it was here that Himmler secretly came during the occupation years. The purpose of the visit is still unknown, but the Nazi police chief was a known admirer of the occult.
Bald Mountain has always been considered a place where witches, mermaids, devils, flyers and other evil spirits gather, share news, impressions, discuss plans for communication with mortals, and fly away at dawn with the rooster crowing.
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OPINION OF A HISTORIAN
Kiev expert Mikhail KALNITSKY:
Since ancient times, places associated with witchcraft and wizardry were called Bald Mountains. But it’s hard to say where the truth is and where it’s fiction. There are as many legends as there are people.
For example, where the Troyeshchina residential area is now located, there was another mountain. It was she who was once considered the most mystical. But since it was mostly made of sand, people destroyed it.
VERBATIM
In Ukraine, witches hold a sabbath three times a year: on Walpurgis Night, on Peter's Day (June 29) and on Midsummer (July 7). But the eve of May 1st is considered international witches day.
They are still arguing about which Bald Mountain is the main one in Kyiv. But it just so happened, due to the fact that the mountain on Vydubychi is put on the map, it is considered the main one. According to legends, it is here that witches flock, organize feasts and copulate with demons. I would not recommend going to Bald Mountain that night. Last year one of my readers went there and was killed there. I’m not saying that this is the work of evil spirits, it’s just that modern marginal elements perceive this day in their own way, and no one knows what to expect from them.
