The night from April 30 to May 1 is known as Walpurgis Night. In Germanic folk beliefs, this date is considered the time of the annual gathering of witches, who meet at the foot of the high and remote Brocken Mountain to hold their Sabbath. This belief originated at the end of the eighth century.
© Shutterstock/FOTODOM
According to beliefs, on this night evil forces sought to disrupt the order of the arrival of spring, causing harm to people and livestock. On the eve of Walpurgis Night, rituals of expelling witches were held in villages: bonfires were lit, on which effigies of witches were sometimes burned, houses were walked around with torches, and church bells rang without interruption.
According to legends, medicinal herbs received special power on this night, so healers tried to collect them at this particular time.
Moreover, the name of this night is not associated with evil spirits at all, but with the date on which Catholics celebrate the memory of Saint Walpurgis, the sister of Saint Wilibald, who was canonized in 778.
Among the ancient Slavs, May 1 was considered the day of the beginning of summer. The pagans believed that on the night of May 1, the god of fertility Yarilo, dressed in white robes, blesses the earth. As for the witches, according to Russian beliefs, at this time they gathered on Bald Mountain.
On May 1, peasants began to sow buckwheat, plant radishes, carrots, onions, dill and parsley. At the same time, it was believed that a wish made during the sowing season would definitely come true.
Weather signs for May 1:
- You can hear the cuckoo – it will be warm.
- The bird cherry begins to bloom – it will get colder.
- The rowan tree has bloomed – to the warmth.
