Krampus, Witches, and the Wild Hunt: Alpine Traditions for the Dark Half of the Year

Step into the Alpine Regions of Austria for a complete introduction to the local traditions, beliefs, and folklore surrounding the dark half of the year. Within these pages you will come face-to-face with the ghostly procession of otherworldly beings called the Wild Hunt, the goddess Percht who slits open the bellies of the idle and lazy, as well as that most feared, infamous, and sensationalized figure of the Yuletide season: Krampus. Detailing over twenty authentic festivities, rituals, and divination methods rooted in the folklore and traditions that originated in the shadows of the Alps, this book is for everyone who is interested in the living traditions of Austrian paganism and folk-spirituality.May these traditions light your way through the dark half of the year.