Hexennacht

“There is a mountain very high and bare… whereon it is given out that witches hold their dance on Walpurgis night.” - Jacob Grimm, 1883

April 30th marks the annual festival of Walpurgisnacht or Walpurgis Night. Walpurgisnacht has its roots in an ancient continental European pagan festival celebrating the goddess Walburg, which was the old Teutonic name for the Earth Mother. It was later corrupted by the Christian Church into a festival dedicated to the mythical Saint Walburga. 

Walpurgisnacht is also known as Hexennacht, which translates as Witches’ Night. It’s a night of magic and witchcraft. In the tale of Faust, on April 30th, the protagonist travels to a gathering of witches and demons on Brocken Mountain. The classic view of Hexennacht as a night of dark magick is beautifully animated in Disney’s Fantasia.

 

In the past, I’ve referred to the April 30th festival as Walpurgisnacht. However, I’ve decided to start calling it by its alternative name, Hexennacht. The name Walpurgisnacht has been co-opted by Christians with an anti-pagan/ anti-magic bias. Whereas the name Hexennacht is fitting for a festival celebrating magick and witches.

Happy Hexennacht!