Blue socks for winter
During the December time, we are eager to reach for Christmas socks. Santa Claus, reindeer and snowmen perfectly set the Christmas mood. However, winter belongs not only to crazy patterns, but also to subdued white and cool blue. It is these colors that bring to mind snow, frost and a mountainous landscape, among other things. That's why today we're betting on white socks and blue socks, and with them the story of a somewhat forgotten heroine of Christmas folklore. Most likely, Frau Berchta is derived from the Norse Frigg, after whom Friday (Freitag) was named. According to myths, Frigg was Odin's wife and Thor's stepmother. Among other things, the goddess was responsible for taking care of marriages, the family and the domestic hearth. In addition, she was regarded as the goddess of rain. In the pages of mythology, we read that Frigg, together with her companions, weaved clouds, which she then placed in the sky. As such, she ruled over the weather. One should not mess with this goddess, as depending on her mood she could send a gale on people or provide them with a beautiful cloudless sky.
Alpine goddess
Particularly in alpine areas, Frigg was often identified with Frau Berchta, also known as Spinnstubenfrau. Like her prototype, Frau Berchta also toiled in weaving. The goddess was said to reside in the Alps, and it depended on her goodwill whether weary travelers would reach their homes or be caught in a sudden storm. Berchta was depicted as a woman with two faces. When she was kind, she delighted with her unusual beauty. Mostly she had bright eyes the color of ice and a dress woven from feathers. Berchta's second face was closer to that of a fairy-tale witch, whom no one would want to meet on their path. Like Frigg, she not only wielded the weather, but was also the protector of families and the home hearth. In winter, Alpine villagers celebrated Raunächte. This was the time falling between Christmas and Epiphany. It was believed that during the twelve nights the worlds of humans and the dead were merged. It was at this time that Frau Berchta visited homes and checked how the residents were doing. The goddess rewarded those who had their homes in order, while she sent unpleasant ailments, such as nightmares, upon the others.
