Witchy Wednesday, Christmas Witches!

 

Christmas folklore includes several witch figures, most notably the Italian witch La Befana, who delivers gifts on Epiphany Eve, and the terrifying Frau Perchta in Alpine regions, who punishes those who were lazy. Other traditions involve scaring off witches by hiding brooms in Norway, sprinkling homes with water in Slovakia, and the use of "witch balls" to ward them off. 

La Befana (Italy): A kindly, though fearsome-looking, witch who flies on her broom to deliver gifts to children on the night of January 5th. Good children receive sweets, while bad ones get coal, onions, or garlic.

Dettaglio da "La Befana", incisione di Bartolomeo Pinelli (1821)
Detail from "La Befana", engraving by Bartolomeo Pinelli (1821)

Frau Perchta (Alpine regions): A figure who roams the countryside during the twelve days of Christmas. She rewards hard-working families with a small silver coin but punishes the lazy by slitting their bellies open and stuffing them with straw. 

Frau Perchta.

Here are some fab videos I found on YouTube that explain about Wintertime Witch folklore. 

Witch Balls. 

Witch balls are hollow, reflective glass spheres used in folklore, primarily since the 17th and 18th centuries in England and New England, as protective charms to ward off evil spirits and negative energy. They were traditionally hung in windows or doorways.

Image and description from https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMARBK_The_Witch_Ball_Thame_Oxon
The sign still hangs although the pub is no longer a pub now a trendy Shop in Thame.

You can find this Boutique in the beautiful market town of Thame in Oxfordshire. It is situated on the Cornmarket and outside hangs a Witch Ball, a beautiful and intricate ornate wrought iron sign dating from many years ago when the building was a public house.
There are many legends surrounding the Witch Ball, but the one that intrigues us the most is that the beauty of the Witch Ball attracts negative spirits thought to be threatening a home's tranquility. The spirit is drawn to the ball and touches it, the Witch Ball absorbs and traps the spirit's energy within the webbed strands of glass inside the orb, preventing the spirit from affecting its surroundings.
Sir John Holt, (1642-1710) was born in Thame, and much discussion now regarding his life centres on the pivotal role he played in bringing a century of witch trials.

The primary purpose of a witch ball is as an apotropaic object, meaning it is believed to have the power to avert evil influences or bad luck. Several theories exist about how they work: 

Trapping Spirits: It was believed that evil spirits or a witch's spells would be mesmerized by the ball's bright colors and reflective surface. Upon touching the sphere, the spirit would be absorbed and then trapped in the web-like internal glass strands, where it would be held until the morning light dissipated it.

Reflecting Evil: Another belief was that the shiny surface and convex shape would reflect away the "evil eye" or a witch's gaze, preventing harm from coming to the house and its inhabitants.

"Watch Balls": The name "witch ball" may be a corruption of "watch ball". In this context, the reflective quality allowed people to see an enlarged view of the room or who was approaching the house from a distance, acting as a form of primitive security system. 

Description and Contents

Witch balls are typically made of hand-blown glass, often in green or blue, though other colors and multicolored swirling patterns are common. They can range in size from just over an inch to ten inches in diameter. Authentic historical and modern handcrafted witch balls often feature specific characteristics: 

Paul Ward, Witch Ball, c. 1937.

Hollow Interior: The most defining feature is the hollow interior designed to capture spirits.

Internal Strands: Many witch balls contain glass strands, or "webs," inside to tangle and trap the evil spirits.

Materials: While historically glass was standard, modern crafters may create their own "witch balls" (similar to spell jars) by filling clear glass ornaments with protective herbs, crystals, salt, and other items corresponding to specific intentions like protection, prosperity, or peace. 

More information on Witchballs can be found on The Museum or Witchcraft and Magic website. 

https://museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk/

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Here is my tutorial on making a festive bauble which can easily be made into a Witches ball. 

This will be my last Witchy Wednesday article for this year, Witchy Wednesday's will return in January 2026. Big thank you to all of you who have supported me and visited my blog this year. I wish you all a very festive Yuletide and look forward to sharing more spooky tales

Kat 😊

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