Procession in Klagenfurt

The eastern and central Alpine region is rich in traditions dating back to pagan times, the pre-Christian Germanic (1st millennium), or even the Celtic (1st millennium BC) period. Download high resolution version (725x1287, 184 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (725x1287, 184 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Pagan may refer to: A believer in Paganism or Neopaganism. ... St Francis Xavier converting the Paravas: a 19th-century image of the docile heathen The historical phenomenon of Christianization, the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once (a political shift as much as a spontaneous mass shift in individual consciences), also includes the practice... (1st millennium BC – 1st millennium – 2nd millennium – other millennia) Events Beginning of Christianity (30s) and Islam (7th century) London founded by Romans as Londinium Diaspora of the Jews The Olympic Games observed until 393 The Library of Alexandria, largest library in the world, burned Rise and fall of the Roman... A Celtic cross. ... (2nd millennium BC – 1st millennium BC – 1st millennium – other millennia) Events The Iron Age began in Western Europe Egypt declined as a major power The Tanakh was written Buddhism was founded Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and created the Persian Empire (6th century BC) Sparta and Athens fought the Peloponnesian...

Survival through the ages

Customs survive only in the rural parts of Austria, Switzerland and Bavaria in the form of dance, art, processions, rituals and games. The high regional diversity is a result of the mutual isolation of Alpine communities. In the Alps, the relationship between the Catholic Church and paganism has been an ambivalent one. While some customs survived only in the remote valleys inaccessible to the church's influence, others were actively assimilated over the centuries. During the Third Reich era, the Nazi regime adopted parts of pagan heritage into Nazi mysticism and esoteric Hitlerism. As a result the reputation of paganism in Austria and Bavaria has suffered somewhat, even if the majority of those who practise it strongly object to accusations of nationalism. In light of the dwindling rural population of the Alps many customs have evolved into more modern interpretations. Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... With an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance (from Old French dance, further history unknown) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression (see also body language) or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... Great Museums in the World (Louvre, Metropolitan Museum, MoMA, Picasso …) CGFA: A Virtual Art Museum Very large website with good reproduction quality scans of thousands of paintings Goetia Fine Art - Surrealism Art History With biographies and Works of the Surrealist Masters Art-Atlas. ... A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ... GAMES Magazine is a United States based magazine devoted to games published by GAMES Publications, a division of Kappa Publishing Group. ... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... Fljótsdalur in East-Iceland A valley is a landform, which can range from a few square miles (square kilometers) to hundreds or even thousands of square miles (square kilometers) in area. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... Thule Society emblem Nazi mysticism is a term used to describe a quasi-religious undercurrent of Nazism; it denotes the combination of Nazism with occultism, esotericism, cryptohistory, and/or the paranormal. ... Nazi mysticism is a term used to describe a philosophical undercurrent of National Socialism, it denotes the combining of it with occultism, esotericism, cryptohistory, and/or the paranormal. ... Nationalism is an ethno-political ideology that sustains the concept of a nation-identity for an exclusive group of people. ...

Krampus

Krampus

Frau Bercht

The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen). In the Alpine region the Krampus is represented by a male incubus in company of St Nicholas. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December and particularly in the evening of December 5th and roam the streets frightening children (and adults) with rusty chains and bells. Download high resolution version (974x1194, 219 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (974x1194, 219 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (980x1465, 217 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (980x1465, 217 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... The Dutch version, called Zwarte Piet Knecht Ruprecht, companion of Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas, is also known as Servant Ruprecht, Farmhand Ruprecht, Pelzebock, Pelznickel (Nicholas in furs), Zwarte Piet or Zwarte Peter in the Netherlands and Flanders, Black Peter, and Schmutzli Samichlaus in Switzerland, sometimes associated with Saint Rupert. ... Old High German is the earliest recorded form of the modern German language, and was spoken from the middle of the 9th to the end of the 11th century. ... A claw is a curved pointed growth found at the end of a toe or finger, or in arthropods, of the tarsus. ... Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas (a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas) in the Netherlands and Flanders, is the common name for the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Anatolia, (now in modern Turkey) and had a reputation for secret gift... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The present day Krampus costume consists of red wooden masks, black sheep's skin and horns. Considerable effort goes into the manufacture of the hand-crafted masks, as many younger adults in rural communities engage competitively in the Krampus events. Masks in a Guatemalan Market Teen reading a book, while wearing a dinosaur mask A mask is a piece of material or kit worn on the face. ... Horn may refer to: horn (anatomy), a hollow, pointed projection of the skin of various animals Horn, Austria horn (diacritic), a diacritic mark used to indicate that a normally rounded vowel such as o or u is to be pronounced unrounded horn (instrument) horn, a slang term for any wind...

Perchten

Percht follower

Glöckler

Originally, the word Perchten (plural of Percht) referred to the female masks representing the entourage of Frau Bercht, an ancient goddess (some claim a connection to the nordic goddess Freia, though this is uncertain). Traditionally, the masks were displayed in processions (Perchtenlauf) during the last week of December and first week of January, and particularly on the 6th of January. The costume consists of a brown wooden mask and brown or white sheep's skin. In recent times Krampus and Perchten have increasingly been displayed in a single event, leading to a loss of distinction of the two. Perchten are associated with midwinter, the victory of good over evil, the embodiment of fate and the souls of the dead. The name originates form the Old High German word peraht, or brilliant, meant as a warning against the sin of vanity. Download high resolution version (1134x1200, 215 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (1134x1200, 215 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (1146x1246, 232 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... Download high resolution version (1146x1246, 232 KB)Perchtenlauf Pagan tradition in Austria Photographed by Klafubra on the 19. ... A goddess is a female deity in contrast with a male deity known as a god. A great many cultures have goddesses, sometimes alone, but more often as part of a larger pantheon that includes both of the conventional genders and in some cases even hermaphroditic (or gender neutral) deities. ... The Nordic countries (Greenland not shown) The Nordic countries is a term used collectively for five countries in Northern Europe. ... Freia can refer to: An alternative name for the Norse goddess Freya. ... Good. ... Evil is a term describing that which is regarded as morally bad, intrinsically corrupt, wantonly destructive, inhumane, selfish, or wicked. ... Destiny concerns the fixed natural order of the universe. ... The soul according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is the ethereal substance — spirit (Hebrew:rooah or nefesh) — particular to a unique living being. ... Sin has always been a term most usually used in a religious context, and today describes any lack of conformity to the will of God; especially, any willful disregard for the norms revealed by God is a sin. ...

Regional variations of the name include Berigl, Berchtlmuada, Bechtra, Bechtrababa, Sampa, Stampa, Lutzl, Zamperin, Pudelfrau, Zampermuatta and Rauweib. The Catholic Church attempted to prohibit the sometimes rampant practise in the 17th and 18th centuries but later condoned it, resulting in a revival. The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

In the Pongau region of Austria large processions of Schönperchten (beautiful Perchten) and Schiachperchten (ugly Perchten) are held every winter. Other regional variations include the Tresterer in the Austrian Pinzgau region, the stilt dancers in the town of Unken, the Schnabelpercht (beaked Percht) in the Unterinntal region and the Glöcklerlaufen (bell running) in the Salzkammergut. A number of large ski resorts have turned the tradition into a tourist attraction drawing large crowds every winter. Salzkammergut is a resort area east of Salzburg, Austria, spanning the states of Upper Austria, Salzburg, and Styria. ... A ski area is a place where one goes to participate in the sports of skiing and snowboarding. ... A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

References

• The Culture Information System of the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (http://www.aeiou.at)

• Wenn die Hexen umgehen, Claudia Lagler, 05.01.1999, Die Presse (http://www.diepresse.at) (newspaper), (in German)