Today (or tonight) is Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht or Eve of Hexennacht or the Witches Sabbath). The best way to think about Walpurgis Night is that is the Spring version of Halloween, and it is actually exactly 6 months before Halloween. The festival is named after Saint Walpurga who lived 1300 years ago. While Saint Walpurga was known to repel the effects of witchcraft, over time the festival came to be known as a time when witches meet on Brocken mountain under the presidency of Satan, who, on such occasions, generally takes the form of a black he-goat.
"According to the popular German superstition, a great witch festival was always held on the Brocken on the eve of St. Walpurga. Hence the name, Walpurgis Night. This superstition is supposed to have originated in the idolatrous rites of the Pagans, which, when they were forcibly converted to Christianity, they conducted secretly in remote places. These idolatrous rites were magnified into supernatural orgies." E.W. Mellor
In the literature of old, Lilith, (Adam's first wife according to mythology), figures prominently in this festival. As the festival has strong Spring associations, it is deeply intertwined with ancient pagan Scandinavian & Germanic cults. Speaking of Germany...April 30 1945 is the day that Hitler committed suicide.
The Church of Satan was founded on Sankt Walpurgisnacht in 1966. Founder Anton LaVey stated that besides one's own birthday, Walpurgisnacht ranks as an important Satanic holiday, noting the Eve of May has been memorialized as "symbolizing the fruition of the spring equinox", and chose the date well aware of the date's traditional association with witchcraft.
Walpurgis Night is featured in Bram Stoker's short story, Dracula's Guest.
It is said that on Walpurgis Night that cats should be avoided as it may be a witch.
See also 200 Books on DVDROM about Satan the Devil & Witchcraft - For a list of all of my disks and digital books click here
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