The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas by Al Ridenour

Author:Al Ridenour
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781627310413
Publisher: Feral House
Published: 2016-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

Loyal Eckhart, Ghosts, a Jug of Beer

By the mid 17th century, most of the elements of the Holda myth were in place. She was firmly connected to Diana, Herodias, and (in legends of the Venusberg) Venus. In 1663, Leipzig historian and polymath Johannes Praetorius-related a story that adds one further element. He writes of “the Loyal Eckhart” who “goes before her troop to warn any folk they encounter, asking them to remove themselves from its path so that no misfortune befalls them.”

Eckhart is a figure from earlier Germanic knightly legends grafted into the Venusberg story. In the appendix to the Heldenbuch (a 15th–16th century collection of epic poems), he is stationed eternally before the opening to Holda’s underground realm to warn away those who would enter. In the folklore of Holda’s Christmas entourage, he functions as a sort of chamberlain to the queen, a stern but helpful intercessor between mortal and immortal realms, whom Grimm compares to a psychopomp, a leader of souls. When described, he is usually a hoary figure with long beard and white staff.

Praetorius’ story of the encounter with Holda’s train continues: “Several lads of this village claimed to have seen it when they were on the way to the tavern in search of beer to bring back home. Because the ghosts were taking up almost the entire width of the road, they were pushed a little to the side with their jugs. Some of the women of this troop supposedly took the jugs and drank their contents. Struck with fear, the lads kept their peace about this, overlooking how they would be greeted back home with their empty jugs. Finally, Loyal Eckhart allegedly told them, ‘God inspired you to say nothing—otherwise they would have wrung your necks. Quick, return home and say nothing to anyone about what happened. Do this and your jugs will ever be full and you shall never want for beer.’”

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