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extremelyblackandwhite · 4 years

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the unseen one - 05

Pairing: Hades!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: drinking

A/N: mentions of absinthe. fun fact, my parents favourite drink is absinthe and it is just awful (take it from me, your friendly non-drinking friend who had to drink it once during a friend’s wedding tradition) however i do feel like bucky would enjoy it, idk why. hope you like this chapter, lemme know. enjoy xx

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Hecate rushed with James to Groves of Persephone. These grounds stood in the Elysium, the better part of the Underworld and Hades’ gift to Persephone once she became his wife. It was a beautiful place but even James had to be stunned by, at the height of its beauty it always had various flowers and plants flourishing by and climbing up the white marbled columns of Persephone’s resting place. After Persephone and the original god of Death disappeared from the Cosmos, the Grove became part of James’ possessions as lord of the underworld.

It was where the noblest of souls laid rest and James’ himself could not believe that the Groves of Persephone were part of the Underworld due to the its sheer beauty. However, once he stepped in, the once bright, flourishing, green and colourful themes that gave that place the beauty it did was disappearing. Most of the flowers were dead and some wild plants were breaking through the marbled floors leading to where Persephone and Hades used to lead.

- What happened? - James turned to look at the goddess of sorcery, hoping she was playing a trick on him.

- The Groves are dying. - Hecate pointed at the brown coloured plants. - Is this your doing?

- Well, yes Hecate. I decided to destroy the only surviving thing from Persephone that gives Demeter some solace.

- I know you’re joking but it sounds like something you’d do.

- Call Demeter and everyone else who’s a god of plants. Anthousai, Chloris even Gaia if necessary. This has to be fixed. - James turned on his back not wanting to deal with that right now. Demeter didn’t personally hate him, he hadn’t kidnapped his daughter. However, she thoroughly missed his daughter and has such would visit her Groves every once in a while and gave him the job of protecting Persephone’s jewels. If he destroyed any of those, he’d have to hide forever from the goddess or probably would be turned into a plant. He returned to his office, picking a few books and dumping them on his desk, trying to find a way to figure out what had happened.

The Groves had been tended to by Persephone in the past, with some of Hades’ books even describing it as her regular past time and where the throne room once sat, however, after their disappearance from the universe and James taking the throne, it became tended by the underworld nymphs, the Lampades, which followed Hecate in her night-time reveals and hauntings. He knew them to be extremely loyal to Hecate, more to her than to him, he also knew Hecate to pay her respects to the long gone goddess of spring so that meant the Lampades wouldn’t stop caring for the Groves.

He spent most of the days going through the books and those letters which Hades used to write to Demeter about his daughter but nothing spoke of any issues with the Groves.

- Hades. - he raised his head from the books to see Demeter at the door. Demeter was always one of James’ personal favourite goddesses, mostly due to her demeanour. She was a tall woman, always with sun kissed skin, dressed in green soft fabric dresses covered by ivy plants which contrasted with her always perfectly groomed red hair which always had a crown of wheat placed upon it. Hecate used to say that along with Persephone, Demeter was one of the biggest oponnents to Aphrodite’s beauty. However, with the loss of the daughter and the continuing, ever lasting grief of her lost daughter, gods said the immortal goddess had allowed time to take its toll on her. Nevertheless, Demeter was a kind, fair and mature goddess, knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. - Hecate has filled me on the occurrences.

- Any chances the Lampades might’ve forgotten to care for the Groves?

- The Nature is dying even with care. Not sure why exactly, I can try and come a few times to tend for the nature.

- Any chance Persephone would’ve spoken about anything wrong with the groves in the past?

- My daughter never really spoke with me after she was forced to leave her husband every year.

- I’m sure Persephone shared no hatred towards you. However, the groves are part of the Elysium, we cannot permit any death in the Elysium.

- I’ll work with my nymphs personally and see what we can do.

Meanwhile, Y/N hadn’t sleep throughout the day. After James had dropped her off and Anne had returned to her home she just couldn’t sleep so she spent most of the day with a bowl of strawberries by her side, cashmere blanket wrapped around herself as she read her book with the TV on for background noise. It was the weekend, she had mostly nothing to do expect checking her phone every few hours to check for any teachers’ emails, but even them didn’t text them on Saturdays.

She would have ended up her Saturday by falling asleep on her coach if it hadn’t been for Anne climbing through the window by the fire escape. Y/N titled her head up to see Anne in a satin blue dress, her regular unruly locks held behind with some star shaped pins.

- We’re going out. - she said pushing the cashmere blanket away from her.

- I don’t wanna go out. - Y/N groaned, cuddling against a pillow.

- We can only go out on Fridays and Saturdays, since you spent Friday with tall, dark, and handsome, you owe me this.

- Fine. - she got up from her coach, walking to her room to grab something deemed for going out. She ended up with open toe dark boots, high waisted jeans and a white blouse whose lower fabric she wrapped around her waist.

Anne always went to the same bar. The same old beat up bar that Y/N was 100% sure was more of a spot for drug vending, weird rituals and gang meetings than a bar, however Anne was sure that was the best place to be. The two girls walked into the bar, a weird, unknown tune playing in the background. There weren’t too many people inside, only 5 maximum. However, Y/N’s eyes immediately set on a man sat by the bar. James. She could recognise him anywhere.

- Anne, I think that’s James. - she casually whispered to her friend, who very unceremoniously turned to check. - Be more discreet will you?

- You gotta go there.

- No, I don’t wanna bother him. He’s alone here by a reason.

- Now, you listen to me, Y/N. - she unbuttoned two of her friend’s blouse. - You go over there and you ask him for his phone number and you’ll only return once you have his contact name on your phone.

- Stop it. - she slapped her hand off but her friend only pointed in his direction: Y/N mumbled a few curses under her breathe, trying to button up the blouse in a manner which wasn’t so bed inviting. As she was about to tap him on the shoulder, he noticed her first.

- Y/N, I didn’t fancy you one to enjoy these parts. - he spoke in his raspy voice tone. He sounded tired and Y/N wondered if like her he couldn’t sleep.

- It’s Anne’s favourite place in town. - Y/N took a place next to him in one of the worn out high chairs. She noticed the fancy cup containing green liquid he was holding. - What are you drinking?

- Absinthe.

- Doesn’t absinthe cause hallucinations? - she furrowed her brow, still mildly interested in how green the beverage was.

- Wish it did. - he gestured to the bartender who brought another fancy glass and a nice silver spoon. She watched him prepare something before sliding it over to her. - Give it a try.

- Will I hallucinate?

- Promise you won’t. - he lifted his own glass, cheering it up to her. Y/N downed a bit of the drink, finding it sickeningly sweet, almost like licorish iced tea. Something she didn’t know what to feel about. - I see you don’t like it.

- It’s too sweet.

- Sweet people normally don’t like sweet things. - he almost mumbled it under his breathe, but Y/N could hear it which made a heat cripple over her cheeks.

- You know, we normally have quite a few outings in my friend group. If you’d gave me your number, I could tell you when. - Y/N didn’t know exactly how to ask him for his phone number. She didn’t want to sound desperate, or too forward.

- I’m afraid I don’t have one of those, sweetness. - she gave him a nervous smile trying not to show how the small rejection. - However, if you give me yours I can try to get in touch.

- How would you get in touch without a phone?

- I could get one or could use a pay phone.

- That’s old school, don’t you think? - she grabbed one of the small napkins, scribbling her phone number on it and sliding it to him.

- I like old school, sweetness.

- I should get back to my friend. - Y/N scratched the back of her neck, noticing Anne waiting for her.

- I’ll speak with you later, Y/N.

- Later, Bucky.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan/reader #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan one shot #sebastian stan drabble #Bucky Barnes #bucky imagine #bucky drabble #james barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky x reader #bucky/reader #winter soldier #white wolf #marvel au #bucky au #hades!bucky

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theathenianinspector · 6 years

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Most Greeks believed in some form of magic and that certain dangerous individuals could use it to get what they wanted, whether that was turning men into pigs or poisoning the next door neighbour. But how did they react to magic and what did they believe witchcraft was?

Speaking from the 21st Century, it’s pretty difficult trying to find an objective definition of magic in ancient Greece. But a good start would be looking at the myths of Circe and Medea. Both of these mythological women were witches. And both were specifically known for using herbs (pharmaka) to unleash their powers. Circe slips ‘baneful drugs’ into the food that Odysseus’ men consume and then taps them with her wand turning them into swine (Homer, Odyssey 236). While another myth involves her turning the beautiful nymph Scylla into a horrific monster with multiple snapping dog-heads which proceeded to plague unfortunate sailors (and that included Odysseus!), as a result of a jealous rage over the affections of Glaucus

She bruised immediately the many herbs

most infamous for horrid juices, which,

when bruised, she mingled with most artful care

and incantations given by Hecate.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 14.43-7.

Scylla after Circe’ potion.

While Medea used her magic to help Jason steal the Golden Fleece which was being guarded by the dragon which she lulled to sleep with a combination of a potion and songs to Persephone/Hecate (Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.123-161). Both mythic figures were seen to have been helpful at times as well as dangerous, controlling powers that were different and even beyond the martial prowess of heroes. A bronze sword was little good if a hero was poisoned or transformed into an animal. Circe initially harmed Odysseus’ crew, but then became a useful ally in helping him converse with the ghosts from Hades; while Medea, after returning to Greece with Jason, would slay her husband’s new wife Glauce with poison and murder her own children.

This attitude of pragmatism and dread was not evident in myths alone. In 4th Century Athens a lady named Theoris was executed after being named a witch for her use of drugs and charms:

‘It was this brother—I pass over the other facts—who got possession of the drugs and charms from the servant of Theoris of Lemnos, the filthy sorceress whom you put to death on that account with all her family.’ Demosthenes, Against Aristogeiton 79.

Being accused of witchcraft could have very serious consequences for women. Not only did the Athenians kill Theoris, but her entire family. Examples had to be made otherwise every politician would have been openly asking for poisons and sorcery to undermine or kill their opponents. Theoris’ charges were implicitly for murder, more specifically by means of poison. The Athenians’ fear of a witch’s poison didn’t arise from thin air. Their legendary king Theseus (slayer of the minotaur) was almost poisoned by Medea, with the consent of his father Aegeus (Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, Epitome 1.5-6). The witches of myth sowed dread among the children, and probably among the adults, of Athens. The way sorceresses straddled that line between natural and supernatural taps into the same source of fear that we feel whenever we imagine monsters of mythology. The word ‘pharmaka’ (drugs) recurs when the Greeks talked about witchcraft. What they meant by ‘drugs’ were the grasses and herbs witches used were from the natural world. It was on the whims and demeanor of the witch if they would be used for harm or benefit; and who would be the victim. She had all the power which derived from her skill and expertise; uncommon traits when referring to ancient Greek women. Although not all magic was organically plant based.

Lead Curse Tablet (left), Curse Figurine in Coffin (right)

The ancients also used curse tablets made of lead which were engraved with whatever harm the individual wanted his foe to suffer. Lead was a cheap material, easy to inscribe and its pitch black colour associated it with darkness and the Underworld. They were then punched with nails as if to hammer in the message to the gods or ghosts. Many tablets were left among graves and tombs outside of cities, so the shades of the dead could read and carry out their bidding. Also placed with the tablets were ancient Greek curse figurines (aka. Voodoo dolls) often shaped in painful positions and placed in coffins. Because graveyards were always outside of the city gates, curse makers were actually making an effort and possibly putting themselves in danger from bandits and wild animals by venturing outside the safety of the city walls. If they weren’t placed in graveyards, they were nailed onto the doors of temples.

“I bind down before the chthonic gods the legal action of Apithamb.al

against Numerius and Dameas, lest he be able to speak in opposition,

lest he be able to speak in opposition to any legal action or to

hate.”

Greek Curse Tablet found in Lilybaeum

We can observe the example tablet which calls for the gods to silence his opponent at an oncoming court session. The above all practical application of dark magic to get what the man wanted. Or, considering that the ancients must have noticed when their curses didn’t happen, maybe this entire ritual was cathartic, or they were hoping for a slim chance of success. Who knows? Notice also the reference to ‘chthonic gods’, a reference to the Underworld deities since dark magic such as poisons and curses were among the domain of the Underworld gods; Hecate in particular, the goddess of witchcraft and magic. Sometimes imagined as a kindly and helpful goddess who helped mortal men achieve their ambitions (Hesiod, Theogony 410-453), she was also revered as a patron by Medea who practised dark arts and was intent on killing her and her husband’s entire family. Did this reflect the character of Hecate’s follower rather than of the goddess herself?

‘By the goddess I worship most of all, my chosen helper Hecate, who dwells in the inner chamber of my house, none of them shall pain my heart and smile at it! Bitter will I make their marriage, bitter Creon’s marriage-alliance, and bitter my banishment from the land!’ Euripides, Medea 395-398

Representation of Hecate

The problem with dark magic and witchcraft was that for all its terrible reputation, ancient Greek heroes and even contemporary mortals could see the advantages of using it. Even Hecate, a goddess of dark magic, necromancy and a resident of the Underworld was initially seen as a powerful benefactor in the Archaic period. Men paid for the services of women like Theoris of Lemnos because they genuinely believed that a little magic could get them what they wanted; whether that was the death of a rival or a cure for impotence. (The latter probably came up more often than we might wish to imagine!) It’s why they also stole away in the middle of the night to graveyards to plant curses. Odysseus himself only beats Circe because he himself drinks a potion made from an herb called Moly that resists her sorcery (Homer, Odyssey 10.302-5). For all the ancients’ flaws, they did value practicality, and they weren’t afraid to play dirty. And Jason’s own father Aeson regained his youth and vigour with Medea’s help; he also killed Pelias, the man who had stolen his throne, with her aid as well.

Medea tricks Pelias’ daughters into chopping up their father.

Sorcery and witchcraft may have led to stigmatisation and possibly even death in the worst cases, but that didn’t mean that the Greeks didn’t see the practical advantage of discretely using the powers of the Underworld or the magics of herbology to achieve their goals. Was this hypocrisy? Kind of.

Happy Halloween,

Dan Tang

The Athenian Inspector

If you want to learn about the Romans, check out: https://romanimperium.wordpress.com/

Witchcraft, Dark Magic and the Greeks Most Greeks believed in some form of magic and that certain dangerous individuals could use it to get what they wanted, whether that was turning men into pigs or poisoning the next door neighbour.

#Circe #drugs #halloween #Hecate #herbs #Magic #Medea #Odyssey #sorcery #Underworld #witchcraft #Women

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phynxrizng · 7 years

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EIGHT FAMOUS WITCHES IN HISTORY

Eight Famous Witches In History The Witch of Endor The Christian Bible has an injunction against practicing witchcraft and divination, and that can probably be blamed on the Witch of Endor. In the first Book of Samuel, King Saul of Israel got in some hot water when he hooked up with Endor’s hottest medium, asking her to predict the future. Saul and his sons were about to march into battle against their enemies, the Philistines, and Saul decided it was time to get a bit of supernatural insight as to what was going to happen the next day. Saul started off by asking God what was up, but God stayed mum on the whole thing… and so Saul took it upon himself to seek the answers elsewhere. According to the Bible, Saul summoned the witch of Endor, who was a well-known medium in the area. Disguising himself so she wouldn’t know she was in the presence of the King, Saul asked the witch, “Hey, how about you bring back Samuel the prophet from the dead for me, because I’d really like to know what’s happening at the big showdown tomorrow?” The witch called upon Samuel, who – probably to everyone’s surprise – showed up and told Saul that he’d pretty much be a goner the next day. After all, just by working with the witch of Endor, Saul was directly disobeying God, and that never goes over well. Sure enough, Saul, his sons, and Israel were defeated at Gilboa. Who was the witch of Endor? Well, like many other biblical figures, no one really knows. She did caution Saul that she wasn’t really supposed to be doing the whole mediumship/necromancy thing, but he offered to protect her. Regardless of the fact that her identity is lost to myth and legend, she has managed to appear in more contemporary literature. Geoffrey Chaucer makes reference to her in The Canterbury Tales, in the tale spun by the friar to entertain his fellow pilgrims. The Friar tells his listeners: "Yet tell me," said the summoner, "if true: Do you make your new bodies always so Out of the elements?" The fiend said, "No, Sometimes it's only some form of disguise; Dead bodies we may enter that arise To speak with all the reason and as well As to the Endor witch spoke Samuel.” Circe One of the best-known mythological mistresses of mayhem is Circe, who appears in The Odyssey. According to the story, Odysseus and his Achaeans found themselves fleeing the land of the Laestrygonians. After a bunch of Odysseus’ scouts were captured and eaten by the Laestrygonian king, and nearly all of his ships sunk by large boulders, the Achaeans ended up on the shore of Aeaea, home to the witch-goddess Circe. Circe was well known for her magical mojo, and had quite the reputation for her knowledge of plants and potions. According to some accounts, she may have been the daughter of Helios, the sun god, and one of the Oceanids, but she is sometimes referred to as a daughter of Hecate, the goddess of magic. Circe turned Odysseus’ men into pigs, of all things, and so he set off to rescue them. Before he got there, he was visited by the messenger god, Hermes, who told him how to defeat the seductive Circe. Odysseus followed Hermes’ helpful hints, and overpowered Circe, who turned the men back into men… and she then became Odysseus’ lover. After a year or so of luxuriating in Circe’s bed, Odysseus finally figured out he should head back home to Ithaca, and his wife, Penelope. The lovely Circe, who may or may not have borne Odysseus a couple of sons, gave him directions that sent him all over the place, including a side quest to the Underworld. After Odysseus’ eventual death at the hands of his son, Telegonus, Circe used her magic potions to bring her late lover back to life. The Bell Witch We typically think of folklore and mythology as originating in ancient, far-off places, but some of it is recent enough that it’s considered urban legend. The story of the Bell Witch, for instance, takes place as recently as the nineteenth century in Tennessee. According to author Pat Fitzhugh of the Bell Witch website, there was “a sinister entity that tormented a pioneer family on Tennessee’s early frontier between 1817 and 1821.” Fitzhugh explains that settler John Bell and his family relocated to Tennessee from North Carolina in the early 1800s, and purchased a large homestead. It wasn’t long before some really weird stuff began to happen, including sightings of a strange animal with “the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit” out in the cornfields, the three Bell children saying that someone or something had yanked their bedcovers off in the night, and bizarre whispering sounds in the house. To make matters even worse, young Betsy Bell started to experience physical encounters with the spooky specter, claiming it had slapped her and pulled her hair. Although he originally told the family to keep things hush-hush, Bell finally confided in a neighbor, who brought in a party led by none other than local general Andrew Jackson. Another member of the group claimed to be a “witch tamer,” and was armed with a pistol and a silver bullet. Unfortunately, the entity wasn’t impressed with the silver bullet – or, apparently, the witch tamer – because the man was forcefully ejected from the house. Jackson’s men begged to leave the homestead and, although Jackson insisted on staying to investigate further, the next morning the entire group was spotted heading away from the farm. Troy Taylor of PrairieGhosts says, “The spirit identified itself as the "witch" of Kate Batts, a neighbor of the Bells’, with whom John had experienced bad business dealings over some purchased slaves. "Kate" as the local people began calling the spirit, made daily appearances in the Bell home, wreaking havoc on everyone there.” Once John Bell died, though, Kate stuck around and haunted Betsy well into adulthood. Morgan Le Fay If you’ve ever read any of the Arthurian legends, the name Morgan le Fay should ring a bell with you. Her first appearance in literature is in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The Life of Merlin, written in the first half of the twelfth century. Morgan has become known as a classic seductress, who lures men in with her witchy wiles, and then causes all kinds of supernatural shenanigans to take place. Chrétien de Troyes’ The Vulgate Cycle describes her role as one of Queen Guinevere’s ladies in waiting. According to this collection of Arthurian tales, Morgan fell in love with Arthur’s nephew, Giomar. Unfortunately, Guinevere found out and put an end to the affair, so Morgan exacted her revenge by busting Guinevere, who was fooling around with Sir Lancelot. Morgan le Fay, whose name means “Morgan of the fairies” in French, appears again in Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, in which “she was unhappily married to King Urien. At the same time, she became a sexually aggressive woman who had many lovers, including the famous Merlin. However, her love of Lancelot was unrequited. Morgan appeared also as an indirect cause of Arthur's death.” Malory tells us that Morgan was Arthur’s half-sister, but that didn’t mean they got along well at all. In fact, depending on which legend you read, Morgan has been portrayed as seducing Arthur and giving bi rth to his child, trying to steal Excalibur from him, and basically using all kinds of nefarious sorcery to bring down her brother’s rule as King. Medea As we see in the story of Odysseus and Circe, Greek mythology is chock-full of witches. When Jason and his Argonauts went on a quest for the Golden Fleece, they decided to steal it from King Aeëtes of Colchis. What Aeëtes didn’t know was that his daughter Medea had developed a bit of a thing for Jason, and after seducing and eventually marrying him, this enchantress helped her fella steal the Golden Fleece from her father. Medea was said to be of divine descent, and was the niece of the aforementioned Circe. Born with the gift of prophecy, Medea was able to warn Jason about the dangers that lay before him in his quest. After he obtained the Fleece, she took off with him on the Argo, and they lived happily ever after… for about ten years. Then, as often happens in Greek myth, Jason found himself another woman, and cast Medea aside for Glauce, the daughter of the Corinthian king, Creon. Not one to take rejection well, Medea sent Glauce a lovely golden gown covered in poison, which led to the death of both the princess and her father, the king. In revenge, the Corinthians killed two of Jason and Medea’s children. Just to show Jason she was good and angry, Medea killed two of the others herself, leaving only a son, Thessalus, to survive. Medea then fled Corinth on a golden chariot, sent by her grandfather, Helios, the sun god. Medea spent many years just a few steps ahead of the enraged Jason, fleeing first to Thebes and then to Athens. Eventually, she returned to Colchis, where she found that her father had been deposed by her uncle, Perses. Medea killed Perses and restored Aeëtes to the throne. Baba Yaga Who is Baba Yaga? In Russian folktales, she’s an old witch who can be either fearsome and scary, or be the heroine of the tale -and sometimes she manages to do both! Described as having teeth of iron and a frightfully long nose, Baba Yaga lives in a hut on the edge of the forest, which can move around on its own and is depicted as having legs like a chicken (the hut, not Baba Yaga). She does not, unlike many traditional folkloric witches, fly about on a broomstick. Instead, she rides around in a giant mortar, which she pushes along with an equally large pestle, rowing it almost like a boat. She sweeps the tracks away from behind her with a broom made of silver birch. The Tale of Baba Yaga According to Folk Tales from the Russian, published in 1903 by Verra Xenophontovna and Kalamatiano de Blumenthal, there is a story in Russian folklore that illustrates the many facets of Baba Yaga all at once. It seems, so the tale goes, that once there was a woodcutter who lived near the forest, and he and his wife had twins, a boy and a girl. When they were still small, the woodcutter’s wife died, and although he was very lonely and missed her, he knew his children needed a mother, so he married again. The stepmother was envious of the woodcutter’s love for his children, and so she treated them badly. If he was away from home, she would lock them outdoors for hours. She refused to feed them, and didn’t care if their clothes fit or if they were cold. Finally she decided to get rid of them altogether, so she could have the woodcutter all to herself. She told them to go see an old woman who lived deep in the woods, in a house that had magical chicken-like feet, and the old woman would give them treats. The children, however, knew that something was amiss. Their stepmother had never offered them a kindness before. So instead, they went to the home of their dead mother’s mother, and she warned them not to go to the house on chicken feet because it belonged to an old witch named Baba Yaga. She fed them well, and told them to be good to anyone they met, and sent them on their way. But on their way home, they got lost and found themselves at the witch’s house anyway. The children had a number of adventures, many of which have similarities to other well-known European fairy tales, that you can read about here. By the time they returned home, the woodcutter realized his new wife had no love in her heart, and sent her away so he and his children could live happily and in peace. The Beautiful Vassilissa Another tale relates the story of the young Vassilissa, whose father is a merchant and whose mother dies early (not an uncommon theme in folktales, to be sure!), leaving only a tiny doll for Vassilissa to remember her by. As Vassilissa grows up and her father takes a new wife, the story expands to include two evil stepsisters, and a series of tasks assigned to the young girls. Naturally, those who are wicked end up getting what is coming to them, at the hands of Baba Yaga. Other Aspects of Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is sometimes portrayed as having assistants such as three mysterious riders who help her out. These strange horsemen represent sunrise, noon, and night. In some takes, she is aided by her daughter, Marinka. In general, no one ever knows whether Baba Yaga will help or hinder those who seek her out. Often, bad people get their just desserts through her actions, but it is not so much that she wishes to rescue the good as it is that evil brings its own consequences, and Baba Yaga is simply there to see these results meted out. She is often representative of a watcher or guardian of the forest and all it contains, although this may in part be due to her similarities to other Eastern European and Slavic folkloric figures, many of whom are identified by names that translate into "Forest Mother." Such characters appear in Bulgarian, Serbian and Slovenian mythology and legend. Some Slavic tales feature Baba Yaga as a trio of supernatural sisters—all with the same name —who threatens to eat unwary travelers and small children, although they always seem to manage a timely escape. In modern Neopaganism, there seems to be some speculation that Baba Yaga was a goddess who was worshiped by ancient Slavic Pagans. However, despite some of her similarities to other European goddesses, such as her appearance in triplicate, there is little academic evidence that Baba Yaga was deified. A more likely scenario is that she was, as originally noted, a folkloric character who has taken on a life of her own in the minds and hearts of modern Pagans. La Befana In Italy, the legend of La Befana is popularly told around the time of the Epiphany. What does a Catholic holiday have to do with modern Paganism? Well, La Befana happens to be a witch. According to folklore, on the night before the feast of the Epiphany in early January, Befana flies around on her broom, delivering gifts. Much like Santa Claus, she leaves candy, fruit, or small gifts in the stockings of children who are well-behaved throughout the year. On the other hand, if a child is naughty, he or she can expect to find a lump of coal left behind by La Befana. La Befana’s broom is for more than just practical transportation -she also will tidy up a messy house, and sweep the floors before she departs for her next stop. This is probably a good thing, since Befana gets a bit sooty from coming down chimneys, and it’s only polite to clean up after oneself. She may wrap up her visit by indulging in the glass of wine or plate of food left by parents as thanks. Tessa Derksen of Our Little Italy says, "In the time when our grandparents were children, Befana was tremendously popular and was awaited with a mixture of joy and anxiety. Children hung hand-knitted stockings on the fireplace and wrote long letters to her expressing their wishes. Often they were disappointed as their families had little money to spend on gifts; however, sometimes they found little hand-sewn dolls and puppets in their stocking. If they had been bad, their stockings were filled with onions, garlic, and coal. Although there were no traditional dishes to celebrate this day, people would gather together and eat chestnuts, nuts and fruit pancakes." So, where did La Befana come from? How did a kindly old witch become associated with the celebration of the Epiphany? Many of the stories behind La Befana involve a woman who is searching but unable to find the newborn infant Jesus. In some Christian legends, it is said that Befana had been visited by the three Magi, or wise men, on their way to visit the baby Jesus. It’s said that they asked her for directions, but Befana wasn’t sure how to find the newborn infant. However, being a good housekeeper, she invited them to spend the night in her tidy little home. When the Magi left the next morning, they invited Befana to join them in their quest. Befana declined, saying she had too much housework to do, but she later changed her mind. She tried to find the wise men and the new baby, but was unable to; now, she flies around on her broom delivering gifts to children. Perhaps she is still searching for the infant Jesus. In other tales, La Befana is a woman whose children have died in a great plague, and she follows the wise men to Bethlehem. Before leaving her house, she packs up some simple gifts - a doll that belonged to one of her children, and a robe sewn from her own wedding dress. These plain gifts are all she has to give to the infant Jesus, but she is unable to locate him. Today, she flies around delivering gifts to other children in hopes of finding him. Betsy Woodruff at Slate describes yet another version of the story, in which King Herod’s soldiers kill her son: "Delusional with grief, she leaves her home to search for him. Instead, she finds baby Jesus and gives him all her son’s belongings. He blesses her, and now she travels the world blessing good children and punishing bad ones." Some scholars believe that the story of La Befana actually has pre-Christian origins. The tradition of leaving or exchanging gifts may relate to an early Roman custom that takes place in midwinter, around the time of Saturnalia. Befana may also represent the passing of the old year, with the image of an old woman, to be replaced by a new year. Today many Italians, including those who follow the practice of Stregheria, celebrate a festival in La Befana’s honor. Grimhildr In Norse mythology, Grimhildr (or Grimhilde) was a smokin’ sorceress who was married to King Gyuki, one of the Burgundian kings, and her story appears in the Volsunga Saga, where she is described as a “fierce-hearted woman.” Grimhildr was easily bored, and often amused herself by enchanting various people –including the hero Sigurðr, who she wanted to see marry her daughter Gudrun. The spell worked, and Sigurðr left his wife Brynhild. As if that wasn’t enough mischief-making, Grimhildr decided her son Gunnar should marry the spurned Brynhild, but Brynhild was having none of it. She stubbornly announced, “Nope, because I’ll only marry a guy who’s willing to cross this ring of fire I’m setting up around myself. Good luck, boys!” Sigurðr, who could cross the flames safely, knew that he’d be off the hot seat if he could see his ex happily remarried, so he offered to switch bodies with Gunnarr and get across. And who had enough magic to make the old body-swapping work out? Why, Grimhildr, of course! Brynhild was fooled into marrying Gunnarr, but it didn’t end well; she finally figured out she’d been catfished, and ended up killing Sigurðr and herself. Really, the only one who came out of the whole debacle relatively unscathed was Gudrun, whose malicious mother ended up marrying her off to Brynhild’s brother. By Patti Wigington,Paganism/Wicca Expert Article published on & owned by About.com REPOSTED BY,PHYNXRIZNG

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