Holle: A goddess of the West Germanics, shepherdess of children, keepers of the souls of infants, goddess of healing wells, creator of snow, gifter of Flax to the people, inventor of Thuringian dumplings, and more. While she is present across much of West Germanics her main areas are present in Hesse and Thuringia. Where she is said to live atop the Meissner or in the Venusberg respectively. She gifted Flax to her people after telling a farmer he could chose a gift from her in a gem encrusted cave he picked the “Purple flowers” she had in her hand which became never ending seeds and Flax became incredibly important and tied to Holle. In one story she was essentially given her “Steading” by Hertha (Possibly Nerthus) though it may be a pseudo-folktale. She was also likely fused with both Eastre and a summer maiden perhaps Walpurga or Volla over the years likely due to her name being more acceptable to use compared to the other more “pagan” names. This was due to her name being similar to a villain in the bible. She is also known as Holda and she is most well known from the Grimm's fairy tale Mother Holda/Frau Holle. Where Goldmary and Pitchmary visit her and receive their “payment” many take this to be symbolic of a sun and moon goddess (whose story also appears independently of Holle) possibly the Wendish goddesses Yr and Om or perhaps Sunna and Sinthgunt. She is said to give the dawn on May 2nd while she spins in her chair and her golden curls shine with her “Morning gift”. She is sometimes thought to be the sister of Perchta a nearby Celto-Teutonic-Slavic goddess (basically Alpine). For consorts she is sometimes thought to have Ewicher Yeager as a consort while others will attribute her the corn giant Wode (Wodan was a later addition as a result of medieval scholarship). She is a talented baker and sorceress, being both responsible for healing and matchmaking and pregnancy as well as being the inventor of Thuringian Potato Dumplings and being very associated with pancakes. She is associated with many animals especially cats (White ones especially) who are at times said to be her followers shapeshifted, while other times it is girls she has punished. She also gives out punishment and gifts at Yuletide while with the wild hunt. Her retinue includes her attendents the Hollen (a kind of fae or imp), Eckhart her former priest and now Herald, fae, elves, cats, witches, babies, and odd bugbears like the Hulleswaatch. Her symbol is at times the spindle that she walks with or a magic wand/club, other times a sickle which is the symbol attributed to her in Urglaawe. The Pennsylvania Dutch heathenry where Holle is attributed the guiding hand of migrating the PA Dutch to America to escape persecution and continue the old ways like many pagan minded people who fled Europe during dark times for them. She is also said to lead the Parade of spirits on Halloween and is responsible partly for the reincarnation process. This is the just the tip of the iceberg for Mother Holle and I hope you are able to find much more on her as you look, she is fond of apples and Elder trees.

Both Perchta and Holle have plenty to do with Yuletide but I already posted on them awhile ago-TAO

Veles, also known as Volos. Is the horned god, wandering trickster, and lord of the underworld for the slavs. He is a wildman and a wizard, a trickster and a gift giver. Next to or perhaps even surpassing Perun, Veles is one of the most widespread and honored gods of the Slavs. This is exemplified in how many saints were used to replace him. Not one, not two, but many saints were used in an attempt to cover up Veles. Including but not limited to: St. Vlasii, St Makarii, St. George, St. Blaise and even St. Nicholas. Veles is at times a contradictory god which is partly due to have many regional variants in his legends. With similar gods such as Berstuk, Leshy, Radegast, and Chernobog all at times being said to either be him or not. I tend to ere on the side of them all being different gods. Veles is in many ways the antithesis to Perun. Being earthy, wet, and beast like to the more heavenly Perun. A sort of Dionysus and Apollo differential.Though their relationship is much more volatile. With Veles and Perun often fighting to Veles' death though Veles arises again out of his corpse as a serpent. These fights vary with it being because he stole Dodola (Perun's Wife), Perun's son, or the heavenly cows (Clouds). It ends the same way with Veles defeated and the rain falling down. It is important to note that in this fight Veles takes the form of a dragon or serpent. An animal he is commonly associated with similar to the Cow and bear. In many fairy tales Veles turns into a dragon or is seen as a dragon. However he is most commonly with the exception of the southern slavs (In which he is associated with the wolf) with the bear. Which is known as the emperor of the forest. Tying into Veles' position as lord of the forest and wilderness. A king of beasts both great and small and capable of taking any of their forms.Veles is often considered a god associated with wetness especially the sea and bodies of water as the sea was seen as the passage to Nav the underworld of which Veles ruled over it. Though other tales give the lord of the underworld role to Chernobog as Veles travels between worlds too much to continuously rule over it. In this way Veles is a psychopomp a bringer of souls to their afterlife but he also brings ancestral souls to the surface to be reincarnated. Completing the cycle of death and rebirth. Veles is a bit of a womanizer or at the very least is attributed a different wife in each region. With Devana the goddess of the hunt (and possible bear mother of the slavs) being one such wife. Another is Morana the witch goddess that brings winter. Or Mokosh the matriarch and spinning goddess of the earth. But most famously is a tale that ties into his wandering and kingship of the underworld. That of his love for Baba Yaga. Baba yaga as a youth loved Veles but when she was poisoned by his mother Zemun the universe cow (essentially slavic Audhumbla) he bargained his life for her own and he became a wanderer between worlds. Baba Yaga lived but she grew old and due to Veles' act became a protector and mediator between worlds and grew bitter but never lacked for her wanting for Veles. Who despite his many children and supposed wives never let go of Baba Yaga in his heart.His position as a god closely tied to the afterlife is why one of his names is the Lord of Nav. With the Milky way being “Veles' hair” a reference to the hair that flows out of his stunning mane of hair. This is said to be one of the roads to the afterlife, Likewise the Pleadies is tied into the ancestors via it being a representation of Veles' daughters. Ursa Major is said to be where he keeps his hall. Tying back once again to his bear form that he is said to be often seen in. In comparison to his human form with bulls horns a reference to his mother.

He was originally far more associated with the bear but the cow focus for him became prominent under christianity which along with all the saints mentioned above, his more malevolent trickster aspects and status as being of the underworld caused him to be changed into an array of demons and the devil under Christian rule. However in his bear form Veles appears in many fairy tales and notably in some folklore a bear comes during the Yuletide/Koleda season. This Combined with some of Veles' holy days being the 12 days around Yule has made the argument him and Moroz may be the same though this is possibly a regional difference perhaps the same region that argue for the Morana marriage and that Veles is most powerful in winter. With Devana perhaps being where his persona as the bear god was most important and Makosh his agricultural pursuits. With the last part of the crop even being set aside for “Veles' beard”. Though this is not necessarily the case of how these supposed marriages break down, where and when he is married to each one.Oddly in another tale he is said to be the father of Yarillo the youthful spring god of the Slavs. Having impregnated Dodola by turning into a a lily of the valley and when she went to sniff it making her pregnant with the young god. Veles is also said to fight with Perun around the tree of life. With the Eagle shaped Perun roosting in the trees and the serpent shaped Perun fighting from the roots. Veles was also one of the seven gods who had a statue erected to honor him by Vladimir the first. Though like all said statues his was eventually destroyed. He was also a god of magic and was said to have drawn the ire of the more heavenly gods by teaching magic to man, especially that of Perun. As such Veles had many magical abilities most notably shape changing, able to change into any animal of the forest that he was lord of. He was also a god associated with Werewolves and Characterists a sort of magical warrior who employed (and some say still do employ) said magic in war. Veles' wandering have made him an important god for travelers of all kinds such as wandering bards and merchants. Which combined with his association with cattle and agriculture made him a god of riches as well. Especially those buried within the earth.His wanderings from the heavenly realms (Yav) down to the underworlds (Nav) has made him the one who at times will hold the doors to both open allowing spirits to roam free. This is done on April 30th and October 31st (AKA as Halloween). However despite many parallels to Woden Veles' day is usually considered to be Monday both due to his association with the Moon as well as Monday being the day upon which he is said to take a break. Making it a bad idea to die on a Monday. He along with Perun is one of the two gods the now ascended Sveitoslav swore upon when dealing with christians. Along with the many animals and forests that are associated with Veles the Willow is especially important to him as the Oak is to Perun. His name could come from many possibilities. It might be from an Old-Bulgarian word for “big”, or it may mean “the great one” or even be an old word for Hairy referencing both his furry coat when in animal form and perhaps a hair covered wildman form he may have had long ago. Along with The Lord of Nav, Veles, and Volos. He has many titles the lord of winter, the guide of souls, the patron of poets, the lord of the crossroads, the lord of the dead, the god of thieves wisdom and magic. And much much more, Veles is a complex and widespread deity and is clearly of deep importance not only to the slavic people but to our people in general. This does not even begin to cover what there is on Veles. What is your favorite thing about Veles?

Grandpa's Story by Edwin Thomas Roberts

Wood in Snow by Peter Mork Monsted 1915

Highland Shepherd by George Washington Andrew Kinloch-Smith

Flora by Hans Zatka

Via Brute Simplicity

Yule Card by JohannaPolle

The Tribe of the Fox enjoyed the writing of HeimdallR's Home about Frau Holle we just forwarded to our channel. Why? Well, Vrouw Holle (as we call her in Holland) is a very important deity for Dutch heathenism/paganism. England is related to the deity Ing, Austria to Ostara, Frisia to Freya and Holland to Holle. Even if this might not be historically correct it still makes sense. Dirkje and me experience Vrouw Holle as a very liminal goddess. She is not just related to the Underworld but also to the inbetween realms. And isn't Holland a liminal country? Located for nearly 50% beneath sea level, squeezed between the Northsea (Nehalennia's realm) and the Northern German flatlands. Our misty, wet and liminal country is the Vrouw Holle's land and we are proud of it😎. Hail Vrouw Holle and the Dutch heathens-pagans. And hail TAO for his nice writing about Holle👍🏻. (The picture i used comes from the website of Abe de Verteller, abedeverteller.nl)

Thanks Tribe of the Fox-TAO

Plague Doctor Versi II by Gozien Crayon

Magura Cave
Discover this pagan place at https://paganplaces.com/places/magura-cave/
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Will o-the-Wisp by Lev Lerch

The Four Elements by Louis Finson 1611