The Wild Barbaras of St Barbara's Day

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December 4th marks St Barbara's Day, which was an official Catholic feast day until the late 1960s. The Catholic Church eliminated this feast day, but in many countries the day is still recognized and is considered the official start to the Christmas season. The story of St Barbara (whom scholars think never actually existed) is a typical female martyr story involving a virginal young woman imprisoned by her father in a tower in a city in Asia Minor to keep away suitors and outside influences, but who still manages to take up Christianity. In some versions of her story, she is tortured and then beheaded by her father, who is subsequently struck by lightning as a punishment. She became the patron saint of miners and artillerymen and offered protection against lightning and sudden storms.

In the Bavarian alps, however, her tradition comes with some interesting mumming costumes comprised of masks entirely covered in pinecones, acorns and forest bits. These are the Barbelle, described in Al Ridenour's book "The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas" as being "young women, ideally over the age of 16 and still unmarried---traditional parameters for participation as they approximate the virgin martyr Barbara at the time of her death". They carry switches and can wear bells as well, and they participate in "runs" through downtowns where they lightly strike people (especially young men) who get too close to them, but giving treats to good children. They are also charged with the power of sweeping evil out of homes. This seems to be one of the rare all-female mumming groups associated with Christmas time in Europe.

One of the traditions associated with St Barbara's Day is the bringing in of branches from a blooming type of tree (apple, cherry, plum) and seeing if it will bloom in a vase of water. St Barbara's story holds that a branch was stuck to her cloak when she was being dragged to prison and this branch, in a cup of water, kept her company until the day of her death, when it bloomed. The blooming branch has become an augury of sorts, predicting crop and weather behavior, and bestowing luck. Perhaps this integral plant material contributed to the Barbelle masks being made of forest bits. In my own opinion, the Barbelle masks reflect the "wild women" from the European "medieval wild man" tradition.