Crossposted from Left Toon Lane & My Left Wing
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Who would have thunk it?
Historically the Walpurgisnacht is derived from Pagan spring customs, where the arrival of spring was celebrated with bonfires at night. Viking fertility celebrations took place around February 25 and due to Walburga being declared a saint at that time of year, her name became associated with the celebrations. Walburga was honored in the same way that Vikings had celebrated spring and as they spread throughout Europe, the two dates became mixed together and created the Walpurgis Night celebration. The main mascot of Walpurgis Day is the witch.
But after the death of Sam Walton, the man who insisted every item in the store be made in America, the children, or shall I say, the spawns of Satan, took over. Once in their control, out goes the American merchandise and in comes all the crap from China. Then, and this is the sickening part, Wal-Mart puts on the bright and shiny face of doing well for America. It is the one corporation that reminds me of the Christian Fundamentalist movement here in America – they are so far from their founding roots they became the thing the preached against.
And with all Pagan holidays, the Vatican stepped in to ruin everything.
The festival is named after Saint Walburga (known in Scandinavia as “Valborg”; alternative forms are “Walpurgis”, “Wealdburg”, or “Valderburger”), born in Wessex in 710. She was a niece of Saint Boniface and, according to legend, a daughter to the Saxon prince St. Richard. Together with her brothers she travelled to Franconia, Germany, where she became a nun and lived in the convent of Heidenheim, which was founded by her brother Wunibald. Walburga died on 25 February 779 and that day still carries her name in the Traditional Catholic Calendar. However she was not made a saint until 1 May in the same year, and that day carries her name for example in the Finnish and Swedish calendar.
Allow me to finish up with a quote from the The Two Towers.
The fires of Isengard will spread. And the woods of Tuckborough and Buckland will burn. And… and all that was once green and good in this world will be gone.
– Meriadoc Brandybuck