Walpurgis

Walpurgis, in its historical sense, derives from Saint Walburga, a 8th-century abbess and missionary whose feast day is celebrated in parts of Europe on February 1. The name Walburga was Latinized to Walpurga, and the saint's cult spread through the Frankish and German-speaking lands. In many regions, the name gave rise to a spring festival known as Walpurgis Night or Walpurgisnacht, observed on the eve of May Day.

In folk tradition, Walpurgis Night marks the transition from April to May and is associated with witches, magical gatherings, and protective bonfires. Folkloric lore places gatherings on the Brocken, the highest summit of the Harz mountains, where witches were thought to convene on this night. The combined Christian and pre-Christian elements contributed to a rite focused on cleansing, fertility, and warding off evil.

Today, Walpurgis Night is particularly prominent in German-speaking countries such as Germany and Austria, with bonfires, processions, and public celebrations. In Sweden it is celebrated as Valborgsmässoafton on April 30, with singing, campus events, and bonfires. In Finland the equivalent spring festival is Vappu, centered on May 1 and university traditions. Observances outside these areas are more limited and varied.

Literature and culture repeatedly reference Walpurgis Night, most famously in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, where Faust and Mephistopheles attend a nocturnal sabbath of witches and spirits. The term is often used in modern fantasy to evoke witchcraft, spring revelry, and occult imagery, while the historical Saint Walburga remains separate from contemporary ritual use.