Frau Perchta

Work completed for the "Christmas Myths" competition by Fungi

An ancient winter spirit with a dual nature: once a bright goddess of order and the solstice, now a stern judge.
In the folklore of Southern Germany and Austria, Perchta wanders from house to house during Christmastide, inspecting people. She rewards the hardworking, but punishes the lazy mercilessly and savagely: ripping open their bellies and stuffing them with straw and stones. For this reason, she was nicknamed "the Ripper." She is depicted as an old woman with a crooked or goose leg—a sign of hard work at the spinning wheel and a sign of her connection with the animal and otherworldly realms.
Perchta is a figure of the boundary: between light and darkness, order and chaos. Not a comforting figure, but a reminder that winter sees all.