This painting is a passion project for me. I first learned of Frau Perchda several years ago from a friend who was raised in Bavaria until she was adopted by Americans. She threw a Pechdenlauf party one winter. We made paper masks of Berchda’s ‘monster face’ and we raged out into the cold January night with fire and drums and noise. We breathed fire into the cold and began the process of chasing away evil and ushering in the Spring. It was glorious fun, but the center of the events, Frau Perchda, was a mystery to me. So I did what I do, and researched. I learned about her, the Belly Slitter, they called her. Horrible nighmarish stories of brutality and evisceration. As I studied her, I saw her called “beloved” and “the Bright One,’ and the image of her in my mind was confusing. Catholics assigned this long revered goddess the Feast of the Epiphany. I had to wonder how she went from the deity who cared for the souls of the orphaned or unloved, clothed in white veils covered in pearls, to this haggard forest monster with a skull headdress making even her shape frightening, waiting to cut people open in the dead of winter. This Springtime goddess of joy and beauty and benevolence became an iron faced Winter monster, surrounded by the Perchden, those beastly creatures almost indistinguishable from Krampus. It screamed to me of manipulation. It whispered “gaslighting..” to me. She was framed! They put her in an iron mask with a witchy, hooked nose that seemed to me like at least a mild nod at antisemitism. Which, according to the old stories, was not at all who Perchda was. She was inclusive. She loved the unlovable. She would never be that kind of monster. So this painting is me trying to give Berchda her real face back, under all the trappings of a world that assigned her villainy. She is amongst her beloved birch trees, her sacred watchers that make Perchda the Knower of Things. Her trees saw what happened, and they tell her the secrets. Her spinning wheel is over there, past those birches, waiting on her to spin Spring into being. Berchda was so beloved, in fact, that she was given her own rune, called Berkano, the rune of spring renewal. Blick is another word for dream, or vision. So please enjoy seeing her for what she was supposed to be, and breathe fire in the dead of winter. Shout and carry on wildly, and chase away the darkness, in her honor.

Quick facts:

• Print Type: Professional print on high quality cardstock paper with long lasting inks

• Signed in the print

• Print Finish: Matte

• Unframed option includes acid-free backing and archival clear sleeve

• Frame Moulding Width: 1.25”

• Frame Shape: Flat

• Frame Color: Black or White

• Orientation: Vertical or Horizontal

• Wall Hanging? Yes

• Tabletop Use? 8x10 and smaller framed options include easel backing for tabletop use

• Back Style: Open

• Matting Included: No

• Standard Glass: Clear glass with no UV protection

• Conservation Clear: Clear glass with 99% UV Protection

• Museum Glass: Crystal clear 99% UV Protection, Non-Glare, Anti-Static and Scratch Resistant. By far the best looking glass choice since it looks like there is no glass at all!

This wood photo frame has a modern flat design and is finished in a matte black or white that compliments any decor. A flat design enables each display to seamlessly integrate into any environment. The backing clips into place and includes both wall mounting hardware and an easel for tabletop use. Can be used horizontally or vertically. Choose from Standard Frame Glass, Conservation Clear or Museum Glass.