Old Germanic traditions: The celebration of Walpurgis Night has little to do with either Christianity, or Saint Walpurga. Instead, the origins of this festival may be found in the period before the arrival of Christianity in northern Europe. As the festival falls during the period when spring arrived, the pagans conducted rituals to welcome spring and ensure the fertility of the land. During that period, the pagans would leave their livestock to graze around the spring equinox . In order to scare away wild animals, they would light bonfires, dance around them, and make much noise. When Christianity arrived, the bishops found that these activities were a little too pagan. Instead of banning it, however, the bishops decided to shift it to Walpurgis Night, so that it could be associated with the Christian saint. #Norse #history #mythology #spring #Pagan