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Alpine Traditions for the Dark Half of the Year

Step into the Alpine Regions of Austria for a complete introduction to the local traditions, beliefs, and folklore surrounding the dark half of the year.

Within these pages you will come face-to-face with the ghostly procession of otherworldly beings called the Wild Hunt, the goddess Percht who slits open the bellies of the idle and lazy, as well as that most feared, infamous, and sensationalized figure of the Yuletide season: Krampus.

Detailing over twenty authentic festivities, rituals, and divination methods rooted in the folklore and traditions that originated in the shadows of the Alps, this book is for everyone who is interested in the living traditions of Austrian paganism and folk-spirituality. May these traditions light your way through the dark half of the year.

Video: LlewellynCon 2026: Christian Brunner, Sophie Reyer, and Wolfgang Liemberger: Krampus and Other Dark Winter Folk Traditions of the Austrian Alps | Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.

Article: Traditional Witchcraft in the 21st Century | Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.

  Christian Brunner has studied shamanic practices for more than forty years and naturopathic methods for almost thirty. These experiences encouraged his deep fascination for the Alpine lore and traditions in his native Austria. He is the author of Alpine Witchery; Krampus, Witches & the Wild Hunt; Mountain Magic; and several articles for druid order journals, such as Touchstone, Druidenstein, and Trilithon. He is also a druid in the Order of Bard, Ovates & Druids. Visit him at ChristianBrunner.com.

   Sophie Reyer is a professor at the Academy of Pedagogy in Baden, Austria where she does research on mythological creatures and lectures at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna. She holds a Master of Arts and earned a Doctorate in Philosophy. She has written 20 theatre scripts and 148 prize-winning books. Visit her at SophieReyer.com.

 Wolfgang Liemberger first studied medicine and then switched to journalism. He studied directing and screenwriting at the Vienna Film School, and he worked as a tutor at the Institute of Journalism at the University of Vienna. There, he worked on film productions as a screenwriter and director as well as in other functions. Wolfgang has produced, directed, acted in, and done videography for several film productions.