woodland women

nature_spirit forest Germanic single tradition · 1

Female forest spirits described in early Germanic beliefs by the 11th-century Rhenish bishop Burchard of Worms. They are related to the moss people and other wild forest spirits in Germanic folklore. Various early medieval texts refer to them using terms meaning 'wild wife' and 'wild maiden'.

When

First attested
1000 CE
Attested period
1000 – 1100
Historical notes
Described by 11th-century Rhenish bishop Burchard of Worms; recorded in various early medieval texts.

Relationships

co occurs with
Moss people, wood people

Expand to full subgraph →

Sources

wikipedia (1)

Source passages

“'woodland women' by the 11th-century Rhenish bishop Burchard of Worms. Furthermore, Grimm recorded the terms wildiu wīp, wildero wībo, wilder wībe, wilden wībe, wildaz wīp (all meaning 'wild wife') and wilde fröuwelīn ('wild maiden')”

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