Drude

What it is

In Germanic tradition, the drude is a malevolent female spirit known for causing nightmares. She is often described as a witch-hag or an alp who visits people while they sleep. The spirit is believed to sit on a person's chest, creating a heavy pressure that induces fear and paralysis. This phenomenon is called Alpdruck, which translates directly to elf pressure. The drude is considered a specific type of this distressing entity, particularly prevalent in southern regions of Germany and neighboring areas.

Where it comes from

The word appears in late Middle High German texts as trute. Linguists connect it to the Old Norse verb troða, meaning to tread or trample, similar to the modern German word treten. Some scholars suggest a link to trût, meaning dear or beloved, viewing it as a euphemism to avoid naming the spirit directly. The term was also used broadly for witches in the sixteenth century. Dialect variations include trūde in Thuringia and trūd in Swabian and Bavarian regions.

How it is done

People protect themselves by marking surfaces with the Drudenfuss, a symbol resembling a pentagram or hexagram. This sign is painted on house walls, stable doors, and church entrances. It is also carved into wooden charms placed in cradles or hung on window bars. Another method involves placing a flax hackle with spikes pointing upward on the victim's chest to deter the spirit. Throwing a pillow at the entity or speaking a holy name are also recorded ways to repel it.

Tools and materials

The primary tool is the Drudenfuss symbol, representing a footprint or cross. Practitioners use perforated stones smoothed by riverbeds, threading ribbons through them to hang as amulets. These talismans are placed near beds or stables. Wooden charms made from fir trees are also crafted and positioned in infant cradles. In some areas, unshut windows are seen as invitations, so closing them is a simple protective measure against the butterfly guise of the spirit.

What it is for

The main goal is protection from nighttime terror and physical oppression during sleep. Families seek to prevent the drude from pressing on infants or adults. The symbols serve as wards against various spirits, including alps and witches. The practice aims to ensure safe rest and guard livestock from supernatural harm. Communities view these measures as necessary defenses against unseen forces that target humans and animals alike.

Who does it

Ordinary households perform these rituals without specialized training. Women are often noted as responsible for placing charms in cradles or on household items. In some traditions, women with large or joined eyebrows were stereotyped as potential drudes capable of sending nightmares. The knowledge is passed down through local custom and oral tradition rather than formal instruction.

Peoples and places

The belief is strongest in southern Germany, particularly Bavaria and Swabia. It extends into Austrian Tyrol and parts of Italy like South Tyrol. Similar concepts appear in Swedish folklore with the Alfquerner stone. The spirit is associated with the Wild Hunt legends in Central Europe, where forest maidens seek shelter from the Huntsman using protective crosses. Different regions have unique names and slight variations in how the spirit manifests.

What people believe

The drude is part of a broader worldview involving alps, mares, and other nocturnal entities. She is thought to leave her body as a spirit to torment victims, sometimes appearing as a butterfly or giantess. The pressure she exerts is a physical sensation attributed to supernatural intervention. Protective symbols rely on geometric shapes to create barriers. The belief system treats these spirits as real threats requiring active defense through folk magic.

When it is done

The encounters happen daily during the night. There are no specific festivals tied to the drude, but the practice is continuous. Families maintain protections year-round to guard against sudden attacks. The spirit is associated with the general danger of sleep and darkness rather than seasonal events.

How scholars and sceptics see it

Philologists analyze the etymology to trace linguistic shifts from Old Norse to German dialects. Folklorists compare the drude to other European nightmare spirits like the mare and incubus. Researchers note the apotropaic function of the pentagram in folk belief. Anthropologists study how these beliefs reflect historical anxieties about sleep paralysis and infant mortality.

Compare and confuse

The drude is closely related to the mare and the schrat, all sharing traits like causing chest pressure. The Drudenfuss symbol parallels other apotropaic marks like the Schrattl-Gatterl gate. In Sweden, the concept appears as the Alfquerner millstone. The term was once a generic label for witches before becoming specific to this spirit.

Questions people ask about Drude

Good reading and sources

• Drude on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data