Perchta is a woman-like being found in German folklore. Perctha is described as an elderly woman who can shapeshift into a younger woman and animals but regardless of her form, she is said to have a foot that is larger than the other which is called the goose foot; she is also said to wear tattered clothes and has a hooked nose and unkempt hair. Perchta is said to wander the countryside during the 12 Days of Christmas especially on the Epiphany and if she finds a household of someone who has been good, she leaves gifts for them and if she has found that the people have been bad. she cuts their stomachs open and removes their organs and then she stuff the empty cavity with straw and pebbles. Perchta also gets super offended if she sees that girls have not spun all of their wool or flax for the year and if someone eats something other than fish and gruel on her feast day. There are also festivals for Perchta is Austria where people dress up as her and they wear masks of her in her younger form to bring about an influx of wealth which are called Schönperchten which means “Beautiful Perchten” and the mask of her in her older form to ward off evil which are called Schiachperchten which means “Ugly Perchten”.
