Paschold’s Hexenritt, 1929
Raimund Paschold was a very minor German sculptor. He might be best remembered today for bust of Beethoven that he produced in 1912(?) to celebrate the bicentenary of the composer’s birth (see here). In the late 20s he published reproductions of his work on postcards; what became of the originals is anyone’s guess. Certainly no art gallery or museum is admitting to having any!
As well as Beethoven, a ghastly, saccharin cherub/child, and a series of gnomes and fairies (see here, and here) he did witches. I only have one of these, but I have seen one other, and would like more. I think they are pretty cute.
As you can see, this sculpture depicts a group of witches heading off to the sabbat. It is titled “Hexenritt” [The Witches Ride]. Some of you might remember a post I did a few years back with this title about an 1870 engraving (which has recently appeared in lots, and lots of coffee-table books).
As usual for European group of witches, this one is mixed, containing an old woman, a young woman and an infant. Since they are all one one broom I am going to assume that it is a family group: the old women being the young woman’s mother, and the infant, her daughter. I think we can also assume that they are all witches too, even the infant
(BTW: At first I thought that the old woman was an old man—she does have a very strong jaw-line and an aquiline, rather than a hooked, nose. I also thought the hair looked rather more like a bald pate with tufts of hair at the back and sides—i.e. male pattern balding—rather than a bun, as it is identified by others. She is also quite powerfully built. But I stand corrected. See more in my feedback below.) .
The young witch is very cute and quite naked (unlike her mother) and so she is perfect for this blog. If I ever manage to get more in this series, you will certainly see them here!
BTW: you will note that this is not a Halloween image. I have been avoiding Halloweeniana this last few weeks because I have agreed to take part in the “Halloween countdown,” which means I will be doing a blog entry every day—or trying to!—for all of October and all those posts will be Halloweenish. So, if you are starting to get excited about Halloween, as I am, you will have your fill of fun stuff here soon enough (starting Thursday).
26 September 2009 at 12:18 PM
That’s an old man? I thought it was a crone. (Unless men in Germany wear their hair in a bun).
26 September 2009 at 7:18 PM
I thought crone, too. Maiden, mother, crone.
26 September 2009 at 9:02 PM
I had the same thought as Oberon: three generations of women.
27 September 2009 at 4:50 AM
I had the same thought as the others.
28 September 2009 at 8:07 PM
I’m late to the party, I see…
But, I’m with the other crone-ys: the bun says ‘female’ to me, making it a Three Ages Of Women image.
(I also really like the idea of photographed sculpture as illustration. I think I need to pursue that.)
30 September 2009 at 9:30 PM
Thanks everyone. As you can see, I have updated the post. I have deferred to your collective wisdom. (But first I showed the card to a some people and asked them to vote male/female on the elderly individual. The votes came in even, so I don’t feel too bad for getting it wrong!)
But, while this image does seem to represent “three generations of women,” I don’t think we can claim them as “Maiden, mother, crone.” The infant is not a Maid.
The word once indicated an virginal and/or unmarried woman. Though the infant is obviously virginal, she isn’t old enough for that status to mean anything. She has to be sexually mature *and* virginal and/or unmarried. At least that is my understanding.
I think it is for this reason that some Wiccans might accept an adolescent female as a Maid, but I don’t know of many who would accept a girl, and none would accept an infant in that role.
So, like I said, three generations, but not Crone, Mother, Maid.
RW
4 October 2009 at 8:50 AM
Usually the maiden aspect is a girl just begining to blossom. so even a pre-adolecent can be the maiden aspect.
But i agree with Redwitch in that it is three aspects of generations.
15 October 2009 at 10:55 PM
The old one does appear to have an adam’s apple…