The Stob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcC85lL46MI This is the band Hexentanz and the song "Mark of the Witch".  The video comes from the Russian 'horror-comedy' 'Viy'.   Via MrsMisanthopy (Youtube).  The purpose of posting is to point out several mythic and 'folkloric' elements. 1. In German, "Hasch" is equivalent to "hashish" in the beginning of the song.  This was listed in several 'witches transvection ointments'.  Whether it was an addition by priests during the European witch trials or an actual ingredient, is still debated in scholarly circles. 2. The mention of the 'Erythraean sea' and 'the cave' in the song,  this is similar to other ideas of supernatural boundaries.  The idea that the three worlds or multitude of worlds have fixed boundaries. 3.  "Elder Oak, does the Dragon COIL around".  People will mistakenly point out, it was Ash the 'Dragon' coiled around (Yggdrasil).  While ...

Barvitus   Oddly enough, certain groups in Cornwall have a psychopomp referred to as the 'Helmsman' (which is both male and female or gender neutral, if you prefer).  The Sprite, Bucca Gwid/Bucca Du, is also considered male and female to some groups in Cornwall.  Whereas, Old/Ole' Buck is considered exclusively male to most 'groups' in the South-Eastern U.S.

Many of the 4th to 7th century Saints of Britain/Wales, Scotland and Ireland probably have a mythological origin.  This period has been referred to as the 'Dark Ages'.  Although, Ireland is least suspect, as European Scholars, usually, turned up there fleeing 'Gothic' or Northern tribes.  So, it might be plausible that certain saints were deified tribes-people or old spirits from Irish belief.  Obviously, this is my rehash of old and new scholarship on the topic.  Unfortunately, there are few definite answers, as historians rely on written material and little documentation remains from the era, hence the title, "The Dark Ages".