🎙️ The Devil Within

When Winter Wears a Face

Winter can feel empty — silent landscapes, long nights, and the sense that the world has gone still.

But in the mountain villages of the Alps and northern Italy, winter was never seen as empty. It was seen as dangerous.

In this episode of The Devil Within, we explore three chilling winter traditions born from isolation, fear, and the psychological weight of the dark season.

🐐 The Schnabelgeiss — Switzerland

Masked figures known as the “beaked goats” storm through villages wearing grotesque costumes and ringing bells. The noise and spectacle aren’t for entertainment — they’re meant to drive away illness, misfortune, and the lingering spirits of winter.

🌊 The Anguane — Northern Italy

Beautiful but dangerous water spirits said to lure travelers off safe paths and toward icy streams and hidden drops. Their legend reflects a harsh truth: in winter, the mountains deceive, and one wrong step can be fatal.

🔥 Giubiana — Burning the Winter Witch

In Lombardy and Piedmont, communities build and burn a straw effigy representing hunger, illness, and hardship. The ritual marks a psychological turning point — the moment when people believe the worst of winter is finally behind them.

These traditions didn’t change the season.

But they gave fear a face — and when fear has a face, it can be chased, confronted, and burned away.

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🌲 And join us next time as we investigate a real and haunting mystery in the mountains — the death of Canadian hockey player Duncan MacPherson.

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