Witch figurines: a large selection for retailers

Witch figurines are a popular souvenir—especially in places already associated with magic or the supernatural through legends and folk beliefs. Witches have a mystical and mysterious appeal to people. But where does this mystery come from, and what still connects people to witches today? Today, the cult of witches is more of a cultural treasure than a source of fear. It’s no coincidence that witch figurines are hugely popular, especially as decorative items. That’s why you’ll find a wide selection in our witch figurine shop, allowing you to expand your own collection with these eerily beautiful pieces.

Buy witch figurines: Items for every taste at EURO SOUVENIRS

At EURO SOUVENIRS, we offer a wide variety of witch figurines and sets in our witch figurine shop. These are perfect as gifts for loved ones or for decorating your own home. Expand your product range with a diverse category featuring items that vary significantly in size, appearance, and function.

We have a large selection of flying witches with functions or flying witches without functions. The flying witch figures include witch variations in different sizes, sitting on a broomstick or a swing. The witch figures with functions are equipped with sound and light effects. For example, pressing the control button causes the witch to laugh while her eyes blink.

Our selection of witch figurines is complemented by standing witches with interactive featuresstanding witch with function and standing witches without interactive featuresstanding witch without function. These witch figurines come in cute, whimsical, or spooky designs. They differ in their clothing, such as skirt color and pattern. These souvenir witches are available from us in many different sizes, up to 70 cm.

If you’d like to expand your product range with smaller witch figurines and souvenir witches, we have just the right products for you. Our Witches keychain are a great accessory and significantly smaller than most of our other witch figurines. For all lovers of snow globes and glitter balls,Snow- and glitter globe ist außerdem eine snow- and glitter globe with witch we also offer a snow globe featuring a flying witch. The nine-centimeter-tall snow globe features a detailed 3D landscape on its base.  

By the way: Witch figurines are now the best-selling souvenir in the Harz Mountains and a widely used promotional symbol of the region. They have overtaken other Harz symbols, such as the Green Fir Tree and the Wild Man, to take the top spot and can be found in practically every souvenir shop in the Harz Mountains.

The most common depiction of a witch in witch figurines is that of an old woman with long, gray, disheveled hair, colorful robes, a matching pointed hat (now also widely known as a witch's hat), and a hooked nose. However, depictions of younger witches are also now available. In our shop, you will find large and small witch figurines in various designs.

Personalize witches: Design your own witch figures

If you’d like to personalize your witches, you can have various items from our witch collection engraved or printed with text or a logo. This is particularly worthwhile for shops with a witch theme, but can also serve as an interesting selling point for hotels and other businesses in particularly “bewitched” regions such as the Harz Mountains or the Black Forest. Options include snow globes, magnets, and manicure sets. For example, you can customize your witch figurines with different (female) first names—a classic in the merchandise business—and enchant your customers with these imaginatively designed witch figurines.

History and origin: What constitutes witchcraft?

In fairy tales, the witch is still portrayed today as a woman with magical powers she can use to cause harm. Furthermore, the witches in stories and legends are said to have ties to demons or the devil. This interpretation has little in common with the cute little witch figurines often found on kitchen counters or windowsills. Anyone who could predict the future was also considered a witch. But brewing potions, participating in dark rituals, flying on a typical witch’s broom, and influencing the weather were also part of a witch’s craft. These characteristics were included in the so-called witch code starting around the year 1400.

Fortunately, the burning of witches—especially at the stake—is a ritual that has long since fallen into disuse. It originated in French-speaking regions. In Germany, the term first appeared in the 15th century. In countries such as Spain, Portugal, and Italy, the burning of witches remained largely unpopular. Overall, this gruesome ritual served primarily as an extreme deterrent for the rest of the population and, unfortunately, as a major spectacle at the same time. For the Church, the burning of witches was the only conceivable means of completely purifying the defiled soul and freeing it from sin. The practice of burning witches came to an end with the Enlightenment. In many cities today, monuments or plaques commemorate the victims of witch burnings, including in Freiburg im Breisgau. The city is located in the Black Forest, which also has strong historical and literary ties to popular beliefs in witches and magic.

Thanks to modern interpretations of various witch characters and fantasy works, witches now enjoy a somewhat better reputation. The origin of the word “witch” is a subject of linguistic research. Similar terms exist, for example, in Dutch, but also in the languages of the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden) as well as in English, suggesting that all versions share a common origin in Proto-Germanic, whose speakers later spread further across Europe.

Especially on Walpurgis Night, the last night of April, witches still attract a great deal of attention today—and not just in the Harz Mountains, where this tradition originated on Mount Brocken, also known as Blocksberg. In Europe, it dates back as far as pre-Christian times. The “ancient Harz people” already celebrated their spring festival as part of their pagan beliefs. Wodan, the supreme Germanic god, held a wedding, and spring was welcomed—naturally, in exchange for appropriate offerings. Winter and all evil spirits were to be driven away. According to custom, this was to be achieved through masks, costumes, fire, and gunshots. “May has come,” goes the song, which is still sung today on Walpurgis Night.

Even today, every year around this time, dancing Brocken witches and all manner of witches adorn the houses, front yards, and in some cases the streets of the Harz region. Among the places where this tradition is particularly strong are Bad Harzburg, Bad Grund, Braunlage, and Thale. As already mentioned, the Brocken, Central Germany’s highest mountain at 1,142 meters, towers over it all. Even in our modern times, there is something magical about gazing at the Brocken’s summit from afar on a clear, full-moon night. However, witch figures now exist only for decoration, as promotional items, and, of course, as souvenirs.

How did the witches on the Brocken become so famous? It all began with a tragedy

The witch figures on the Brocken gained national fame primarily through a literary work. It so happened that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe sent his character Faust to the Brocken on Walpurgis Night in the tragedy of the same name:

The witches are heading for the Brocken
The stubble is yellow, the crops are green.
That is where the large pile gathers,
Mr. Urian is in charge.
And so it goes, over rocks and sticks,
The witch farts, the goat stinks.

When Goethe published his work in 1808, the Brocken became famous as a “witches’ mountain” even outside of Germany. According to popular belief, on the evening of April 30, all the witches gather at the Hexentanzplatz near Thale to fly together to the Blocksberg. The most common means of flight for witches is the broom made of twigs, though ordinary brooms or pitchforks were also considered typical. Witch characters such as Bibi Blocksberg or The Little Witch adapted the myth for children and continue to ensure its enduring popularity to this day.

Incidentally, the origin of the name “Walpurgis Night”—highly atypical given all the stereotypes surrounding witches—traces back to a woman of the Church. Saint Walburga, a learned woman, was the abbess of the convent in Heidenheim in the 8th century. During her lifetime, she had absolutely nothing to do with witches or the devil. Nevertheless, Walpurgis Night derives its name from her: Through the miracles attributed to her, Walburga became the patron saint of sailors and the protector against storms and evil spirits. On May 1 around the year 870, just under 100 years after her death, she was canonized. Since the Middle Ages, this date has been celebrated as Walburga’s feast day. Thus, the night of May 1 is called Walpurgis Night. Today, this spring festival is a rather joyful occasion, and May bonfires are still lit. However, fewer and fewer effigies of witches are burned.

Carnival, Halloween and the like: today's witch figures

Besides the popular witch figures, witches are also consistently among the most popular costumes for Carnival and Halloween. This jester figure is particularly popular and widespread in the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival. However, its origins are not entirely clear. The oldest known witch mask dates back to the 18th century and comes from Tyrol. Today, a typical witch costume in the Swabian-Alemannic Carnival includes straw shoes, striped socks, white peasant underwear, and a skirt. The costume is completed by the characteristic wooden mask. Alternatively, the face can be made up. The obligatory witch's broom is also a must.