Drude
A malevolent female nocturnal spirit causing nightmares in Germanic folklore.
In German folklore, a drude (German: Drude, plural Druden) is a malevolent female spirit that appears at night. It is a type of alp or witch-hag linked to nightmares, and is most common in Southern Germany. The figure is also called a trude.
The word appears as *trute* in late Middle High German. The shift from *t-* to *d-* is not a typical High German consonant change—in fact, the High German consonant shift normally shifts d to t, not t to d. Dialect forms include Thuringian *trūde* and Swabian, Bavarian, Austrian, and Rhenish Franconian *trūd*. Neighboring areas also use the term, such as Swedish Gotlandic *druda*, though the latter has come to mean "harlot." A 17th-century lexicon records the female forms *drutin* or *trutin*. In later Bavarian folklore, the female Trude had male counterparts called Truder, Trudner, or Truderer. By the 16th century, *trute* had become a generic term for "witch," as used by Hans Sachs.
Etymologically, Middle High German *trute* is related to Old Norse *troða* ("to tread, to trample") and the modern German verb *treten* ("to tread, to step"). Modern philology considers this the most plausible origin. Grimm's dictionary suggests a derivation from Middle High German *trût* (modern German *traut*, meaning "dear, beloved"), but Ranke (1937) found this unlikely, though it has been defended as a possible euphemism, similar to calling the Erinyes the Eumenides.
The drude is blamed for causing the nightmare *Alpdruck* ("elf pressure") and is considered just a subtype of the alp in terms of how it attacks. Some folklore says the drude is a witch who can change size, becoming tiny enough to enter houses as a small being or butterfly, or growing into a giantess that leaves huge footprints on stone. It is also said that only the witch's spirit leaves the body to torment people while they sleep.
The *Drudenfuss* (or *Drudenfuß*), meaning "drude's foot" (also *Alpfuss*), is a pentagram or hexagram symbol. It is also called *Drudenkreuz* ("drude's cross") or *Alpkreuz* ("alp's cross"). The term *Drutenfuß* appears in the 17th century, described as a symbol of safeguard in Georg Henisch's 1616 work and repeated by Justus Georg Schottelius in 1663. Its use to ward off the *Alpendrück* (the alp's pressure) is well recorded in 18th- and 19th-century Bavaria and Tyrol, and may date back to medieval times.
- Type
- Nocturnal spirit
- Also known as
- Trude, Drut
- Region
- Southern Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Tyrol, Switzerland
- Associated with
- Nightmares, Alpdruck (elf pressure)
- Symbol
- Drudenfuss (pentagram or hexagram)
- Male counterparts
- Truder, Trudner, Truderer
Lore & Background
The drude is a kind of alp or witch-hag that torments people in their sleep, causing the nightmare known as Alpdruck. According to folklore, the drude can assume various sizes, from tiny enough to enter houses as a small being or butterfly to a giantess leaving huge footprints on stone. It is also said that only the witch's spirit drifts out of the body to perform its tormenting work.
The word is attested as trute in late Middle High German, with dialect forms including Thuringian trūde and Swabian, Bavarian, Austrian, and Rhenish Franconian trūd. The term drut appeared in female forms drutin/trutin in a 17th-century lexicon. In later Bavarian folklore, the female Trude had male counterparts called Truder, Trudner, or Truderer.
Reader's Guide
The drude holds significance in Germanic folklore as a personification of nightmares and nocturnal oppression, closely related to the alp and mare traditions. Its most enduring legacy is the Drudenfuss, a pentagram or hexagram symbol used apotropaically against the drude and other malevolent spirits. This symbol was painted or applied on house walls, cowshed doors, castle gates, church entrances, cradles, and bedsteads, particularly in Bavaria and Tyrol from the 18th to 19th centuries, with possible medieval origins. The Drudenstein, a perforated stone used as a talisman, was hung in living rooms, by cradles, or on stable window bars for protection. The drude also appears in literature, notably in Goethe's Faust, where Mephistopheles is barred by a Drudenfuss on the threshold. The figure's association with butterflies, large eyebrows, and the ability to change size reflects broader folk beliefs about shape-shifting spirits and witches. The Drudenfuss also became a heraldic device and, in some contexts, a name for mistletoe.
Did You Know?
- The Drudenfuss symbol is also called Drudenkreuz, Alpfuss, or Alpkreuz.
- A Drudenstein can refer either to a landmark where female spirits gathered or to a perforated stone amulet.
- In the Tyrol, women with unusually large eyebrows might be accused of becoming a Trude.
- The word trute was used as a generic term for 'witch' in the 16th century by Hans Sachs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Drude?
Drude is a malevolent nocturnal spirit from Germanic folklore, functioning as a witch-hag or alp figure that haunts people while they sleep. She is most closely tied to the Southern German and Alpine cultural sphere.
What does Drude actually do?
Her central role is to press down on a sleeper's chest and inflict suffocating nightmares, a condition folk tradition calls Alpdruck or "elf pressure." This oppressive, dream-locked experience is the heart of her legend.
Where does the Drude figure come from?
The spirit is rooted in the folklore of Southern Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Tyrol, and Switzerland. Dialectal spellings like Thuringian *trūde* and Bavarian *trūd* trace how the concept rippled across neighboring German-speaking regions.
What is the Drudenfuss and why is it linked to Drude?
The Drudenfuss is a pentagram or hexagram mark that folk tradition used as a protective ward against Drude and similar night-spirits. Placing it in the home was believed to stop the hag from pressing down on a sleeping person.
Does Drude have a male counterpart?
Yes—male versions appear under names such as Truder, Trudner, and Truderer. They share the same nocturnal, nightmare-inducing function but are gendered differently within the local folklore.
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