The Woman Who Kept The World In Order
Long before calendars were agreed upon and long before Epiphany had a name, there lived an old woman in the hills of Italy known simply as Befana. She was not feared, nor was she celebrated. She was respected. Her humble inn was immaculate beyond reason, scrubbed so clean that even dust seemed afraid to linger. Floors gleamed like still water, shelves were aligned with obsessive precision, and every tool had its place. Cleanliness was not merely habit for Befana. It was compulsion, ritual, and comfort. In a chaotic world ruled by fickle gods and wandering spirits, order was her shield.
The Night The Magi Knocked
On one cold night, guided by a star that burned brighter than any omen before it, three foreign men arrived at her door. They were learned, weary, and unmistakably important, though they spoke humbly. These were the Wisemen Magi, scholars and kings in their own right, following celestial signs toward the birth of something the world had never seen. Befana welcomed them without question, fed them, and gave them the cleanest beds in her inn. She listened politely as they spoke of prophecy and destiny, but inside she dismissed it as the hopeful speculation of men who had traveled too far and believed too much.
An Invitation Refused
When dawn came, the Magi invited her to join them. They said the child they sought was the Son of God, a divine turning point in human history. Befana hesitated. The idea sounded impossible, and more importantly, her home was not ready to be left. The hearth needed sweeping. The linens needed washing. Her mind rebelled at the thought of abandoning her carefully maintained order for a myth. She declined, wishing them well, and returned to her endless cleaning as the star continued on without her.
The Dream That Changed Everything
That night, Befana dreamed, not the muddled dreams of old age, but a vision so vivid it felt like prophecy forced upon her. She saw the holy child grown into a man who healed the sick, commanded storms, forgave sins, and broke the authority of death itself. She saw crowds, miracles, betrayal, and a cross silhouetted against a darkened sky. When she awoke, her hands were shaking. For the first time in her life, the floors did not matter.
A Search Across An Unmapped World
At sunrise she was compelled to gathered gifts, bread, sweets, fruit, and small treasures meant for travelers. She then set out to find the mystical Magi and the Christ child. Unfortunately, ancient roads were unreliable, names were rarely written, and the world was vast. Befana was no ordinary woman, however. She was a good witch, trained in the old ways, able to speak to forests, winds, and forgotten gods. She called upon nature deities for guidance, but none could locate the sainted baby.
When Angels Intervened
She soon learned why her magic failed. Angels had sealed the child away, shielding him from all powers outside Heaven. Angels and nature spirits had always existed in tension, neither good nor evil, but fundamentally opposed. The child Jesus was protected beyond the reach of spells, omens, and earthbound divinity. For the first time, Befana encountered a mystery even magic could not breach.
The First Gifts Given Too Late
Unable to find Jesus or the Magi, Befana returned home brokenhearted. She gave the gifts she had carried to the children of her village instead, telling herself that kindness delayed was still kindness. Each year afterward, near what we now call the New Year, she repeated the act. Candy, toys, and small blessings appeared for children while the adults whispered that the old woman had gone strange. They were wrong. She had gone faithful.
News Of The Cross
Decades passed before word finally reached her of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the miracles that followed. By then Befana was old, older than anyone realized. She wept openly, convinced she had failed the greatest calling of her life. She prepared herself for death, believing sorrow would be her final companion.
The Offer Of Immortality
Instead, she was visited by Strenua, the ancient Roman goddess of the New Year, renewal, and strength. Strenua offered Befana immortality, not as a reward, but as a continuation. The world, she said, would need gift-givers more than ever. Especially, when it came to stoking the magic of the mystical innocence of children. The central power of The Christmas Spirit. Befana accepted, unaware that the old gods themselves were already weakening as monotheism spread across the world.
The Fading Of The Old Gods
As centuries passed, the temples of deities fell silent, and nature spirits faded. One day Strenua no longer answered Befana’s calls. The connection was gone, severed by belief itself. Befana was immortal now, but increasingly alone until the night the Magi returned.
The Promise of the Three Kings
The three Magi appeared once more, unchanged by time. They revealed their own immortality and promised Befana that she would meet Jesus Christ someday. From that moment, she shifted her gift-giving to Epiphany Eve, honoring the night when faith, doubt, and destiny had first crossed paths.
The Witch of the Epiphany Sky
Befana took to the skies on a broomstick. Not as a caricature, but as a necessity. Roads were too slow, belief was scattered, and time was precious. She delivered gifts mostly across Italy, but wherever belief in her took root, she followed. Faith, after all, is a form of summoning.
A Meeting of Immortal Gift Givers
Eventually, she met another immortal traveler: Saint Nicholas, known to the modern world as Santa Claus. They recognized each other instantly as two relics of faith operating on different calendars. They became friends, sharing stories, routes, and burdens. On Epiphany each year, Befana began visiting North Pole City, where the Magi mysteriously appear, unchanged and waiting. There she communes with her fellow supernatural beings and passes out the official gifts of Epiphany along with the Magi.
The Fulfillment of a Long Regret
It was Santa Claus who finally fulfilled her deepest wish. Through his guarded chronokinetic abilities. Fantastical powers courtesy of his Demi-Angel status which fueled previous journeys for Santa to visit Jesus. Befana was allowed to meet the infant Jesus at last. She also spoke with the adult Christ, who forgave her doubts before she could even voice them. Cleanliness, he told her, had never been the problem. Fear had been.
Why Befana Still Flies
To this day, Befana still flies on Epiphany Eve as a part of the greater Christmas Season. Her powers are no longer derived from Goddess Strenua but rather The Spirit Of Christmas and Sub-Spirit Of Epiphany. Although some Santa approved winter nature deities may come into play. She leaves candy for the good, coal for the mischievous, and reminders for adults that belief is not always neat or convenient. Some say she is just folklore. Others swear they hear a broom on the roof in early January. But children know better. And so did the Magi. When staying at North Pole City on our annual vacation, we here at Mystic Investigations always enjoy getting a gift from Befana!🧙♀️
