The House Witch: Your Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Space with Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home - Arin Murphy-Hiscock 2018

Ertha
Hearth and Home Deities

A domestic deity from northern Europe, Ertha is associated with earth and abundance, fate, peace, and domestic life. She is a Germanic version of Mother Earth. In some myths, she is the mother of the three Norns, triplet sisters who control fate and destiny. Divination was often a hearthside activity, and fire is often used as a divination tool, so this association makes sense. Ertha is said to have flown through the smoke of the kitchen fire to leave small presents for each member of the family at the winter solstice, a practice very similar to the activity now assigned to Santa Claus and Father Christmas.