One fascinating topic in German #folklore that doesn't get as much attention as it should is the Protestant Reformation, which turned most of the country - and the rulers of the assorted German states - into two competing faiths which eventually lead to the Thirty Years' War - and the aftereffects of this conflict still shape German religion, culture, and politics to this day.

And unsurprisingly, the Protestant Reformation left a large footprint in folk tales. They often sought to slander the leaders of the other side (there are quite a few tales in the veins of "...and Martin Luther only escaped the righteous rage of the citizens with the help of the Devil!"). There were omens that supported one side or the other (sometimes even ghosts reporting on the state of affairs in the afterlife).

And it is no coincidence that this conflict blossomed at the same time as witch hysterias, and each side was eager to portray the other side as being "less effective" in combating supernatural menaces...