... Holda (Goth. hulths, hold, friendly) is represented by Tacitus as Isis, goddess of the air and fountains, giving fruitfulness to the fields and rewarding diligence in household duties (weaving), in popular tradition transformed into Frau Hölle, the mistress of the lower world.  Among the South German tribes she appears under the name of Perahta, the shining one, "Frau Berchte," in Franconia and Swabia under the combined names Hilda-berta.  As the white lady she is the ancestress of various races.  As the snow-goddess during the winter solstice she drives in her chariot in her circuit through the land.  She has a plough, from which drop off splinters of gold.  Among the Anglo-Saxons she is called Hrêda, from hruod, fame; in northern mythology Frigg to some extent corresponds to her, the wife of Odhinn, the Frea of the Longobards (from Goth. freis, Old High Germ. frî, free, Gothic frijon, Old High Germ. frion, Sanscr. prî, to love), as goddess of marriage, who in other respects has manifold resemblances to the above-mentioned Freyja (from Prije, Sanscr. Prija, dear, friendly, from prî, to love, and thus from the same root). (Apologetics, Ebrard, v.2, 1887)