The askafroa also known as the Danish Askefrue and German Eschenfrau, is a legendary creature in Scandinavian and german myths. It is very similar to the Greek Hamadryads. The Askafroa is the guardian of ash trees and is a malicious creature that can cause much damage, and to propitiate her it is necessary to make a sacrifice to her on Ash Wednesday.
The elders used to sacrifice to the Askafroa on the morning of Ash Wednesday. Before the sun had risen, they poured water over the roots of the ash tree. While doing this they said: "Nu offrar jag, så gör du oss ingen skada" meaning "Now I sacrifice [to you], so that you do us no harm". They also believed that if anyone broke branches or twigs from the ash tree, they would become ill and possibly die.
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