Chapter 17

As henchman true, he abides by the master he once takes up with, come weal come woe. But his attachment is often found irksome, and one cannot be rid of him again. A farmer set fire to his barn, to burn the goblin that hounted it; when it is all ablaze, there sits the sprite at the back of the cart in which they were removing the contents (Deut. sag. no. 72). (153) In Mone's Anzeiger 1835, 312 we read of a little black man that was bought with a chest, and when this was opened, he hopped out and slipped behind the oven, whence all efforts to rout him out were fruitless; but he lived on excellent terms with the household, and occasionally showed himself to them, though never to strangers. This black figure reminds one both of the Scandinavian dwarfs, and of the devil. Some thoroughly good goblin-stories are in Adalb. Kuhn's collection, pp. 42. 55. 84. 107. 159. 191-3. 372. (154)

There are also goblins who, like nix and watersprite, are engaged in no man's service, but live independently; when such a one is caught, he will offer you gifts or tell your fortune, to be set at liberty again. Of this sort is the butt in the nursery-tale (p. 507), likewise the folet in Marie de Fr. 2, 140, who grants three wishes (oremens). And the captive marmennill (p. 434), or the sea-wife, does the same.

The unfriendly, racketing and tormenting spirits who take possession of a house, are distinguished from the friendly and good-natured by their commonly forming a whole gang, who disturb the householder's rest with their riot and clatter, and throw stones from the roof at passers by. A French comedy of the 16^th century, 'Les Esprits,' (155) represents goblins racketing in a house, singing and playing at night, and aiming tiles at passers by in the daytime; they are fond of fire, but make a violent uproar every time the master spits. (156) In Gervase of Tilbury, cap. 18, the folleti also pelt with stones, and this of stone-throwing is what we shall meet with in quite early stories of devils; altogether the racketing sprites have in this respect more of the devil or spectre in them than of the elf: it is a darkening and distortion of their original nature in accordance with Christian sentiment.

So it becomes clear, at last, how the once familiar and faithful friend of the family under heathenism has gradually sunk into a bugbear or a taunt to children: a lot which he shares with goddesses and gods of old. As with Holle and Berhte, so people are threatened with the Lamia, the Omacmica, the manducus and goblin (pp. 500. 507): 'le gobelin vous mangera, le gobelin vous attrapera!' Little bützel no more, but a frightful butzemann or katzenveit, in mask (strawbeard) or with sooty visage he scares (like the roggenmuhme, p. 477). And it is worth remarking how, in some districts at least, knecht Ruprecht, knecht Nicolas, appear at Christmas time not by themselves, but in attendance on the real gift-giver, the infant Christ or dame Berhte: while these dole out their favours, those come on with rod and sack, threatening to thrash disobedient children, to throw them into the water, to puff their eyes out (Rockenphilos. 6, 353). Their pranks, their roughness, act as foil to the gracious higher being from whom the gifts proceed; they are almost as essential to the festival as Jackpudding to our old comedy. I can well imagine that even in heathen times the divinity, whose appearing heralded a happy time, had at his side some merry elf or dwarf as his attendant embodying to the vulgar eye the blessings that he brought. (157) Strongly in favour of this view are the North Franconian names Hullepöpel (Popowitsch 522), Hollepeter (Schm. 2, 174), the Bavarian Semper, of whom they say he cuts naughty children's bodies open and stuffs them with pebbles (Schm. 3, 12. 250), exactly after the manner of Holla and Berhta (p. 273) (158); and consider faithful Eckart, who escorts Holla. In Christian times they would at first choose some saint to accompany the infant Christ or the mother of God in their distribution of boons, but the saint would imperceptibly degenerate into the old goblin again, but now a coarser one. The Christmas plays sometimes present the Saviour with His usual attendant Peter, or else with Niclas, at other times however Mary with Gabriel, or with her aged Joseph, who, disguised as a peasant, acts the part of knecht Ruprecht. Nicolaus again has converted himself into a 'man Clobes' or Rupert; as a rule, it is true, there is still a Niclas, a saintly bishop and benevolent being, distinct from the 'man' who scares children; but the characters get mixed, and Clobes by himself acts the 'man' (Tobler 105b, 106ª); the Austrian Grampus (Höfer 1, 313. Schm. 2, 110), Krämpus, Krambas, is possibly for Hieronymus, but how to explain the Swiss Schmutzli (Stald. 2, 337) I do not rightly know, perhaps simply from his smutty sooty aspect? Instead of Grampus there is also in Styria a Bärthel (pointing to Berhta, or Bartholomew?) Schmutzbartel (159) and Klaubauf, who rattles, rackets, and throws nuts (Denis, Lesefr. 1, 131; see Suppl.). Further, on this point I attach weight to the Swedish jullekar, Dan. juleleger, yule-lays, undoubtedly of heathen origin, which at Christmas time present Christ and certain saints, but replace our man Ruprecht by a julbock, julebuk, i.e., a manservant disguised as a goat. (160) This interweaving of jackpudding, fool, Klobes and Rüpel, of the yule-buck and at last of the devil himself, into the rude popular drama of our Mid. Ages, shows what an essential part of it the wihtels and tatermans formerly were, how ineradicable the elvish figures and characters of heathenism. The Greeks enlivened the seriousness of their tragedy by satyric plays, in which e.g., Proteus, similar to our sea-sprite (p. 434) played a leading part. (161)

There is yet another way in which a former connexion between gods, wise-women and these genii now and then comes to light. The elf who showers his darts is servant or assistant to the high god of thunder, the cunning dwarf has forged his thunderbolts for him; like gods, they wear divine helmets of invisibility, and the home-sprite has his feet miraculously shod as well; water-sprites can assume the shapes of fishes and sea-horses, and home-sprites those of cats. The weeping nix, the laughing goblin are alike initiated in the mystery of magic tones, and will even unveil it to men that sacrifice. An ancient worship of genii and daemons is proved by sacrifices offered to spirits of the mountain, the wood, the lake, the house. Goblins, we may presume, accompanied the manifestation of certain deities among men, as Wuotan and Holda, and both of these deities are also connected with watersprites and swan-maids. Foreknowledge of the future, the gifts of prophecy, was proper to most genii; their inexhaustible cheerfulness stands between the sublime serenity of gods and the solemn fates of mortals. They feel themselves drawn to men, and repelled by them. The downfall of heathenism must have wrought great changes in the old-established relationship: the spirits acquired a new and terrible aspect as ministers and messengers of Satan. (162) Some put on a more savage look that savours of the giant, especially the woodsprites. Grendel's nature borders on those of giants and gods. Not so with the females however: the wild women and female nixes drop into the class of fortune-telling swan-maids who are of human kind, while the elfins that present the drinking-horn melt into the circle of valkyrs; and here again we recognise a general beauty pervading all the female spirits, and raising them above the males, whose characteristics come out more individually. In wichtels, dwarfs and goblins, especially in that children's bugbear the man Ruprecht, there shows itself a comic faculty derived from the oldest times.

Through the whole existence of elves, nixes, and goblins there runs a low under-current of the unsatisfied, disconsolate: they do not rightly know how to turn their glorious gifts to account, they always require to lean upon men. Not only do they seek to renovate their race by intermarriage with mankind, they also need the counsel and assistence of men in their affairs. Though acquainted in a higher degree than men with hidden virtues of stones and herbs, they yet invoke human aid for their sick and their women in labour (pp. 457. 492), they borrow men's vessels for baking and brewing (p. 454 n.), they even celebrate their weddings and hightides in the halls of men. Hence too their doubting whether they can be partakers of salvation, and their unconcealed grief when a negative answer is given.




ENDNOTES:

153. Very similar stories in Kuhn, no 103, Thiele 1, 136, and the Irish tale of the cluricaun (pp. 92. 213 of the transl.). Also a capital Polish story about Iskrzycki, in Wóycicki's Klechdy 1, 198: An unknown person, who called himself Iskrzycki [flinty, from iskra = spark, says Grimm; there is also a Slav. iskri = near, iskrenny = neighbour, friendly] came and offered his services to a man of noble family. The agreement was drawn up, and even signed, when the master observed that Iskrzycki had horse's feet, and declared his intention of serving his master whether he would or no. He lived invisible by the fireplace, did all the tasks assigned him, and by degrees they got used to him; but at last the lady pressed her husband to move, and he arranged to take another estate. The family all set out from the mansion, and had got through the better part of the way, when, the log-road being out of repair, the carriage threatens to upset, and the lady cries out in alarm. Suddenly a voice from the back of the carriage calls out: Never fear, my masters! Iskrzycki is with you (nie bój sie, pani; Iskrzycki z wami). The 'masters' then perceiving that they could not shake him off, turned back to their old house, and lived at peace with the servant until his term expired. [English readers will remember Tennyson's 'Yes, we're flitting, says the ghost.']---The alraun or gallows-mannikin in Deutsche sagen nos. 83. 84 is not properly a kobold, but a semi-diabolic being carved out of a root, and so diminutive that he can be kept in a glass; like an idol, he has to be bathed and nursed. In one thing however he resembles the home-sprite, that he will not leave his owner, and even when thrown away he always comes back again, unless indeed he be sold [orig. 'bought'] for less than he cost. The last purchaser has to keep him. Simpliciss. 2, 184. 203. Conf. Schm. 3, 96-7. [Home-sprites can be bought and sold, but the third buyer must keep him, Müllenhoff p. 322. With ref. to the 'idol (götze)': As the figure of the child Jesus has its shirt washed (Sommer, pp. 38. 173), so the heckmännchen must be dressed up anew at a certain time every year, 10 Ehen, p. 235.---Extr. from Suppl.] Back

154. To escape the futtermännchen, a farmer built a new house, but the day before he moved, he spied the f. dripping his grey coat in the brook: 'My little coat here I swill and souse, Tomorrow we move to a fine new house.' Börner's Orlagau, p. 246. Whoever has the kobold must not wash or comb himself (Sommer p. 171. Müllenh. 209); so in the case of the devil, ch. XXXIII.---Extr. from Suppl. Back

155. Comedies facecieuses de Pierre de l'Arivey, champenois, Lyon 1597. Rouen, 1611, p. 242 seq. Back

156. Legenda aurea, cap. 177: Hujus Ludovici tempore, anno Domini 856, ut in quadam chronica habetur, in parochia Maguntina malignus spiritus parietes domorum quasi malleis pulsando et manifeste loquendo et discordias seminando adeo hominis infestabat, ut quocumque intrasset, statim illa domus exurereter. Presbyteris autem letanias agentibus et aquam benedictam spargentibus inimicus lapides jactabat et multos cruentabat. Tandem aliquando conquiescens confessus est se, quando aqua spargebatur, sub capa talis sacerdotis quasi familiaris sui latuisse, accusans eum quod cum filia procuratoris in peccatum lapsus fuerit. [This incident, said to have occurred at Capmunti (Kembden) near Bingen, is derived from Rudolfi Fuldensis Annal. ann. 858, in Pertz 1, 372, where further details are given.---Extr. from Suppl. Back

157. Heinrich and Ruprecht were once common names for serving-men, as Hans and Claus are now. Back

158. Zember about Eger in German Bohemia (Popowitsch 523); at the same time the Lausitz idol Sompar (supra, p. 71 note) is worth considering. Back

159. The phrase 'he knows where Barthel gets his must,' notwithstanding other explanations, may refer to a home-sprite well-known in the cellar. Back

160. Read Holberg's Julestue, and look up julvätten in Finn Magn. lexicon, p. 326 note. Back

161. They frightened children with sooty Cyclops, and acc. to Callimachus (Hymn to Diana 66-71), Hermes, like our Ruprecht blackened with soot, struck terror into disobedient daughters even of gods:

all ote kourawn tij apeiqea mhteri teucoi,

uhthr mhn kuklwpaj eh epi paidi kalistrei

Arghn Ermeihj, spodih kecrhmenoj aiqh,

autika thn kourhn mormussetai h de tekoushj

dunel esw kolpouj qemenh epi faesi ceiraj.Back

162. Bruder Rausch (friar Rush) a veritable goblin, is without hesitation [described as being] despatched from hell among the monks; his name is to be derived from russ = fuligo (as kohlrausch was formerly spelt kolruss). Back