Bärzeli
The Bärzeli is a winter custom that takes place on January 2nd (Bärzelitag, Berchtoldstag ). After it used to be found all over the Seetal , it is only practiced in Hallwil today .
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On January 2nd (Bärzelitag, Berchtoldstag) the population of Hallwil is called to the street by the noise of the Bärzelibuben. At 2 p.m. the big Bärzeli swarm out, small Bärzeli precede them. The 13 figures are dressed in different robes and equipped with "Söiblootere" (pig bladders) and "Rären" ("rattles", a noise instrument). They wish all viewers "es guets nois" (a happy new year).
The figures of custom
Fifteen grown-up, mostly single boys from the village come together every year to form a loosely structured mask society. -Two of them are the bosses. He is also a member of the local customs commission. In a meeting in October, the route, the bars to be visited and the performers of the specified mask types are determined. The clothes of the big four are made by the boys themselves every year in days of work, the traditional costume group takes care of the other costumes.
The mask society includes:
- the white clad "gentleman" with a crown on his head
- the "Jumpfere" (virgin) also dressed in white
- the "Spielchärtler" (playing card man), whose robe is littered with over 1000 French Jass cards
- the "Tannreesig" (figure made of pine branches)
- the "Stächpaumig" (made of holly branches )
- the "Aut" (age)
- the "Lörtsch" (old woman ), who sprays fertile water from a pan
- the "Lumpig" (Lumpiger) wrapped in rags
- the "Hobuspöönig" (made of wood shavings)
- the "Straumaa" (costume made of bundled straws)
- the "Schnäggehüüslig" (snail shellfish )
- a " camel " mimed by two boys , who is accompanied by a "camel driver" and a "camel driver " in white robes.
All of them carry a larva that characterizes their being, as well as noise or percussion instruments - "Rare" (rattles) or Söiblootere (pig bladders) - with them. Two of them act as cashiers.
Meaning of the figures
The two green natural figures Stächpaumig and Tannreesig are symbols for fertility and the evergreen life, the Dürren, Straumaa, Schnäggehüüslig and Hobuspöönig, on the other hand, indicate the barren, cold winter. While Herr and Jumpfere stand for youth, beauty, inexperience and virtue, Aut and Lörtsch symbolize age, ugliness, wisdom and vice. The mischievous play charterer stands for joie de vivre, but also for the play instinct and the vices in people. The messy looking Lumpig is visually in contrast to the Spielchärtler.
procedure
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the “Bärzelibuebe” wild hornets storm out of the “Metzgerhüüsli” on the audience, luring the population out with their deafening arrows. To be surprised by the wild, prickly embraces of the greens and the drought, to feel the impact of Söiblootere on the hump or a "Gutsch" water from the Lörtsch, to delight in the capers of the camel - that is what the Haubuern like. We know that all sorts of things happen on Bärzelitag z'Haubu, and if you don't like doing this, you drive the fun all the more with it. The Hallwil primary school students appear dressed as little Bärzeli in front of the grown-up boys.
The Bärzeli wander through the village on a predetermined route for around two hours, stopping here and there in a garage before visiting the gymnasium as the end of their village route and “making the spectators happy” with their goings-on. Then the funny company sets off in a minibus to the nearby communities to do all sorts of mischief in the inns and to collect one or the other obolus. The Bärzelibuebe closes the evening with a meal in the "Dorfbeiz" (restaurant in the village).
history
On January 2nd, there has been a custom of masks in Hallwil for almost 150 years. According to older villagers in Hallwil, six traditional mask figures were certainly present at this parade, namely Tannreesig, Stächpaumig, Spielchärtler, Lörtsch, Herr and Jumpfere. These figures disappeared before 1920, the school youth continued the custom in a degenerate manner and ensured that it was self-sustaining until 1949. By the way, around 1920 there was the Bärzeli in Egliswil, Boniswil, Staufen and Seengen, and before 1910 even in Lenzburg . January 2nd has always been known as the date for exuberant celebrations. The Bärzeli was also celebrated in Hallwil. Visits were made to one another; the clubs and the older villagers met in the afternoon for a "Hock" (meeting) or the Seetaler "Ramsen" (regional Jass variant) in the village bars, which often lasted until late at night.
The village boys of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s spent this day very differently. On the attic at home they dug out old clothes that served as costumes. You could get the larva for around 50 cents in the village shop, or you could help yourself with cardboard, fabric, soot and flour. Armed with rarities and söiblootere (pig bladders) tied to a stick, each of these about two dozen Bärzeli rushed out of his own hiding place at the audience (but especially at girls of the same age) and tortured them. Quite often things ended in unmasking. Small plays - be it from everyday life or from politics - were performed spontaneously. If, by chance, a solid structure (a move) emerged, the Bärzeli would move from house to house or drive through the village on a cart.
In 1949, after extensive research, the old tradition of the custom before 1920 was resumed. The six original, traditional figures Stächpaumig, Tannreesig, Speeuchärtler, Lörtsch, Herr and Jumpfere were reintroduced. Then proper paper mache masks were made by an artist. The Bärzeli had their first appearance - actually it should have remained the only one - at the general assembly of the Historical Association Seetal, which took place in Hallwil in 1949. The little Bärzeli were also involved, every year until they died out in 1970. The figure "the camel" was also incorporated. On the first Bärzeli in 1950, a hobuspöönig suddenly appeared. Based on the egg reading set , where there are greens and drought, which symbolize spring or winter, this scheme was transferred to Hallwil .
In 1968 three more figures were added. The “Straumuni” (straw bull) was known from the egg reading set (also practiced in Hallwil as a custom from the 1950s to the 1970s). Instead of stuffing the new figure with straw, the bundles of straw were pinned to it: the Straumaa was born and the symmetry between two green and two large, thin figures was given. The old man offered himself as a partner for the old Lörtsch. The last thing the Speeuchärtler needed was a partner: The Bärzeli hung a figure with rags and called him "Lumpig". A clown who drove in the money in a can joined as "number fifteen". The rule was: none of the traditional characters should collect the money. The clown survived until 1978 when the play charterer (from 1988 also the lompig) took over his post.
The old larvae had served and suffered for 35 years on January 2nd. In addition, the importance of the four big ones in relation to their appearance was no longer right: the Greens should have a smiling face, while the droughts have a sad face. As of 1985 all figures - with the exception of the camel and its companion - received new larvae. However, they were not satisfied with the result. The jumper looked like a prostitute and was soon replaced by the old face. From 1996 the old masks were gradually used again because they were perceived as more beautiful.
A redefinition of the custom in 2002 led to the fact that the old masks were finally copied and, from Bärzeli 2003, were used again in their motifs. The "green-dry scheme" has been rethought: The four big ones, for example, have been divided into two green and two dry ones, Herr and Jompfere stand in contrast to Aut and Lörtsch. The figures now form pairs, each facing each other in their meanings. In order to enhance the figure of the Speeuchärtler and make it more mobile, it was given a Soiblootere and the car was given a cash register. A traditional evening presented the innovations to a large audience on November 30, 2002. And since 2003, little Bärzeli (represented by the primary school students in the village) have appeared again on January 2nd . Per Bärzeli 2009 with the Schnäggehüüslig a traditional figure from the region was reactivated. This figure is historically attested for the Seenger and the Staufner Bärzeli.