Butzemann

Depiction of the Spanish equivalent of the Butzemann, El Coco , by Francisco de Goya (1769/97)

The Butzemann (also called Butz , Bütze , Butze , Putz , Boz , Buz , Butzenmann , Buschemann , Bugimann , Bullebeiß , Busemand , Buhmann , Boesman, Bölimann , Böölimaa or Böögg ) is a collective name for terrifying demons and ghosts, especially all kobold - or dwarf-like . The figure is mainly known from southern Germany and Switzerland, but also in northern Germany and Scandinavian countries and was greatly feared. In recent times she has mainly appeared as a child frightening figure , similar to the "black man", even if this was not her original character.

In the modern version of the nursery rhyme A Bi-Ba-Butzemann is dancing, the frightening figure becomes a funny dancing dwarf who presents good children with apples from his sack.

etymology

Linguistically, the expression is probably derived from the Middle High German word bôzen or bessen “to beat, rumble, knock”. Another possible name derivation is verbutzen (veil, mask ; from the Longobard word pauz ). The term “Mummum” occurs in the Dresden area. Another name for the Butzemann is Mummelmann , d. H. "The hooded man". There are also forms composed of these two expressions such as Butzenmummel , Mummelputz , Mombotz (in Hessen) and Mumpitz . The name is a general collective term for all kinds of demons and other ghostly beings.

A written derivation comes from the year 1510: in Liber vagatorum a "Bützeilman" is translated as "Zagel", which means penis or tail.

In the Anglo-Saxon area, the Butzemann corresponds in the broadest sense to the Boggart or Bogeyman , which is often translated as "black man". He comes out of wardrobes at night or scratches the window; its appearance is described differently depending on the household. He is a popular character in fantasy novels such as Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and horror films.

Similar figures

The following legendary figures are etymologically closely related:

• the Frisian puk
• the English puk , most famous expression as puck in William Shakespeare
• the Swedish pocker for devil
• the Norwegian puk or draug , an evil water spirit
• the Icelandic púki or púkinn for "little devil"
• the East Frisian Busebeller (etymological relationship uncertain)

literature

• Richard Beitl : Investigations on the Mythology of the Child (1933), Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon (eds.), Waxmann, Münster 2007, ISBN 978-3-8309-1809-7 , pp. 121–125 ( limited preview in Google Book search)
• Ludwig Laistner: About the Butzenmann . In: Journal for German Antiquity and German Literature NF 20 = 32 (1888), 145–195 ( digitized version )

Web links

Commons : Bogeyman  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wiktionary: Butzemann  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Leander Petzoldt : Small lexicon of demons and elementals . 3. Edition. CH Beck, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-406-49451-X , p. 45 ( limited preview in Google Book search - keyword “Butz”).
2. ↑ Liber vagatorum. Archbishop's Academic Library Paderborn, accessed on July 29, 2019 . 
3. ↑ zagel. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 31 : Z-Zmasche - (XV). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1956 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).