Chlaus hunt
The Chlausjagen (also Klausjagen ) is a winter tradition that each take place in early December. After it used to be found all over the Seetal , it is only practiced in Hallwil today .
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The Hallwiler Chlausjage is carried out by six masked boys between the ages of 13 and 14 wearing bells (for some years there have been 14 and 15 year olds). The Chlausen go from house to house on Chlaus evening to collect a gift and to distribute nuts and rods.
Figures of custom
The Chlausen (Kläuse) consist of six masked figures. You have to master the art of puffing up. The oldest fourteen-year-old (the oldest fifteen-year-old for some years) is the head of the Chlaushorde. His work is monitored by two members of the Customs Commission of the Hallwil community. Larvae (masks) and costumes belonging to the commission are picked up a few weeks in advance from the parish hall.
Belong to the mask society
- the "gentleman" dressed in white with a crown on his head
- the "Jumpfere" (virgin) also appearing in innocent white
- the idiot "Joggeli" (corruption of "Jakob, Jakobli") in servant costume
- the "guard" as a guard in police uniform
- the "Möörech" (Moor, 'Black') appears entirely in sad black
- the «Root» (red) in a demonic red robe.
Each Chlaus carries a larva that characterizes his or her being , is equipped with a horse pigeon (ponytail riveted to a stick) and wears four to five horse bells (belts, equipped with bells and / or bells) hung around the chest. One of them acts as a cashier (de Möörech). The guard is equipped with a saber, horn and a knapsack (currently an old military backpack) full of rods, the jompfere with a sack full of mandarins, apples, gingerbread and nuts.
Expiration of the custom
At nightfall, the Chlausen begin their rattling run through the village. In front of each house, the guard announces the arrival of the Chlausen with a horn to lure the residents out of the house. Under the doorstep the Chlausen hop tirelessly up and down, making a hell of a racket, and maul people with the horse dusters; this until the victims soften and let a contribution jump. Then the donors receive a handful of sweets from the two whites, and the naughty children also receive a rod. Chlauschlöpfer meet around seven in the evening on the Bahnhofplatz and do the last time this year. The Customs Commission then invites them to a snack in the Dorbeiz (village restaurant). When the Chlausen have finished their five-hour tour, they meet at the leader's for dinner. The booty made is counted here. A fixed amount goes into the traditional treasury, the rest they distribute among themselves.
history
The Hallwiler Chlausjage is first attested in a ban in 1828. In the past, the “Sträggele” (cf. English “straggler” 'straggler') appeared on Chlaus evening in some places as a harbinger of the Chlausen. Dressed in rags and with a perforated pan on her head, the nasty witch appeared in the rooms. Silently she threatened to take cheeky children and lazy spinners with her in a sack. As soon as she appeared, the ugly old woman disappeared again into the darkness. Despite all these frightening figures, the farmer's children thought of the "Chlausesel" (Santa Claus donkey), who supposedly was waiting outside with the cart, and laid a bundle of hay for him in front of the barn.
The six Hallwiler Chlausen were provided by a secret society, which boys of the 6th, 7th or 8th grade could join. Newcomers had to pay an entry fee of one franc, the elders collected the money and the profit from the home visits. Those who had already left that year served as protectors, who went with the Chlausen and ensured order by one blowing the horn to the collection, another acting as the cashier.
Even then, the original Chlaus Society included Mr, Lady, Joggeli, Wächter, Schwarzer (old man) and Red. Disposable paper larvae were used.
«If there were small children, only gentlemen and ladies would enter the room. If the Kläuse had doubts about the good behavior of the children, Wächter and Joggeli appeared next to the two. For the most stubborn sinners and bad-doers, however, the most dreaded lice appeared in addition to those mentioned, the red and the black. From the background the gentleman brought a bowl with nuts, apples, cakes (pastries), dry pears, figs or oranges. " (Quote from the Hallwil village chronicle) The disobedient children received a rod and a beet.
The Chlausen often hunted tirelessly from house to house until midnight, from one end of the village to the other, accompanied by whip-cracking Chlauschlöpfers, until the evening ended in a cozy meal in the village pub, where the older generation knocked the Chlausjass. According to another custom, the 17 to 20-year-olds visited the girls of the same age in a post-party. The so-called old Chlausen appeared as “Aut” (old man), “Auti” (old man) or “Polizischt” (police officer). It was celebrated until the early hours of the morning.
After detailed research, the Chlausus was revised in 1949, after only five Chlauses were running and instead of one figure there was even a Santa Clause. The Samichlaus was replaced by the Möörech, the Joggeli was left in the green fool's dress. Fixed papier-mâché larvae were also purchased, which an artist made. From now on, only those who attended the seventh or eighth grade and who had mastered the snooze were allowed to participate in the custom - with the aim of saving this last custom.
After the old larvae had served and suffered for 35 years and the latest research had come to the conclusion that the larvae did not correspond to the original meaning of the figure, a new set of larvae was purchased and some of the costumes were replaced. Two characters were fundamentally changed: the previously mischievously looking, green Joggeli was supposed to represent a farmhand - like the carter once did. He was given a suitable costume and a more suitable larva. The Möörech previously had the smiling mask of a black African including a frizzy wig. But it should represent death. He was given a gloomy death mask; the robe was left in the color of death. Since more and more people no longer let the Chlausen into the house - partly out of ignorance of the custom, partly because of their impetuous behavior - house calls have been omitted since 1990. The Chlausen are received in front of the door, where they receive the gift and distribute sweets and a rod. So the Chlausen no longer have the function of Santa Claus, who comes today anyway on December 6th; both customs coexist.
When the "Chlaus hunt" is spoken of, it can be understood to mean that the Chlaus himself "hunts" through the area, or that he himself is hunted or chased away. The seemingly Christian Samichlaus can have other unchristian companions besides the dirt, who roam around noisy, with whips, bells or horns - chasing the Chlaus. The date of their occurrence often differs from that of Santa Claus. The Hallwiler Chlausen have their appearance on the second Thursday in December, the day of the Lenzburger Chlausmarkt. Always then, cracking whips lure Samichlaus and all other Chlaus figures of the region from the Goffersberg - at least according to the legend. Around 1930, figures similar to those in Hallwil appeared in a number of communities in the Lenzburg district. Today Santa Claus has replaced them almost everywhere; the “world date” December 6th instead of the second Thursday of the month seems to have also prevailed.