Glöckler

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ebenseer Glöckler

Glöckler are characters from the Rauhnacht s customs in the Salzkammergut and neighboring regions performing people. The embodied figures are beautifully perched , good light spirits, which are supposed to finally drive away the Rauhnachtsgeister, the wild hunt - the Glöcklerlauf therefore takes place on the last Rauhnacht, on January 5th , the night before Dreikönig.

Video of a bell ringer
Glöckler in Bad Ischl

The original form, the traditional Ebenseer Glöcklerlauf , was included in the register of intangible cultural heritage in Austria in 2010 .

Origin of the Glöckler runs

The name "Glöckler" derives from the Middle High German klocken ( 'knock') from, that is not originally related to bells ( noise Customs that the Krampus - Perchten and carnival brauchtum are common), but to a contemplation custom , that of Door to door pulling on the knocking nights .

It is believed that the Glöcklerlauf in its current form developed from several elements of customs at the southern tip of the Traunsee and was spread from there over the course of the last century. The Glöcklerlauf is often portrayed as a pagan custom. In earlier times people would have driven away the winter spirits (and thus the winter itself) with the help of the nocturnal spectacle and awakened the natural forces in the ground. Or that it is a custom in honor of the deities of light and fire.

Folklorists (Grieshofer and Gillesberger) are of the opinion that the Glöcklerlauf is an invention of the 19th century and that out of an economic emergency: In the middle of the 19th century, however, brown coal (from the Hausruck) was replaced by wood in the Ebensee saltworks Heating of the brew pans used, which had fatal consequences for the around 900 men who were employed in the wood removal - they were without work and income. In order not to have to beg for support, they offered u. a. a spectacle: the "clinking". Glöckeln should thus be a special kind of Heischens (ritual begging) ( Heischebrauch ).

The Glöckler runs in Ebensee were first mentioned in writing around 1850. In a chronicle from 1873, Ebenseer boys were described who were carried on their heads with cowbells and transparent paper lanterns or cardboard boxes and were lit by them with candles Performed single file dance figures. Over time, however, more in 1900, the masked are Glöckelngeher of the Glöcklern displaced who had glued instead of face masks paper fringe at the bottom of the cap. And the white clothes were the already existing work clothes of the Sud workers (see also below).

For this “new” custom to spread to other areas, Ebenseers, among others, ensured that they emigrated to these areas

Glöcklerlauf in Ebensee
Bell cap from Ebensee 2015

On the southern tip of the Traunsee there were already one or more Glöckler groups in most of the villages (Ebensee, Ober- and Unterlangbath, Roith, Rindbach, Langwies etc.) at the beginning of the 20th century. The bell caps were - compared to today's - smaller. When running, everyone carried a stick and bells that were not needed for the alpine cattle at this time of the year. From the southern tip of the Traunsee, the custom soon spread to the regions of the Inner Salzkammergut (Bad Ischl, Bad Goisern, Hallstatt) and later to the north of the Traunsee (Traunkirchen, Altmünster, Gmunden), until it was finally adopted by many Municipalities at the Attersee , and at the Wolfgangsee and the Salzburg Flachgau , but also towards the Styrian Ennstal (Gröbming / Gesäuse, Trieben) was taken over. The smaller but high caps can still be found in the Wildalpen on the Hochschwab, which are similar to the Faschen in the Katschtal ( carnival race from St. Peter am Kammersberg / Murau).

There are several explanations for the white clothing of the Glöckler: One of them says that the church and police used to oppose this custom of pagan origin in order to be able to hide quickly in the snow during persecution, the Glöckler wore a white robe.

Glöckler from Ebensee, Roith

Today's distribution

Glöckler runs take place in the following locations: Abersee , Altmünster , Bad Goisern , Bad Ischl , Ebensee , Gmunden , Gröbming , Obertraun , Laakirchen , Kirchham , Lauffen , Ohlsdorf , Pinsdorf , Salzburg , Sankt Gilgen , Sankt Wolfgang , Scharnstein / Almtal, Schörfling am Attersee , Stainach , Steinbach am Attersee , Strobl , Thalgau , Traunkirchen , Trieben , Unterach am Attersee , Vorchdorf , Wildalpen .

During the time of the Third Reich, a pass from Ebensee also had to run in Berlin (motifs on the caps: Adolf Hitler , swastika ; colors: red, brown).

Production of traditional bell-ringer caps

Salzburg Glöckler 2013

The cap consists of a wooden frame with a paper covering. A candle is used for lighting. A wooden frame is built from wooden sticks 3–4 mm thick, which gives the cap its shape. Then the motif as well as the surrounding ornaments and decorations are cut out of black construction paper - previously cardboard painted black was used for this purpose - or punched out with a die. On the later inside of the cap, the construction paper is backed with colored, semi-transparent paper. After the individual motif parts are ready, they are attached to the frame with glue or staples. A door with a kind of hinge (e.g. made of an adhesive fastener or press studs) is attached to one of the middle parts so that the candles can be stored inside the cap at any time. After the motifs are attached to the framework, the cap is painted. Then the so-called fringes (the white borders on the respective edges of the side surfaces) are attached. The fringes consist of white paper strips that are cut into. The cap is illuminated from the inside by candles. To attach the candles, a frame is attached inside that holds several candle holders. With modern caps, candles are often replaced by small light bulbs or LED lamps to avert the risk of fire. In the opinion of connoisseurs and advocates of the traditions, however, the lack of flickering of the candles affects the primeval atmosphere.

Illuminated bell-ringer caps

Course of a bell-ringer day

People dressed in white (runners, bell-runners) wear paper caps up to two meters high and three meters long, up to 15 kg, illuminated from the inside, in the shape of a simple pyramid, a sun, a crescent moon, a crown or a star on top Head. The side surfaces of the caps are colored with different symbols, pictures and ornaments. Each runner wears a cowbell on a belt around their waist, which sounds with every step. The runners are organized in groups, called passes , each consisting of 20 to 30 members. Mostly local clubs or organizations (traditional and sports clubs, parishes, aid organizations) provide a pass. Each yoke has a precursor that gives directions to the cap wearers.

Some of the members meet on the afternoon of January 5th and then move from house to house, where they are provided with regional dishes and warm drinks. In the rhythmic running and dancing of the bell ringer and the constant ringing of the bells, the evil spirits are to be driven away and the good spirits are to be awakened, who are supposed to make the grain slumbering under the blanket of snow grow. The circles, loops or figure eight run from the passes are to be interpreted as symbols for infinity. After dark, the passes gather to carry out the actual Glöckler run in the center of the village, where meanders and loops are run. (For some Glöckler runs, the "Glöcklergedicht" by Paula Grogger is read out beforehand ) After the run, traditional songs are sung (e.g. O Bruada , liaber Bruada mein or Es wiad scho glei dumpa ). After the passes have run through the village, they continue to individual houses and ask for donations and food.

Catering for the runners during the run (refreshments)

Since the Glöckler are out and about for a long time at low outside temperatures, they are voluntarily provided with food and drink by the population, often also from inns. At a meeting shortly before the Glöcklerlauf, it is precisely determined which passport is supplied by which household and when. The supply typically includes tea, hot cider, mulled wine and Glöckler donuts ( donuts , but that day Glöckler donuts are called), lard and sausage sandwiches, often is also offered Burned. The dishes are very rich and essential to strengthen the Glöckler for the rest of the race. Households that contribute to the care of the Glöckler have a special honor: an extra circle when the runners come and an extra circle when they leave. Songs are often given for the best. The Glöckler are financed by donations from the audience. That is why the “Osaumla” (collectors) run with them, who run through the audience with a white sack or a can. The Osaumla also go to the individual houses to ask for donations.

Literature and exhibition

  • Ernst Hohl (Hrsg.): Silvesterkläuse - Glöckler - Klausjäger . Spectacular headdress in popular custom. Exhibition catalog. Ernst Hohl-Kulturstiftung Appenzell. Publication series Haus Appenzell Zurich, Volume 11/2015, ISBN 978-3-85882-741-8 .
  • Reinhard Hörmandinger and Walter Rieder: Glöcklerlauf in Ebensee - "A Stegga, a white Gwånd, a Kåppm and Glock'n!" . Denkmayr, 2000, ISBN 978-3-901838-72-9 .
  • New Year's Eve - Glöckler - Klausjäger. Spectacular headdress in popular custom. Exhibition by the Ernst Hohl Cultural Foundation from October 23, 2015 to March 19, 2016 in Haus Appenzell in Zurich .
  • Franz Gillesberger: Customs in Ebensee. Published by the Ebenseer Fotoklub, 1987.
  • Franz Grieshofer: Comments on the age of the Glöcklerlauf. In: Volkskultur, Mensch und Sachwelt. Festschrift for Fanz C. Lipp on his 65th birthday. Edited by the Association for Folklore, Vienna 1978, pp. 113–122.
  • Hans Jocher, Gottfreid Mittendorfer: 100 years of Rindbacher Glöcklerpasse. Self-published.
  • Edmund Brandner: The Glöckler run is an invention of unemployed wood cutters from Ebense. In: Upper Austria. News. from January 3, 2012.

See also

Web links

Commons : Glöckler  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Traditional Ebenseer Glöcklerlauf ( memento of the original from February 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , National Agency for Intangible Cultural Heritage, Austrian Commission for UNESCO  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / nationalagentur.unesco.at
  2. ↑ a b Glöcklerlauf in Wildalpen . events.steiermark.com
  3. ↑ a b Carnival race in St. Peter am Kammersberg , events.steiermark.com
  4. ↑ Glöckler customs in Ebensee , alt-ebensee.at
  5. ↑ Glöcklerlauf Gröbming ( Memento of the original from December 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , events.steiermark.com  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.events.steiermark.com
  6. ^ House Appenzell in Zurich
  7. ↑ Faschingsrennen St. Georgen and St. Ruprecht ob Murau ( Memento of the original from February 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.events.steiermark.com
  8. ↑ Carnival race in the Krakautal