Greiflet

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trychler am Schwyzer Greiflet (2017)

As Greiflet a customs at is called Epiphany ( January 6 ), which only in some communities in the inner part of the canton of Schwyz occurs. The Greiflet is characterized by the noisy parades of Geislechlepfern (whip crackers ) and Trychlers (cowbell bells) and forms the end of the twelve Rauhnächte .

Word interpretation

According to the Swiss Idioticon, the verb reiffle stands for noise with cowbells and whips as well as for the wrapping of tree trunks with straw ropes on Christmas and New Year evenings, a fertility rite. Reiff originally meant rope and (g) reef the wrapping of the logs. As Greiffle you once called a mask in the farce , mocked at the events of the year or people.

history

From bans to associations

The Greiflet has been traceable in official mandates for centuries . On December 18, 1599, the Schwyz Council forbade fooling and the "messy and desolate nature of Greiffeln" and imposed a fine of five pounds. Such bans were repeated until the 19th century. They were usually issued shortly before Epiphany and were often formulated identically. On March 21, 1840, the Cantonal Council issued an official ban in order to secure control over amusements and customs. Anyone who could not pay the fine of up to 20 francs had to accept a corporal penalty. The Greiflet was threatened by the restrictions, but it has never completely disappeared. From 1896 the custom was no longer practiced in the village center of Schwyz, where the descendants of the aristocracy as well as administrative employees and tradespeople wanted to distance themselves from the farmers and alpine farmers.

In the 20th century, the custom was gradually organized into associations. The oldest of these associations are the Schwyzer Greifler, founded in 1917, but they do not have any actual association statutes. With a permit and under police protection, in 1917 their train led again for the first time from several directions to Schwyzer Hauptplatz. The brawls on the edge decreased in the years that followed. Newspaper documents about the Greiflet from Muotathal and the Ingenbohl community are available from the same period . The custom extended from the rural Ingenbohl to the village square in Brunnen and the restaurants there. The official bans no longer applied, although they were never formally lifted. Only in 1966 could the custom not take place due to a foot-and-mouth disease , as many stable owners were excluded from attending events under quarantine.

Folklore and Literature

In 1913, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer was the first folklorist to deal with the Greiflet and related noise customs in winter in the handbook "Feste und Bräuche des Schweizerervolkes" . In the 1940s, Richard Weiss and Karl Meuli followed with extensive presentations. Weiss emphasized that the noise should scare away unwanted spirits, i.e. diseases, plagues and corruption, and awaken the good spirits of fertility. The forged cattle bells, which are primarily used in agriculture, were used secondly for noise customs. Meuli saw in Greiflet, in addition to a noise and mischief, a former, heavily modified mask festival. The Schwyz writer Meinrad Inglin described Greiflen in 1931 in “Notes of the Hunter” and wrote four lyrical Greifler sayings. Also in 1931 Meinrad Lienert mentioned the Greiflet and its references to noise consumption in his hometown Einsiedeln .

procedure

Priis-Chlepfe

A Geislepfer at the competition

Since 1968 the Priis-Chlepfe , a competition for the best Geislechlepfer in Chrüüzlischträich (Kreuzstreich), has been taking place on January 6th during the day on the main square of Schwyz . The custom was initiated by the local entrepreneur Max Felchlin. The participants are active Chlepfer from the Greifler and Eineller groups in the canton of Schwyz. You enter the competition individually with a carter's whip, which is judged by a five-person jury. The Chrüüzlisträich is a prescribed sequence of cracks from the whip, similar to the Bavarian goasslschnalzen . It starts with four single strokes, followed by a series of 20 to 25 quick strokes over the head. This is repeated four times, with the Chlepfer changing hands for each single stroke. The conclusion is a double stroke. The winner of the day will be honored as the «Schwyzermeister in Chrüüzlischträich». Other category winners will also receive a wreath , just like in the swing .

Greiflet in the villages

The gripper feed with pine trees

Geislechlepfer and Trychler meet on Epiphany Eve to move into the center of the village amid a deafening noise. The only men from Schwyzer Greifler do not officially form an association. There are also a club organized Greiflergruppen in stones , Steinerberg , fountains , Morschach , Sisikon , Muotathal , Rothenthurm , Oberiberg , Unteriberg , Alpthal , Illgau , Lauerz and Goldau . The process is essentially the same in all of these locations.

The procession of the grabbers is led by a man who carries a Christmas tree , the Grotzli , decorated with ribbons and bells . Behind him the Trychlers pull in rows, followed by Geislechlepfer. In Schwyz the Trychlers circle the village fountain, in Brunnen the Federal Chapel and in Steinen the village square, while the Chlepfer swing their whips in the middle.

Plöder in front of the town hall in Schwyz

The move is followed by plunder , a rhyming mockery or comedic impromptu theater in which events and people from the past year are made fun of. In Lauerz, this type of schnitzel bank is called the Cheschtäne hedgehog because the chestnut spines should be as sharp as possible. The conclusion is a drink and the Greiflertanz with country music in a restaurant.

Forest witches

According to tradition, the noisy parade on Epiphany evening in Brunnen is said to have been for the imaginary forest women Strudeli and Strätteli from the Wasi Forest. The name Strätteli refers to the Schrate . They were mentioned in 1862 in the collection of legends of Lucerne priest Alois Lütolf . Since 1989, the two forest witches have been moving into the village with brooms and wooden masks on the evening of the first day of Carnival . This custom is not carried out by the grabbers, but by the United Carnival Society of Brunnen.

literature

  • Josias Clavadetscher: Triichle and Chlepfe. About grasping, ringing in and tryingchling. Published on the anniversaries of 100 years of Schwyzer Greifler and 50 years of Priis-Chlepfe Schwyz, Triner Verlag, Schwyz 2017, ISBN 978-3-908572-81-7 .
  • Josef Wiget and Hans Steinegger: Festivals and customs in the canton of Schwyz. Schwyz 1989.
  • Kurt Lussi, Carlo Raselli and Christof Hirtler: Noise and Butzen. Myths and rites between the Rhine and the Alps. Brunner Verlag, Kriens 2004, ISBN 3-905198-81-9 .

Web links

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

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Hans Steinegger: Greiflet , in: Feste und Bräuche im Kanton Schwyz , p. 212.
  2. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: Die Verbote , in: Triichle und Chlepfe , p. 19.
  3. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: The foundations , in: Triichle and Chlepfe , p. 25 ff.
  4. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: The foundations , in: Triichle and Chlepfe , p. 31 ff.
  5. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: The foundations , in: Triichle and Chlepfe , p. 40.
  6. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: The foundations , in: Triichle and Chlepfe , p. 45.
  7. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: Die Volkskunde , in: Triichle und Chlepfe , p. 7 ff.
  8. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: The Greiflet in Literature and Art , in: Triichle and Chlepfe , p. 95 ff.
  9. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: Das Priis-Chlepfe , in: Triichle und Chlepfe , p. 139.
  10. ↑ Hans Steinegger: Greiflet , in: Feste und Bräuche im Kanton Schwyz , p. 219.
  11. ↑ Hans Steinegger: Greiflet , in: Feste und Bräuche im Kanton Schwyz , p. 214/15.
  12. ↑ a b Hans Steinegger: Greiflet , in: Feste und Bräuche im Kanton Schwyz , p. 215.
  13. ↑ Josias Clavadetscher: Die Sagen und Legenden , in: Triichle und Chlepfe , p. 83 ff.
  14. ↑ Kurt Lussi: Rauhnachtzauber , in: Lärmen und Butzen , p. 16.