Habergeiss

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Hobergoaß, Zwiesel Forest Museum

The Habergeiß (bair. Habergoaß ) is a demon figure in the form of a goat with horse hooves or a bird that either has the voice of a goat or is defaced in some other way. Mythologically it finds its equivalent in Scandinavia in the Yule goat , in Romania in the Capra . The goat Thors associated with it is also called "Hafar" in old Icelandic (see: Origin of name). Also in Switzerland, the legend of the thunder-causing Rolli Bock .

The Habergeiß

The Habergeiß as a billy goat

The Habergeiß at a carnival parade.

During the Perchten runs at the beginning of December (especially December 5th / 6th, Nikolaus ), the so-called Habergeiß is on the way, accompanying the Perchten. She always carries a "Zistl" on her back, a carrying basket, as it used to be common among farmers. The children are often told that the Habergeiss is taking the children away with her in this cistl. Sometimes a distinction is made between white and black Habergeiß (this means the coat color). The costumes are often taller than two meters and therefore frightening. This form of Habergeiß is found mainly in Carinthia , Salzburg and Styria .

In folk tales , the Habergeiß is usually described as a three-legged billy goat with glowing eyes and a long beard. In some legends, this billy goat does not have fur, but plumage. To see the Habergeiß is considered a bad omen. According to an old legend, the Habergeiß is the pet of the Perchten and surpasses them in strength.

The Habergeiß as a bird figure

Here the Habergeiß is described as an ugly, demonic bird, sometimes with three legs. The fur (sometimes also plumage) is red like blood or yellow, depending on the area. The grumbling always sounds terrifying and terrifying. It is said that she sucks the blood of farmers and cattle from their veins.

The Habergeiß in other forms

  • Very thin or very ugly women are rarely (commonly used in Swabian) the word “Habergeiß”.
  • Regional (Swabian, Franconian) the common expression for the harvestman .
  • Rarely as a messenger of death or an unspecified animal that heralds a disaster.
  • In the Tyrolean dialect the tawny owl or little owl is called this (Hobrgoaß).
  • The common snipe , a species of snipe, is called Haberbock or Haber goat because the sounds it makes are similar to complaining goats.

The Habergeiß is firmly anchored in customs and is also used in parts of Austria for various local customs, especially in the carnival and maypole customs and the Perchten runs .

Origin of name

The compositional term Haber describes 'billy goat' (cf. in dialect Häberling , 'one-year-old billy goat'), goat ' goat , goat '. This name and synonymous Bockgeiß are tautological compound words, and the oft-heard view, after the homonymous Haber , oat 'mean, can not hold etymologically. In Old Norse as well as in Celtic, hafr means buck .

It is believed that the mythical creature was once a fertility being, the meaning of which has changed over time. Thus, through folk etymology , the name was often misunderstood as 'oat goat'.

literature

Web links

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

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Julbock - Capra - Habergeiß . In: Banater Zeitung , December 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Peter Bertau: The meaning of historical bird names . Springer-Verlag 2014, ISBN 3-642-41733-7 , p. 450, books.google.de .
  3. ↑ Jan de Vries: Old Norse literary history . Walter de Gruyter, 1999, Volume 15, p. 295, books.google.de
  4. ↑ Habergeiß . In: Duden, The dictionary of origin: Etymology of the German language. 4th edition. Dudenverlag, Mannheim / Leipzig / Vienna / Zurich 2006.