Larchzug'n
The Larchziehn , also Larchzieh'n or Larchziehn in Umhausen is the highlight of the carnival season for the Ötztal . The Larch, Block or Blochziehn was practiced in many communities in the Tyrolean Oberland until the early 20th century . Larchzieh'n is a boys' custom that is exclusively carried by unmarried men. Up until the 1960s, Larchzieh'n only took place if no bachelor had married in town. Since 1996, larch pulling has taken place every four to five years (1996, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020). The next larch migration is expected to take place in 2025.
Historical development
Larch and Bloch pulling is one of the oldest carnival customs in Europe. The earliest records of carnival in general date from the early 13th century. In the period between 1200 and 1400, historical records show that the hustle and bustle was still largely disorderly. It was not until the 14th and 16th centuries that people began to present individual elements in an orderly manner. The pageant formed the basis of these so-called show customs with active participants and spectators. From around 1450 there are numerous sources that report on it. The background of this custom is to ridicule the unmarried, but marriageable people of the place. Unwanted bearers of this custom were almost exclusively single girls and maids. The girls concerned were stretched in front of a bloch (a de-limbed tree, usually a stone pine or larch) and had to pull it through the village amid the mocking hoot of the village. The earliest evidence of Tyrol can be found in the account book of Duke Sigismund des Münzreichen from the year 1460. In the early days of this custom, there was no parade in the villages that accompanied the people who moved from Bloch. The Bloch alone was pulled through the place to the delight of the public. Only in later times did the disorderly hustle and bustle develop into an orderly traditional event in the form of a pageant.
Historical texts also contain precise information on the earlier date on which the Blochzieh'n took place: On Ash Wednesday . This appointment refers to the actual background of this custom, marriage. Carnival was one of the most popular wedding dates. With the end of Shrovetide , the regulated fasting period begins , when one should not only avoid carnal foods, but also abstain from sex. So it is not surprising that the custom of Blochziehn was practiced on the first day of Lent, the previous possibility of getting married was over.
Procedure and wedding
The custom of the Larchzieh'ns in Umhausen is in its design in the sign of the marriage behavior. The Larch is accompanied by floats and the Sterzingermoos float. The wedding of the wedding couple (Buebenhochzeit) on the fairground follows a long tradition as part of the European Carnival. The looting is inseparable from the bridal couple. The bride's equipment, i.e. the dowry, used to be carried from the bride's house to the future husband in a separate wagon. It was important to show publicly what the bride brought into the marriage - and so the most beautiful pieces were attached to the car as clearly as possible.
An important part of this carnival in Umhausen is the complaint court , which makes internal village events and conditions public. Because it is precisely the foolish carnival that allows or even demands to hand out ironic swipes within the village community and to laugh sarcastically at the misconduct of the roommates. The car with the “Sterzingermoos” should not be missing when moving to Umhausen. Before it dried out in 1877, the Sterzinger Moos was a very swampy area, where, according to the census, all unmarried maidens had to go to pay for their renunciation. But also the bachelors unwilling to marry were criticized in the folk tale and, like the women, banished to a dreary place. The men should be for their single on a mountain near the Sterzinger Moos. atone. There they should, just like the unwilling women, do completely useless activities. B. sticking farts, rubbing rocks or pushing clouds.
It is important in the boys' practice of larch pulling that the tree trunk is pulled through the place by the exclusively single boys without interruption, i.e. in one go. The subsequent auction includes not only the symbolic larch ( larch "lark"), but also other wood that is made available by agricultural communities, companies and private individuals.
literature
- "VOKUS" Dr. Petra Streng, Dr. Gunther Bakay (abbreviated)
Comparable events
Larch pulling is comparable to the carnival custom of log pulling in Fiss . Similar carnival customs in the Tyrolean Oberland are the Schellerlauf in Nassereith , the Schemenlauf in Imst and the Telfer Schleicherlauf .
photos
Larchzieh'n Wagen 2005
Larchzieh'n 2010
Larchzieh'n 2010
Larchzieh'n 2010
Larchzieh'n Official Poster 2015
