Martinis singing

This article explains the gospel custom. For catholic see Martinssingen .

Martinisingen is a Protestant custom on Martin's Day , which is mainly cultivated in the Lutheran regions of north-west Germany and north-east Germany on Martin Luther's birthday , November 10th. It is also known under the name Martini or Martinssingen and the Low German names Sünte- or Sünne Märten or Mattenherrn (nowadays often mistakenly corrupted to Matten Mär'n ). During martinis singing on November 10th (similar to the catholic martin singing ), sometimes with lanterns , people go from house to house and sing. Children get sweets for it.

Emergence

Martin Luther was baptized on November 11, 1483 and, as was often the case at the time, was given the name of the saint of the day, Martin of Tours . A diverse and widespread custom developed around the festival of this very popular saint, which also marked the autumn interest day and the beginning of the six-week fast before Christmas , which was continued in Protestant regions after the Reformation .

In order to counterbalance the Roman Catholic cult of St. Nicholas , the custom of St. Martin was emphasized by Protestant rulers and theologians from the 18th century, initially in Württemberg, as it was reminiscent of the birth and baptism days of the reformer Martin Luther. The Martinsult "was not fought in Protestantism for theological reasons in the same way [...] as other Roman Catholic cults of saints", but Protestant modifications of elements of Catholic customs took place.

In the 19th century, the figure of Martin Luther himself moved into the center of Martin's custom. In East Friesland it got a new content after the 300th anniversary of the Reformation in 1817; now only Martin Luther, the “friend of light and the man of faith” was celebrated, “de Pope in Rome de Kroon offschlog”. Martin von Tours songs were rewritten or rededicated to Martin Luther songs, and customs such as walking paths and lantern parades were linked.

In East Friesland, farm workers and service staff used to be released into the winter break on Martinstag. These largely dispossessed strata of the population had to bridge the cold season without their own income. The children who went from house to house on this day made a small contribution to this and, above all, begged for gifts from wealthy farmers and citizens. They received pepper nuts (pēpernöot) and apples. The children carried lanterns ( Kippkappkögels ) and self-made sound instruments ( Rummelpott ) with them.

Usages today

After dusk, children go from door to door with a lantern and sing martini songs. The light in the lantern is often no longer a candle, but electric, as the lanterns sometimes caught fire in the November wind. (In “Lantern, Lantern” it says: “Open the flame, my light, but not my dear lantern.”) But people still like to make the lanterns themselves out of paper. More and more people do without the lantern when singing.

The Hannoversche Wochenblatt writes about Matten Matten Mären : “The iron rule applies in the past as it does today: if you don’t give anything, you’re playing a trick”. Even with the East Frisian-North German martinis singing, the refuser must expect a bell stroke or something similar later in the evening; conversely, if you don't sing, you don't get anything.

Since the end of the 1990s, advertising in stores and American television series have shown Halloween as a competitor to martinis.

Martini songs

Martinus Luther was a Christian Martinus Luther was a Christian, a man of strong faith. Because today is his birthday, I light my little light. And sing a song according to the old custom from full heart. Singing like this, Martinus went from house to house as a child. And when he became a man, he was a bright light. This is also indicated by my little light when it breaks through the night. When Martin was a boy When Martin was still a boy , he sang many a year in front of strange people's doors. He sang so beautifully, he sang so gently, So right in the pious children's way, A heart could well move. Music according to a strong castle is our God We sing, dear people, also according to pious morality and old custom, so you don't want to scold us, And if you think about us richly, with beautiful apples, may God reward you. So listen to our supplication and take from us the most beautiful thanks for your gentle gifts. We wish you Luther's faith, so you will have eternal life in the kingdom of heaven . We arrive with the Kippkappkögels We arrive with the Kippkappkögels. Elk sings so happily as he can. Is yes Sünner Maarten, nümms to Hus, Appels and Bereren kregen like to Schmuus What we sing dat weet ji but, Luther's birthday de fiern like now. fiefhunnert joahr is dat al her, and Luther's word övert Eer still applies. The word sall alltied and endured forever, the word sall may, shall not perish. Sünner Maartens Avend, Sünner Maartens Sang, and the Kippkappkögels stayed a long time. KippKappKögels variant from Harlingerland : We arrived with Kippkappkögels, elk sings so lively, as he can, is Sünner Maarten, nüms blifft to Hus, appels and berries create like tom Schmuus. Veerhunnertfieftig Johr is dat heer, Luther's birthday de fiern very much. Mien lüttje Lateern Mien lüttje Lateern, ik hebb di so geern. You dance dör de Straten, you can dat neet laten, ik mutt with di lopen, mutt sing un ropen: Mien lüttje Lateern, ik hebb di so geern. Mien lüttje Lateern, ik hebb di so geern. You, wind, laat dat Susen Kruup achter de Husen, kruup achter de Dieken, vandaag you have to sway. Mien lüttje Lateern, ik hebb di so geern. Mien lüttje Lateern, you shine as a star dor tinkelt kien mantje, dor lined us kien Hantje, danz again danz again i sing always blieder Mien lüttje Lateern, ik hebb di so geern.

Martin Luther, Martin let's sing From the Bielefeld / Ravensberger area: Martin Luther, Martin let's sing. We stand in front of rich man's gate. Those who give us something and don't forget get a golden crown. The crown extends so far, so far, over all of Christianity. Good evening Good evening! Don't let us stand so long, we want to go a little further, from here to Kölle. Kölle is a big city, so a lot of people give us watts. Klipp Klapp Rosenblatt, beautiful virgin, give us watt, give us an apple, it's on our apple tree, give us a nut, then we'll go back to Hus! As " Heeper Lied" ( Missing dialect): Martin Luther, we sing Martin, we step here for [...] (name of the house owner) door. Whoever gives us something and doesn't forget gets a golden crown; the crown extends so far, so far, over the whole of Christianity. Let's not stand that long, we want to go a little further, from here to Cologne. Cologne is a big city, so many people give us something. Klipp klapp rose petals, dear people give us something! Westphalian species: We sing Martin Luther, we step outside the door of the house. If you give us something and don't forget, you get the golden crown (the crown), the crown, which extends so far from here to Christmas Eve. Good evening, good evening, a rich farmer lives here who can probably give us something. Klipp Klapp Rosenblatt most beautiful housewife, give us something. Martin Luther, we are here From Bösingfeld / Lipperland: Martin Luther, we are here, in front of your door. Whoever does not forget to give us something should have the golden crown. More songs A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Let us sing about Luther A man was born to us at Eisleben Children move from home to home It's Martini again today Sing songs of joy today Listen through the storm of winter You see, you dear people Today is the day many years ago We light our lights We children all come on Martin's Day General songs when running the lantern : I go with my lantern (before 1913) Lantern, lantern ( DVA A 59 488 [around 1875] and A 95 675 [around 1877])

See also

• Sunnerklauslauf (Bremen custom)
• Halloween
• Glowesabend (Klobesabend), Kassel area
• Nicholas of Myra: Customs , an overview of the folklore of St. Nicholas and his companions

literature

• Martin Happ: Old and new pictures of St. Martin. Customs and uses since the 19th century (= Cologne publications on the history of religion. Volume 37). Böhlau Verlag, Cologne-Weimar-Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-412-05706-0 , especially pp. 350–358 ( limited preview in the Google book search).
• Ernst Müller, Griet Voss: De Utrooper's little book by Martini . Utrooper Verlag, Leer 2000, ISBN 3-934370-14-4 ( The small book ).
• Katrin Rodrian (Red.): Fashions and Manners. East Frisia customs, traditions and peculiarities. 2nd Edition. East Frisian Landscape, Aurich 2013, ISBN 978-3-940601-19-3 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Happ: Old and new pictures of St. Martin. 2006, pp. 349–357, quotation p. 352 ( limited preview in Google book search).
2. ↑ fulkum.de: Martinisingen
3. ↑ ostfriesland.de: Martini, Martinstag and Sünnermarten , accessed on September 12, 2017.
4. ^ East Frisian landscape : Sünner-Martens-Leed , p. 3, accessed on September 12, 2017 (PDF).
5. ^ Hannoversches Wochenblatt, November 7, 2007, p. 3
6. ↑ Happ: Old and new pictures of St. Martin. 2006, p. 273 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
7. ↑ Tobias Widmaier: I go with my lantern (2007). In: Popular and Traditional Songs. Historical-critical song lexicon of the German Folk Song Archive
8. ^ Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann : The book of children's songs. Schott, Mainz 2010, ISBN 978-3-254-08370-8 , p. 146.