Fur coat

The Pelzmärtel (also Pelzemärtel , Pelzermärtel , Pelzamärdl or Pelzmartin ) is a common name in parts of Franconia (southern Germany) for the pre-Christmas gifts. Regionally it also appears as a fur nickel . The name merges the customs of the day of St. Nicholas ("Nickel") and St. Martin ("Märtel"). On St. Martin's Day , November 11th, or St. Nicholas Day , December 6th, the bringer of gifts has in his sack nuts and fruit for the good children and a rod for the naughty children.

Word origin

Pelzmärtel is derived from Pelz (from West Central German “pelzen”, which means “to beat”) and the Franconian diminutive for Martin, “Märtel” or “Martel”; "Nickel" is accordingly the diminutive for Nicholas. Colloquially it is also called Bulzermärtel or Belzermärtl.

The Nuremberg dialect knows the pronunciations "Belzermärdl" and "Bulzer" or "Bulzamärdl" for Pelzmärtel.

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History and meaning

The figure of the fur coat was created as a result of the Reformation , as the Protestants no longer wanted to venerate the Catholic saints St. Martin and St. Nicholas. Originally the Pelzmärtel probably only had one rod with him, but after he increasingly had to take on the job of St. Nicholas, he has since brought presents with him. At the beginning of the Reformation, St. Martin was worshiped as the national saint in the early medieval Franconian Empire on his name day. The external appearance of the figure also suggests the influences of the wintry frightful figures, who are wrapped in fur and carried on with their straw wigs ("Herr Winter").

Similar customs

In Swabia the Belzmärt appears as an evil companion of Nicholas or as a companion of the Christ Child . In Bad Herrenalb in the Black Forest, for example, the figure moves from house to house on Christmas Eve to drive away evil spirits with the ringing of bells; on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, the fur market appears with the Christ Child at the local music club's annual “Christmas play” on the market square. He wears a costume that is sewn together from 150 m of rye straw cord .

In Austria, the Krampus can be found as a "punitive" (equipped with a rod) companion of Nicholas, in Northern Germany the servant Ruprecht accompanies Nicholas .

The tradition of the Belsnickel was probably brought to Pennsylvania by emigrants from the Palatinate . This tradition was still alive in some places until some time ago, but a distinction must be made between the Belsnickel (or Belznickle) in rural areas and that in urban areas.

In the Brazilian cities of Vale do Itajaí, in the state of Santa Catarina , it is known under the name of Pelznickel . Here, too, the custom was introduced by German immigrants. The fur nickel appears two days a year, on Nicholas and on Christmas Eve. The rest of the year he lives in the forest. That is why he is also referred to there as Papei Noel do Mato , "Santa Claus of the forest". His job is to help both Nicholas and Santa Claus and to punish naughty children. It is also customary for the children to give him pacifiers and feeding bottles.

literature

• Hanns Hubert Hofmann : Pelzmärtel and Nikolaus. In: Ferdinand Ranft: From the Main to the Danube. Frankenverlag Lorenz Spindler, Nuremberg 1961, pp. 38–40.
• Ernst-Otto Luthardt : The old Franconian Christmas. Echter Verlag, Würzburg 2000, ISBN 978-3-429-02262-4 .

Poems:

• Friedrich Güll : Now heard the whole story of Pelzemärtel, but don't be afraid.
• Franz von Pocci : The Pelzemärtel.

Web links

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

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Gunther Schunk: Pelzmärtel and Herrscheklaus. (pdf; 11 kB) Volksblatt (Würzburg), December 6, 2002, accessed on November 8, 2009 . 
2. ↑ Palatinate Dictionary : 'Pelzmaertel'
3. ↑ Palatinate Dictionary : 'Pelz (e) -Nickel'
4. ↑ Gunther Schunk: Pelzmärtel and Herrscheklaus. (pdf; 11 kB) Volksblatt (Würzburg), December 6, 2002, accessed on November 8, 2009 . 
5. ↑ Herbert Maas: Wou hated the rabbits Hoosn and the pants Huusn. 7th edition. Verlag Nürnberger Presse, Nuremberg 2001, pp. 80, 95.
6. ↑ Old customs live. Schwarzwälder Bote (Oberndorf am Neckar), December 21, 2012, accessed on March 29, 2015 . 
7. ↑ Bill Toland: The Next Page: Meet Belsnickel, the Counter Claus , at: post-gazette.com
8. ↑ Marlene McCormack: Belznickle of Christmases past ( memento of October 23, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), at: registerguard.com
9. ↑ 'Papai Noel do Mato' desperta o fascínio de crianças e adultos em SC. Retrieved November 21, 2019 (Brazilian Portuguese).