Puk (legendary figure)

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Illustration of a Puks by Arthur Rackham (1906)

The puk or puck ( Lower Saxon : de puk, Norwegian : Nisse ) is a dwarf figure of indeterminate gender in the Nordic folk say . Puks live with humans and belong to the group of elves from Germanic mythology . Puk itself was possibly borrowed from the Baltic folk beliefs ( Pukis ), but is also associated with the Celtic Púca .

The puk shows the following characteristics:

  • Normally, he appears invisible to people through his cap, which is a magic cap . At times he takes on a kind of spirit form that allows him to communicate with the dead.
  • If the puk is treated well with regular food and drinks, then he is, in association with other legendary figures such as dwarfs and giants , able to influence the well-being of the residents and their animals positively up to wealth. However, if it is badly treated, it inflicts severe damage on the residents, which often leads to madness or death.
  • Puke usually live in the attic. Sometimes a puk stays in an abandoned house, but it happens that he moves with the people.
  • A puk lives in the ship as well as in the house, but he calls himself Klabautermann. Everything that applies to "Landpuke" also applies to the Klabautermann .

In Schleswig on both sides of the German-Danish border, the figure is also known as Nis Puk or Nomis Puk . Examples from the world of legends would be the Nis Puk from Lindewitt-Hof near Flensburg or the ferryman Nis from Holnis near Glücksburg , also near Flensburg.

The puppeteer Walter Büttner named one of his most famous characters - depicted in numerous publications and on the cover of one of the best-selling Punch and Judy records - based on Shakespeare "the devil Puck".

Similar figures

The following legendary figures are etymologically closely related:

  • the Frisian "puk".
  • the English "Puk" and derived from it the foolish character "Puck" in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night 's Dream .
  • the Celtic " Púca " which in our time through the play Harvey by Mary Chase regained major prominence.
  • the Swedish "pocker" (for devil ).
  • the Norwegian “Puk” or “Draug”, an evil water spirit .
  • the Icelandic "Púki" or "Púkinn" (for little devil ).

See also

Web links

Commons : Puck  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files