Remlinger egg run
The traditional Remlingen egg run is a traditional event that has been taking place in Remlingen (Lower Franconia) since 1738 .
history
The Eierlauf was launched in 1738 by Countess Dorothea Renata von Castell-Remlingen, whose family ruled Remlingen at the time. In the 18th and 19th centuries, every farmer and businessman had the duty to hand over the so-called tithes, i.e. the tenth part of the produced belongings, to the local ruling counts or princes. Countess Dorothea Renata renounced the Hubeier (part of the tithe that the farmers had to deliver to the local ruler) and gave them to the village youth. The renunciation of the eggs was connected with the order to hold celebrations on Easter Monday . The young boys in the village developed a folk festival from this, the focus of which was a competition - the egg run.
procedure
On the morning of Easter Monday, the young, innocent boys of the village meet at the market square. They now run in groups of about 10 people to collect in the village, i. That is, they go from house to house and ask the residents for a gift. Most of the donations from the villagers are eggs (which will later be used for the competition), drinks, money or a snack. The gathering goes on for the morning and ends with an egg meal in an inn.
Afterwards, all the boys meet at the Schafhof (next to the market square, a central square in the town) and, accompanied by a band and under the eyes of spectators, move to the market square. Here the two competitors (a runner and a collector) are selected by drawing lots. The procession then moves on to Zehntberg, where the sports field is located where the egg run takes place.
Once on the sports field, the runner has the task of running to a stone about 2.1 km away and back again. The collector has to collect 75 eggs in the meantime, which are laid out in a line at a distance of 2 feet (traditional measure, corresponds to about 62 cm). The collector has to pick up these eggs one by one, starting with the most distant one, and throw them into a basket that is at the starting point.
The winner of the competition is the one who completed his task first. As a reward for his efforts, he has the whole day off.
regulate
In addition to the competition regulations, there are some rules that must be observed. These have been passed on from one generation to the next or have developed over time:
- Only innocent (= not previously convicted) and unmarried male residents of the village are allowed to participate.
- The egg run must take place every year. A one-time interruption means that it may no longer be played. (Exceptions were the two world wars)
- During the morning gathering, the village is divided into quarters. Everyone is assigned to one the first time they take part and usually collects in the same quarter every year. The participant is not allowed to collect in the neighborhood in which he lives. Also, if possible, brothers should not gather together.
- Runners and collectors are given a blue-white or red-white sash for better identification.
Explanations, rituals and other special features
- The egg run is organized by the so-called egg run mayor and a 4-5-member committee. These are elected by the boys in a meeting
- The districts in the village are the "Greußen-Viertel" (named after the neighboring town Greußenheim), the "Köhlerviertel" (named after the family of the same name), the "Black Quarter" and the "Zehntbergviertel" (usually after the local dialect name "Zamberri"). The Black Quarter was subdivided again in the nineties due to its expansion and now has a "Yankee half" (so called because mostly US Americans lived in this part of the village at that time).
- When moving to the festival area, the band traditionally plays the Fehrbelliner Reitermarsch. This is accompanied by chants and screams.
- During the whole day the boys have a birch rod with them, which is braided beforehand and decorated with ribbons.
- The runner's goal is a hewn stone that stands on the district road in the direction of Birkenfeld. In earlier times there was a wayside shrine in the same place.
- After the competition, you can also next to a "normal" level of beer Eiermaß order, prepared by hitting a desired number of eggs in one beer and stir the whole thing with a Eierlaufsrute.
- During the morning gathering, eggs are occasionally drunk.
The Remlinger egg run is unique in its way. There is no comparable tradition in the more distant area either. Customs are only known from parts of Switzerland ( Eierleset ) and individual places in western and northern Germany that are similar to the Remlinger Eierlauf, but possibly have different origins.