Rye wolf

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The rye wolf is a grain demon in the shape of a wolf.

The rye wolf is a wolf-shaped grain demon and a child fright of German legend who can be found in the fields and fields.

Various proverbs of the 19th century characterize the rye wolf as insatiable and voracious to the point of inability to move as a result of excessive gobbling. He is also aggressive. The rye wolf howls and roars in its greed for food. The shape and nature of the rye wolf are further clarified by the name forms big wolf, wild wolf and bad wolf.

Rye wolf as a wind and weather spirit

The rye wolf is a wind spirit. He also bears the name Windwolf. Especially when the wind makes the ears of corn move in waves, it was said that the wolf walked through or over the corn, was in the corn or was chasing the sheep in the corn. Sometimes there is also talk of several wolves hunting each other in the grain. The howl of the wind is said to be caused by the rye wolf. The rye wolf also appears as the embodiment of harsh air, fog and rain.

Rye wolf as a grain demon

Depiction of a rye wolf on the coat of arms of the von Bartensleben family .

The driving of the rye wolf in the field is ascribed either the property that it promotes the fertility of the field or, on the contrary, that it reduces the fertility of the field, especially since the rye wolf feeds on the grain of the field. He is also said to cause ergot , which is named after him wolf or wolf tooth. The rye wolf should sit in the last harvest sheaf. After him, the last sheaf is also called a wolf. Anyone who comes into contact with the rye wolf during harvest will get sick.

In addition to the simple name wolf (depending on the dialect also Wulf, Walf, Wulp) there are also various names for the rye wolf, which are named after the crops of the corresponding field in which the wolf is supposed to be up to mischief. In addition to Roggenwolf (Roggenwulf) these are the name forms Getreidewolf, Kornwolf (large Kornwolf, Kürnwolf, Koorwolf, Koanwolf, Körwolp), Haferwolf (Hawerwolf), Barley Wolf, Potato Wolf (Kantüffelwolf), Grasswolf (Grasewolf), Erbswolf and Plumwolf (Plummenwolf).

Rye wolf to frighten children

The rye wolf is also known as a children's fright. He is supposed to wait in the field for children looking for cornflowers or picking ears to tear them up, bite them, grab them, eat them or carry them away. The souls of the children eaten by the rye wolf have to fly around on the trees until the grain is brought in.

The rye wolves are regarded as children of the house which likewise in the cornfield Roggenmuhme , other children fright.

The function of the rye wolf as a frightening child is illustrated by the names yellow tooth and speil tooth. He also bears the name Grauelwolf (Grawelwolf, Grugelwolf), which has its origin in the rye wolf as a child fright.

The yellow tooth (also Geltan, Geltän, Jeltän) has partly become independent and transformed into a frightening figure with fiery eyes, a man with a yellow tooth. The yellow tooth that bites the children or takes them away is more of a general child fright that can also lurk in other forbidden places such as the barn or the attic.

Mix-ups

Sometimes the tasks of the rye wolf are wrongly assigned to the werewolf (barwolf) or the böxenwolf (rifle wolf), a crouching variant of the werewolf. On the other hand, the rye Wolf is said that it the grain by Wolf sectional steal from the field, an activity that is more representative of the Bilwis belongs. The Roggenmuhme resembles the Roggenwolf when it gives the children tar-coated sandwiches.

literature

  • Wilhelm Mannhardt : Rye Wolf and Rye Dog in Germanic Customs . Danzig, 1865, reprinted by Bohmeier Verlag, Leipzig 2010, ISBN 978-3-89094-650-4 .
  • Wilhelm Mannhardt: The Korndämonen: Contribution to Germanic morality . Ferd. Dümmlers Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin 1868, reprinted by bremen university press, Bremen 2014, ISBN 978-3-95562-798-0 .
  • Richard Beitl : Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Partly zugl .: Berlin, Univ., Habil.-Schr. R. Beitl, 1933, Waxmann Verlag, Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-8309-1809-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 12.
  2. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 22 f.
  3. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 19.
  4. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 82.
  5. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 15.
  6. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 16.
  7. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 24.
  8. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 18.
  9. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 17.
  10. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 25.
  11. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 29 f.
  12. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 38.
  13. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 44.
  14. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 19.
  15. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 77.
  16. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 20 f.
  17. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 38 f.
  18. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Die Korndämonen: Contribution to Germanic morality . Bremen 2014, p. 4.
  19. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 39.
  20. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Die Korndämonen: Contribution to Germanic morality . Bremen 2014, p. 4.
  21. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 52.
  22. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 81.
  23. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 22.
  24. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 19.
  25. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 20.
  26. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 45.
  27. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 46.
  28. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 78.
  29. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 20.
  30. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 82.
  31. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 78.
  32. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 81 f.
  33. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 47.
  34. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 78.
  35. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 81.
  36. ^ Wilhelm Mannhardt: Roggenwolf and Roggenhund in Germanic customs . Leipzig 2010, p. 61.
  37. ^ Richard Beitl: Investigations into the mythology of the child: edited by Bernd Rieken and Michael Simon . Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin 2007, p. 77.