Pig skull stealing
The Sauschädelstehlen or Saukopfstehlen is an Austrian custom, which usually in the carnival season is exercised, particularly in Upper Austria , the Steiermark and Carinthia is widespread. The pig's skull, which is often placed in front of the stable when a house is slaughtered , is stolen without the owner noticing. As soon as the disappearance of the skull is noticed, the whole village goes in search of it and tries to locate the thieves as well. But the thieves often turn themselves in.
negotiation
After the skull has been found again, there is a court hearing at the village landlord. Here the judge is appointed and all perpetrators, confidants, the farmer and the butcher are summoned. Usually everyone is found guilty: the thieves for stealing, those who know about complicity, and the farmer and the butcher for not paying attention. Meanwhile, heavy fines and drink fines are also being handed out for heckling, which are collected in the court box and then donated. Then the pig's head is usually eaten by those present.
Todays situation
In the past, the custom was widespread, but in the course of time there was less and less house slaughter, which also made pig skull stealing less common. Such events are now organized by tourist associations. The whole village is usually involved in order to give the guests an experience.
literature
- Hans Falkenberg: The pig head stealing. Representation and meaning of a stealing tradition. In: Oberösterreichische Heimatblätter, Heft 1/2, 1980, pp. 60–79, online (PDF; 1.3 MB) in the forum OoeGeschichte.at
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ When guests come to steal. In: kleinezeitung.at. February 8, 2014, accessed April 26, 2015 .