Northern mythology

NORTH GEHMAN CUSTOMS AND SUrERSTlTIONS. 155
Murraues are both male and female, and are always
Sunday^s children ^ If a Murraue presses any one, he
must say he will give it something ; it will then come on
the following day and fetch the present.
Braunsdorf near
Filrstenwald.
The Murraue creeps up the body of the sleeper. Its
weight is first felt on the feet, then on the belly, and lastly
on the breast, when the sufferer can no longer move a
limb. If the patient by chance surmises who it is, he
must instantly address it by name ; it must then make its
retreat.
Teupitz.
If the sufferer supposes it to be an acquaintance, lie
needs only to call it by name, and it will appear bodily.
It is good against the nightmare, when going to bed,
to turn one^s shoes with the toes outward from the bed^.
When there are seven boys or seven girls in a family,
one is a nightmare, unknown to him- (or her-) self ^.
DRAK—KOBOLD—FIRE-DRAKE.
The Drak appears as a fiery stripe
passing through the
air, as large as the pole that is placed across a cartload of
hay.
If a person on seeing him does not get under shelter,
he will be befouled by him, and not get
rid of the stench
till long after. Swinem'tlnde. He brings those persons
something that have made a compact with him.
Barsinghaiisen
on the Deister.
The Drake (Trach) is as large as a cauldron, and a person
can very well sit in him, and fly with him to any
desired spot. Bockswiesen near Grund.
The Kobold appears also as a fiery stripe with a broad
head, which he usually shakes from one side to the other.
If he enters a house and the serving-man takes a wheel
off the wagon, he must burn himself out of the house.
1
See vol. ii. pp. 203, 272, No. 33.
2 See vol. ii. p. 272, No. 34. ^ See p. 29.