Lichtasenland Edition 1/2021

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Otherworld Crossing BETWEEN FAIRY TALE & REALITY THE FOLIAGE MAN In the old town of Ruhla, for centuries, in early summer, as soon as the forest was green again, young people and children would go out into the forest and tie one of their boys completely in green branches so that only his shoes were visible. A slit was left for the eyes, but the branches protruded above the head and were tied together to form a point. Then the "little leaf man", still draped with colourful ribbons and scarves, was led into the town amidst singing and joy. A kind of spring festival with dancing and special old folk songs then took place under the lime tree or at the market. The "foliage man" is the personified spring itself or the old Germanic god of light "Baldur", who, dead in winter, was now awakened to new life. This custom was common in the Thuringian Forest until around 1840. THE WUWWERBÖZER Since ancient times, a powerful mountain spirit has lived in the mountains and forests of Ruhla. Even at the time when no humans inhabited the Ruhla valley, he was the lord of the mountains. He had power all the way to the tops of the trees and down into the depths where precious ores and wonderful treasures lay. In his subterranean kingdom, which has a centre in the Ringberg, it shines with precious metals and stones. Dwarves and gnomes, later called hats by the inhabitants of Ruhla, were in his service. They collected the treasures, extracted and worked ores, and were active here and there in the woods and fields. Later they were also sent out to help the hard-working people in the Ruhl, the miners, smelters and blacksmiths. The Ringberg is also the actual residence of the mountain and forest spirits. It is said to be large rooms similar to a palace. From a pulpit on the unwooded height of the mountain, the area in which the mountain spirit can exercise his power can be easily overlooked. In his realm above the earth, he was the guardian of the landscape. He cared for the animals, the trees of the forest, the plants and flowers in the fields and groves. He also played with them, as well as with the waters and the rocks of the mountains. When the people came to the land, he was not hostile to them, but always felt like observing and getting to know them in their activities. He watched the miner, the charcoal burner and the forest smith at their work. He accompanied the hunter on his hunt for game, helped the woodcutter with his hard work, and the cattle farmer with cutting grass and making hay on the barren mountain meadows. He drove the herd to the forest pasture with the shepherd, hiked or drove over stony paths with the merchant, pushed the cart or helped to brake. He could take on many different guises and was often invisibly present. Sometimes he did people good, but he also teased and frightened them. Evil-doers, cheats and hard-hearted people were treated bitterly. People soon noticed the existence of the mountain spirit. When they thought they would meet him or thought he was nearby, their hearts beat faster with excitement or fear, bubbled more violently - they said it was worth it. But the spirit also made it a point to make the wicked fearful by will-o'-the-wisps or sudden rushes and gusts of wind, even thunderous blows - to bogey them. That is why they gave him the name Wuwwerbözer - which was meant to express timidity and awe of him. He can be recognised by his oversized figure. He is dressed in a wide-brimmed hat, a dark reddish shimmering cape and a gnarled branch as a mountain stick. If he appears in another form, he is not recognisable to people. (Source: legends of Ruhla and area) Otherworld crossing 18
Legends & fairytales BETWEEN FAIRYTALE FOREST & REALITY MRS. PERCHTA AND THE BROWNIES In the fertile Saale valley between Ruhla and Wilhelmsdorf, Perchta, the queen of the brownies, had taken up residence, and her invisible proximity spread happiness, prosperity and cheerfulness over the whole area. The inhabitants of the valley were such good friends with the brownies, that they took pleasure in the little ones' games and teasing, in their sudden appearances and disappearances during their work in the fields. It was a joyful activity and everyone was diligent in their daily work. Thus, the people lived a happy, joyful life for a long time. Mrs. Perchta was known for her kindness and severity. She had two faces, so to speak. Sometimes mild like the young spring and sometimes severe like the cold winter, depending on how the people rejoiced or just wanted to complain. But then discord arose between the people and Perchta. The reason was as follows: a long time ago, a greying man came from a foreign land and warned the people that Perchta was not to be trusted. He said, the little ones she ruled over were little human children who had died before being baptised and had thus fallen prey to Perchta. Once a year, on the night before the Feast of the Epiphany, she was given the power to work her wiles on people. Such talk made people suspicious, for they knew the seemingly dark face of the Perchta as well as the friendly one. Over a long period of time they began to fear Mrs. Perchta and her brownies more and more, and everything bad that happened in the valley was attributed to her; they avoided her fearfully and locked the children up in their homes. The joy of the people became less, they looked around more and more suspiciously. Bad harvests came and the people now put all the blame on Frau Perchta. One "Perchta" evening (the night before Epiphany), the ferryman from the village was ordered to cross the river late at night, at about the twelfth hour. When he came to the bank of the river Saale, he saw a stately woman surrounded by a large crowd of weepers who looked like children. Startled, the man remembered that it was "Perchten- night" and wanted to hurry back to his flat. But the woman threateningly demanded to cross the river. She stepped into the vehicle, the brownies followed and dragged a plough and a lot of other equipment into the barge. As they did so, they complained loudly that they had to leave the beautiful area. The skipper pushed off, and when Perchta had reached the other shore, she ordered him to sail again and to fetch all the littl ones who had stayed behind. This too was done. In the meantime Perchta had been whittling at the plough, pointed to the large heap of wood chips and said to the ferryman: "Here take this, this is the reward for your toil!" Grumpily, the man pocketed some of the shavings, threw them on the window sill at home and went to bed. The next morning there were three golden pennies in the place where he had put the wood chips. He ran off at once, but on the whole river-bank the ferryman could not find any more no matter how diligently he searched. It is said that Mrs. Perchta had moved to the direction of the Werrathal and had found a new home for herself and her little helpers, where people appreciated her doings. Source: Legends of Thuringia 19
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Lichtasenland Edition 1/2021

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