Sassisk

Up to dit pünkt up disse blog, güng et eyd üm dee nüvere supernatuurlike weasens, dee uns düt grüwelen. Geysten, reasen, monsters, butenaerdse weasens, dämonen, düvels, en wat noch meyr. Mor vansülv geit neet elke volksvortelling allennig mor üm disse ard vrümde weasens. By volksvortellingen höären ouk såken as de fåbel. Fåbels binnen vortellingen med bisten as aktoren, en disse bisten hebben mensklike karakteristyken. In de ATU-indeks (de folklore-indeks såmensteld döär Antti Aarne, Stith Thompson, en Hans-Jörg Uther) binnen nümmers 1 töt en med 299 disse bistenvortellingen ofwel fåbels.

Fåbels binnen öäver heyle wearld to vinden. Dat geit ouk up vöär de fåbel med et ATU-nümmer 15, Butterdeevstal döär våder to stån, ouk to vinden in Berezkin syn indeks as nümmer M74AA, Deevstal van eaten döär våder to speylen. In disse vortelling binnen der twey bisten, oft en vos en en runder bist lykas en bear of sükswat, mor süms is dit leste bist ouk en wulv. Disse vortelling inkludeart ouk en antal motyven, lüddikere narratyve elementen. Sou givt et ouk Thompson syn motyven K371 Våder stån speylen en K401.1 Bedröygene syn eaten upeaten en hee krigt sülv de sküld, en ouk nog Berezkin syn motyv M74A Vrümde nåmen vöär de kinder.

As ik et up disse wyse vortel, dan blivt et vöär de meyste leasers vilicht wat abstrakt. Låten wy düs mor vlot öävergån up de vortelling sülv:

Dat Buotterfatt

“Et is ‘n Voß un ‘n Wulf west, un de Wulf de häff Smacht hatt, un he sech to de Voß: ‘Du moß mi wat te friätten schaffen, of ick fret di.’ Nu sech de Voß: “Ick weet ‘n Fatt vull Buotter staohn bi’n Bur in’n Keller, dao gaoh wi hen, dat hal wi.”

“Ja, äs se dao nu bi west sind, dao häbbt se erst wat von friätten un dann in’n Busk verstoppt, in deif Lauf. Un äs dao ‘n paar Dag verliëden sind, dao sech de Voß to de Wulf: ‘Sech äs, du moß mi dine Schoh leenen, ick mott Vadder stahn.’

“’Ja, de kanns wull kriegen, owwer dann moß mi seggen, wu dat Kind hett.’

“Jau, dat will’k di seggen.”

“De Voß de geiht laoß un geiht nao dat Fatt met Buotter un krich sick ‘n gudden Schaot dao ut. Un dao geiht he wiër hen nao de Wulf un sech: ‘Ick häbb’t feddig.’

“’Oh, dat häff jä gau gaohn. Moß mi nu auk seggen, wu dat Kind hett.’

“’Dat sall ick di seggen: ‘n gudden Anfank!’

“Soäs wiër ‘n paar Dag verliëden sind, dao krich de Voß wiër Aptiet, un de Wulf de denk nich mähr an dat Fatt met Buotter – de Wulf is nich so slau äs de Voß. Dao sech he wiër to de Wulf: ‘Du moß mi noch eemaol dine Schoh leenen, ick mott noch eemoal Vadder staohn.’

“De kanns du kriegen, moß mi bloß seggen, wud at Kind hett.”

“Un de Voß geiht wiër nao dat Fat met Buotter un fret sick den Pens dick vull. Un dao geiht he wiër nao de Wulf hen un sech: ‘Ick häbb’t feddig.’

“’Ja, wu hett dat Kind dann nu?’

“’’n bittken üöwer half.’

“Dao duert dat iätlicke Dag, dao sech de Voß: ‘De Wulf de denkt an de Buotter nich wiër, du moß seihn, dat de se all krichs’, un geiht nao de Wulf un sech: “Du moß mi noch eemaol dine Schoh leenen, ick mott noch eemaol Vadder staohn.”

“’Donnerwiädder’, sech de Wulf, ‘dat is ‘n bittken fak. De Schoh de kannste kriegen, owwer du weeßt jä, dat Kind, wu dat hett, dat moß mi seggen.’

“’Ja, dat sall ick di seggen.’

“Un de Voß de geiht noch maol nao dat Buotterfatt un mäck’t blitzeblank. Dann geiht he wiër nao de Wulf un sech: ‘Ick sin de wiër. Is alles gutt verlaupen.’

“’Ja, wu hett dat Kind dann nu?’

“’Diëger, diëger utschrabbt!’

Volk Erzählt: Münsterländische Sagen, Märchen und Schwänke. Vorsåmeld en heruutgeaven döär Gottfried Henßen (1935), s. 118-119

Good, as et noch neet öäverdüdlik is: nåmen van kinder givt de kwantityt an butter in et vat an. Eyrsten kind heit hyr en goden anfang, dår vos sik net wat van top van vat afstreiked hev. Tweyden kind heit dan en bitken öäver halv, dår ungevär hälvte et vat uut is. Lesten kind heit dan deeper, deeper uutskråped, dår of vos eyglyks bodem råkt med syn klauwen.

Now is der eyglyks wat wårliks skyrs an de gang med de nåmen van de kinder in alderhande versionen van disse vortelling. As wy kyken når dee nåmen, dan künnen wy dår en düdlike vorspreiding in seen. In de sassiske umråden is der en readlik konstant nåmbild, up to Oustpruusen to (nowdestyds Polen). Eyrsten kind heit oft anfang of ytswat dat dårup likt.

English

Up to this point on the blog, it was always about weird supernatural creatures that scare us. Ghosts, giants, monsters, aliens, demons, devils, and others like that. But not all folktales are about strange creature of that particular kind. There are also folktales of the genre fable. Fables are stories in which animals take the lead roles, and these animals have human characteristics. In the ATU-index (the folklore-index established by Antti Aarne, Stith Thompson, and Hans-Jörg Uther), the numbers 1 up to 299 are animal tales or fables.

Fables are found all over the world. This is also the case for the fable with ATU-number 15, The Theft of Butter (Honey) by Playing Godfather, which is also found in Berezkin’s index as number M74AA, Theft of Food by Playing Godfather. In this story, there are two animals, often a fox and a rounder animal like a bear or such, but this last animal can also be a wolf. This story also includes a couple of motifs, which are smaller narrative elements. Thus we find Thompson’s motifs K371 Playing Godfather and K401.1 Dupe’s Food Eaten and then Blame Fastened on Him, and also Berezkin’s motif M74A Strange Names of the Babies.

However, when I put it like this, it will remain quite abstract for most readers. So let’s move on quickly to the story itself:

The Barrel of Butter

“Once upon a time there were a fox and a wolf. The wolf was hungry, so he told the fox: “You have to find me something to eat, or I’ll eat you.’ The fox replied: ‘I know of a barrel of butter in a farmer’s basement. Let’s go there and get it.’

“Yes, once they arrived there, they first ate some of it, and then hid the barrel deep into the shrubbery. And, after a couple of days have passed, the fox tells the wolf: ‘Say, you have to lend me your shoes, I have to be a godfather at a baptism.’

“’Yes, you can have them, but you have to tell me the name of the child.’

“’Yeah, I’ll tell you that.’

“The fox departs and goes up to the barrel of butter and takes a big scoop out of it. Then he returns to the wolf and says: ‘I’m done.’

“’Oh, dat went by quickly. Now you have to tell me the name of the child.’

“’I will tell you: a good start!’

“When another couple of days have gone by, the fox became hungry again, while the wolf does not give a second thought to the barrel of butter – the wolf is not as cunning as the fox. Therefore he tells the wolf again: ‘Once more I need to borrow your shoes, while I have to be a godfather at a baptism again.’

“‘You can get them, you just have to tell me the name of the kid.’

“And the fox again goes up to the barrel of butter and eats his belly round. And then he again goes to the wolf and says ‘I’m done.’

“’Yeah, what’s the name of the child this time?’

“’Just over half.’

“Finally the day came on which the fox said: ‘The wolf won’t think about the butter anymore, so now I have to make sure I get all of it.’ He goes up to the wolf and says: ‘You have to lend me your shoes one final time, I have to be godfather at a baptism once more.’

“’Thunderbolt and lightning!’ the wolf cursed, ‘that is quite often. You can get the shoes, but you know, the child, you have to tell me its name.’

“’Yes, I will tell you that.’

“And the fox went one last time to the barrel of butter and cleans it out utterly. Then he goes back to the wolf and says: ‘I’m back. Everything went well.’

“’Yes, and what’s the child named this time?’

“’Deeply, deeply cleaned out!’

Volk Erzählt: Münsterländische Sagen, Märchen und Schwänke. Collected and republished by Gottfried Henßen (1935), p. 118-119

Alright, thus it may be clear that the names of the children reflect the quantity of butter left in the barrel. The first child is named a good start in the story, since the fox just scraped something from the top of the barrel. The second child is then called just over half, since about half of the barrel is taken out. The last child is called deeply, deeply cleaned out, in which the fox hit the bottom of the barrel with his paws.

There is actually something truly wonderful going on with the names of the children in a lot of versions of this story. When we examine those names, then we can unravel a clear distribution of them. There is a reasonably constant naming practice in the Saxon areas, up to Eastern Prussia (present-day Poland). The first child is often called anfang (start) or something similar.

Tweyden kind heit oft halvuut, mor et givt ouk de variatsioon middenin, dee, nåst wat of der up dit kårtke steit, ouk in Norweagen to vinden is (see dårveur Warren Roberts syn book Norwegian Folktale Studies: Some Aspects of Distribution (1964), s. 16). En, heyl interessant vöär de vordeyling, ouk in Belgien.

The second child is often called halvuut (halfway), but there is also the variation middenin (midway), which is, next to what is displayed on this map, also found in Norway (see Warren Roberts’ book Norwegian Folktale Studies: Some Aspects of Distribution (1964), p. 16). And, quite interesting for this distribution, also in Belgium.

Lesten kind (neet altyd derden) heit oftest skrap-up-de-born. Nåst et kårtke is disse nåm ouk to vinden in süüd-Norweagen as skrapna botne (Roberts, Norwegian Folktale Studies, s. 16), en sülvs under fransk-kreoul-snakkers in Louisiana as Scrap-Bottom (William McCarthy, Cinderella in America: A Book of Folk and Fairy Tales (2007), s. 262).

The last child (not always the third) is often called skrap-up-de-born (scrap-bottom). Next to what is displayed on the map, this name can also be found in southern Norway as skrapna botne (Roberts, Norwegian Folktale Studies, p. 16), and even among French Creole speakers in Louisiana as scrap-bottom (William McCarthy, Cinderella in America: A Book of Folk and Fairy Tales (2007), p. 262).

As wy kyken når de vorspreiding van disse nåmen, dan is et neet unmöglik, dat disse vorspreiding eyn is vanuut het Hanse-netwark. De Hanse was en handelsnetwark in låt-middeleywsk Europa. En was en netwark, dat en grout andeyl in handel up en rund de Baltiske Sea beherste. En oft bruukede språke in dit netwark was et middelsassisk, en låt dat now ouk de vöärolder weasen van de språke, dårin de meyste versionen van disse vortelling in skreaven binnen. Düs is et good möglik, dat disse vortelling öäver dat netwark vorspreided is. Dat wurdt starker, as eyn kykt når tweyden nåm. Disse is ouk to vinden in Belgien, en in Brugge gav et ouk eyn van de kontoren (en ard administratyv handelscentrum) van et Hanse-netwark. Kombineard met de vorspreiding van de nåmen van et tweyden en lesten kind når Norweagen, is disse tesis meyr anneamlik. Handelsnetwarken vorspreiden neet allennig goderen, mor ouk vortellingen en ideaen.

Now is et noch neet ende vorhål. Wulv krigt up en moment ouk hunger, en wil ouk wat van butter eaten. Leas düs vlot wyder vöär de rest:

“Dat geiht ne Tiet gutt, dao fäöllt den Wulf up’nmaol in, dat se dat Buotterfatt dao noch sitten häbbt in’t Lauf. He geiht nao de Voß un sech: ‘Voß, wi häbbt dao noch Buotter sitten in’n Graben.’

“’Donner, jau’, sech de Voß, ‘dao möwwe hen.’

Volk Erzählt: Münsterländische Sagen, Märchen und Schwänke. Vorsåmeld en heruutgeaven döär Gottfried Henßen (1935), s. 119

Vöär en tyd söken see beident når et vat, en nå en tyd seet de vos et. Mor sou enkelt is et now neet, umreaden:

“… Nu is dat Fatt lürig.

“’Dat häß du dohn!’ sech de Wulf to de Voß.

“’Ne, dat häßt DU dohn!’

“Nu häbbt se sick lange echwétt dao üm, sleßlick sech de Voß: ‘Well dat dohn häff, dat krich wi schön harut.’

“’Ja, wu dann?’

“’Wi bött us hier ‘n graut Füer in’n Busk, un dann lich wi us met de Mäse vör dat Füer, un de dann de Buotter ut de Mäse bräött, de häff se friätten.’

“Se lecht sick beide an’t Füer, un de Wulf is wannähr in’n Slaop. As he nu slöpp, geiht de Voß hen un nimp den Rest ut dat Buotterfatt un strick se den Wulf all binanner vör de Mäse, un dann röpp he: ‘Wulf, Wulf, nu steih äs up, du häß de Buotter friätten, häß se all binanner vör’t Gatt sitten.’

“’Donner’, sech de Wulf, ‘dat häbb’k doch nich glofft. Wahrhaftig, et is waohr.’”

Volk Erzählt: Münsterländische Sagen, Märchen und Schwänke. Vorsåmeld en heruutgeaven döär Gottfried Henßen (1935), s. 119

When we examine the distribution of these names, then it is not an impossibility that this distribution was carried out among the Hanseatic network. The Hanseatic League was a trading network in late Medieval Europe. It was a network that controlled a majority of the trade on and around the Baltic Sea. A language that was often utilized in this network was Middle Saxon, which is also the immediate ancestor of the language in which most versions of this story are written. This makes it quite possible that this story was spread through that network. This claim is also substantiated when one examines the second name more closely. This name is also found in Belgium, and Bruges was one of the cities which held a kontor (a kind of administrative trade centre) of the Hanseatic League. Combined with the distribution of the names of the second and last child to Norway, this thesis becomes quite likely. Trade networks do not only spread goods, but also stories and ideas.

But we haven’t finished this story yet. The wolf becomes hungry after a while, and also wants to eat some butter. So hurry onwards and finish the rest of the story:

“This goes well for a while, until the wolf remembers upon a day that the barrel of butter is still hidden away in the shrubbery. He goes to the fox and says: ‘Fox, we still have butter in that ditch.’

“’Dang, yeah!’, the fox says, ‘let’s go there.’

Volk Erzählt: Münsterländische Sagen, Märchen und Schwänke. Collected and republished by Gottfried Henßen (1935), p. 119

Both are looking for the barrel for a while, and after some time the fox has found it. But things are not that simple, because:

“… But the barrel was empty.

“’That is your fault!’ the wolf says to the fox.

“’No, it is YOUR fault!’

“They were bickering to and fro about this for a long time, and in the end the fox says: ‘We can get it out of the one who did it.’

“’Yeah, in what way then?’

“’We build a big fire in a shrub, and then we lie down facing it with our snouts, and the butter will then drip from the snout of the animal who ate the butter.’

“They both lay down at the fire, and soon the wolf has drifted off to sleep. When he was asleep, the fox went and scooped up the last of the butter, and rubs it on the snout of the wolf. Then he shouts: ‘Wolf, wolf, get up, you have eaten the butter, it’s all over your face!’

“’Blimey,’ the wolf says, ‘I didn’t know it was me. By God, it is true!’”

Volk Erzählt: Münsterländische Sagen, Märchen und Schwänke. Collected and republished by Gottfried Henßen (1935), p. 119

Spookplåtkepråt

Um et måken van de foto

By gebrek an en vos of en wulv, kon ik glüklik de kat Otis up de plåt krygen. Wy haren wat salmpasta, dår of kat hard up geit, in pan streiked. Dow de fotos klår wassen, kwam Otis noch når my to, to vrågen um meyr fotos, dår der med fotos måken kümt er meyr salmpasta, vansülv!

De stert heb ik wat andikt up myn reakener en etsülvde trükske uuthåld as by de roggemoder: alles grys en de kat in klöyr.

Spooky Spectral Speculation

About creating the picture

Because of lacking a fox or a wolf, I put Otis the cat on the photo. We put some salmon paste, which the cat adores, on the bottom of the pan. When the pictures were finished Otis came to me for more pictures, because he already knew that, with more pictures, there would be more salmon paste!

I made the tail somewhat fatter in the computer and performed the same trick as I did with the Mother of the Rye: gray tones and the cat in colour.