LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.07 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 07.OCT.2002 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
               V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Daniel Prohaska <daniel at ryan-prohaska.com>
Subject: LL-L "Festivities" 2002.10.07 (03) [E]

Tom wrote:
< Thank you for the information.  I had forgotten about the paper
lanterns we
< carried with lit candles in them.  Suennermarten is clearly the same
< holdiday that we had. I asume that it must be limited to the north of
< Germany because none of the Germans I have met here (allmost all from
< south
< Germany) had ever heard of it.  If you can dig up the song, I would <
greatly
< appreciate it.

< The fire festival was as you described it.  Only a few couples jumped
over
< the fire and that only when the fire had burned quite low.

< By the way, does Nikolaus still have his place on December 6th or has
he
< been displaced by the American Santa Claus by now?

Im Schwoabaländle wo`n i ufgwachsa bee, hot`s ao dr Sankt Mardin gäba.
Mir sen mit de Laternla omadomgloffa un hent Liadla gsonga: "Ich geh mit
meiner Laterne...".... deeß hoißt also dass`es im Siid-Weschda vo
Deitschland fei scho dr St Mardin geit. Nadiirlich ao de andre Sacha wo
dr Ron gsait hot, mit vor-chischdliche Rituale und so weidr. Mir Schoaba
sen hald ao Allemanna.

In Swabia, where I grew up, St Martin was celebrated as well. We went
from house to house with our Lanterns singing "Ich geh` mit meiner
Laterne..." ....which means that St Martin is known in the South West of
Germany. Of course there are also the other customs that Ron mentioned,
concerning the Allemannic area and their pre-christian rituals. We
Swabians are Allemannic as well.

Daniel

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Festivities

Daniel, Lowlanders,

We used to sing that German song up in the north too.  The other one -- also
a "song that never ends," I'm afraid -- was maccaronic: German, then
suddenly (indented part below) switching over to Lowlands Saxon (Low
German):

   Laterne, Laterne!
   Die Sonne, der Mond und die Sterne!
   Brenne auf, mein Licht!
   Brenne auf, mein Licht,
   Aber nur meine liebe Laterne nicht!
   Meine Laterne ist so schön!
   Da kann man mit spazieren gehn,
   In dem grünen Walde,
   Wo die Büchsen knallen,
      Waar de Oldsch mit 'n Lücht,
      De de Lüüd' bedrüggt,
      De de Eier haalt
      Un jüm nich betaalt.*
   Laterne, ...

* In our Hamburg dialect with bookish influence due to rhythm:

   Latäane, Latäane!
   Die Sonne, dä Moond unnie Stäane!
   Brenne aauf, maain Licht!
   Brenne aauf, maain Licht,
   Åba nua maaine liebe Latäane nicht!
   Maaine Latäane isso schöön!
   Då kammammit spazieren gehn,
   In den grünen Walde,
   Wo die Bücksn knallen,
      Wo de Ollsch mit 'n Licht,
      De de Lüüt bedrücht,
      De de Aaier hoolt
      Un se nich betoolt.*

My translation:

   Lantern, Lantern!
   The sun, the moon and the stars!
   Burn up, my light (= candle)!
   Burn up, my light,
   But not you, my lovely lantern!
   My lantern is so beautiful!
   You can go for walks with it,
   In the green woods,
   Where rifle shots ring out,
      Where the old woman with a light [is/lives]
      Who bamboozles folks,
      Who keeps taking eggs
      And won't pay for them.
   Lantern, ...

The German sentence _Da kann man mit spazieren gehn_ has a definite northern
(Missingsch) ring to it.  In proper "High" German it would be _Damit kann
man spazieren gehn_ (but that wouldn't work in the song).

Cheers!
Reinhard/Ron

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