LL-L "Holidays" 2003.11.10 (12) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 10.NOV.2003 (12) * 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) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Anja Meyfarth <anja-meyfarth at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Holidays" 2003.11.10 (06) [D/E/S/LS]

Moin Lowlanders!

In Hannover we sang (only the first two lines being kind if Low Saxon):

Matte Matte Mären,
de Äppel un de Bären,
laßt uns nicht zu lange stehn,
wir wollen heut noch weiter gehn,
wir wollen bis nach Bremen,
Bremen ist 'ne große Stadt,
da geben alle Leute was.

(Matte Matte Mären,
the apples and the peas,
don't leave us standing here too long,
we want to go further today,
we want to go to Bremen,
Bremen is a rich town,
all people there give us something.)

And then we got our candy. I believe, "Matte" stands for "Martin", but I'm
not sure about "Mären", maybe it's for "fairy tale" or "story".
I can't remember if we sang something for the depature.
Here in Schleswig-Holstein walking with the "Rummelpott" takes place in
december, especially to New Year's Eve.

Greetings from Kiel,

Anja

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

Thanks, Anja.

> I believe, "Matte" stands for "Martin", but I'm
> not sure about "Mären", maybe it's for "fairy tale" or "story".

"Matte," "Matten" and "Mat(t)je" do indeed stand for "Marten" (= "Martin")
in Lowlands Saxon (Low German).   "Matte," "Matten" and "Mat(t)je(s)" can
also stand for "Ma(t)thies" (= "Matthias" = "Matthew"), the latter also
known as "Thies" and "Ties" (related to our Roger's last name Thijs, I
suppose).

(I wonder if the famous pickled _Matjes_ herring -- apparently borrowed from
Dutch -- originally meant "St. Martin's herring," herring eaten on
Martinmas.  Or am I in danger of creating another urban legend?)

I can imagine that "Mären," too, can be a form of "Marten."  LS for
'fairytale' is _Märken_ in a few dialects (perhaps inspired by German
_Märchen_), but I do not see a place for it in that phrase.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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