LL-L "Traditions" 2007.12.28 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  28 December 2007 - Volume 01
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Traditions

Dear Lowlanders,

I hope that all of you that celebrate Western Christmas had a wonderful
time, that those of you that celebrate Kwanzaa are still having a good time,
and that those of you that celebrate Epiphany and Eastern Orthodox Christmas
are having a good time to come. Furthermore, I hope that only good times
with family and friends and also quiet digestive periods are to blame for
the silence around here.

Most of us will celebrate the coming of the new year in a couple of days.
Let's hope for a less angry, violent and uncaring world in 2008! The
international New Year's holiday may be an opportune time to remember the
many things, the majority of things, that we have in common.

In Northern Germany, the core area of (true) Saxon language and traditions,
New Year's Eve tends to be celebrated with partying, noise making
(especially with fireworks) and often with fancy dress events. In earlier
forms of this tradition, people, especially children, would wear various
sorts of disguise, go from door to door, recite poems or sing songs to
request gifts (especially of food treats, adults of strong drink) and make a
lot of noise, especially with the *Rummelpott* (German *Brummtopf*), a type
of friction drum.

Here is one of the songs they used to sing:

*Fru, maak de Dœr op!
De Rummelpott will rin.
Daar kümmt een Schipp ut Holland.
Dat hett een goden Wind.
Schipper, wullt du wieken! weichen
Bootsmann, wullt du strieken!
Sett dat Seil op de Topp
un geevt mi wat in'n Rummelpott!*

ANS Spelling:
*Vru, maak dey doer op!
Dey rummelpot wil rin.
Daar kümt eyn schip uut Holland.
Dat het eyn gouden wind.
Schipper, wult du wyken!
Bootsman, wult du stryken!
Sett dat sayl op dey top
un geevt my wat in d'n rummelpot!*

Lady, open the door!
The *rummelpot *wants to enter.
A ship is coming from Holland
With a mighty wind.
Skipper, you must yield.
Boatswain, out of the way!
Set the sail right up on top
And put something into the *rummelpot*!

A part of this song is traditionally sung in Southern Jutish by our northern
next-door neighbors:

*Fru, fru, lok **æ** døe op!
Æ rummelpot vil ind.
De kom æ skib fra Holland.
De hav så goj **æ** vind.*

I suspect that this song contains metaphors for success -- the element of *
spoud* ("speed", "smooth sailing", "success") we talked about not too long
ago.

Most probably, this tradition has its roots in pre-Christian shamanist
traditions in which noise and fire were used to drive out evil spirits with
the end of the old year and to begin the new year with a clean slate. We
still find related traditions not only in many parts of Europe (especially
in Alemannic-speaking areas and also in Scottish Hogmaney) but in fact in
many parts of Eurasia, such as in the *Nowrûz* traditions of the
Persian-speaking world all the way to Chinese New Year and beyond. Elements
of it are preserved in North European Christmas traditions, such as loud
singing and stomping from room to room and from house to house. There may
also be some earlier fusing with various Halloween traditions, especially
the nocturnal mumming and caroling parts. The fancy dress part of
traditional Hogmaney shows this too. Traditionally, men dressed up as women
and women as men, most likely to confuse those not all that intelligent evil
spirits.

By the way, unlike in most related languages (e.g. English "New Year's Eve,"
German *Neujahrsabend* or *Sylvester*), New Year's Eve is called *
Oldjaarsavend* ("Old Year's Eve") in Low Saxon.

May your sliding into the new year be without bumps and splinters!

Lets hope for more contributions to our projects in 2008!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

P.S.: Lowlands Song submissions are due in ca. 84 hours (
lowlands-l.net/contest/)!

P.P.S.: Our projects:

   - http://lowlands-l.net/anniversary/
   - http://lowlands-l.net/travels/
   - http://lowlands-l.net/gallery/
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