<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">===========================================<br>L O W L A N D S - L - 01 November 2009 - Volume 03<br style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><a href="mailto:lowlands@lowlands-l.net">lowlands@lowlands-l.net</a> - <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/">http://lowlands-l.net/</a></span><br style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">
<span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Language Codes: <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/codes.php">lowlands-l.net/codes.php</a></span><br>
===========================================<br></div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">From: Hannelore Hinz <<a href="mailto:HanneHinz@t-online.de" target="_blank">HanneHinz@t-online.de</a>></font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Subject: Nikolaus 6. Dez.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Gedanken über 6. Dezember (Nikolaus)</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Hallo liebe Freunde!</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Nikolaus: männlicher Vorname, Niklas,
verkürzt: Klas, Pl. Kloes'.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">1. Die kath. Kirche feierte den Tag des Heiligen am
6. Dezember; Datumsangaben: 'vor sunte nycolaus dage' (1418); 'um Nicolai'
(1583); sein Kult war z.Zt. der Hanse im Ostseegebiet lebendig (Nikolauskult);
nach Nikolaus benannte Kirchen und Kapellen im damaligen meckl. Gebiet; er wurde
als Schutzpatron der Schiffer verehrt: 'se (die Katholiken) geven desse
affgodische meinung vor, dat S. Nicolaus thor Sehewardt im Stor(m)winde mote dat
beste don'; 'men ropt, schryet und bedet ock in den Kercken S. Nicolaum glyck
mit in der Letanien . . . an'. </font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">2. In den Jahrhunderten nach der Reformation ist
mit dem Nikolauskult auch sein Festtag verschwunden, wohl wurde der Brauch*, die
Kinder zu beschenken, weiter geübt; man lehrte sie 'daß . . . ein heil.
Nicolaus, der seit dem 6. Dezember herum gegangen wäre und sich nach der Kinder
Verhalten erkundiget, die ausgesetzten Schüßeln gefüllet hätte</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Gem. Aufs. 1769, S. 205; aber 'eine Feier des
Nikolaustages selbst . . . , wie sie in anderen deutschen Ländern üblich
ist, kennen wir in Mecklenburg nicht'.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">*Die Kinder freuen sich über eine Gabe vom
Nikolaus, die er während der Nacht heimlich in einen für ihn hingestellten
Kinderschuh legt.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2"> Pflegt man diesen Brauch auch in anderen
Ländern?</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Anmerkung: Doch lebt die Gestalt (Nikolaus) in
eigentümlicher Weise fort; sie wurde zum <em>Rug'klas </em>oder <em>Kling'klas
</em>der Weihnachtszeit, einer der vermummten Umzugsgestalten.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Lit. (gekürzt): Wossidlo/Teuchert</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Kamt gaut rin in denn' melanklüterigen
Näwelmaand.</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">Hanne</font></div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">----------</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: <span>Traditions<br><br>Dear Hanne,<br><br>I hope you don't mind that I am responding in English in order to get everyone else on board. Also, Hanne, I know that your English, especially your passive English, has been improving fast, in part thanks to your participation in LL-L and in part thanks to your efforts </span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">to overcome the disadvantage you had in East Germany before the fall of the Wall.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Here at Lowlands-L, the topic of St. Nicholas comes up in November and December of every year. Folks, I wish one of you would write an introductory piece that we could post in our Traditions presentation (<a href="http://lowlands-l.net/traditions/">http://lowlands-l.net/traditions/</a>).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The tradition goes back to Saint Nicholas (Greek: </span><span style="visibility: visible; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> Άγιος Νικόλαος (Ágios Nikólaos)) </span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">–</span><span style="visibility: visible; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search"> actually Nicholas of Myra (210</span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">–</span><span style="visibility: visible; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="main"><span style="visibility: visible;" id="search">346) </span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">– a Byzantine bishop who lived in what is now a part of Turkey. His reputation for charitable "wonder" works was such that his fame spread far beyond Eastern Orthodoxy. Also, it survived the Reformation in what are now the northern parts of the Netherlands and Germany, probably as a part of a cultural continuum. In fact, to most people in the Netherlands the day devoted to him is more important than Christmas, and in Northern Germany this day is also still celebrated apart from Christmas. (In the Netherlands it is on December 5 and in Northern Germany on December 6, the difference being due to the fact that in older Christianity, as in Judaism, a day begins with nightfall. Saint Nicholas's birthday is December 6.)</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I believe that in what is now (predominantly Lutheran) Northern Germany Saint Nicholas Day used to be as important as in the Netherlands and that later German domination coming from the south introduced Christmas as more important. North German children ended up with gifts on both days, which is not a bad deal. But there's been a lot of confusion. There is Saint Nicholas Day (Low Saxon </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Niklaas(dag)</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">, </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Sünnerklaas(dag)</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">) and then, on Christmas, there is </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Ruugklaas (a.k.a. Klingklaas</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">), as you mentioned. </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Ruugklaas</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> ("Rough Nick") is the rough and tumble companion and helper of the German-derived </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Wiehnachtsmann</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> (< <i>Weihnachtsmann</i>, Father Christmas), usually does his dirty work, such as punishing naughty children. The </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Wiehnachtsmann</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> is clearly an adaptation of the (southern) German </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Weihnachtsmann</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">. So, in Northern Germany there is a mixture of at least two traditions (Lowlands and German), while in the Netherlands the older tradition still predominates.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The confusion spread to North America, beginning with the Dutch tradition Dutch colonial days (before the British takeover) and continuing with strong influences of large-scale German immigration. As a result, Dutch-based Saint Nicholas (</span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Sinterklaas</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">) has become the American Santa Claus who is the same as Father Christmas in other English-speaking countries (and the </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Weihnachtsmann</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> in the German tradition). He enters the house through the chimney (even where there is none) and stuffs good children's stocking (these days special ones, not of the wearing kind). In contrast, St. Nicholas in Northern Germany enters the house by whatever means available (without triggering security alarms and getting arrested by the police) and stuffs good children's </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">shoes</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> (that traditionally must be well polished and are put on window sills while saying a little prayer-like poem).</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">A quick look at our neighbors in (predominantly Lutheran) Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia and Latvia reveals Saint Lucy's Day (December 13) in place of Saint Nicholas Day. Saint Lucy (283–304, thus roughly a contemporary of Saint Nicholas) was a Christian martyr and is associated with the bringing of light, warmth and kindness (</span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">lucia</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 'light one' (f) < Latin </span><i style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">lux</i><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> 'light), clearly connected with pre-Christian celebrations of winter equinox and thus the return of light.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">This becomes a big topic once you start comparing.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Regards,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Reinhard/Ron</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Seattle, USA</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<p>
==============================END===================================
<p>
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org.
<p>
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
<p>
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
<p>
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")
<p>
are to be sent to listserv@listserv.linguistlist.org or at
<p>
http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
<p>
*********************************************************************