LL-L "Culture" 2008.06.27 (02) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 27 June 2008 - Volume 02
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From: Marcus Buck <list at marcusbuck.org>
Subject: LL-L "Culture" 2008.06.26 (06) [E]

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

>
> Marcus, how about writing a piece about Low Saxon Faslom for the new
> "Traditions" presentation? I did not grow up with it and wonder if it
> belongs mainly to Roman Catholic communities. I take it the name /Falsom/ is
> related to /Fastelavend/.
>
Yes, Faslom is a form (what do you call "verschliffen" in English?) of
Fastelavend. It is not a catholic festival. Contrary, I believe it is better
described as the Lutheran counterpart of the catholic
Karneval/Fasnacht/Fasching. Its epicenter in modern times is South of
Hamburg in the Lüneburg Heath with offshoots into some other regions, among
them my home area. But historically it was spread in a wider region
(although I don't know whether the customs connected to Faslom were the same
in all regions). There are some villages in my region still having Faslom,
but sadly my own village has lost it (or never had it? I don't know. I don't
know any accounts of Faslom here. Perhaps the village wasn't big enough...).
So I can report second hand only. I don't think, that would make a good
report.

Marcus Buck

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From: Marcus Buck <list at marcusbuck.org>
Subject: LL-L "Culture" 2008.06.26 (06) [E]
From: jonny <jonny.meibohm at arcor.de <mailto:jonny.meibohm at arcor.de>>
Subject: LL-L "Culture" 2008.06.26 (01) [E/LS]

Beste Marcus,
 at first: another excellent posting of yours! Worth to give a critical
answer...!
 You wrote:
 *Back to the Northern identity: The Northern identity manifests in memes
like "Fischköppe" (Northerners being called, but also calling themselves
"fish heads"), or a "Rock attitude" (the Rocker subculture and Heavy Metal
are more widespread in Northern Germany than in the south of Germany, as far
as I could observe this). In metal and Rock Northern Germany has much in
common with Scandinavia. They (or "We") even identify them/our-selves with
the Vikings. Or think of Hip Hop bands like Fettes Brot or Fischmob
performing songs in Low Saxon. Like the song "Nordisch by nature". Northern
identity pure. The band Torfrock even combines Viking rock and Low Saxon.
This Northern identity is my hope (actually my only hope) for the future of
Low Saxon.*
** 'Northern idendity' and 'Low Saxon' are different things, as well as Hip
Hop and Metal (the two of them I never would write within one single
sentence *s*).
 I didn't want to say, that Northern identity and Low Saxon are closely
connected. But Low Saxon is one aspect of the Northern identity (Northern
means Northern German, that I mentioned the "Vikings" didn't mean I wanted
to extend it to Scandinavia, although some sympathy to Scandinavia is
another aspect of this special identity). Of course are Metal, Rock and Hip
Hop different subcultures, but they are to some degree aspects of the
identity. The fraction of "Northern identity carriers" speaking Low Saxon
will not be significantly higher than in the general society, but if you can
establish the equation "Low Saxon = Nordish" carriers of the identity will
be more eager to use (some) Low Saxon than others, cause they try to be
Nordish, if they feel Nordish by identity (just like carriers of Metal
culture accept Middle High German music as cool, cause it is part of their
subculture).

There are dozens of Low Saxons bands in the coastal regions, but I don't
know any (not even one single) in Eastfalia or Brandenburg. The difference
does not correlate to the speaker numbers. There should be at least some
bands in more Southern Saxon regions, if it were only the number of people.
No. The big difference is identity. Low Saxon is "cool" in the north (at
least to some degree), but in the south Low Saxon is not cool. They are even
proud to have lost their ancestral language ("In Hannover we speak the best
and purest High German."). Or if you don't believe the "Low Saxon is cool"
thing, let's say: Low Saxon has a lobby in the north, but not so in the
south. There's a difference in the minds.

Marcus Buck
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