LL-L "Traditions" 2009.05.23 (02) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 23 May 2009 - Volume 02
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From: Jacqueline Bungenberg de Jong <Dutchmatters at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Traditions" 2009.05.23 (01) [DE]

Hannelore, What an interesting game. I do not think I have ever seen it
played, not in Twente nor in the rest of the Netherlands or elsewhere. It is
like musical chairs, without chairs. I do not know of any imitation of this
game in modern games that you can buy in a box at the “Speelgoed Winkel”. It
must be very old. Do you have any idea where this game originated? Or is
that lost in History?  Sorry about not answering in German. I can read your
dialect just fine, but have forgotten more of my high school German than I
ever knew.

Jacqueline BdJ

Seattle WA US
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
 Subject: Traditions

Folks,

In order to let you know what our Jacqueline is responding to above, and
because it's rather interesting material that our Hanne posted in German in
the previous "Traditions" issue, I will make an exception and roughly
translate it. It's about a game traditionally played in the eastern reaches
(at least Mecklenburg) of the originally Low-Saxon-speaking region (a region
that used to be Slavic-speaking).  It would be interesting to see if related
games are or used to be played elsewhere.

Kind regards, and a pleasant and thought-provoking Memorial Day weekend to
my fellow Americans!

Personal politics, philosophies and partisanship aside, please try to have a
few compassionate and appreciative thoughts for our soldiers and their
families and for any other people whose lives are being adversely impacted
by armed conflict anywhere in the world. May reason and compassion prevail
in the end!

Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

My rough translation of the text our Hanne posted:

*
KUHLSOEG'*



Now and then one finds in Low German literature the word *Kuhlsoeg'*, or *
Kulsoeg'*, *Kulsäg'*. *Kuhl*: hole, *Soeg': *sow, in connection of the
idiomatic
expression: *Ick lat nich mit mi Kuhlsoeg' spälen* ("I won't have anyone
play *Kuhlsoeg'* with me" = I won't have anyone make a fool of me). *Ick lat
nich mit mi Kuhlsoeg' spälen* (to the fool someone). What's the origin of
this?



Fritz Reuter wrote of a certain kind of marble game. Marble: small ball for
children's games, made from stone, tone or glass, originally of marble.
Syn.: *Knull*, *Marmel*, *Picker*, *Schöttel*. An



*Kuhlsoeg'*: a village boys' game in which a wooden ball, a long wooden
piece, also a stone or a cow's foot (*Peksch*) is put into a hole. The name
*Kuhlsoeg'* is used throughout the region, aside from widespread *Swinhäuden
* (swine-herding)or *Swindriben* (swine-driving), more rarely *Gris'
Soeg'*(grey sow),
*Soegendriben* (sow-driving), *Kalümp*, *Kolum*, *Kolumbus*,
*Rührrüm*(stir-about),
*Pulte*, *Grütt* (grits, porridge), *Klüterspill* and (I am surprised) *
Boßel* *SCHÖ*.



*Description of the game*:
A larger hole (*Kuhl*)is dug in an empty space, possibly like a big wash
bowl, then in a circle of about 10 meters in diameter around *de Kuhl* in
the very same distance small holes of about 1/4 the size of the central hole
-- one less than there are players.



*Beginning*:
All players touch the ground with their crude bats whose bottom ends are
crooked (*Driwstock*, *Kül*, *Prangel*, *Kulenknüppel* among other names)
while stirring the "kettle" (*Kätel*) of *de Soeg'*, and, while touching
their sticks the inside of the "kettle", they walk around the hole, usually
three times, singing a song (of which there are several versions). *Kolümp
Kolümp, dat Fleisch is gor, de Kohl dee kaakt noch nägen Johr.
Kolümp!* (*Kolümp
Kolümp, *the meat is cooked; the cabbage will yet cook nine years. *Kolümp!*
)* *or *Kugel Kugel lümp, Kätel vull Klümp, Kätel vull Backbeern mag uns'
gris' Soeg' geern* (Ball, ball lumps*,* kettle full of clumps, kettle full
of dried pears (~ stuff ~ whatnot) is what our grey sow loves to eat).



Then a designated player shouts in unpredictable interval *ein, twei,
drei*(one, two, three). On the sound of
*drei* or *tau Lock* (to hole) or *Kolümp* everyone runs to the edge of the
playing field and tries to put his stick into a hole in the vicinity. He who
does not find a free hole becomes the "driver" (*Soeg'driwer*) and now herds
into the large hole his *Soeg'*, which had previously been catapulted into
the field. The other players must attempt to prevent this with their sticks
while also guarding against the *Swinshäuder* occupying their holes. Should
this happen, he must take his place. The game ends when the ball ends up
inside the "kettle" (big middle hollow).



One more expression: *De Katt spält Kuhlsoeg' mit de Mus* (The cat plays *
Kuhlsoeg'* with the mouse).

•

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