| ~ Alle fingen an zu winseln ~ | |
| This is a very interesting blue/gray, stoneware stein marked with the logo of Reinhold Merkelbach and form number 362, ca. 1900. The story of the "Schneiders - Höllenfahrt" (The Tailor's Trip to Hell) has being published by Master Steinologist George Schamberger in Prosit, December 2013. It is a folk tale about a devil taking a Tailor to hell to make clothes for all of the demons there, but the Tailor causes so much trouble including cutting off their tails that they're finally forced to send him back out. This story could have been much more horrifying when it is realized that the German word "Schwanz" meaning "tail" also means "penis" in the common vernacular. There are many poems and songs written about this lore. One version was written by Heinrich Hoffmann in the mid 1800's and has 30 verses. | |
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Alle fingen an zu winseln, alle fingen an zu schrein. Es ist ein Graus kein Teufel hat ein Schwannzel mehr. Jagt ihn zur Höll hinaus. |
Everybody started to whine, Everybody started to scream, It is a horror (if) no devil has a tail anymore. Chase him out of hell. |
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Translation: Franz Schatz Photo credit: Roy Kellogg |