Nov 15, 2006 09:46
17 yrs ago
2 viewers *
German term

Perchtenlauf

German to English Art/Literary Folklore Traditions (Bavaria / Austria)
'Der Perchtenlauf hat – so sagt man – in Breitenbach seinen Ursprung. Am 5. und 6. Dezember kann man sich davon überzeugen, dass diese alte Tradition noch genau so lebendig ist und vom ganzen Dorf mitgetragen wird. Weiteres dazu siehe „Perchtenlauf“ in dieser Zeitschrift.'

What is the Perchtenlauf or Perchten?

Thanks in advance.
Change log

Nov 15, 2006 11:35: Steffen Walter changed "Field" from "Other" to "Art/Literary"

Discussion

Francis Lee (X) Nov 15, 2006:
What's your context/readership? And will the Perchtenlauf article referred to at the end also be translated?

Proposed translations

+1
16 mins
Selected

"Demon's Run"

I don't believe that term is translatable .......see below:
die (Bercht, Perchta), mythische Gestalt im Volksglauben und Brauchtum der Mittwinterzeit; Anführerin dämonischer Wesen (Perchten), die besonders in der Nacht vor dem Dreikönigsfest (Epiphanias; Perchtennacht) umherziehen; besonders im Alpenraum noch heute im Brauchtum lebendig (Perchtenlauf in den Zwölf Nächten durch vermummte Gestalten mit Holzmasken); in anderen Landschaften mit »Frau Holle« gleichgesetzt.
© Bibliographisches Institut & F. A. Brockhaus AG, Mannheim, 2005
Peer comment(s):

agree misterherrnau : more like rampage in Salzburg ;-))
31 mins
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I opted for this with the German in brackets. Thanks."
+1
16 mins

See comments

You can say Perchtenlauf in german and maybe put procession in English afterwards or you could say Perchten procession. It depends on the likelihood of your audience knowing what this is.

Originally, the word Perchten (plural of Perchta) referred to the female masks representing the entourage of Frau Bercht or Pehta baba as is known in Slovenia, an ancient goddess (some claim a connection to the nordic goddess Freyja, though this is uncertain). Traditionally, the masks were displayed in processions (Perchtenlauf) during the last week of December and first week of January, and particularly on the 6th of January. The costume consists of a brown wooden mask and brown or white sheep's skin. In recent times Krampus and Perchten have increasingly been displayed in a single event, leading to a loss of distinction of the two. Perchten are associated with midwinter and the embodiment of fate and the souls of the dead. The name originates form the Old High German word peraht, or brilliant, meant as a warning against the sin of vanity.

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:UiWxPrFP1ycJ:en.wikiped...
Peer comment(s):

agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : good research, and I learned a lot on the by...
2 hrs
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3 hrs

"the wandering about of the Perchten"

is how Muret-Sanders puts it.
MS goes on to say for Perchten = "Austrian dial. young men who wander about between Christmas and Epiphany wearing masks"
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