tværpostet fra: https://feddit.dk/post/22704019
A few days ago I made this post, linking to a group performing in parades during the holiday of Fasnacht in Luzern, Switzerland.
But what is Vuotisheer? Vuotisheer is a mythological phenomena that occurs in the southern German speaking areas of Europe. In tellings, it is fairly diverse, but is imagined as a group of noisy, unruly and even dangerous spirits or people, roaming the country and appearing during holidays. These stories go all the way back to the 16th century.
As a wider European phenomena it resembles other traditions of noisy spirits roaming the country, especially by flying. Due to its name, and behavior, it has been identified as the army ('heer') of Odin, through his German name, Wodan. This interpretation was put forth by 19th century historians, notably Jacob Grimm. The identification of Vuotisheer as Odin is still very popular among professionals. However, an increasing number of voices believe this interpretation is tenuous at best, and that the "Vuotis" is an archaic term for "furious".
Nevertheless, the Vuotisheer group I linked earlier seem to subscribe to the interpretation of Vuotis as Odin, from their icon showing both an eight-legged horse and a wolf.
Links and ressources, mostly in German:
Auszug aus der Sagenwelt des Kantons Luzern bezüglich Sträggele, Türst und Vuotisheer
- folktales from the group's website
Jacob Grimm, Teutonic Mythology Vol 3 [English]
- Note that Grimm actually argues for the identification of the Vuotisheer as Odin more through it's aspects such as flight and noise and similarity with other phenomena in which Odin appears
- folk tales from Swabia
Der Geschichtsfreund : Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins Zentralschweiz
- discussion and categorization of early Vuotisheer stories
Wolfgang Golther, Handbuch der germanischen Mythologie
- Similar to Teutonic Mythology
Very interesting! Reminds me a lot of the Tschäggättä (article in German) in the Valais canton, in Switzerland. Only with more city-like and less alpine garments.