Superstitions
by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
Translated by Brad Schwebler
Superstitions
were widely spread by our ancestors. The appearance of illnesses
were attributed to the angry spirits. Driving them out was the
responsibility of the "Brauchweiber?" (customs woman). They
carried on this practice for an especially long time with skin and eye
illnesses. All eye catarrh including "Trachom" were attributed to
the "Schußploder." The most suited place for the custom was in the
doorway between the double doors of the sick place where it had been
spread with the hand or spit on, or at least had strongly blown on them.
By these doors the suitable incantations were murmured around from which
only the "three hechsten Nome?" were to understand. An especially
well-known incantation went: "He'le, he'le Katzedreck, bis marje Frih
is' alles weck." As an especially effective medicine the
"Krawelche" was valued, which was planted on the wall and had to be
squeezed out of the sick spot of skin (Derre) with a thimble.
Narrow-minded people still make occasional attempts today with the urine
of the sick, alone or mixed with yellow earth, cow dung, spider webs,
etc. Animals were also used against the illnesses. If a
deceased calls from the cemetery, then a rind a bacon must be buried
under the "Dachtrapp" (roof trap?) to heal the warts.
The days of the "Brauchweiber" are over. Today there are much more crafty
magicians such as the "Neusatz woman" of the miracle man from Gallersbach
(Zeileis) who still have the attraction, and the gullible are placed
completely under their spell. Eggs are given on Sunday when the Lord's
Prayer is read with joy because the "Kücken" chicks will hatch out at once as
the people come out of the church at once.
It is
the custom that strongly smelling leaves of various plants would be laid in the
songbooks: such as "Krottebalser" "Pannekuchekraut" (pancake herb?), "Spick",
etc.
Our grandparents generally still greeted with a "Helf Gott" (help God) and
replied with "Groß Dank" (great thanks). Unfortunately the beautiful
genuine German greeting is only heard in Sekitsch anymore. By us it is
generally "Gu'n Tach" and the French "Adje" (adieu). Attempts were made by
the school ten years ago to introduce "Grüß Gott." (greetings to God). It
was hoped that the foreign word "Adje" could be completely replaced by it.
There are almost no nicknames in Feketitsch. Through the little epithets
which occur the baptismal names of our ancestors are immortalized. So for
example: B. Bernhard; Bastian (=Sebastian); Schulhaus (=Sculdiener Johann);
Jerfriedl (=Georg Friedrich) etc. These could not be accepted as nicknames
anyway.
Before the World War it was believed that the dialect and pronunciation of the
people of Sekitsch could be made fun of. Today however we are coming to
the realization that it was a shame that in the whole Batschka region the people
of Sekitsch had the only true Swabian dialect. The Pfalz dialect was
abandoned. Also some foreign words of Hungarian and Slavic origin have
found their way into the Feketitsch vocabulary. An example of it is put
together in the following sentence:
"Nar e bitanger, pametloser Betyar legt sich mit Batschkre und Tschisme an de
Noge 'uf die Paplan, oder 'uf de Divan, wann er 'uf dem Sallasch, oder 'uf der
Pusta aus seim Tschupe Kokosch, Ketschke- oder Katschepaprikasch eßt." - De'
Ischpan hat 'uf dem Piaz am Koplalo sei' Wike und de' Scharke samt dem Kukuruz
der Kofa mit dem Tschurock verprotascht un' jetzt puscht er sei' Lula, akar sei
pischricher Kume und Komschi: der Kupez; - na teschek! jetzt leere se' de'
Tschuter zum Aldemarsch un losse sich tudle un' gewe dem Harfasch noch Bago far
Radasch." (In English translated from German: Only a homeless, foolish,
good-for-nothing (robber) sets himself down with his dirty shoes and boots on
the edge of a quilt, or on the bed, when he is at the manor, or eat chicken
(cocks, goats, or duck flesh prepared with red pepper in his earthenware
container at the dairy yard. At the square by the "Hutweide" (border
meadow) the steward sold his bull and chestnut horse together with the corn to
the market dealer with the fur coat and now he smokes his pipe, just he needs to
urinate with his bosom buddy and neighbor. The buyer says, "Oh please! Now
empty the wooden bottle so your brother can drink and lets make music and give
the harp and chewing tobacco as gifts for it.
[Published at
DVHH.org 2004 by Jody McKim Pharr]
