Why The Grinch is Our Krampus

Gruss vom Krampus and Greetings from The Grinch

As a younger generation of German Americans, we know the story of Dr.Seuss's book How The Grinch Stole Christmas....however, you have never heard of the Grinch's older Bruder und mutter who live in Germany and Austria; Krampus and Frau Perchta. Krampus is the Christmas demon or beast who is harry, has a big grimacing mouth, has the horns of a goat, and carries a sack on his back and a bundle of Burch sticks for beating naughty children. Also, there is not just one Krampus, a whole group of them will go looking for naughty children on December, 5th which is Krampusnacht where they terrorize spectators by shaking chains, bells, beatings, and all-out rowdiness in the streets in an event called the Krampuslauf. Also, that sack that Krampus carries on his back is his way of taking you to hell where he will burn you, whip you, or even eat you...which is way scary than just a little lump of coal!

At one point Hitler banned poor Krampus because he represented socialistic justice; which is exactly what the Grinch represents. Theodor Geisel wrote the book because he too felt the same way about Christmas becoming an overly capitalistic holiday and also had a dark scene of humor. Also, studies in Psychology prove that the sourness and depression that comes with Christmas makes people very Grinchy; another is because the Grinch represents a very hard issue for many immigrants and people with mental health issues, how to feel happy during the holidays. Now that I'm a German American of Generation X along with my cousins I can find out about Volksmusik and German culture but people like Seuss did not know about Krampus's mutter Frau Perchta.

Frau Perchta or Frau Holle is called The Mother of Beast which means she is one powerful fairy, that's right Krampus is a fay creature! She is an old woman with long white hair and tattered clothing and oversees if people are working or are being forced to work on the twelve days leading to Christmas. If she sees that a person is working and not celebrating like usual she will ask you who your employer is and why your still working when it's Christmas? If you tell her she will reward you with gifts and punish your boss in the most gruesome way possible....how? First, her children will eat your food (sound familiar...), and then she will disembowel your boss and fill your boss's guts with sawdust and stuff his belly with straw or stones. Imagine what she would think about Walmart's worker schedule around the holidays! After all


Christmas doesn't come from the store.
Maybe Christmas means a little bit more...

So when people think they need Krampus or an Elf on the Shelf...We German Americans have the Grinch instead of a chew toy for Max


You better run little elf's...

The History Behind The Happy Wander

The Happy Wander or Mein Vater war ein Wandermann is a very popular song known to many people in choruses as a camping or walking song covered by Frank Weir, The Stargazers, and even The Muppet's; however what people do not know the song's connection to a German environmental movement and the history of the choir who put music to the words of a poem written by Florenz Fredrick Sigismund. Often mistaken as a German Folk Song it's music was written by Friedrich-Willheim Moller for his sister Edith who ran a choir of children in Northern Germany who were orphans during World War Two. 

After the war in 1953, the BBC broadcasted the Obernkirtchen Children's Choir singing the song which landed number two on popular music stations and even appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. It also became an anthem for the revival of the Wandervogel, an environmental group that fought against industrialization by hiking in the woods. When German-Americans brought the concept to America we now know it as either the Boy Scouts or the Hippie Movement in the 1960's which in Germany and Austria was a perfect time to revitalize Volksmusik and bring back Eche (real or traditional) Volksmusik into not just to a younger generation, but also into the record stores of America. It was also the beginning of a new genre called Schlager that would borrow concepts from American pop and novelty music and blend it with folk instrumentation.

The English version of the song is different in many ways from its original German version; for example, the German version's fourth verse has the brook going through a tube instead of the English version's brook dancing in the sun. The German version also asks us to listen to the birds, the stream, and that hiking creates fresh desire and helps us breathe. In the English version, they seem as if their distractions which is why we should learn the song in its original form because it's important for us a German-Americans to know our language before it's too late; like the original German version says... 

Ein Wanderburshe Sein/ Be A Wander!       

Why We Need to Talk About Der Steirische Brauch

                      Sechts Leuten ist Die Steirische Brach...

    If you happen to be around German-American Biergarten's chances are you have heard the song Der Steirische Brach (The Steirsche Custom) but did not know who made the folk-song famous? If you guessed Kern Baum then congrats, however in America some people will label folk-songs that are written and passed down as traditional rather than give credit to the actual artist who made the song popular. For both German and Austrian Americans, this becomes a problem when record companies or any company that capitalizes on a culture; imagine if profits for The Sound of Music went to the Von Trapp family instead of Roger's and Hammerstein! However because so much of Volksmusik and the musicians that make good music have been victims of over sanitation by the music industry in America; we forget about the real people who revive these old songs and want to talk about them. However, this problem is not only extended to Volksmusik but other genres of folk music. 

One time I saw a documentary on Netflix called The Lions Share which tells the true story about a Zulu man and his choir who got up to a microphone to sing what we now know as the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight. 

        

Just like Die Steiriche Brach is a Gstanzl about young men causing a ruckus in a bar, the original song Wemoweh is also a song of rebellion against oppressive rulers in Africa.

The Lion, The Lion

He Sleeps Tonight

But When He Wakes

He Will Wake Up

And Free Us All- The Original Lyrics of Wemoweh  

It saddens me that this young man and his choir's song is still written off as a traditional African song rather than lifted this man and his family out of poverty by giving him credit. Sadly just like this young man a lot of Volksmusikant have died without American audiences giving them credit to their music. The last member of Kern Baum, Sepp Kern passed away on June, 10th, 2010 which was the year I graduated High School not knowing about the group and their songs until now. I'm so proud of the Schneiderwirt Trio and their work at the Kern Baum Museum for sharing the legacy of Kern Baum with others. We still need to fight for folk-artist to have rights and for the traditional songs to be valued by these artists so that they do not die in the hands of sanitation and corporate power. 

    

Rocking with Kilts?

Like rock music but think Volksmusik is something just your Oma and Opa listen to?
Meet the Volkmusik group Die Lauser....

They are funny, gritty, wear kilts, one guy plays bagpipes along with some other instruments and also their baritone player Marcus Ponhold has a wonderful voice!

This amazing group comes from the Steiermark in Austria along with another being Die Edlseer. Not only are their songs funny such as one about a Steinmann who gets in trouble in Dubai for playing his clarinet and jodeling, homages to their home, and have some bagpipes; but their instrumentals such as Milwaukee Polka are filled with joyful wildness and make one want to dance! They are also known for their covers and meddles of Slovenian artist Slavko Avsenik's, Kern Baum, Die Stoakoger, and even my favorite Die Original Tiroler Echo. From what I read on their website they have traveled all over the world (including Dubai...) and I hope as a German American I can enjoy them at the D.T.E Music Theater but for right now this summer.....it's Alice Cooper on July, 20th, 2019.

Es tud uns leid Die Lauser, Es tud uns leid......:(