The ''Gütel'' (sg., pl.; ) is a variant of and synonym for the ''

Kobold A kobold (; ''kobolt'', ''kobolde'', cobold) is a general or generic name for the household spirit (''hausgeist'') in German folklore. It may invisibly make noises (i.e., be a poltergeist), or helpfully perform kitchen chores or stable work. ...

'' in

German folklore German folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in Germany over a number of centuries. Seeing as Germany was divided into numerous polities for most of its history, this term might both refer to the folklore of Germany proper and of all ...

. Originating in the

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; or ; , shortened as ''Mhdt.'' or ''Mhd.'') is the term for the form of High German, High German language, German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High ...

term ''gütel'', ''güttel'' (= little god) signifying an

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a devotional image of a deity or saint used during puja ...

, the name was later connected with the adjective ''gut'' = good.Burren: ''Gütel, Gütchen; Jütel, Jüdel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1233. The ''Gütel'' is first attested in 1507 as ''Güttgen'', denoting a

hunchback Kyphosis () is an abnormally excessive convex curvature of the spine as it occurs in the thoracic and sacral regions. Abnormal inward concave ''lordotic'' curving of the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine is called lordosis. It can ...

ed ''Kobold''.Burren: ''Gütel, Gütchen; Jütel, Jüdel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1234.

Georgius Agricola Georgius Agricola (; born Georg Bauer; 24 March 1494 – 21 November 1555) was a German Humanist scholar, mineralogist and metallurgist. Born in the small town of Glauchau, in the Electorate of Saxony of the Holy Roman Empire, he was b ...

mentions them as Saxon

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

sprites in the Latinized form ''gutelos'' ( acc. pl. masc.) based on which they entered

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

literature as ''Guteli'' or ''Gueteli''. Other early sources from the 16th or

17th century The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCI), to December 31, 1700 (MDCC). It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized ...

call them ''Gütelen'' or ''Güttichen''.

Dialectal A dialect is a variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standardized varieties as well as vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardized varieties, such as those used in developing countries or iso ...

variants of the name ''Gütel'' are ''Gütchen'', ''Gütgen'', ''Güdgen'', ''Güetel'', ''Gietel'', ''Gitel'', ''Gidl'', ''Gidle'', ''Göthel'', and ''Jütel'' (sg., pl.; alternate pl. ''Jüteln''). Further corruption of its name and confusion with the word ''Jude'' =

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

made the ''Gütel'' a ''Jüdel'', ''Jüdelchen'', ''Jüdchen'', ''Jüdgen'' (all diminutives of Jew), ''Jülchen'' or, through further derivation, ''Hebräerchen'' (diminutive of ''Hebräer'' =

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

) in

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

, and

Lower Lusatia Lower Lusatia (; ; ; ; ) is a historical region in Central Europe, stretching from the southeast of the Germany, German state of Brandenburg to the southwest of Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Like adjacent Upper Lusatia in the south, Lower Lusa ...

Vogtland Vogtland (; ) is a region spanning the German states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and north-western Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It overlaps with and is largely contained within Euroregio Egrensis. The name alludes to the former leadershi ...

and the

Ore Mountains The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...

is ''Heugütel'' (

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

''Gütel''), in dialect variously given as ''Heigidl'', ''Heigidle'', ''Heigitel'', ''Hagitel'', and ''Haagitel''.Burren: ''Heugütel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1822.

Identity, appearance and dwelling

The ''Gütel'' appear in the Vogtland and the Ore Mountains as domestic sprites or the

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

s or deceased children. The same is true for the ''Heugütel'' of the same regions which, despite appearing as a bearded old manikin inhabiting the

hayloft A hayloft is a space above a barn, stable or cow-shed, traditionally used for storage of hay or other fodder for the animals below. Haylofts were used mainly before the widespread use of very large Baler, hay bales, which allow simpler handling ...

(hence the name), really is the soul of a child who died unbaptized, though it can also appear colored black. For this reason newborn children have to be

baptized Baptism (from ) is a Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three ...

soon so that they don't become ''Heugütel''. Thus it is not surprising when the

footprint Footprints are the impressions or images left behind by a person walking or running. Hoofprints and pawprints are those left by animals with hooves or paws rather than feet, while "shoeprints" is the specific term for prints made by shoes. The ...

s left behind in ash by the ''Heugütel'' are like that of little children. The ''Gütel'' or ''Gütchen'' also dwells inside the

stove A stove or range is a device that generates heat inside or on top of the device, for - local heating or cooking. Stoves can be powered with many fuels, such as natural gas, electricity, gasoline, wood, and coal. Due to concerns about air pollu ...

. In Lower Lusatia, the ''Gütel'' are ''Erdmännlein'' (sg., pl.; earth manikins), i.e. dwarves. The same is said about the ''Jüdel''. In

Halle (Saale) Halle (Saale), or simply Halle (), is the second largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is the sixth-most populous city in the area of former East Germany after (East Berlin, East) Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Chem ...

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...

, the newborn children are said to come from the ''Gütchenteich'' (''Gütel'' pond) or the ''Gütchengrube'' (''Gütel'' pit). The former relates the G.s to water sprites, as does the ''Gütgesbach'' (''Gütel'' creek) near

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

. In

Lusatia Lusatia (; ; ; ; ; ), otherwise known as Sorbia, is a region in Central Europe, formerly entirely in Germany and today territorially split between Germany and modern-day Poland. Lusatia stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the eas ...

, the ''Jüdelchen'' are also behind the appearances of the

will-o'-the-wisp In folklore, a will-o'-the-wisp, will-o'-wisp, or ; ), is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. The phenomenon is known in the United Kingdom by a variety of names, including jack-o'- ...

s (German ''Irrlichter'').

Activities

The ''Gütel'' usually is a good-natured, obliging, and child-friendly household spirit, while the rather malicious ''Jütel'' or ''Jüdel'' tends to torment

domestic animal This page gives a list of domesticated animals, also including a list of animals which are or may be currently undergoing the process of domestication and animals that have an extensive relationship with humans beyond simple predation. This includ ...

s and

children A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

. The characteristics blend into each other, though. The connection between the ''Gütel'' and Jews is purely dialectal in its origin and by no means is the'' Jüdel'' any worse than many other

legendary creature A legendary creature is a type of extraordinary or supernatural being that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), and may be featured in historical accounts before modernity, but has not been scientifically shown to exist. In t ...

s, although a certain underlying historical anti-Semitic sentiment can be seen among the malicious tendencies. The ''Heugütel'' is a swift little helper in house and stable. It particularly likes to cradle the children to sleep and dallies with the child in its sleep. The ''Jüdel'', ''Jütel'' or ''Gütgen'' teases the little children in their sleep making them restless, and it also causes them various diseases such as

chills Chills is a feeling of coldness occurring during a high fever, but sometimes is also a common symptom which occurs alone in specific people. It occurs during fever due to the release of cytokines and prostaglandins as part of the inflammatory ...

and ague,

seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...

s, and

measles Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...

.Burren: ''Gütel, Gütchen; Jütel, Jüdel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1235. Seizures in particular are caused by the ''Gietel'' playing with the child. Women in childbirth are also in jeopardy. Often it is already enough to distract the spirit with various amusements such as some bathing water left over placed on the stove inside a little pot for the ''Gütel'' to dabble with. Eggshells and playing cards hung on the crib or bow and arrows placed in the cellar and barn are also for the ''Gütel'' to play with. It can be kept away, though, by greasing the stove door with a bacon rind or by lacing a straw from the bed of the woman in childbirth at every door. In Saxony, the ''Jüdel'' is driven away by a gift of new clothes. A gift of clothing also drives the usually half-naked benign ''Heugütel'' away, and with it also the blessing on the house. Furthermore, the ''Heugütel'' only stays in houses where the inhabitants are pious and live a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

life. If somebody has already fallen ill, or if at night a loud, heavy plunge was heard which, according to belief in the Ore Mountains, is an

omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient history, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...

of impending

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

, then the ''Gütgen'' is offered animals as

sacrifice Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...

which it kills instead. The offerings are as follows: a cock for a man, a sow for a woman, a goat for the person actually offering the animal, or hens for children. At

night Night, or nighttime, is the period of darkness when the Sun is below the horizon. Sunlight illuminates one side of the Earth, leaving the other in darkness. The opposite of nighttime is daytime. Earth's rotation causes the appearance of ...

, the ''Jütel'' or ''Jüdel'' enters the

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

and plays with the

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...

s until they growl and harasses the

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s until they wildly bite and kick around. ''Jüdel'' and ''Güttichen'' also like to tangle the manes of horses and hair of women. The resulting

Polish plait Polish plait (Latin: ''Plica polonica'', or ''plika'', ''Kołtun'' in Polish meaning matted), less commonly known in English as plica or trichoma, is a particular formation of hair. This term can refer to either a hairstyle or a medical condit ...

is thus called ''Jüdenzopf'' (Jew plait) or ''Güttichen Zopf'' (''Gütel'' plait). From this activity of knotting hair together, in

Upper Saxony Upper Saxony ({{langx, de, Obersachsen) was the name given to the majority of the German lands held by the House of Wettin, in what is now called Central Germany (''Mitteldeutschland''). Conceptual history The name derives from the period when, ...

the ''Gütel'' is also known as ''Haargütel'' in

Standard German Standard High German (SHG), less precisely Standard German or High German (, , or, in Switzerland, ), is the umbrella term for the standard language, standardized varieties of the German language, which are used in formal contexts and for commun ...

and ''Hoorgitel'' in dialect.Burren: ''Haargütel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1289. Both terms mean "hair ''Gütel''". In Saxony, a ''Jütel'', ''Jüdchen'' or ''Mützchen'' (little cap (wearer)) is attested once to practice "''

aufhocken The aufhocker () or huckup () is a shapeshifter in German folklore. Characteristics The Aufhocker is described in German legend as having an unidentifiable shape because it takes on shapes such as a goblin, a beautiful woman, a dead man, or var ...

''" (leaping upon a person's back and forcing them to carry the ''aufhock''ing spirit), tormenting lonesome travelers until they are faint, out of breath, and ill due to that experience. This ''Hockelmännchen'' (''aufhock''ing manikin) appears in the woods.

Literature

* Bächtold-Stäubli: ''Krampf''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 5 Knoblauch-Matthias''. Berlin 1933. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Burren: ''Gütel, Gütchen; Jütel, Jüdel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin 1931. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Burren: ''Haargütel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin 1931. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Burren: ''Heugütel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss''. Berlin 1931. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Burren: ''Jüdel''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-Knistern''. Berlin 1932. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Jungbauer: ''Kleid''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-Knistern''. Berlin 1932. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Jungwirth: ''Kobold''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 5 Knoblauch-Matthias''. Berlin 1933. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Mengis: ''schwarz''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 7 Pflügen-Signatur''. Berlin 1936. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * Ranke: ''Irrlicht''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-Knistern''. Berlin 1932. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ) * von Geramb: ''Ofen''. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: ''Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 6 Mauer-Pflugbrot''. Berlin 1935. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, )

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gutel Kobolds Mining spirits Antisemitic tropes