German Dopers from near the Dutch border: Knecht Ruprecht and St. Nicholas sail from Africa

[Brynhildr_Budladottir]

bump. Also here’s a link to one story about the origins of Knecht Ruprecht.

[AppallingGael]

Apropos of little, I remember that in childhood debates here in the USA about the existence or non-existence of Santa Claus, some took the centrist position that he did exist, but that his real name was St. Nicholas.

[Brynhildr_Budladottir]

@AppallingGael

Apropos of little, I remember that in childhood debates here in the USA about the existence or non-existence of Santa Claus, some took the centrist position that he did exist, but that his real name was St. Nicholas.

Which is technically true.

[Brynhildr_Budladottir]

Anyone have more information that would help answer this question? Someone on the other thread did tell me that my friend’s hometown used to be under Dutch influence, which probably explains the story.

Re Knecht Ruprecht: On Wiki I came across the interesting fact that

Ruprecht sometimes walks with a limp, because of a childhood injury.

I know there were/are German Dopers, so has anyone from Germany heard of the Ruprecht character walking with a limp before?

[Brynhildr_Budladottir]

@Morwen Edhelwen

Anyone have more information that would help answer this question? Someone on the other thread did tell me that my friend’s hometown used to be under Dutch influence, which probably explains the story.

Re Knecht Ruprecht: On Wiki I came across the interesting fact that

I know there were/are German Dopers, so has anyone from Germany heard of the Ruprecht character walking with a limp before?

Yet another interesting point: Coleridge wrote in the 18th century that Ruprecht wore “an enormous flaxen wig.”
Also a poster (from Franconia, incidentally) on the other board wrote this:

I an from the south of Germany, and that is similar to the story I have heared.
Other versions talk about Knecht Rupprecht as a war orphan Nikolaus took in as a student/apprentice or a criminal who helps St. Nikolaus to make up for his sins.
Most of the Nikolaus and Knecht Rupprecht folklore here is heavily influenced by wars and germanic paganism (like Krampus, or Mountain monks).

In some areas here in Franconia Knecht Rupprecht used to come alone. He was both bringer of presents and punisher.
And he is white, looking like a stereotypical germanic barbarian.

In parts of Westphalia he’s also sometimes called Hans Muff and played in blackface.

[Brynhildr_Budladottir]

a story that Knecht Ruprecht was a feral child adopted by St. Nicholas?