# "Pied" Piper? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865 "2003-01-06T02:31:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/1 "2003-01-06T02:31:05Z")
OK, first time, I think, I’ve posted to this forum. Anyone know what the term “pied” means in reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin? [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpiedpiper.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpiedpiper.html) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/2 "2003-01-06T03:26:16Z")
From the [American Heritage Dictionary](http://www.bartleby.com/61): > [@](#): > > **pied** > ADJECTIVE: Patchy in color; splotched or piebald. > ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from pie, magpie. So it means that his clothing was all mixed up, patchy in fabric and colours - either for show or because of poverty. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/3 "2003-01-06T03:38:10Z")
Here’s how [Browning](http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/etext/piper/text.html) described the piper, as he enters the chamber where the Town Council of Hamelin is trying to figure out how to get rid of the rats: > [@](#): > > `Come in!'' -- the Mayor cried, looking bigger And in did come the strangest figure! **His queer long coat from heel to head Was half of yellow and half of red,** And he himself was tall and thin, With sharp blue eyes, each like a pin, And light loose hair, yet swarthy skin No tuft on cheek nor beard on chin, But lips where smile went out and in; ... He advanced to the council-table: And, `Please your honours,’’ said he, `I'm able, `By means of a secret charm, to draw > `All creatures living beneath the sun, `That creep or swim or fly or run, > `After me so as you never saw! `And I chiefly use my charm > `On creatures that do people harm, `The mole and toad and newt and viper; > ``**And people call me the Pied Piper.’’ > (And here they noticed round his neck > A scarf of red and yellow stripe, > To match with his coat of the self-same cheque;** > And at the scarf’s end hung a pipe; > And his fingers, they noticed, were ever straying > As if impatient to be playing > Upon this pipe, as low it dangled > **Over his vesture so old-fangled.)** ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/4 "2003-01-06T03:58:31Z")
OK, got it. Thanks. Turns out this was discussed in another forum, as well. My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/5 "2003-01-06T05:37:27Z")
Since this is a comment on a Staff Report and not one of Cecil’s columns, I’ll move this thread to the appropriate forum. ---
**Author:** ![Chloe47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Chloe47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chloe47)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/6 "2003-01-06T13:57:05Z")
(A) We are spending this [academic] year in Europe; the fall/winter in Germany – and we have JUST visited Hameln (Deutsch spelling) in the Nordheim-Westfalen (Westphalia) district. There is a “Ratfängershaus” (Rat Catcher’s house) and a museum which has collected / collated “evidence” related to the 1284 occurrence. This includes two stones dated 1531 & 1536 taken from a town building and inscribed with reference to the disappearance of 130 children those 252 years before. The earliest picture of the “Ratfänger” that I noticed was dated 1610 and shows a large, unkempt, hunchbacked man in “ratty” clothes [refer to the “pied” dictionary entry from Northern Piper] carrying a rat cage / trap on a stick over his shoulder. (B) OK; BOTH El\_Kabong and bibliophage refer to another forum, without CITING that forum, so that readers here can go find it. Seems like bad form to me (but this is my first visit and first posting). © YOU LET ME TYPE ALL OF THE ABOVE BEFORE TELLING ME I HAVE TO REGISTER BEFORE I CAN POST!?! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/7 "2003-01-07T03:27:22Z")
What I want to know is, Where do you spend the missing month?😉 The other thread is [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152951&highlight=piper](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152951&highlight=piper) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pied-piper/146865/8 "2003-01-10T17:44:37Z")
Hi Cloe47. Welcome. How long have you been reading the boards? Do you know about the columns? The message you read and posted to was part of a much larger entity, called [_the Straight Dope Message Board_](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb), which is itself related to the [_Straight Dope Column_](http://www.straightdope.com/). On the main board page, you will see several categories, called forums. These are the forums to which the others refer. You will note how each has a description under it, for what types of posts belong in each forum. Have a look around, and enjoy.