# What does this German Beer Stein Say? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744 "2007-05-28T00:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/21 "2007-05-28T23:23:35Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] From the fact that it has a 12-point buck on it I’d also assume it’s meant as a celebration of the sport of, in the forest and on the field. ARe there any other hunting-specific symbols, like little horns and so on? The buck is a symbol of the hunt, and appears on the Jagermeister label (Jagermeister=master hunter). [/QUOTE] Since you ask here are some photos: [stein](http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x6/JohnBrock_79/?action=view¤t=Buck_Stein.jpg) [Side View](http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x6/JohnBrock_79/?action=view¤t=Buck_Stein_Side.jpg) And a special thanks to **zoltar7**. Great info! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/22 "2007-05-28T23:35:59Z")
Does it have any markings on the bottom? ---
**Author:** ![Zambini57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4491bb/32.png) [@Zambini57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zambini57)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/23 "2007-05-28T23:37:34Z")
OK, now that that one has been translated, how about this one? It says “In mirist Wahrheit Jeh kann nicht trugen” And the other side says “Gift trinktman nicht aus solchen Krugen.” Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/24 "2007-05-29T00:08:53Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Does it have any markings on the bottom? [/QUOTE] It has these [stamps](http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x6/JohnBrock_79/?action=view¤t=Picture070.jpg) on the bottom and this [(datecode?)](http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x6/JohnBrock_79/?action=view¤t=Picture071.jpg) that is hidden in the forest behind the handle. I’m fairly certain that the date is correct because I asked the original owner at the auction when she got it and she said it was acquired on her college trip to Germany in the mid 60’s. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/25 "2007-05-29T00:17:54Z")
[QUOTE=Zambini57] It says “In mirist Wahrheit Jeh kann nicht trugen” And the other side says “Gift trinktman nicht aus solchen Krugen.” [/QUOTE] It should be ‘In mir ist Wahrheit’. I’m having trouble parsing the rest. Is ‘Jeh’ short for ‘Jedermann’ (anyone)? It seems to say something along the lines of ‘In me there is Truth: Anyone who drinks from a (Krugen) such as this can’t carry poison.’ Am I at least close? 😕 Edit: spelling ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/26 "2007-05-29T00:19:31Z")
Zambini, not German myself, but my university German suggests, “In me there is a truth none can mislead; One drinks no poison from such ‘Krugels’” (a big size of beer mug-- these days 1/2 liter) ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/27 "2007-05-29T01:42:53Z")
nitpick: _Krug_ on its own is the singular form, _Krugen_ is simply the plural (required here). Proper word separation: _In mir ist Wahrheit Jeh kann nicht trugen Gift trinkt man nicht aus solchen Krugen_ If _trugen_ has an umlaut (_trügen_) than it’s ‘deceive’ (as in capybara’s reading). If it actually has no umlaut _trugen_, it’s an archaic or possibly dialect form, and would mean ‘bear, carry’ (i.e. “not everyone can bear”) Trying to see if this phrase had a source led to this : [1001 German Beer Stein translations](http://www.deutscheshaus.cc/html/library_beer_steins/german_beer_stein_translations.html) Which includes “_In mir ist Wahrheit/ich kann nicht lügen_” (In me is truth, I cannot lie). ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/28 "2007-05-29T01:53:06Z")
Missed the edit window, but forgot to mention : _Krugen_ would have to be an archaic or dialect plural. Krug might also be irregular and add an -n in this case (the dative); normal German plural is Krüge so it might be _Krügen_. ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744/29 "2007-05-29T02:30:58Z")
_Krügen_ is a dative plural, the appropriate case for prepositional phrase indicating a source. I’d say it’s completely regular. The funny thing is that second language speakers of German use elaborate classification schemes for declensions and conjugations but native speakers don’t do that. We just know all the plurals by heart and the rest follows naturally. Could the _e_ in _Jeh_ be a _c_? If the _“J”_ doesn’t descend below the baseline, then it’s actually a slightly old-fashioned _I_. (Btw. that’s also the reason why the German rifle caliber 8x57 IS is sometimes called 8x57 JS in foreign languages.) _Ich_ would make perfect sense in that place and the whole line would be: _I cannot deceive_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-german-beer-stein-say/405744.md?page=1)