The Belschnickle

JPK Huson 1863

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Location
Central Pennsylvania
belschnickle.jpg
I'm using what sounds to me like the PA Dutch spelling, and before anyone gets excited, it's the spelling my father used. He grew up in Tamaqua, PA, not exactly PA Dutch himself at least had enough to deserve the usage. Dad LOVED the Belschnickle- his faborite Christmas tradition and story. I never had a hugely clear image of this entity since Dad was a bit of an embellisher plus some years this person looked a LOT like Dad wearing a mop and boots. We lived in anthracite country so the requisite coal was easily come by- great for frightening small children. If you know what coal looks because you have a bin in the basement, much better threat than for those families who have tanks of oil. It must have been when we were very small because Dad had a large canvas sack of the stuff slung on his back, tatty clothes, scrufty beard, boots, a mop wig, fur hat and vest and whatever other additions he thought fit the Belschnickle.

http://festivals.iloveindia.com/christmas/characters/belsnickel.html
"Belsnickel, the fur-clad gift-bringing figure associated with Christmas, is known by several other names like Kriskinkle, Beltznickle and even as Xmas Woman in some cases. Though this German-origin figure, mostly regarded as male, has a spooky appearance with a long tongue and infuriating features, Belsnickel is said to be Saint Nicholas's companion and does no harm to good people. Children are scared of this mysterious character because he is believed to thump naughty children for their wicked behavior. During his customary visits, he carries a sack full of goodies and scatters them on the floor. The delighted children pick up their treats while the naughty ones receive thrashing. He makes an appearance on 6th of December before children who eagerly wait for their judgment and promise to improve the coming year. This legendary figure accompanies Santa Claus in some areas of Europe as well as the small Dutch communities of Pennsylvania. His arrival is not always looked forward to with joy rather, children fear him most as he appears as a warning for the naughty kids. "

That's just one, small desription. The Belschnickle was certainly around for our American Civil War, although I have no descriptions of his visiting the camps anywhere. He would have been familiar to the era, probably frightened some of the soldiers when they were children who in turn frightened their own children- especially the men who fought mit Seigel, or other heavily German units.

As I said, I'm reading of his existence among other ethnicities, but require more research to dig around, see what parts of Europe and what differences there would be. I'm only familiar with Dad's PA Dutch, Tamaqua, PA version, which entertained us until Christmas of last year- our first without Dad and a visitation from Belschnickle. Miss both.
 
Wonderful. I spent four years in Easton Pa, barely realizing I was on the edge of Dutch country, being an ignoramus from northern New Jersey. At that time the local paper - Easton Express - had a column called Pennsylvania Dutch Ecke written in Penn Dutch. Then I became an detailed reader of John O'Hara - whom I still count as one of the most underrated and under appreciated writer of the first half of the 20th century.
Looks like Belsnickel is a cross over for Black Peter. The Dutch are having a big to-do about this now. I'm working on my really really slow laptop otherwise I'd give you the refs...But thank you for posting. This opens a whole Civil War experience we have lost.
 
At first I thought that I've never heard of him but as you wrote he is St. Nikolaus's companion, it dawned to me that this guy must be “Knecht Ruprecht“ in my part of the country. Nearly every region has its own name for him, but Belschnickel is wonderful. Will try to memorize that word!

Indeed, it IS Knecht Ruprecht! I've also seen the name here spelled with a "P" - Pelsnickle.
 
Ha! Am logging in to add a few more bits and pieces, although I see there is certainly a definite sighting in Germany pre-America, ' Knecht Ruprecht ', very cool, thank you! ( there was a ' Knecht ' family in Schuylkill county when we lived there, wish Dad had known this, he'd have had some fun ).

Please excuse mistyping today- wearing the wrist splint and it's very annoying.

Some websites with various information on the old boy.

http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2012/12/belsnickle-definitely-not-santa-claus.html
http://citizenstandard.com/pennsylvania-dutch-remember-the-belsnickel-1.505327
http://festivals.iloveindia.com/christmas/characters/belsnickel.html

This is a great one!

" Old-timers in Indiana still remember Belsnickel, the "Pelznickel" (literally "Fur-Nikolaus") of the Palatinate. Belsnickel's name appears in many variations such as Bells Nickel, Belschnickle, Belsniggles and Belsh Nickle, etc. When he arrived at their door, he represented a nostalgic reminder to the adults of their childhood days, however, the children viewed him with mixed feelings. Known to 19th-century children as a servant of Saint Nicholas, "der Belsnickel" would carry a bunch of switches which were a threat to those who had been bad, and he carried goodies of peanuts, cookies or candy in a burlap bag or ample pockets, as he made his rounds to check on the behavior of boys and girls. He would have a large book in which the names of the children and their good or bad deeds were kept. Only good children were to receive treats. If a child had been naughty he could also receive a lump of coal or a stick as a reminder to behave in the future.

Mary Lou Golembeski in the Harmonie Herald, Old Economy, PA, tells us: "Not only did the spellings vary but changes also occurred in his appearance and his antics from one community to another." Belsnickel may wear a long, black or brown coat or robe, held together at the waist with a rope, and a fur cap or bear skin hat, decorated with bells. He may have a band of Black Peters with blackened faces, or other rough characters with him. They would be dressed in fantastic costumes, some trimmed with fur, and move through the streets and from house to house, rattling chains and bells. The bells would announce Belsnickel's approach and that of his retinue before they would come into view. If the children were good, they received some fruit or sweets, but if they were bad--or doubted the "reality" of Belsnickel--they got a switch!
Dr. Elmer Peters of Brookville, Franklin County testified to that: "Belsnickel came--at times with Christkindl played by a gentle woman. When some of the teenage boys denied the existence of Belsnickel, the usually sturdy helper of St. Nikolaus grabbed the doubting Thomas and gave him a good whipping with his stick--which was great entertainment for the older folks." ("You Better Believe in Belsnickel!", in Eb. Reichmann's Hoosier German Tales (1991), 80. "
http://www.mrshea.com/germusa/customs/belsnick.htm

Must look into the olde country edition, sounds fierce! There's also the tradition shown in one ot two of the above photos ' Belsnickling ', and have no idea what occured when men ventured forth to engage in this.
 
This is a great thread! I've never heard of this character before and after reading through some of this information, I'm a bit surprised by that. My mother's family were of German origin. My great great grandparents immigrated from two little towns that are now suburbs of Cologne. Would this character have been part of the Christmas lore in that part of Germany? If so, his legend was probably handed down to some of my ancestors--maybe even to my mom. But the story didn't come all the way down the line to me. I'm really glad to see all these depictions of the Belsnickle (or your preferred spelling). Thank you, Annie.
 
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