Pile Dwelling Model
"Fulehung" Mask |
Pile Dwelling Villages
The only other native information I grew up with had to do with
Europe and the pile dwelling culture. As a student in Grade 2, the
school took us on our annual class trip to the reconstructed "Pfahlbau
Dorf" Pile Dwelling Village of Unteruldingen" in the Lake
of Constance. I can remember it to this day like it was yesterday.
It made a very big impression on me and I felt very much at home.So
far I have not been able to find very much about this subject on
the Internet. Click on thumbnail for a fullsized version of the
model.
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Swiss Folklore
Now looking back to my childhood, I realize that I grew up with
Swiss Native culture, too. My father was from the Canton of Bern
and had a special mask called the "Fulehung". The mask
is worn by the "Fulehung" or clown in the parade that
celebrates the annual sharpshooting competition of the City of Thun (text is
in German).
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The "Ice Saints" May 99
Recently when I talked to my mother in Switzerland she casually
mentioned the "Ice Saints". I asked her for an explanation as I
don't quite remember the logic behind it and she could not tell
me either. So I went hunting for an explanation on the Internet.
I found it interesting and decided to share it. Basically this weather
folklore is very well known in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
Here is an English translation of the information I found in German
about the "Eisheiligen"
Are the "Ice Saints" out of tune??
Many of the old weather rules are forgotten. Nowadays, we rather
rely on the weather forecast of radio and television. The "Ice Saints"
Pankratius, Servatius and Bonifatius as well as the "Cold Sophie"
are known for a cooling trend in the weather between 12th and 15th
of May. For centuries this well-known rule had many gardeners align
their plantings after it. Observations of weather patterns over
many years have shown, however, that a drop in temperature occurs
frequently only around May 20. Are the "Ice Saints" not in tune
anymore? The mystery solution is found in the history of our calendar
system: Pope Gregory VIII arranged a calendar reform in 1582, whereby
the differences of the Julian calendar could be corrected to the
sun year to a large extent. The day of the "Cold Sophie" (May 15)
was the date in the old callendar and corresponds to today's May
22. Therefore the effects of the "Ice Saints" is felt in the timespan
of May 19-22. Sensitive transplants should only be put in the garden
beds after this date.
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