
German / Silesian / CzechCentral EuropeFolklore
Rübezahl
Also known as: Liczyrzepa, Duch Gór, Lord of the Mountains
Basic account
Mountain spirit of the Riesengebirge - trickster, giant, weather-lord.
Account
Rübezahl - also Liczyrzepa, Duch Gór, the Lord of the Mountains - is the capricious spirit of the Giant Mountains (Riesengebirge / Karkonosze) on the border of Silesia and Bohemia. He appears as a giant, a hunter, a monk, a merchant, a donkey, or a drift of mist. He rules weather and root vegetables with equal mythic authority; mock him by counting his turnips (the folk etymology of his German name) and you may earn fog, storm, or a long walk in circles until humility returns.
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- - Silesian and Bohemian folk tradition
- - Musäus and later collections