German (mythology)
German ( Serbian Cyrillic Герман, ɡerman ) is a South Slavic legendary figure, which is prevalent in the ostserbischen and north Bulgarian folklore.
It involves a male figure, which provides rain and hail. This may be done with positive or negative result. Positive is his gift, if he provides exactly the amount of precipitation that is necessary for a successful harvest. It is negative if it provides for a drought or excessive downpours and hail.
In the rituals of German a large doll is made of rags, burnt clay and dried fruit, which depicts him with oversized phallus. Made and used was this doll in the ritual exclusively of girls or young women.
In Eastern Serbia wont girls produce such a doll and bring to a riverbank, when a drought had occurred. Depending on regional custom, the doll was either buried in the river or left in a small box on the river drive. Two of the girls were wont to lament case to the doll. When asked by others for the reason of their action, they replied: "We weep for German, because German has died because of the drought, to bring rain. " When the rain then became violent, the doll was excavated again.
In northern Bulgaria, the German rituals usually immediately followed Dodola rituals, but also could be practiced independently. In some villages they were performed on the day of St. Germanos. Girls Set the doll forth in a length of 20 to 50 cm and placed them on a table or in a small box. After they had decorated it with flowers, they buried the doll with funeral ceremonies. After three, nine, or forty days, the doll was exhumed and thrown into the water.
People were trying destructive summer hail by a soothing ritual for German prevent on Christmas Eve. One such ritual is handed down from the region of Pirot at the beginning of the 20th century. Just before the Christmas Eve dinner, the head of the family went out to the woodpile to invite German to feast.
He took a loaf of bread called " Good luck " with, which was specially prepared for this ritual, plum brandy, wine and a wax candle with it. When woodpile he shouted three times, " German, German, wherever you are, come to dinner once, and let me see your eyes somewhere in the summer! ". Then he lit the candle, took a sip of plum brandy, tried some bread, drank wine and went back into the house. If you asked him what was with German, he replied: " He came and we had dinner, drank plenty of plum brandy and wine and went their separate ways. "
German who dies, so that the natural regenerated by downpour, may be considered as plant spirit who dies with the return of vegetation and is resurrected. His genitals are clearly shown, serve as a symbol of fertility. The German doll is probably a metaphorical substitution of the former human sacrifice, and can be classified into the circle of other Slavic victims dolls, such as the Jarilo, Kostroma and Morena / Marzanna dolls are queued.
In the Christianized German folk belief is identified with the Holy Germanos. This is invoked against hail, and occasionally against lightning, although the latter function is more likely attributed to the prophet Elijah.