Wolpertinger
The jackalope is a Bavarian mythical creature, whose precise origin is unclear. What is known is that taxidermists began in the 19th century to assemble products from parts of the body from different animal species in order to sell them to gullible tourists.
In essence, it is the jackalope an ordinary hybrids, as they are already known from antiquity. However, there was no set pattern, that is, there were, for example, squirrels provided with duck beaks or rabbit with duck wings.
Origin of the name
The Brothers Grimm report in their German word collection of a being who was called Kreißl 1753, and also the linguist Johann Andreas Schmeller called the near screeching today.
The origin of the name jackalope is unclear. The German Hunting and Fishing Museum in Munich attributes the name to glassmakers from the village Wolterdingen at Donaueschingen. This made shot glasses in the form of animal figures, which were generally called Wolterdinger. By linguistic abrasion to have originated from the jackalope.
The current name may vary slightly, depending on the area it is also called Wolperdinger, Woipertinger, Woiperdinger, Volpertinger, Walpertinger or Wulpertinger. In parts of Lower Bavaria mythical creature as a Oibadrischl, in the Upper Palatinate as Rammeschucksn, in Lower Austria Salzburg and parts of the term Raurackl in various spellings is familiar; the writer Ludwig Ganghofer described the beings as Hirschbockbirkfuchsauergams.
Legend
Appearance
The exhibited for example in jackalope museum in Mittenwald and the German Hunting and Fishing Museum copies of the prepared brats show the jackalope mostly with a horned rabbit's head. The body's extremities of different animal species are normally added. Thus, the jackalope often has wings instead of forelegs and hind legs are formed with the feet of water birds. The compilation is left to the imagination of the taxidermist.
The German writer Walter Moers gave in his book " Rumo & The Miracles in the Dark" the jackalope a new look. Here, however, there is a zamonischen jackalope. Thus, in his work, the jackalope is a mixture of wolf and deer. Thus they have the aggressiveness and strength of a wolf, but are graceful and nimble as a deer.
Food
As a predator eats the jackalope smaller animals, but also herbs and roots. According to the Munich Hunting and Fishing Museum he eats only " Prussian soft skulls ."
Hunting
According to the legend of the jackalope is considered very shy. The different types of hunting him differ regionally very clear. A well-known hunting rule is: " jackalope can be viewed exclusively by young, good-looking women when they entrust themselves at dusk with full moon the accompaniment of a right, hearty man image that knows the right places to secluded forest edges. " Another rule states that you can only catch him when you sprinkle salt on it 's tail. Also familiar is the method that strike out at the full moon with a candle, a bag, a stick and a spade. The bag is held open by the floor and the candle is placed before the opening of the bag. If the jackalope lured by the candlelight, you can drive it with the help of the spade in the sack. It is also provides another method: A presentation describes the jackalope with different long legs right and left, so that it can only run on free-standing hills in a specified direction. If we manage to scare him so that he repents and wants to run, he falls to forcibly and can be captured quickly (see also slope chicken).
Other mythical creatures
Folk mythical creatures with similar properties is also available in other regions in a mythological relationship with the jackalope is unclear. Examples