An Owl Fairy Tale from the Brothers Grimm

 

Grimm's Fairy Tale No. 174: The Owl

Or the Tragic Fairy tale of a Schuhu

A few hundred years ago people were not as smart or sophisticated as they are now and a strange tale was reported to have happened in a small village. One of the very large owls that folk refer to as a Schuhu came out of the neighboring forest during its nightly foray and took refuge in the barn of one of the farmers. When daylight broke it did not dare leave its corner in the barn for fear of the other birds who would let out a fearful screech if they saw it. When the stable boy went into the barn in the morning to fetch some straw, he became frightened at the sight of the owl, who sat in a corner and looked so enormous that the lad ran away and reported to his master that he had seen a monstrum as no other sitting in the barn; it could turn its eyes around in its head and swallow a person whole in one gulp.

 

"I know you quite well, young lad," the master said. "You are brave enough to chase a blackbird in the meadow but if you come across a dead chicken, you first grab hold of a stick before you approach. I shall have to see for myself what kind of monster this is." And the master entered the barn bravely and looked around. But when he saw the strange and hideous animal with his own eyes he fell into a panic that was not less than that of the stable boy.  In large leaps he fled from the barn and ran to his neighbor and pleaded for help against an unknown and dangerous beast.   The entire city might fall into danger if the monstrum broke free of the barn where it sat. Fear spread through the town and screaming could be heard in all the streets. The citizens arrived armed with pikes, pitchforks, scythes and axes to take on the enemy. Finally the councilmen also appeared with the mayor at the head of the crowd. After arranging themselves on the market square they moved on toward the barn and encircled it from all sides. At which time one of the bravest amongst them stepped forward with pointed spear and entered the barn. But he immediately took heel with a scream and came running out deathly pale. He could not utter a single word in his fright. Now two others took their turn and entered the barn, but things did not go any better for them. Finally a large and strong man, who was famous because of his deeds in war, spoke " You won't be able to dislodge the monster just by looking at it! We must employ an earnestness in this task but I see that you have all become old women and no one wants to bite the fox!" 

 

He had them bring him arms, a sword and spear and thus prepared for battle. Everyone admired his courage although many were concerned for his life. Both barn doors were now opened and one could see the owl perched on the middle of a large beam. The man had a ladder brought to him and when he leaned it against the beam and was ready to climb it, the crowd yelled to him to act in a manly fashion.  They commended him to St. George the dragon-slayer. When he had climbed the ladder and the owl saw that the man was after him, it became confused by the the crowd and screaming and did not know where to turn. So it turned its eyes, raised its feathers and spread its wings, snapping with its beak and cried out Schuhu Schuhu in a rough hissing voice. 

 

"Stab it, stab it!" cried the crowd to the brave hero. He responded "Whoever stood in my shoes would not be calling out to stab." He took one step higher on the ladder but then began to tremble. He turned back and almost fainted in fear.

 

Now there was no one who would put himself in danger. "The monster!" they said, " had poisoned and mortally wounded the strongest man amongst them with its snapping and breathing alone. Should we put other lives at risk? They now held counsel about how to save the entire town from utter ruin. For a long time everything seemed lost until finally the mayor found the solution. He spoke "It is my opinion that we take money from our common treasury, enough to pay for this barn and everything inside, grain, straw and hay, pay the owner and do not hold him at fault. But then we shall burn down the entire building and with it the terrible creature within. In this way, none among us shall wager his life. We have no time to spare and it is not the time to be stingy."

 

Everyone agreed. And so the barn was set afire at its four corners and everything including the owl was wretchedly burned. And whoever does not believe this story happened should go out and inquire about it himself.   

 

To read more about the Ghost or Death Owl hit the following Wiki-Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_Owl

Links to owl themes & mythology:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/02/they-say-owl-was-bakers-daughter.html

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/04/the-owl-of-minerva-spreads-its-wings.html

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/03/the-owl-of-cwm-cawlwyd.html

To read further fairy tales, click on the link:

Translation Copyright fairytalechannel.com

They say the owl was a baker's daughter.

Ophelia: Well, God dild you! They say the owl was a baker's daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table! (Hamlet, Act 4 Scene V)

The Owl as Bakers Daughter

Once a fairy entered a baker's shop. She was dressed in rags as a poor woman, her clothing tattered, and she begged for a morsel of bread dough. The baker's daughter gave her a tiny morsel and the old woman asked that she be allowed to place it in the oven.

But when  she removed the bread the maid saw that the dough had risen and become the largest loaf in the oven. The woman therefore reconsidered and did not want to give it to the old woman. Finally she gave her another piece of dough, half as large as the first and placed it in the oven for the second baking. But this loaf rose even more than the first, and so the old woman was not allowed to have it. Now she asked for a very small portion of the dough. The girl gave her only a small morsel, hardly larger than a thumbnail and she placed it in the oven for the third backing. When it cam out of the oven it was larger than the other two loaves before. The foolish, greedy maid became fearful and with large round eyes gazed upon the old woman, who had thrown off her robe and stood tall and beaming.

The girl stammered "How, who, who...".

"Whoo- whooo" will be the only thing you ever utter again," the fairy said. "The world has borne your selfishness and greed long enough." And she raised her wand and touched the maid who now was transformed into an owl, flying out into the night with a "whoo-whooo".

Dear Lord, we know what we are but we do not know what we might become. 

And in this English folk song, the owl appears as king's daughter, not baker's daughter:

Once I was a monarch's daughter

And sat on a lady's knee:

But am now a nightly rover,

Banished to the ivy tree.

Crying hoo hoo, hoo hoo, hoo hoo,

Hoo ! Hoo! Hoo! My feet are cold!

Pity me, for here you see me,

Persecuted, poor and old.

I once was a king's daughter

And sat on my father's knee,

But now I'm a poor hoolet,

And hide in a hollow tree! 


More about owl mythology:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/04/the-owl-of-minerva-spreads-its-wings.html

Or an owl fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/03/an-owl-fairy-tale-from-brothers-grimm.html

fairytalechannel.com

A Time of Hooting Owls: Fairy Tale of Hooting Ursula

Grimm's Saga No. 298: The Hooting Owl

At midnight in storm and rain the Hackelnberg Huntsman races through the Thuringia Wood and Harz Mountains. His wagon, horse and hounds make a crackling and creaking noise as he breaks through the brush of his favorite haunt: the Hackel Forest. A night owl flies ahead of him and folk call it Hooting Ursula. Wanderers who happen to meet this terrible pair fall down flat on their stomachs and let the wild huntsman pass by. Soon they hear the barking of hounds and the call: Uh-hu!

Many years ago in a remote cloister in Thuringia there lived a nun named Ursula. During her lifetime she always disturbed the choir with her shriek-like singing. For that reason they called her Hooting Ursula. But things only got worse after her death. Each night starting at eleven o’clock she stuck her head through a hole in the church tower and hooted wretchedly. Every morning at four she came uncalled and sang with the sisters. They could endure it for only a few days; on the third morning one nun said softly and full of terror to the nun singing next to her “That is most certainly Ursula!” Suddenly everyone fell silent, their hair stood on end and the nuns ran screaming from the church crying: “Hooting Ursula, Hooting Ursula!” No punishment would induce the nuns to enter the church again until a famous exorcist was called from a Capuchin monastery on the Danube. He banished Hooting Ursula in the form of an owl to the Dummburg region of the Harz Mountains. It was there that Ursula met the Huntsman Hackelnberg. She became charmed by his Hu-hu and he in turn was charmed with her Uh-u! And now they both go out together, flying through the air on the wild hunt. 

Our own Hooting Ursula is nesting in an owl box we attached to the remnants of a once stately pine tree, here are some pictures :

More about owl mythology and an owl fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/04/the-owl-of-minerva-spreads-its-wings.html

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/03/an-owl-fairy-tale-from-brothers-grimm.html

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2013/02/they-say-owl-was-bakers-daughter.html

fairytalechannel.com

Charcoal Burners: a History and Further Reading

To find out more about charcoal burners throughout history hit the following links:



 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal

http://www.openairclassroom.org.uk/Further%20information/information-charcoal%20burning.htm



FairyTaleChannel.com