A household deity is a deity or spirit that protects the home , looking after the entire household or certain key members. It has been a common belief in paganism as well as in folklore across many parts of the world.
99-599: A kobold ( German: [ˈkoːbɔlt] ; kobolt , kobolde , kobolde , cobold) is a general or generic name for the household spirit in German folklore . A hausgeist . It may invisibly make noises (i.e., be a poltergeist ), or helpfully perform kitchen chores or stable work. But it can be a prankster as well. It may expect a bribe or offering of milk, etc. for its efforts or good behaviour. When mistreated (cf. fig. right), its reprisal can be utterly cruel. A hütchen ( Low German : hodeken ) meaning "little hat"
198-711: A god would preside over the home. Certain species, or types, of household deities existed. An example of this was the Roman Lares. Many European cultures retained house spirits into the modern period. Some examples of these include: Although the cosmic status of household deities was not as lofty as that of the Twelve Olympians or the Aesir , they were also jealous of their dignity and also had to be appeased with shrines and offerings, however humble. Because of their immediacy, they had arguably more influence on
297-541: A certain bitterness of feeling afterwards sprang up between Grimm and Rask, after Rask refused to consider the value of Grimm's views when they clashed with his own. Grimm's monumental dictionary of the German Language , the Deutsches Wörterbuch , was started in 1838 and first published in 1854. The Brothers anticipated it would take 10 years and encompass some six to seven volumes. However, it
396-501: A cult of human ancestors, specially of tribal chiefs and clan-heroes: this is Manism or Ancestor Worship proper, culminating in hero worship. ... it is to be noted that the characteristics pertaining to a particular clan or tribal community, which mark ancestor worship, will have fallen very much to the background if they can be at all inferred among the Celts; the relations emphasised will be found pertaining to mythologic concepts and to
495-569: A culture's development. He also coined the term animism . Tylor disagreed with Herbert Spencer , another founder of anthropology, as well as of sociology, about the innateness of the human tendency towards animistic explanations, but both agreed that ancestor worship was the root of religion and that domestic deities were survivals from such an early stage. In contradistinction to both Herbert Spencer and Edward Burnett Tylor , who defended theories of animistic origins of ancestor worship, Émile Durkheim saw its genesis in totemism . This distinction
594-403: A diminutive cognate Nebenform ). And under "kobalt" it considered the name of cobalt ore derived from the supposed mischief caused by the kobold or Bergmännchen [ de ] (mountain manikin, mountain spirit) in these mines. Thus unsurprisingly, later writers have continued referring to mine spirits as "kobolds", or to consider "kobold" to be both house spirit and mine spirit in
693-496: A doll or figurine. The name kobold itself might be classed in this "doll" type group, as the earliest instances of use of the word kobold in 13th century Middle High German refers jokingly to figurines made of wood or wax, and the word assumptively also meant "household spirit" in MHG, and certainly something of a "household deity" in the post-medieval period (gloss dated 1517). The etymology of kobold that Grimm supported derived
792-477: A feather to follow the horse carriage. It also appears as a marten and serpent after attempts at expelling it. A kobold by the similar name Heintzlein (Heinzlein) was recorded by Martin Luther . Although a group of house sprite names (Heinz, Heinzel, Heinzchen, Heinzelman, Hinzelman, Hinzemännchen, etc.) are considered to derive from diminutive pet name of "Heinrich", the name Hinzelmann goes deeper, and alludes to
891-551: A form * kobwalt , quoted in Grimms' dictionary. Other writers such as Müller-Fraureuth (1906) also weighed in on the question of its etymology. Other linguists such as Otto Schrader (1908) suggested ancestral ( Old High German ) * kuba-walda "the one who rules the house". Dowden (2002) offers the hypothetical precursor * kofewalt . The kob/kub/kuf- root is possibly related to Old Norse /Icelandic: kofe "chamber", or Old High German : chubisi "house". and
990-985: A generic term. It is a relatively late vocabularius where kobelte is glossed as (i.e., analogized as) the Roman house and hearth deities " Lares " and Penates , as in Trochus (1517), or "kobold" with " Spiritus familiaris " as in Steier (1705). While the term "kobold" is attested in Middle High German glossaries, they may not corroborate a "house spirit" meaning. The terms kobult together with bancstichil, alp, more to gloss procubus in Diefenbach 's source (Breslauer's Vocabularius , 1340) may (?) suggest "kobold" being regarded more like an alp and mare which are dream demons. But indications are that these Germanic household deities were current in
1089-462: A likelihood suggested by the good points which in many respects survive in their character, their virtues being turned into vices, and, contrariwise, their vices into virtues, as good or ill fortune befell the household and its appurtenances. Is not the bowl of milk placed for the Brownie in the corner of the room a survival of the drink-offering of wine which was poured out before the household gods of
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#17327946175721188-458: A list kept at the shrine and declares him or her a "family child" (氏子 ujiko). After death an ujiko becomes a "family spirit", or "family kami " (氏神 ujigami). Many Japanese houses still have a shrine ( kamidana , kami shelf) where offerings are made to ancestral kami, as well as to other kami. Edward Burnett Tylor , one of the main founders of the discipline of cultural anthropology, spoke of survivals , vestiges of earlier evolutionary stages in
1287-442: A position in the war office with a small salary of 100 thalers . He complained that he had to exchange his stylish Paris suit for a stiff uniform and pigtail, but the role gave him spare time for the pursuit of his studies. In 1808, soon after the death of his mother, he was appointed superintendent of the private library of Jérôme Bonaparte , King of Westphalia , into which Hesse-Kassel had been incorporated by Napoleon . Grimm
1386-472: A sacred space. For centuries, Christianity fought a mop-up war against these lingering minor pagan deities, but they proved tenacious. For example, Martin Luther 's Tischreden have numerous – quite serious – references to dealing with kobolds . Eventually, rationalism and the Industrial Revolution threatened to erase most of these minor deities until
1485-428: A specific deity – typically a goddess – often referred to as a hearth goddess or domestic goddess who is associated with the home and hearth, such as the ancient Greek Hestia . The second type of household deity is not one singular deity but a type or species of animistic , which usually has lesser powers than major deities. This type was common in the religions of antiquity, such as
1584-401: A variant heugütel , a hayloft or stable kobold, which tampers with horses. The "kobold" is defined as the well-known household spirit , descended from household gods and hearth deities, according to Grimms' dictionary. However, Middle High German " kóbolt, kobólt " is defined as "wooden or waxen figures of a nixie -ish ( neckische ) house spirit", used in jest. The term "kobold"
1683-412: A wider sense (cf. § Literary references , § Fantasy novels and anime ). At any rate it is recognized that the original "house spirit" kobold got conflated with the "mine spirit", also known as kobel . Spiritualist Emma Hardinge Britten (1884) recorded a story about a "kobolds" in the mines who communicated with local German residents (of Harz Mountains ?) using banging sounds, and fulfilled
1782-600: A year later, having just recovered from a severe illness, and likewise began the study of law. Jacob Grimm became inspired by the lectures of Friedrich Carl von Savigny , a noted expert of Roman law ; Wilhelm Grimm, in the preface to the Deutsche Grammatik (German Grammar), credits Savigny with giving the brothers an awareness of science. Savigny's lectures also awakened in Jacob a love for historical and antiquarian investigation, which underlies all his work. It
1881-418: Is dagas. ) The appearance of Rask's Old English grammar was probably the primary impetus for Grimm to recast his work from the beginning. Rask was also the first to clearly formulate the laws of sound-correspondence in the different languages, especially in the vowels (previously ignored by etymologists ). The Grammar was continued in three volumes, treating principally derivation, composition and syntax ,
1980-441: Is a shape-shifter assuming many forms, such as a feather or animals. The name supposedly refers to it appearing in cat-form, Hinz[e] being an archetypical cat name. The similarly named Heinzelmänchen of Cologne (recorded 1826) is distinguished from Hinzelmann. The Schrat is cross-categorized as a wood sprite and a house sprite, and some regional examples correspond to kobold, e.g., Upper Franconia in northern Bavaria. The kobold
2079-405: Is also known. In the north the house sprite may be known by the dragon-like name drak , said to appear in a form like a fire shaft. Sometimes household sprites manifests as a noisemaker ( poltergeist ). It may first be such a rattler, then an invisible speaker, then a sprite doing chores, etc. and gradually making its presence and personality more clear (see Hintzelmann tale). In some regions,
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#17327946175722178-651: Is exactly the same being as the Danish Nis, and Scottish Brownie, and English Hobgoblin. [b] He performs the very same services for the family to whom he attaches himself. ... The Nis, Kobold, or Goblin, appears in Scotland under the name of Brownie. MacMichael elaborated his views on the folkloric belief complex as follows: What are our elves and fairies, goblins, nisses, brownies, and pixies but latter-day survivals of arkite ancestor worship? Brownies and pixies were probably invariably of good character, originally,
2277-462: Is not original to Grimm, and he credits Ludwig Wachler (1737). Thus the generic "goblin" is a cognate of "kobold" according to Grimm's etymology, and perhaps even a descendant word deriving from "kobold". The Dutch kabout , kabot , kabouter , kaboutermanneken , etc., were also regarded as deriving from cabolus by Grimm, citing Dutch linguist Cornelis Kiliaan . Jacob Grimm certainly knew that kobel and Bergmännlein (= Bergmännchen ) were
2376-472: Is one subtype; this and other kobold sprites are known for its pointy red cap, such as the niss (cognate of nisse of Norway) or puk (cognate of puck fairy) which are attested in Northern Germany, alongside drak , a dragon-type name, as the sprite is sometimes said to appear as a shaft of fire, with what looks like a head. There is also the combined form Nis Puk . A house sprite Hinzelmann
2475-486: Is set in the historical background after c. 1130, and attested in a work c. 1500. This sprite that haunted the castle of the Bishop of Hildesheim , retaliated against a kitchen boy who splashed filthy water on it (Cf. fig. top right) by leaving the lad's dismembered body cooking in a pot. Likewise the resident Chimmeken of Mecklenburg Castle, in 1327, allegedly chopped up a kitchen boy into pieces after he took and drank
2574-455: Is sometimes conflated with the mine demon kobel or Bergmännlein / Bergmännchen , which Paracelsus equated with the earth elemental gnome . It is generally noted that there can be made no clear demarcation between a kobold and nature spirits. The Klabautermann aboard ships are sometimes classed as a kobold. A kobold is known by various names (discussed under § Subtypes ). As a household spirit, it may perform chores such as tidying
2673-416: Is somewhat academic since totemism may be regarded as a particularized manifestation of animism, and a synthesis of the two positions was attempted by Sigmund Freud . In Freud's Totem and Taboo , both totem and taboo are outward expressions or manifestations of the same psychological tendency, a concept which is complementary to, or which rather reconciles, the apparent conflict. Freud preferred to emphasize
2772-405: Is well known. He is usually described as attached to particular families, with whom he has been known to reside for centuries, threshing the corn, cleaning the house, and performing similar household tasks. His favorite gratification was milk and honey. George Henderson elaborated on the presumed origin of ancestor worship in animism : The second phase of this stage of thought [Animism] would be
2871-687: The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities is underway to update the Deutsches Wörterbuch to modern academic standards. Volumes A–F were planned for completion in 2012 by the Language Research Centre at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the University of Göttingen . The first work Jacob Grimm published, Über den altdeutschen Meistergesang (1811),
2970-673: The Bible , often translated as "household gods" in Genesis 31:19 for example), amulets , paintings, or reliefs. They could also be found on domestic objects, such as cosmetic articles in the case of Tawaret . The more prosperous houses might have a small shrine to the household god(s); the lararium served this purpose in the case of the Romans. The gods would be treated as members of the family and invited to join in meals or be given offerings of food and drink . In ancient and modern religions,
3069-609: The Göttingen Seven , who signed a protest against the King of Hanover 's abrogation of the liberal constitution which had been established some years before. As a result, he was dismissed from his professorship and banished from the Kingdom of Hanover in 1837. He returned to Kassel with his brother, who had also signed the protest. They remained there until 1840 when they accepted King Frederick William IV 's invitation to move to
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3168-527: The Reinhart Fuchs in 1834. His first contribution to mythology was the first volume of an edition of the Eddaic songs, undertaken jointly with his brother, and was published in 1815. However, this work was not followed by any others on the subject. The first edition of his Deutsche Mythologie (German Mythology) appeared in 1835. This work covered the whole range of the subject, attempting to trace
3267-724: The Romance languages is founded entirely on Grimm's methods, which have had a profound influence on the wider study of the Indo-European languages in general. Jacob is recognized for enunciating Grimm's law , the Germanic Sound Shift, which was first observed by the Danish philologist Rasmus Christian Rask . Grimm's law, also known as the "Rask-Grimm Rule" or the First Germanic Sound Shift,
3366-568: The University of Berlin , where they both received professorships and were elected members of the Academy of Sciences. Grimm was not under any obligation to lecture, and seldom did so; he spent his time working with his brother on their dictionary project. During their time in Kassel, he regularly attended the meetings of the academy and read papers on varied subjects, including Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann , Friedrich Schiller , old age, and
3465-473: The lares of ancient Roman religion , the gashin of Korean shamanism , and cofgodas of Anglo-Saxon paganism . These survived Christianisation as fairy -like creatures existing in folklore, such as the Anglo-Scottish brownie and Slavic domovoy . Household deities were usually worshipped not in temples but in the home, where they would be represented by small idols (such as the teraphim of
3564-606: The English word "cove" in the sense of 'shelter'. This is now accepted as the standard etymology. Even though the Grimm brothers were aware of it, Jacob Grimm seemingly endorsed a different etymology ( § Grimm's alternate etymology ), though this eventually got displaced. There are no attested uses of the word "kobold" (Middle High German: kobolt ) prior to the 13th century. Grimm opines that earlier uses may have existed, but remain undiscovered or lost. The earliest known uses of
3663-561: The French, and he attended the Congress of Vienna as Secretary of Legation in 1814–1815. Upon his return from Vienna, he was sent to Paris again to secure book restitutions. Meanwhile, Wilhelm had obtained a job at the Kassel library , and Jacob was made second librarian under Volkel in 1816. Upon the death of Volkel in 1828, the brothers both expected promotion, and they were dissatisfied when
3762-470: The German language against the quasi-philosophical methods then in vogue. In 1822 the book appeared in a second edition (really a new work, for, as Grimm himself says in the preface, he had to "mow the first crop down to the ground"). The considerable gap between the two stages of Grimm's development of these editions is shown by the fact that the second volume addresses phonology in 600 pages – more than half
3861-451: The German language and those of the Getae , Thracians, Scythians, and other nations whose languages were known only through Greek and Latin authors. Grimm's results were later greatly modified by a wider range of available comparisons and improved methods of investigation. Many questions that he raised remain obscure due to the lack of surviving records of the languages, but his book's influence
3960-634: The Indo-European household, in Chapter II, "The House Spirit", Section 1, he states: The belief which guided the conduct of our forefathers was ... the spirit rule of dead ancestors. In Section 2, he proceeds to elaborate: It is thus certain that the worship of deceased ancestors is a vera causa , and not a mere hypothesis. ... In the other European nations, the Slavs, the Teutons, and
4059-513: The Kelts, the House Spirit appears with no less distinctness. ... [T]he existence of that worship does not admit of doubt. ... The House Spirits had a multitude of other names which it is needless here to enumerate, but all of which are more or less expressive of their friendly relations with man. ... In [England] ... [h]e is the Brownie. ... In Scotland this same Brownie
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4158-793: The Nature-Myth. For, as modifications and transitions in behalf are constant, ancestor worship gets partly transcended. But in Manism the guardian spirit has its specific influence on the tribal consciousness. I recollect Aoibhell of Craig Liath, the guardian spirit of the Dal Caiss , mentioned in the narrative concerning Brian Boru in the Wars of the Gaedhel and the Gall; there is also Mag Molach or Hairy Hand, and Bodach An Duin of Rothiemurchus, as well as
4257-651: The Robin Goodfellow (q.v.) of the English and the Kobold of the Germans is conspicuous, and the Roman Lar is also suggested by this suspicion. William Edward Hearn , a noted classicist and jurist, traced the origin of domestic deities from the earliest stages as an expression of animism, a belief system thought to have existed also in the neolithic and the forerunner of Indo-European religion. In his analysis of
4356-603: The Romans? Demonstrating that this evolution and functional equivalence has generally come to be accepted and that their nature is indeed that proposed by Grimm, one may refer to the early twentieth century New International Encyclopaedia : The term fairy, however, is also loosely used to include other beings of a similar character like the brownie, elf, fay, gnome, goblin, kobold, pixy, puck, salamander, sprite, sylph, troll and undine. ... Fairy lore contains likewise certain elements of ancestor-worship, of mythology, and of older religious beliefs. and also The resemblance to
4455-422: The advent of romantic nationalism rehabilitated them and embellished them into objects of literary curiosity in the 19th century. Since the 20th century, this literature has been mined for characters for role-playing games, video games, and other fantasy personae , not infrequently invested with invented traits and hierarchies somewhat different from their mythological and folkloric roots. The general dynamics of
4554-434: The book (i.e., the rewriter) cites Erasmus Francisci elsewhere. Both these were primary sources for the kobold tales in Grimms' Deutsche Sagen , No. 74, 75. Praetorius (1666) discussed the household spirit under names such as Hausmann (dat. pl. haußmännern [ sic ], kobold, gütgen , and Latin equivalents. Steier (1705) glossing kobold as "Spiritus familiaris" perhaps indicates kobold being considered
4653-563: The concept of a comparative Germanic grammar had been grasped by the Englishman George Hickes by the beginning of the 18th century, in his Thesaurus . Ten Kate in the Netherlands had made valuable contributions to the history and comparison of Germanic languages. Grimm himself did not initially intend to include all the languages in his Grammar , but he soon found that Old High German postulated Gothic , and that
4752-668: The country's origins. He wished for a united Germany, and, like his brother, supported the Liberal movement for a constitutional monarchy and civil liberties, as demonstrated by their involvement in the Göttingen Seven protest . In the German revolution of 1848 , he was elected to the Frankfurt National Parliament . The people of Germany had demanded a constitution, so the Parliament, formed of elected members from various German states, met to form one. Grimm
4851-455: The crowd. Thomas Keightley comments that legends and folklore about kobolds can be explained as "ventriloquism and the contrivances of servants and others". The 17th century expression to laugh like a kobold may refer to these dolls with their mouths wide open, and it may mean "to laugh loud and heartily". There are other medieval literary examples using kobold or tatrmann as a metaphor for mute or dumb human beings. Note that some of
4950-451: The day-to-day affairs of men than the remote gods did. Vestiges of their worship persisted long after Christianity and other major religions extirpated nearly every trace of the major pagan pantheons . Elements of the practice can be seen even today, with Christian accretions, where statues to various saints (such as St. Francis ) protect gardens and grottos. Even the gargoyles found on older churches could be viewed as guardians partitioning
5049-519: The folktales they could find, partly from the mouths of the people, partly from manuscripts and books, and published in 1812–1815 the first edition of those Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales), which has carried the name of the brothers Grimm into every household of the western world. The closely related subject of the satirical beast epic of the Middle Ages also held great charm for Jacob Grimm, and he published an edition of
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#17327946175725148-410: The good kindly lares were often held to be manes or souls of departed ancestors. So in our German superstition we find instances of souls becoming homesprites or kobolds , and still oftener is there a connexion between unquiet spirits and spectres. To underscore the equivalence of brownie, kobold, and goblin, consider the words of the English historian and folklorist Thomas Keightley : The Kobold
5247-478: The hearth-fire" developed into "tutelary house deities, localized in the home", and the German kobold and the Greek agathós daímōn both fit this evolutionary path. The kobalt etymology as consisting of kob "chamber" + walt "ruler, power, authority", with the meaning of " household spirit " has been advanced by various authors, as early as Christian W. M. Grein [ de ] (1861–1864) who postulated
5346-555: The house sprite Petermännchen sports a long, white beard. The Klabautermann is red-haired and white-bearded according to a published source. The kobold often has the tendency to wear red pointy hats, a widely disseminated mark of European household spirits under other names such as the Norwegian nisse ; the North or Northeastern German kobolds named Niss or Puk (cog. puck ) are prone to wearing such caps. The combined form Nis Puk
5445-445: The house, as objects of earnest veneration, but as the age progressed, they degraded into humorous or entertaining pieces of décor. The kobolt and Tatrmann were also boxwood puppets manipulated by wires, which performed in puppet theater in the medieval period, as evident from example usage. The traveling juggler ( German : Gaukler ) of yore used to make a kobold doll appear out of their coats, and make faces with it to entertain
5544-677: The human being is occupied by the heart, they carry the round luminous circle", and the sighting of the circle is more common than the dwarfish beings. A. [REDACTED] [Doll] Güttel, Poppele. B. [REDACTED] [Cretin] Schretzelein C. [REDACTED] a) [Apparel] Hüdeken b) [Beastform] Hinzelmann, Kazten-veit D. [REDACTED] [Noise] Klopfer E. [REDACTED] [Person name] Chimmeken Woltken, Chimken Niß-Puk G. [REDACTED] [Demon] Puk H. [REDACTED] [Literary] Heinzelmänchen I. [REDACTED] [Dragon] Drak. Alrun [REDACTED] = "mine spirit". Household spirit Household deities fit into two types; firstly,
5643-543: The illustration of the great, the popular tradition for the elucidation of the written monuments. Grimm's Geschichte der deutschen Sprache (History of the German Language) explores German history hidden in the words of the German language and is the oldest linguistic history of the Teutonic tribes. He collected scattered words and allusions from classical literature and tried to determine the relationship between
5742-399: The investigation of our earlier language, poetry and laws. These studies may have appeared to many, and may still appear, useless; to me they have always seemed a noble and earnest task, definitely and inseparably connected with our common fatherland, and calculated to foster the love of it. My principle has always been in these investigations to under-value nothing, but to utilize the small for
5841-491: The kitchen, but can be prankish, and when mistreated can resort to retribution, sometimes of the utmost cruelty. It is often said to require the household to put out sweet milk (and bread, bread soup) as offering to keep it in good behaviour. The legend of the house sprite's retribution is quite old. The tale of the hütchen (or hodekin in Low German, meaning "little hat"; tale retold as Grimms Deutsche Sagen No. 74)
5940-418: The kobold is held to be the soul of a prematurely killed child ( § True identity as child's ghost ). They may be hard to eradicate, but it is often said that a gift of an article of clothing will cause them to leave. The klopfer is a "noisemaker" or poltergeist type of kobold name, while the poppele and butz (which Grimm and others considered to be noise inspired) are classed as names referring to
6039-661: The kobold synonyms are specifically classified as Kretinnamen , under the slander for stupidity category in the HdA , as aforementioned. Joseph Grimm in Teutonic Mythology gave the etymology of kobold/kobolt as derived from Latin cobalus (pl. cobali ) or rather its antecedent Greek koba'los (pl. kobaloi ; Ancient Greek : Κόβαλος , plural: Κόβαλοι ) meaning "joker, trickster". The final -olt he explained as typical German language suffix for monsters and supernaturals. The derivation of kobold from Greek kobalos
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#17327946175726138-431: The last of which was unfinished. Grimm then began a third edition, of which only one part, comprising the vowels, appeared in 1840, his time being afterwards taken up mainly by the dictionary. The Grammar is noted for its comprehensiveness, method and fullness of detail, with all his points illustrated by an almost exhaustive mass of material, and it has served as a model for all succeeding investigators. Diez 's grammar of
6237-463: The later stages of German could not be understood without the help of other West Germanic varieties including English, and that the literature of Scandinavia could not be ignored. The first edition of the first part of the Grammar , which appeared in 1819, treated the inflections of all these languages, and included a general introduction in which he vindicated the importance of a historical study of
6336-419: The law to High German in any case is entirely Grimm's work. The idea that Grimm wished to deprive Rask of his priority claims is based on the fact that he does not expressly mention Rask's results in his second edition, but it was always his plan to refrain from all controversy or reference to the works of others. In his first edition, he calls attention to Rask's essay and praises it ungrudgingly. Nevertheless,
6435-411: The milk offered to the sprite, according to an anecdote recorded by historian Thomas Kantzow (d. 1542). The story of the "multi-formed" Hinzelmann (Grimms DS No. 75) features a typical house sprite, tidying the kitchen, repaying insolence, etc. Though normally invisible, it is a shapeshifter as its byname suggests. When the lord of Hudemühlen Castle flees to Hanover , the sprite transforms into
6534-437: The more familiar belief in the Brownie which renders offices of help in some houses,—a feeble survival of early phases of cult. Domestic or hearth goddesses from various mythologies include: Jacob Grimm Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (4 January 1785 – 20 September 1863), also known as Ludwig Karl , was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist . He formulated Grimm's law of linguistics, and
6633-618: The mythology and superstitions of the old Teutons back to the very dawn of direct evidence, and following their evolution to modern-day popular traditions, tales, and expressions. Grimm's work as a jurist was influential for the development of the history of law , particularly in Northern Europe. His essay Von der Poesie im Recht ( Poetry in Law , 1816) developed a far-reaching, suprapositivist Romantic conception of law. The Deutsche Rechtsalterthümer ( German Legal Antiquities , 1828)
6732-447: The older periods, attested by Anglo-Saxon cofgodu (glossed "penates") and Old High German ( Old Frankish ) Old High German : hûsing, herdgota for house or hearth deities also glossed as penates . There is an attestation to a kobold -like name for a house or location spirit, given as stetewalden by Frater Rudolfus of the 13th century, meaning "ruler of the site" ( genius loci ). Otto Schrader also observed that "cult of
6831-665: The origin and development of household deities over a considerable span may be traced and exemplified by the historically attested origins and current practices of the Shinto belief system in Japan. As the Japanologist Lafcadio Hearn put it: The real religion of Japan, the religion still professed in one form or other, by the entire nation, is that cult which has been the foundation of all civilized religion, and of all civilized society, – Ancestor-worship. Drawing
6930-588: The origin of language. He described his impressions of Italian and Scandinavian travel, interspersing more general observations with linguistic details. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1857. Grimm died in Berlin at the age of 78, working until the very end of his life. He describes his own work at the end of his autobiography: Nearly all my labours have been devoted, either directly or indirectly, to
7029-504: The origin of the Icelandic language , gave the same comparisons, with a few additions and corrections, and even the same examples in most cases. As Grimm in the preface to his first edition expressly mentioned Rask's essay, there is every probability that it inspired his own investigations. But there is a wide difference between the isolated permutations described by his predecessors and his own comprehensive generalizations. The extension of
7128-489: The picture with broader strokes, he continues: Three stages of ancestor-worship are to be distinguished in the general course of religious and social evolution; and each of these finds illustration in the history of Japanese society. The first stage is that which exists before the establishment of a settled civilization, when there is yet no national ruler, and when the unit of society is the great patriarchal family, with its elders or war-chiefs for lords. Under these conditions,
7227-485: The promise to visit their homes. Extracted as real-life experience from a Mrs. Kalodzky, who was visiting peasants named Dorothea and Michael Engelbrecht. As promised, these kobolds appeared in the house in shadow as small human-like figures "more like a little image carved out of black shining wood". The informant claims she and her husband have both seen the beings since, and described them as "diminutive black dwarfs about two or three feet in height, and at that part which in
7326-403: The proper terms Agricola used for "mine spirits" since his Deutsche Mythologie quoted these terms from Georgius Agricola (16th cent.) in the annotation volume. But Grimms' dictionary, while admitting that the mine spirit went by the name kobel , considered that word merely to be a variant or offshoot of kobold (for the house spirit). The dictionary stated under "kobold" that kobel must be
7425-422: The psychoanalytic implications of the reification of metaphysical forces but with particular emphasis on its familial nature. This emphasis underscores, rather than weakens, the ancestral component. European folklorist Jacob Grimm did not hesitate to equate the Roman lar familiaris to the brownie . He explains in some detail in his Deutsche Mythologie : Larva betrays its affinity to lar ..., and
7524-514: The role of the first librarian was given to Rommel, the keeper of the archives. Consequently, they moved the following year to the University of Göttingen , where Jacob was appointed professor and librarian, and Wilhelm under-librarian. Jacob Grimm lectured on legal antiquities, historical grammar , literary history , and diplomatics , explained Old German poems, and commented on the Germania of Tacitus . Grimm joined other academics, known as
7623-464: The second edition of the first part of his Grammar . The correspondence of single consonants had been more or less clearly recognized by several of his predecessors, including Friedrich von Schlegel , Rasmus Christian Rask and Johan Ihre , the last having established a considerable number of literarum permutationes , such as b for f , with the examples bœra = ferre ("to bear"), befwer = fibra ("fiber"). Rask, in his essay on
7722-402: The severe school of classical philology, to Old and Middle High German poetry and metre. Both Brothers were attracted from the beginning by all national poetry, whether in the form of epics, ballads or popular tales. They published In 1816–1818 a collection of legends culled from diverse sources and published the two-volume Deutsche Sagen (German Legends). At the same time they collected all
7821-446: The spirit appearing in the guise of a cat, the name Hinz[e] being an archetypical name for cats. Also Hinzelmann and Heinzelmänchen of Cologne are considered different house sprites altogether, the latter categorized as one of "literary" nature. The house sprite names Chim or Chimken, Chimmeken, etc. are diminutive informal names of Joachim. But its true form is often said to be that of a small child, sometimes only felt to be as such by
7920-402: The spirits of the family-ancestors only are worshipped;—each family propitiating its own dead, and recognizing no other form of worship. As the patriarchal families, later on, become grouped into tribal clans, there grows up the custom of tribal sacrifice to the spirits of the clan-rulers;—this cult being superadded to the family-cult, and marking the second stage of ancestor-worship. Finally, with
8019-503: The touch of the hand, but sometimes a female servant eager to see it is shown a dead body of a child (cf. Hinzelmann). The folklore was current in some regions, e.g. Vogtland that the kobold was the soul of a child who died unbaptized. The Grimms ( Deutsche Sagen ) also seconded the notion of "kobold" appearing as a child wearing a pretty jacket, but Jacob Grimm ( Deutsche Mythologie ) stated contrarily that kobolds are red-haired and red-bearded, without examples. Later commentators noted that
8118-583: The two ancient fragments of the Hildebrandslied and the Weißenbrunner Gebet , Jacob having discovered what until then had never been suspected — namely the alliteration in these poems. However, Jacob had little taste for text editing, and, as he himself confessed, working on a critical text gave him little pleasure. He therefore left this department to others, especially Lachmann, who soon turned his brilliant critical genius, trained in
8217-410: The union of all the clans or tribes under one supreme head, there is developed the custom of propitiating the spirits of national, rulers. This third form of the cult becomes the obligatory religion of the country; but it does not replace either of the preceding cults: the three continue to exist together. Furthermore, Whenever a child is born in Japan, a local Shinto shrine adds the child's name to
8316-422: The volume. Grimm had concluded that all philology must be based on rigorous adherence to the laws of sound change , and he subsequently never deviated from this principle. This gave to all his investigations a consistency and force of conviction that had been lacking in the study of philology before his day. His advances have been attributed mainly to the influence of his contemporary Rasmus Christian Rask . Rask
8415-519: The word kobold in 13th century Middle High German refer jokingly to figurines made of wood or wax. The exemplum in Konrad von Würzburg 's poem (<1250) refers to a man as worthless as a kobold-doll made from boxwood . This use does not directly support the notion of the kobold being regarded as a spirit or deity. The scenario conjectured by Grimm (seconded by Karl Simrock in 1855) was that home sprites used to be carved from wood or wax and set up in
8514-469: The word from Latin cobalus (Greek κόβαλος , kobalos ), but this was also Georg Agricola 's Latin/Greek cypher for kobel , syn. Bergmännlein [ de ] denoting mine spirits, i.e. gnome . This Greek etymology has been superseded by the Germanic one explaining the word as the compound kob/kof 'house, chamber' + walt 'power, authority' (cf. cobalt#etymology ). The gütel has
8613-506: Was a comprehensive compilation of sources of law from all Germanic languages, whose structure allowed an initial understanding of older German legal traditions not influenced by Roman law. Grimm's Weisthümer (4 vol., 1840–63), a compilation of partially oral legal traditions from rural Germany, allows research of the development of written law in Northern Europe. Jacob Grimm's work tied in strongly with his views on Germany and its culture. His work on both fairy tales and philology dealt with
8712-476: Was appointed an auditor to the state council, while retaining his superintendent post. His salary rose to 4000 francs and his official duties were nominal. In 1813, after the expulsion of Bonaparte and the reinstatement of an elector, Grimm was appointed Secretary of Legation accompanying the Hessian minister to the headquarters of the allied army. In 1814, he was sent to Paris to demand restitution of books taken by
8811-486: Was being used as general or generic term for "house spirit" known by other names even before Grimm, e.g., Erasmus Francisci (1690) who discusses the hütchen tale under the section on "Kobold". The book Hintzelmann (published 1701, second edition 1704) was an expanded reworking by an anonymous author, based on the older-dated diaries of Pastor Feldmann (fl. 1584–1589) also used "kobold" and "poltergeist" in commentary, but this cannot be considered an independent source since
8910-492: Was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1863. Jacob Grimm died on 20 September 1863, in Berlin, Germany from disease, at the age of 78. The following is a complete list of Grimm's separately published works. Those he published with his brother are marked with a star (*). For a list of his essays in periodicals, etc., see vol. V of his Kleinere Schriften , from which the present list
9009-633: Was in Savigny's library that Grimm first saw Bodmer 's edition of the Middle High German minnesingers and other early texts, which gave him a desire to study their language. At the beginning of 1805, he was invited by Savigny to Paris, to help him in his literary work. There Grimm strengthened his taste for the literature of the Middle Ages . Towards the close of the year, he returned to Kassel, where his mother and brother had settled after Wilhelm finished his studies. The following year, Jacob obtained
9108-471: Was left with a very small income. Her sister was the lady of the chamber to the Landgravine of Hesse, and she helped to support and educate the family. Jacob was sent to the public school at Kassel in 1798 with his younger brother Wilhelm . In 1802, he went to the University of Marburg where he studied law, a profession for which he had been intended by his father. His brother joined him at Marburg
9207-473: Was of a purely literary character. Yet even in this essay, Grimm showed that Minnesang and Meistergesang were really one form of poetry, of which they merely represented different stages of development, and also announced his important discovery of the invariable division of the Lied into three strophic parts. Grimm's text-editions were mostly prepared in conjunction with his brother. In 1812 they published
9306-414: Was profound. Grimm's famous Deutsche Grammatik (German Grammar) was the outcome of his purely philological work. He drew on the work of past generations, from the humanists onwards, consulting an enormous collection of materials in the form of text editions, dictionaries, and grammars, mostly uncritical and unreliable. Some work had been done in the way of comparison and determination of general laws, and
9405-587: Was selected for the office largely because of his part in the University of Göttingen's refusal to swear to the king of Hanover. In Frankfurt, he made some speeches and was adamant that the Danish-ruled but German-speaking duchy of Holstein be under German control. Grimm soon became disillusioned with the National Assembly and asked to be released from his duties to return to his studies. He
9504-590: Was the co-author of the Deutsches Wörterbuch , the author of Deutsche Mythologie , and the editor of Grimms' Fairy Tales . He was the older brother of Wilhelm Grimm ; together, they were the literary duo known as the Brothers Grimm . Jacob Grimm was born 4 January 1785, in Hanau in Hesse-Kassel . His father, Philipp Grimm , was a lawyer who died while Jacob was a child, and his mother Dorothea
9603-418: Was the first law in linguistics concerning a non-trivial sound change . It was a turning point in the development of linguistics, enabling the introduction of a rigorous methodology to historic linguistic research. It concerns the correspondence of consonants between the ancestral Proto-Indo-European language and its Germanic descendants, Low Saxon and High German , and was first fully stated by Grimm in
9702-514: Was two years younger than Grimm, but the Icelandic paradigms in Grimm's first editions are based entirely on Rask's grammar; in his second edition, he relied almost entirely on Rask for Old English. His debt to Rask is shown by comparing his treatment of Old English in the two editions. For example, in the first edition he declines dæg, dæges , plural dægas , without having observed the law of vowel-change pointed out by Rask. (The correct plural
9801-434: Was undertaken on so large a scale as to make it impossible for them to complete it. The dictionary, as far as it was worked on by Grimm himself, has been described as a collection of disconnected antiquarian essays of high value. It was finally finished by subsequent scholars in 1961 and supplemented in 1971. At 33 volumes at some 330,000 headwords, it remains a standard work of reference to the present day. A current project at
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