The children of Alsace are often reminded to watch out for Hans Trapp, the cursed baron now disguised as a scarecrow, waiting for children as they pass by. Today he is also said to be one of Santa's helpers, punishing bad children.
When the holiday season arrives, most of us are filled with joy, anticipation and warmth as we prepare for Christmas. However, lurking in the shadows of holiday cheer, some stories remind us of the darker side of this season. Among them is the blood-curdling legend of Hans Trapp, a figure from Alsatian folklore whose story is steeped in terror and moral warning.
“Hans Trapp Comes for Christmas” say parents from the Lorraine and Alsace regions on the German and French border. But he is not there to give gifts, but to beat him, and apparently he is a cannibal dressed as a scarecrow, hungry for children.
The beginnings of Hans Trapp
The legend of Hans Trapp comes from the Alsace region, located on the French-German border. This area is affluent in folklore, where the lines between what is real and what is supernatural are often blurred. Hans Trapp is one such figure, deeply rooted in the history and culture of the region.
Further north in the region is Wissembourg, now a border area but then part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Hans Trapp, or Hans von Trotha as his real name was, was once a wealthy and powerful man, known for his insatiable greed and cruelty, living in Berwartstein Castle, born in the mid-14th century. His wealth was obtained by ruthless means, and those who lived under his rule were feared and despised. According to legend, his hostility grew to such an extent that he turned to black magic and made a pact with the devil to escalate his wealth and power.
There are many stories, but we know that he got into a fight with the abbot of Wissemburg over land, and Hans Trapp decided to cut off their water supply in retaliation. He built a dam on top of the Wieslauter to stop its flow into Wissembourg, flooding the abbot's land.
However, when they demanded that he stop, he destroyed the dam, causing a flood to flow down the mountain and inundate the city.
Hans Trapp's actions did not go unnoticed. However, the Holy Roman Emperor did nothing to stop him. His heinous actions and dim practices eventually came to the attention of the Church. The Pope summoned him, but he refused. Instead, he called the pope all sorts of immoral things. He was excommunicated by the Church and exiled from society, which he hated. Instead, he was sent to the French court during the Italian Wars, died in 1503 in his castle, and his line became extinct about 40 years after his death.
The legacy of Hans Trapp
In the years following his death, terrible things began to be attributed to him, even changing his name to Tapp, where the trappen is said to make a sound when walking to ward off ghosts. He soon turned into a devilish figure, a demon and a spook, always wanting revenge on those who wronged him.
In the legend, he is most often referred to as a hermit, cursed to the forest, not to the court. They tell the story of how he lived in the forest and built a shelter on Mount Geisberg in Bavaria, Germany, becoming less and less human, living by luring children into his hole to eat them. One story says that God himself turned him into a scarecrow because he devoured a youthful shepherd.
Another version was that it was Trapp who disguised himself as a scarecrow to lure children, stuffing his clothes with straw and hiding among the fields. As time passed after his exile, he became mad, bitter, and hungry for both revenge and flesh. With a gloomy face and a sinister expression, he will wait for his next victim.
One day, Hans Trapp noticed a youthful boy from a nearby village who was only 10 years aged. He captured the child and took him back to his lair in the forest. As he prepared to cook and eat the boy, cooking him over an open fire, divine intervention occurred. Lightning struck down Hans Trapp, killing him instantly and saving the child from a gruesome fate.
D'r Hans Trapp
Well here comes Hans Trapp.
Ar het a scheni Zepfelkapp'
The beard looks like a white horse.
Ar comes from the starry sky
And bring Ruada to the children,
Wu net dien singe un bata.
Hey, Hans Trapp, I'm so diminutive
Un brav un folie d'heim.
Don't worry about the dim Stacka,
Because I know that singe un oi bata.
English translation
Hans Trapp
Look, there's Hans Trapp.
It has a nice pointy hood
And a beard as white as a white horse.
It comes from the starry sky
He brings a cane to the children
Who don't sing and pray.
Look, Hans Trapp, we are so diminutive
We are shrewd and we follow home.
You don't have to come with your fishing rod,
Because we know how to sing and pray.
Christmas haunting
Although Hans Trapp was destroyed, his evil spirit did not rest. According to legend, he still wanders the area, especially at Christmas, when he became Saint's helper. Nicholas in punishing children. Some say that St. Lightning struck next to Trapp. Santa Claus. He came with him and has been trying to atone for his sins ever since. Another version of why he is involved in the holiday season is: well… Misbehaving children need a story.
Hans Trapp, like Krampus, is said to visit misbehaving children, but his presence is much more sinister. He is said to ride his black horse through the northern Alsace countryside seeking revenge. On Christmas Eve, Nicholas takes part in the region's holy man parade. He embodies the terrifying consequences of moral corruption and the dangers that lurk in the darkness.
Parents in Alsace told their children the story of Hans Trapp to instill good behavior in them and prevent them from straying too far from home. This story serves as a chilling reminder that while Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, it also has its shadows.
Reference:
Christmas scarecrow eating children | Mat Auryn
The Scariest Creatures of Folklore: Hans Trapp – Writing the Werewolf
Hans Trapp, terror of the children of Alsace – French moments
Image Source: Pixabay.com
