Bieresel Explained

A Bieresel^[1] ("beer donkey"; sg., pl.; English mythological literature also offers the corrupted forms Biersal, Bieresal, and Bierasal not found in German literature) is a type of kobold (house spirit) of German folklore.^[2]

According to Carol Rose, in her book Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia, biersal are sprites stemming from the Germanic mythology of the Saxony region and surviving into modern times in German folklore.^[3] This household spirit abides in breweries and in the bierkeller (i.e. beer cellar) of inns and pubs. In these establishments, the Biersal will gladly clean bottles, steins, casks and kegs that have been used in return for payment in the form of his own portion of beer. When not properly remunerated, however, they resort to mischief and vandalism by stealing or hiding tools and causing equipment malfunctions.^[4]

The entry Bieresel from the Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens (Concise Dictionary of German Superstition) offers a threefold description. Generally, the Bieresel is described as a spook with the appearance of a three- or four-legged donkey (hence its name).

• In Thuringia, Saxony, and the Vogtland, the Bieresel usually practices "aufhocken" (leaping upon a person’s back and forcing them to carry the aufhocking spirit), its victims being drunkards or tavern visitors returning late at night. It might also come inside the tavern drinking empty the beer in front of the customers. In the Vogtland, the Bieresel’s laughter is particularly well-known.
• In the town of Torgau in Saxony, the Bieresel brings beer inside the house like a Drak and also does other household chores like a Kobold. The only reward the Bieresel expects is a glass of beer every evening. If it doesn’t get its beer, then it will bluster around like a Poltergeist to express its unhappiness. This very entity is also described by Carol Rose above.
• In former German-speaking Bohemia, unscrupulous publicans end up as so-called Bieresel after death. This kind of Bieresel is a Poltergeist. Despite its name, it appears as a gray ox with a thick red human head which is characterized by giant horns. Meeting a Bohemian Bieresel is bad luck, for encounters result in a swollen face, fever, or even death.

See also

• Kobold
• Gremlin
• Clurichaun
• Machine Elf

Bibliography

• Rose, Carol (1996). Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia. New York City: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. .
• Thorpe, Benjamin (1852). Northern Mythology, Comparing the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands, Vol III. London: Edward Lumley.
• Leach, Maria, ed. (1984). Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend. New York: HarperCollins.
• Ranke (1927): Bieresel. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer (1927): Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 1 Aal-Butzemann. Berlin. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000,)

Notes and References

1. Ranke (1927): Bieresel. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer (1927): Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 1 Aal-Butzemann. Berlin/New York 2000 p. 1282.
2. [Benjamin Thorpe|Thorpe, Benjamin]
3. Rose, Carol (1996). Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia. New York City: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
4. Homer, Johnny. Brewing in Kent. Gloucestershire, Amberlley Publishing, 2016 .