The functionings of a culture and society are so intertwined that it is nearly impossible to reach an understanding of a culture without first understanding the various independent aspects of the culture. Pennsylvania German culture is no different than any other in that regard, and perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of that culture is its rich tradition of folklore. I set out to determine exactly what legends set the Pennsylvania Germans apart from other cultures, where those legends came from, and to what extent those legends were still around today. The results were quite surprising to me.

Before I started collecting information, I had come to the conclusion that most of the legends would be either German and/or American Indian in origin. I was also pretty sure that there would be many people in the area who would still be able to recall those legends for me. I believed that quite a few legends would develop around the natives of the area as a means of somehow controlling or containing the settlers fear of these unknown and "savage" people. In my research, I was only able to find one truly Pennsylvania German legend that seems to have revolved around Native Americans, although others may have faded out of common repetition by today, or even by the time that these legends started being collected. As for the Germanic origins of the legends, I am still fairly certain that most do have Germanic origins.
 
 

I had believed that since traditional legends are told from person to person, and not written down, they would have survived assimilation longer than most other aspects of the culture. Not only does this not appear to be the case, but it seems that most legends were probably dropped between the turn of the century and the end of World War I.. Now for a more in depth look at what legends I found.
 
 

My starting point for this project was a collection of folklore that Thomas Brendle collected during his life, but that was never published till 1995. That turned out to be an advantage for me. Most other sources written by Brendle on Pennsylvania German legends were published many years ago, which means that my informants, or their parents, may have read of these legends and then started to repeat them. So if the legends they read about had no basis in Pennsylvania German Culture, the "supply" of legends would have been contaminated (and probably was). But I was fairly certain, though, that at least the legends in this book would be truly Pennsylvania German. It was in this book that I came across the first two legends (the Ewich Yeager, or Eternal Hunter, and the Feldkatz). Most of my informants (nine) were residents at a local nursing home run by Mennonites, as well as a handful of people (five) living near Quakertown.
 
 

One of the most common legends that I came across in my interviews was that of Eileschpijjel (the most common spelling). I actually heard about him from my informants before reading about him, although there are many written stories about him. Eileschpijjel was an oaf. He was clumsy, not too bright, but a truly lovable character, for the most part. Seven of my informants, when asked about Pennsylvania German legends, responded by telling me about him. Another three claimed to recognize his name when I asked them directly about him. It would seem that the stories revolving around him were European in origin since there was a European counterpart who was actually nastier and more sinister than the PA German Eileschpijjel (Brendle and Troxell). The actual character is supposed to have come across to Pennsylvania from the Rhineland (Klees).
 
 

There are actually any number of stories revolving around Eileschpijjel, but the majority have to do with contests that he entered into with the Devil. It seems that the Devil was always trying to win Eileschpijjel's soul away from him and would constantly enter into contests that he was certain he could win. Eileschpijjel, as dimwitted as he was, usually, although not always, managed to either win, or more often, get the Devil so frustrated that he left. This was the most that any of my informants could tell me. None of them no longer knew of any specific contests that the two entered into. A few of the stories, as written by Brendle, Troxell, and also Klees, revolved around a sewing contest between the Devil and Eileschpijjel. Depending on which story you were being told, the contest would have been taking place on either the roof of a house, inside an stove, etc... Interestingly enough, the ending of the story might depend on where the story was being told. As the story was told in Egypt, PA, Eileschpijjel won, yet the same story told in Lehigh had the Devil as the winner (Brendle and Troxell).
 
 

Brendle also wrote of a puzzle concerning Eileschpijjel (although Brendle spells it Eileschpiegel). "Why did Eileschpiegel weep when he went downhill and laugh when he went uphill?" "When he went downhill, he wept, because he had to go up again; and uphill he laughed, because it would soon go downhill again." (Beam, 14). Once again, Eileschpijjel is portrayed as a lovable character, that, although not too bright, had his own way of thinking about things.
 
 

An interesting question to raise now is why the PA German's would love a legend that continued to propagate the image of the "dumb Dutch"? It's my belief that they continued to tell these stories about the simpleton simply because it portrayed them as such a loving and lovable characters. Besides, who would believe that all PA Germans were that dimwitted?
 
 

Although the legends of Eileschpijjel are the only ones that I came across in my interviews that directly mentions the Devil, there are a number of stories that Brendle wrote down that concerned the Devil. For example, Brendle's father told him a story about a train fireman (the one who keeps the fire burning to make the steam) who was so frustrated at not getting enough steam that he cried out to the engineer "The devil couldn't do anything here." Not surprisingly, a man suddenly appeared at the fireman's side, opened the door to the firebox, took out his tail from under his coat, and put it in the fire. At this point, the fire started burning so hard that the engine looked like it might burst. The fireman begged the Devil to stop, which he did. Upon leaving the Devil told the engineer "After this watch out what you say." This seems to be the basis (at least to Brendle) for the phrase "Speak of a jackass (devil), and he'll come running." Could it also be the basis for the modern phrase "Speaking of the Devil"? (Beam, 4)
 
 

Another interesting legend that I came across in my research is the legend of the Feldkatz, or wildi Katz. These are wild cats that are supposed to have mated with rabbits. The offspring would have the general body shape of a rabbit, with the head of a cat, and horns. Only five of my informants either told me about these Feldkatz on their own (three), or recognized the name Feldkatz when I mentioned them (two). Once prompted though, all five knew that they were wild cats that were said to mate with rabbits. Although none of my informants claimed to have ever seen the offspring of this pairing, it was apparently not uncommon for hunters at one time to talk about shooting these offspring (Beam, pg. 7).
 
 

Another legend that was apparently often repeated by the PA German hunters, was the legend of the Ewich Yaeger, or the Eternal Hunter. As told to me, the Eternal Hunter, was an impish, fairy like creature that was dangerous to be around and should be avoided at all costs. Although only two of my informants were able to identify the Ewich Yaeger by name, or recognize it's name, another six claimed to have heard of this type of creature. The stories had typically been passed down from father to son since it was the men of the house who did the hunting, although there were a few female informants who recognized the name. I was quite surprised when I compared the legend as it was repeated to me to how the legend was told to Brendle by his father. According to Brendle's father, the Ewich Yaeger, was simply a black pack animal. Supposedly, they were an omen of death of disappearance. In fact, Brendle's father explains the noise of the Ewich Yaeger as the cackling of geese migrating at night. Yet Brendle's grandfather claimed to have seen one of the Eternal Hunters when he was out one night hunting with a friend (Beam, 6).
 
 

It's my belief that this last legend (the Eternal Hunter) had its origins in Germany, specifically in the German Changeling legends. Briefly, the German Changeling legends talk about fairies (elves, nixies, dwarves, etc.) that would switch a newborn baby with a "changeling" while the baby was sleeping (Ashliman). I believe that the Eternal Hunter developed from the German Changeling stories that would have probably been told by the first people to settle in the area. Since this land would have been strange and new to the settlers, there were many unknown things to be scared of. They were able to explain any of these unknowns by thinking of them in terms of something they were familiar with, namely these elves, fairies, and even changelings. Suddenly, the men had a reason not to go out at night to hunt when they heard a strange noise (maybe the cackling of migrating geese). Not surprisingly, the German Changeling legends repeat the fact that a child can not be switched if there is a man around, or at least a male presence (ie. a pair of men's pants is laid over the cradle). And since the Ewich Yaeger was associated with death or disappearance the connection between the two sets of legends seems to be fairly strong.
 
 

There is another legend that Brendle mentions that is quite interesting. It's the story of an Indian fighter named Frederick Stump. Although Brendle claims that Frederick Stump was "a noted Indian fighter" very few of my informants either mentioned him, or even recognized his name. My eldest informant did mention a famed Indian with magical abilities, although she could not recall his name. When I asked her if she meant Frederick Stump she said yes. A few other informants did recognize the name and were able to associate it with an Indian fighter. I must admit that I am not quite certain if Frederick Stump was supposed to be an Indian or a fighter of Indians, although I am inclined to believe the former since Stump apparently had some magical abilities, something more likely to be associated with an Indian. Brendle's grandfather told Brendle of a story of how Frederick Stump was being pursued by Indians one day, squatted down to the ground, and managed to change his appearance to that of a stump through magic. The Indians even sat down on this stump without noticing that it was the man they were chasing after (Beam, 5). This is the only story that I came across concerning Frederick Stump. This would lead me to believe that Frederick Stump was probably a figment of someone's imagination to begin with and never really an actual person.
 
 

I was actually surprised that this was the only legend that I came across that had anything to do with American Indians. As I mentioned above, I thought that there would be many more due to the fact that American Indians were a new and strange people that the first settlers would have had to deal with. Why is it then that there aren't more legends revolving around them? It's my feeling that there probably were many more legends about them at one point. Something to keep in mind is that Native Americans were forced to either assimilate early on, were driven from their land, or outright killed. Although the first settlers undoubtedly had much contact with Indians, it seems to me that during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (during which time Brendle, Troxell, and Klees would have been doing their research) there wouldn't have been nearly as much contact. Also, the Indians of the area would no longer have been an "unknown" to the PA Germans of that time period.
 
 

A fairly well known legend is the story of Mountain Mary. Although few informants mentioned her on their own, once I mentioned her name most were able to tell me something about her. The general impression I received was that Mountain Mary was a crazy old witch who lived somewhere near Boyertown. By most accounts she was a eccentric old recluse who gained her reputation for witchcraft after her death.
 
 

Of course there is still one PA German legend that is well known, not only by PA Germans but also people from the "outside." That would be the legend of Susanna Cox. Susanna Cox is probably the best known character out of PA German folklore. The legend of Susanna Cox is replayed year after year at almost all PA German folk festivals. At this point, though, the actual truth behind what happened has been obscured by the extraordinary tale that developed around the truth. As far back as 1810, the story of Susanna Cox was memorialized in a song where certain licences were probably taken. Legend has it that Susanna Cox was seduced by her neighbor (interesting that the man did the seducing and not the woman). She became pregnant with their child. She kept this hidden from everyone for fear of being shunned. The date of the childbirth given in the song "Susanna Cox" is February 14, 1809. Being scared and confused she killed her own child. As soon as it was realized what happened she was sent to jail and put on trial for murder. She was found guilty, and sentenced to be hung on the tenth of June. Interestingly enough, according to the song, not one observer of the hanging had a dry eye after hearing her cries and pleas to God to forgive her. Despite the valiant attempts by the doctors to bring her back to life, they were unsuccessful.
 
 

As I mentioned, I was very surprised that, according to the song, it was the man that did the seducing. One would think that in a religious group, which the PA German's certainly were, it would be recorded as the woman who did the seducing (whether or not it actually happened that way). According to the Old Testament, it was Eve who seduced Adam, thereby creating original sin. Despite the fact that the song readily admits that the man did the seducing, it does manage to portray her as a sinner who strayed from God's path (Korson, 125-128).
 
 

Why is it, though, that the story of Susanna Cox has survived as long as it has? Why is it repeated over and over, and constantly portrayed in plays at the folk festivals? Without a doubt, part of it has to do with the fact that the legend was written down in the form of a song. There are many other PA German songs that aren't anywhere near as well known, though. So what other reasons are their for the legends popularity? Most of the other stories that were related to me (or that I read about) are rather fantastic: Indian fighters with magical abilities, wild cats that mate with rabbits, fairies that come out at night and must be avoided. We are a modern society, though, where such things don't exist and shouldn't be believed in. Yet, even today, we can turn on the news and hear stories about a couple killing their newborn child, too scared and confused to do anything else. We can then change the channel and watch a half hour program which is basically a moral play dealing with safe sex, prejudice, the moral decline of our society, etc. So although we may only see the hanging of Susanna Cox once a year at the folk festivals, we're being told the same story over and over. Will Amy Grossberg become the modern day Susanna Cox?
 
 

Another legend that one of my older informants told me about concerned panthers. This informant told me a story about a panther that took to attacking people, and kept harassing a pregnant woman. Every attempt to kill this panther had been unsuccessful. Eventually, though, someone had gotten a good shot at the panther as it stood on the roof of a house. After shooting it the man and his friends ran over to where the panther should have collapsed. When they got there they were unable to find any blood (or any other sign of a panther). After just a little bit of searching I eliminated this as a Pennsylvania German legend. It seems that there were quite a few legends from surrounding areas about panthers. One story, from the northern mountain region of Pennsylvania, talks about a panther that took to attacking people, including a well respected doctor. The panther was killed eventually, and found to have a broken jaw. This was eventually the reason given for the attacks on people (Glimm, 163). Another legend, this time from central Pennsylvania, talked about the Phantom Panther. In brief, this legend mentions the powers of a panther to always be able to come back to life during certain "moonlight nights," and how much harder it was to kill the ghost of a panther than a real panther Korson, 296). It just seemed like too much of a coincidence that there were two legends, each from separate regions lying next to each other and next to this region, that dealt with wild panthers. I felt that this legend could be dismissed as being Pennsylvania German for those reasons.
 
 

So why were these legends abandoned so quickly? They were an integral part of the culture. What could have happened to cause them to be forgotten? Why are parents no longer telling their children the legend of the Feldkatz, or of the great Indian fighter Frederick Stump? Somewhere along the way the legends were forgotten. Once a society enters the Industrial Age it loses most of it's oral traditions. Suddenly, instead of racking your brain trying to remember that bedtime story your parents' told you as a child, all you have to do is pick up a book and you have a story to tell. But maybe more importantly than the increase in the use of books, was the decrease in the use of Pennsylvania German. To understand this, one must keep in mind that something so deeply rooted in an oral tradition, something like folktales and legends, would greatly rely upon the language they were first told in. That language stopped being used in Pennsylvania German homes around the breakout of World War I. Not wanting to be associated with Germany, but rather with America, most Pennsylvania Germans stopped using PA German as their first language in public, and stopped teaching it to their children. Once a culture abandons its language, it won't be long before the entire culture goes through assimilation into the larger culture. This was especially true for Pennsylvania Germans. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that my most helpful informants were the ones that new something of PA German language.
 
 

For the most part, I was very surprised with my results. Not only had I expected to find a well of PA German legends from my informants, but I had expected that this well wouldn't dry up for years to come. In both cases I was wrong. Not only are there few PA German legends still being told today, but there don't appear to have been many told for the last seventy to eighty years. It would appear, though, that quite a few of the legends are German in origin, to a certain degree, and evolved into distinct PA German legends. It is quite unfortunate that such a distinct and rich oral tradition has been forgotten.