Ramblings
Or - What The Hell Is That?
The mounted creature that has puzzled visitors for years, and the completely unbelievable story behind it.
The Question Everyone Asks
Our friendly neighborhood wolpertinger, what consternation you bring! For years, visitors and people who have seen pictures of the dining room have expressed a whole range of emotions; everything from, "What the hell is that?" to "What the hell is that?" It always seems to be the same reaction.
I've always thought every home should have at least one object that serves no practical purpose whatsoever except to make people smile, laugh, or ask questions. Some families inherit antique clocks or oil paintings. Apparently, we inherited a fascination with obscure Bavarian folklore. If guests remember nothing else about the dining room, chances are they'll remember the Wolpertinger.
In the last post which was a partial reveal of the dining room table, the wolpertinger shown prominently in the background. Lindsay left a comment, it didn't exactly say "What the hell is that?" but I know what she was thinking!
"...I think the chair color is fabulous. Now....how about a post regarding the mounted rabbit?"
So here's the story...
A Campfire Story from Bavaria
Back in the late '80s when I was stationed in Germany, I and a couple guys from my battalion used to go up into the Bavarian Alps to do some camping. One night we were camped just below the treeline, and we had a little campfire going. Off in the distance we could hear this weird animal call, kind of a mix between a duck and a wolf...how do I write that? AAAOOOOOOOACK! I dunno, best I could do.
Anyway, there we were, the three of us cooking some MRE chili with beans over an open fire, listing to this AAAAOOOOOACK get closer and closer. Mind you, we were all soldiers, and as soldiers tend to be, we were well armed, so the fear factor was minimal. But...and you gotta picture it...we were in the Bavarian Alps...something like this:
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| Photo courtesy of The Red List |
Yeah, that's Frank and Mrs. Frank, but that's not the point. That scene, those woods, that's pretty much where we were! AAAAAOOOOOOACK! Getting closer, but not close enough to worry....just close enough to take notice was all. So we sat around the fire, drinking Hefe Weizen, eating our beans, and talking about things soldiers talk about...mostly girls I guess.
After some time that AAAAOOOOOACK got louder and closer. NOW we were a little scared curious. What do soldiers do when they're in the wild, and something unknown is coming? Why, we set up a perimeter and lay out our fields of fire of course! So there we were, (AAAOOOOOACK!) spread out (AAAAOOOOOOACK!) lying in the bushes (AAAAOOOOOACK!) scanning our fields of fire (AAAAOOOOOACK!) when suddenly we could hear rustling in some bushes maybe 30 meters outside the perimeter. Then silence.
I laid there under some unknown, itchy, thorn-laden bush for maybe 10 or 15 minutes - nothing! Suddenly, like a spooked pheasant this creature, yes at that time that was all I could call it, flew most awkwardly straight over me! It happened so fast I couldn't even draw aim! It was inside the perimeter. Now I and my pals were all facing one another, in the dark, squinting and scanning before us, trying to catch any movement in the corner of our eyes. Nothing. Ten minutes, then 15, then 30. Now I could hear rustling near one of our tents, but the moon had hidden behind a bank of clouds.
The Terrifying Truth...Almost
AAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOACK!! That's it! I couldn't take the stress any longer, so I gave up my position...I turned on my flashlight, and there, not ten feet in front of me stood the most hideous creature I had ever seen. Surely satan had created this creature from hell for the sole purpose of eating condemned souls, for this winged beast inspired nothing but fear and loathing!
When Dante warned, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," he must have been looking into the eyes of this ghastly apparition! We stared at each other for an endless moment when, AAAAOOOOOACK! He lept at me flashing his fangs! I instinctively rolled and fired my Colt, curling into the fetal position and awaited my fate. Just then one of my pals flashed his light and called out that all was clear. We cautiously approached the beast and when we arrived, our eyes beheld the most evil creation ever to roam the earth!
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| Photo courtesy of Vovatia |
HIDEOUS! Anyway - the next morning we bagged this, this, this thing, and took him down into the town of Herrieden. At the local Gasthof, the old proprietor became excited, took the creature from my hand and showed it around to all the guests! He told us we had bagged the most elusive of all alpine creatures, the Wolpertinger!
He said the wolpertinger was rarely seen or heard, and that he was a devilish mix of hare, duck, deer and sometimes wolf! Apparently the wolpertinger was the result of mutations that occurred in the dark days of the Black Plague. As you can well guess, I had the head of this ghastly creature mounted for all to see my mighty works!
So...What Is a Wolpertinger?
Okay, none of that happened. I was based in Germany, we did occasionally go camping, I drank a lot of Hefe Weizen, and spent a lotta time in gasthofs, other than that - it's all a lie!
Why It Lives at House 173
On one of our trips to Germany, we actually drove the countryside to find a taxidermist who had a wolpertinger. As I'm sure you realize by now, the wolpertinger is a Bavarian mythological creature. Fictional Creatures website has a good article on the wolpertinger, but you see my point right? It's a conversation piece! Now you know!
Hey, thanks for stopping by... see ya' next time!
I had absolutely no idea where this post was going, and that's what made it so much fun. Somewhere around the second "AAAOOOOOOACK!" I started wondering whether this was a true military story or whether you'd completely lost your mind.The reveal that none of it actually happened made me laugh out loud. Even better, I immediately understood why the Wolpertinger hangs in your dining room. It does exactly what you wanted it to do: start conversations.Now if I ever visit House 173, I already know what my first question is going to be... even though I already know the answer. - A Casual Reader
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Wolpertinger?
A Wolpertinger is a creature from Bavarian folklore, traditionally depicted as a rabbit combined with features from animals such as ducks, deer, pheasants, foxes, or other woodland creatures. It originated as a humorous regional legend and has become a popular souvenir throughout Bavaria.
Are Wolpertingers part of Germany folklore or modern tourism?
Both. The legend dates back generations in southern Germany, but taxidermied Wolpertingers became especially popular during the 20th century as humorous displays in hunting lodges, restaurants, inns (Gasthöfe), and souvenir shops throughout Bavaria.
How are Wolpertingers actually made?
Traditional Wolpertingers are taxidermy creations assembled from real animal parts by skilled taxidermists. Each one is unique, and there is no "correct" version of the creature, which is part of the joke and folklore.
Are there similar mythical creatures in other countries?
Yes. American folklore has the Jackalope, Sweden has the Skvader, and other European regions have similar hybrid animals that blend mythology, humor, and local storytelling traditions.
Why were Wolpertingers displayed in Bavarian inns?
Displaying one gave innkeepers a ready-made conversation starter. Visitors unfamiliar with the legend were often treated to wildly exaggerated stories about where the creature came from or how it was captured, continuing a long tradition of playful storytelling.
Why does a Wolpertinger fit so well at House 173?
House 173 has always celebrated history, craftsmanship, and stories. The Wolpertinger isn't there because it's valuable, it's there because every interesting home deserves at least one object that makes guests stop, smile, and ask, "What on earth is that?"
Keywords
Wolpertinger, Bavarian folklore, German mythology, Wolpertinger taxidermy, conversation piece, Bavaria, German souvenirs, mythical creatures, House 173, Jackalope