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In Bavarian folklore of the Early Modern period, a ''Wolfssegen'' (also ''Wolfsegen, Wolf-Segen'') was an apotropaic charm against wolves; conversely, a ''Wolfbann'' (''Wolf-Bann'') was a malevolent spell causing a wolf attack. The ''Wolfssegen'' is just one specific example of a large number of distinct kinds of ''Segen'' ("blessing; charm, incantation") in the folklore of German-speaking Europe.〔the ''Schweizerisches Idiotikon'' (7,444 "Sëgeⁿ" ) records no ''Wolfssegen'', but it has ''Vëchsëgen'' ("cattle charm") among numerous others.〕 While early examples of ''Wolfssegen'' survive from the Late Middle Ages,〔 e.g. Cgm 796 fol. 1v (15th century); GNM 3227a fol. 95v (late 14th century).〕 use of these charms seems to have peaked during the 17th century, when they were offered by professional "wolf charmers" (''Wolfssegner'' or ''Wolfbanner''). This corresponds to the cold period known as the Little Ice Age, for which there is ample historical evidence of wolves infesting much of the Bavarian Alps. There is no extant text of a ''Wolfbann'', the malevolent opposite of the ''Wolfsegen''; however, there is the text of a spell ''reversing'' a ''Wolfbann'' recorded in 1635 (in effect again a ''Wolfsegen'', but against a specific wolf earlier conjured by a ''Wolfbann'')〔St. L. A. Sond.-Arch. Markt Aussee, Schub. 193, 1635. From the confession (without torture) by one Blasius Pürhinger of Bayrisch Waydhofen, 14 February 1635. The conjured wolf is addressed by the name ''Goridi''.〕 The ''Wolfssegner'', or more generally ''Segner'' were mostly destitute elderly men who made a living by selling charms or incantations. They were mostly tolerated in the 16th century, but from the 1590s they began to be persecuted as witches. During the early 1600s (decade), a number of ''Wolfssegner'' were tried and executed as werewolves. Apparently, the ''Wolfssegner'' often used fraudulent scams in order to convince the peasants of their magical power.〔Elmar M. Lorey, ''Das Werwolfstereotyp als instabile Variante im Hexenprozeß'' ((3.1 "Hirten und Segner" )), Nassauische Annalen 112, 2001, 135–176.〕 These trials persisted into the 1650s (albeit without the werewolf accusation). A typical example is the trial of one Thomas Heiser, aged 84. According to the protocol, Heiser underwent the first stage of torture before confessing to know how to perform the ''Wolf-Segen'', which he had learned from a friend some fifty years earlier, in Innsbruck, and had made his living by performing it for the peasantry. He claimed to be able to call the wolves to attack a specific head of cattle, and to have done this a total number of ten times over a period of 40 years. He confessed that he had to promise his soul to the devil in order to learn the charm.〔''Steiermärkisches Landesarchiv'' (EA 1657-XI-23), cited after (hexenprozesse.at ).〕 In Vienna, there was also a custom known in which the text of the ''Liber generationis Jesu Christi'' (Matthew 1, viz. the beginning of the gospel) was known as ''Wolfssegen'', chanted in a particular way after mass on Christmas night. This was supposed to commemorate the banning of wolves by singing the gospel in former centuries, before the city was fortified.〔Alexander Tille, ''Die Geschichte der Deutschen Weihnacht'' (1893), (chapter 6 ).〕 ==See also== *Wolf hunt *Wolfsangel *Werewolf witch trials 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wolfssegen」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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