A wolpertinger (also called wolperdinger or woiperdinger) is a legendary hybrid
animal which inhabits the alpine forests of Bavaria in Germany.
The most common description portrays the Wolpertinger as
having the head of a rabbit, the body of a squirrel, the antlers of a
deer, and the wings and occasionally the legs of a pheasant. Sometimes
the feet are webbed like a duck. It is known from woodcarvings dating back to the
17th Century. The Brothers Grimm mention the creature in one of their books.
The name is thought to have originated in a town
called Wolterdingen, which is famous for making shot glasses in the form of
various animals and calling them wolterdinger. Bavarians view these creatures
as being mischievous not malicious. The belief in their existence is till
strong.
It
looks like a small monster but it is in fact quite shy and not normally aggressive.
Usually its only seen at the full moon. In
order to catch one ,one must first persuade a beautiful young maiden to come
with the hunter and expose her breasts to attract the Wolpertinger. It will be apparently transfixed and easily caught. There
are stuffed Wolpertingers in museums in Bavaria supposedly caught in this
manner. There is one on display in the Deutsches Jagd-und Fischereimuseum
(German Hunting and Fishing Museum).
( I think the hunters were pulling
a fast one and that young women these days would be less reluctant to follow a
hunter into the woods and do the same.)
Another way to catch one is to put
salt on its tail. What effect this has is not documented but salt is used to
protect from evil so perhaps its stops it running away.
There are no recent recorded
sightings despite the tales going back generations but maybe people do not
report seeing them anymore.
One theory put forward is that the
creatures are deformed rabbits that have
contracted a virus. Local people would surely know what a rabbit looks like ,even
a diseased one?
It will be just another legend like
the Jackaloupe, unless someone photographs one or catches one. Until then it
remains a myth ,a story, to amuse the tourists.
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