The German lucky charm: rustic and bawdy
We all want to be luckier. Repelling evil spirits and attracting good luck should be a goal. In any case, it is the one that many Germans of the past pursued.
Despite what some people may think, Germany is interesting to visit. Between the castles, the churches, and the mysterious Black Forest, this country still retains many secrets today. Among these secrets, there is a universe in its own right: that of the German lucky charm.
Known as the “land of poets and thinkers,” Germany has been home to some of the greatest men of all time. Bach, Beethoven, Goethe, Kant... to list them all would take too long.
Germany's central position in Europe has always made it a cultural crossroads between East and West Europe. With French, Italian, and sometimes even Slavic influences, the German people saw the emergence of symbols with intriguing powers. Among them is the German lucky charm. Often of medieval origin, it always offers us a little piece of the history of this fascinating country.
Result of the ambition of the Prussian state to unify the Landers, Germany is today a united country which has brought together Germanic traditions, from the Black Forests and Bavaria to the banks of the Rhine. The separation between East and West was therefore only a parenthesis in German history.
So, are you ready to leave the cliché of the gray and morose German bureaucrat aside and really take an interest in the German lucky charm?
A true genius factory
Germans are known to place great importance on social structure, a certain reserve in public and the qualities of rigor and punctuality. All this led them to develop values of work and perseverance which, throughout time, have made Germany an economic engine for its neighbors... but not only that.
When we look at the side of art, we quickly see that the Germans have also contributed enormously to humanity.
With talented composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms and many others, exceptional philosophers like Kant, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Marx and Hegel... Germany has earned its title as a genius factory !
Obviously, this is sometimes felt through the German lucky charm, which has been able to incorporate some of these qualities of perfection, rigor and excellence, but also of poetry and beauty.
Let us be clear: this people is not the only one to have demonstrated such genius throughout history. In Europe, we can for example cite the Italian or French cultures which have excelled in many artistic and scientific fields.
Thousands of German symbols and lucky charms
The symbols used by Germans have varied widely through different phases of the country's history. Obviously, there is the four-leaf clover, the rabbit's foot and the black cat. These symbols, however, are not specific to the German people.
If you look at lucky charms from before the arrival of Roman culture and Christianity, you will find notions of combat, courage and sometimes even savagery which denote with the image we have in Germans today.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Germans created symbols specific to the political functioning of the country: economic and cultural activity being centered on independent cities which competed with each other, merchants and other artisans were often placed there. 'honor.
At the same time, the weight of religion and the Church being widely felt, certain religious symbols became identification signs specific to the Germans. We can, for example, think of the crucifixes which still often decorate the walls of the homes of thousands of families today.
Despite this succession of lifestyles and ways of thinking, certain German lucky symbols, undoubtedly those closest to the soul of the country, have been able to preserve themselves.
The eagle, for example, already served as a good luck charm for German warriors (by its qualities of courage and height), in the Holy Roman Empire of the medieval era (by its link of succession with the Roman Empire) and to the German empires of the modern era (from the Prussians to the Nazis, including Bismarck, all recognized in the eagle an expression of the German soul).
If the lotus is German and the lily is French, the edelweiss flower is, for example, entirely German. The mushroom, when poisonous, is an omen of death. When it is edible, it is on the contrary a sign of luck.
An exceptional story
As we have already said, the region which is now known today as Germany was once inhabited by Germanic peoples. Quite superstitious, they believed in bad luck, the importance of omens and augury.
Initially faithful to the paganism of their ancestors, to their traditions and their warrior way of life, these tribes were converted to Christianity (sometimes of their own choice but sometimes by force) and thus formed the great empires of the early Middle Ages..
From the Franks of Clovis and Charlemagne to the Burgundians and Bavarians, including the Goths and Vandals, these clans actually conquered all of Europe, forming the beginnings of European civilization.
It is therefore not uncommon to find a German lucky charm, at least originally, present in dozens of countries. We can think of the eagle that we talked about earlier, but also of certain mythological figures such as the dwarf (garden or from our folk tales) or even the famous lucky pig.
Whether they are linked to fertility, abundance or any pagan custom, these lucky charms have indeed crossed the ages to reach us.
Later, in the Middle Ages, certain dynasties marked history with their long and (sometimes but not always) glorious reign. Here the Habsburgs clearly emerge as Germany's most famous rulers.
It was during this period that an event occurred that would forever change the face of the country but also that of the world: the Protestant Reformation and the wars of religion.
By ravaging Germany, this conflict left a lasting mark on the country's imagination which, whether loyal to Protestantism or Catholicism, made many German families pious and attached to their values.
Here again, this importance of religion and traditions can be seen through the German lucky charm.
