Modern Fasnacht costume from Basel. Fastnacht or Fasnacht is the pre-Lenten Carnival in Alemannic folklore in Switzerland, southern Germany, Alsace "Basilia" redirects here For the Fly Genus, see Basilia (fly. Fasnacht, a mixture of Christian and pre-Christian beliefs, is a pre-Lenten Carnival. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March

Swiss folklore is used to describe a collection of local stories, celebrations and customs of the alpine and sub-alpine peoples that occupy Switzerland. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Swiss Alps (Schweizer Alpen Alpes suisses Alpi svizzere Alps svizras are the central portion of the Alps Mountain range that lies within Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The country of Switzerland is made up of several distinct cultures including German, French, Italian as well as the Romansh speaking population of Graubunden. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging Romansh or Romansch may refer to Romansh language Romansh people Graubünden or Grisons ( German:, gʁaʊˈbyndən Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun) is the largest and easternmost Each group brought their own folklore traditions with them.

Switzerland has always occupied a crossroads of Europe. While Switzerland has existed as an alliance and country since 1291, the Swiss as a culture and people existed well before this time. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Before the Swiss, the region was occupied by Pagan and later Christian Germanic tribes which would become the Swiss. Germanic paganism refers to the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples preceding Christianization. The Germanic peoples underwent gradual Christianization in the course of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Before the Germanic peoples, the region was occupied by Roman and Gallo-Roman populations. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC This article covers the culture of Romanized areas of Gaul. For the political history of the brief "Gallic Empire" of the 3rd century see Gallic Empire Finally, before the Romans the Celtic Helvetii lived in what would become Switzerland. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe and the main occupants of the Swiss plateau in the 1st century BC In addition to conquest, Switzerland has been a crossroad of Europe since at least the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Constant movement of cultures and ideas into Switzerland has created a rich and varied folklore tradition.

Pre-Christian Folklore

• Artio, a Celtic goddess of wildlife, is specifically known from Switzerland. In Gallo-Roman religion, Artio was a Goddess of the Bear, and was worshipped at Berne, which actually means "bear" Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation
• Barbegazi, a small white furred man with large feet. Barbegazi are mythical creatures from Swiss mythology A variety of Dwarf or Gnome, a barbegazi resembles a small white-furred man with a long beard and enormous feet Helpful and shy they live in the mountains and are rarely seen.
• Berchtoldstag, festival in honor of Berchta or Berchtold
• Berchtold, white cloaked Germanic being, leader of the Wild Hunt
• Böögg, or bogeyman, of the Sechseläuten festival
• Dwarfs, the little hill or earth men. Berchtoldstag (also Bechtelstag Bechtle Bechtelistag Berchtelistag Bächtelistag Bärzelistag is an Alemannic holiday known in Switzerland, Berchtold is a Surname, and may refer to Joseph Berchtold (1897-1963 Nazi Party member and Reich Leader of the SS Leopold Graf The Wild Hunt was a folk myth prevalent in former times across Northern Western and Central Europe The bogeyman, boogyman, bogyman, boogieman, boogey monster, or boogeyman, is a Folkloric or legendary Ghostlike The Sechseläuten ( Zürich German: Sächsilüüte) is a traditional spring Holiday in the Swiss city of Zürich celebrated DWARF is a widely used standardized Debugging data format. DWARF was originally designed along with ELF, although it is independent of Object file Described as happy and helpful, they raise cattle and produce magical cheeses^[1]
• Dragonet "little dragons" tales originated in Switzerland during the Middle Ages.
• Fasnacht (or Fastnacht), pre-Lenten carnival^[2]
• Kobolds, called 'Servants' ^[1]
• Jack o' the bowl is a house spirit of Switzerland for whom a bowl of sweet cream may be left out^[1]. Fastnacht or Fasnacht is the pre-Lenten Carnival in Alemannic folklore in Switzerland, southern Germany, Alsace Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The kobold is a sprite of German folklore. Although usually invisible a kobold can materialise in the form of an animal fire a human being and a mundane In Switzerland, Jack o' the bowl is a helpful house spirit Housewives would leave a bowl of fresh cream out for him at night to thank him (or pacify him
• Perchta (or Bertha, Berchta, "The Shining One"), Germanic goddess, and white cloaked leader of the Perchten who drive bad spirits away, and female leader of the Wild Hunt. Perchta or Berchta (English Bertha) also commonly known as Percht and other variations was once known as a Goddess in Southern Perchta or Berchta (English Bertha) also commonly known as Percht and other variations was once known as a Goddess in Southern January 6 is her festival day.
• Perchten, those followers who work with Perchta, as well the name of their wooden animal masks. Perchta or Berchta (English Bertha) also commonly known as Percht and other variations was once known as a Goddess in Southern Perchta or Berchta (English Bertha) also commonly known as Percht and other variations was once known as a Goddess in Southern
• Rosmerta, Gallo-Roman goddess of fertility and abundance
• Samichlaus leads a donkey laden with treats and toys for children. In Gallo-Roman religion, Rosmerta was a goddess of fertility and abundance her attributes being those of plenty such as the Cornucopia. Schloss Eggenberg is an Austrian Brewery located in Vorchdorf, Upper Austria.
  • Schmutzli, St. Nicholas' sooty helper (see Companions of Saint Nicholas)
• The Singing Fir Tree, a Swiss fairy tale
• Bäregräubschi and Chöderchessi, traditional wedding presents in the Simmental (Bernese Oberland). The Companions of Saint Nicholas (or Father Christmas) are a group of closely related figures who accompany St A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving A wedding is the Ceremony in which two people are united in Marriage. There is also a kind of cattle called Simmental. Simmental is an alpine Valley in the Bernese Oberland. The Bernese Oberland (Bernese highlands is the higher part of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the south of the canton The area around Lake Thun and The former being a kind of fork symbolising the male element in the wedding. The latter being a magical bucket symbolising the female part. Reported in an Italian anthology of Alpine culture in the 1860s, it is unknown, whether this custom is still in use^[3]
• Schnabelgeiss, a tall goat with a beak in Ubersitz
• Treicheln
• Chlausjagen
• Ubersitz
  • Huttefroueli (or Greth Schell), an old woman who carries her husband on her back
• Tschäggätä ^[2]
• Vogel Gryff (the Griffin Bird)

Legends of Pre-Confederate Switzerland (Alemannia)

• Saint Gall, Irish monk who in the early 7^th Century helped introduce Christianity to eastern Switzerland. The Ubersitz is a traditional custom of the Bernese Oberland ( Oberhasli) See Cowbell (instrument for the percussion instrument A cow bell is a bell worn by freely roaming livestock so they don't run The Klausjagen (" Nicholas chase" festival takes place in the Swiss town of Küssnacht on the eve of St The Ubersitz is a traditional custom of the Bernese Oberland ( Oberhasli) The griffin is a Legendary creature with the body of a Lion and the head and often wings of an Eagle. Alamannia or Alemannia was the territory inhabited by the Alamanni after they broke through the Roman limes in 213 Saint Gall, Gallen, or Gallus (c 550 - c 646 was an Irish disciple and one of the traditionally twelve companions of Saint Columbanus Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Abbey of St. Gall is believed to have been built on the site of his hermitage^[4]
• Magnus of Füssen, a missionary saint in southern Germany. The Abbey of St Gall (Sankt Gallen was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine Abbeys in Europe Saint Magnus of Füssen, otherwise Magnoald or Mang, was a missionary saint in southern Germany, also known as the Apostle of the Allgäu. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. He was active in the 7^th or 8^th Century and is considered the founder of St. Mang's Abbey, Füssen^[5]
• Saint Fridolin, patron of Glarus

Legends of the Old Swiss Confederacy

• William Tell
• Arnold Winkelried
• Bruder Klaus

See also

• Alpine culture
• Pre-Christian Alpine traditions
• Transhumance in the Alps
• Schützenfest
• Steinstossen
• Schwingen
• Unspunnenfest
• German folklore
• French folklore
• Dutch folklore

References