Forget now, little child,
Your grief, your sorrow
That you have to suffer
In the stable, on the heath.
Yes, the angels adorn
Your manger,
More beautifully
Than a king’s house.
Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye,
Sleep sweetly, dearest Child!
(from “Es wird scho glei dumpa” – a traditional, old, Austrian Christmas lullaby)
The Fifth of December
The Fifth of December is a date,
naughty children fearfully hate.
The loud ringing of the bells,
lets these children hide away, so the story tells.
And then when the Krampus finds them in tears
all their laughter quietly disappears.
……………………….
Der fünfte Dezember
Der 5. Dezember ist ein Tag,
den keiner der schlimmen Kinder mag.
Das laute Glockengeläut,
die Kinder in ihr Haus verscheucht.
Der Krampus dann vor den Kindern steht,
den Kindern dann das Lachen vergeht.
A century and a half ago Austria used to be a thrieving, multi cultural monarchy in Europe. Of course this included all the bells and whistles every such proud empire obviously needs: a mighty emperor, vast lands and huge armies – on land, the air and also the sea. Many things have changed in the meantime and there are still some remaining few who don’t get tired on looking grievously back into the nation’s past: what it used to be and how all its glory and beauty has gone, forevermore.
“Das kaufmännische Talent” (“The commercial talent”) as it is named in Austria is the national offshot of Parker’s famous “Monopoly” boardgame. Same rules, different properties and design, fully licensed and still played endlessly by old and young over here in Austria.
// not sure if % works. could be easily understood as a dubiously silly and shallow joke at the expense of the elderly. it’s highly doubtful if anybody gets the deeper meaning behind %, to be meant as a halloweenish and geriatric art installation and homage to Spielberg’s masterpiece of suspense: “Jaws”. Further reviewing through the ethics committee recommended. Nevertheless, Happy Halloween everybody!
“One lonely day god had the idea to take a few Italians and try to turn them into Germans. Even though god tried harder and harder to achieve that rather simple goal it didn’t work out as intended in the end, whereas the only result of that witty experiment was the creation of a completely new kind of people and cultural mashup: the Austrians.”
That house: over 700 years old. The term of Liminal Spaces: not older than 60 years. Unsettling? A bit. Creaking woods and uneven angles? Everywhere. And yet there’s that strange kind of warmth around. Assumingly to at least a few people.
“It’s easy, mate: just keep them in to keep the unwanted out. Rocks, steel, gravity. The perfect prison of verticality.”