Hans Trapp

Hans Trapp is a mythical figure from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. He is related to the figures Knecht Ruprecht and Père Fouettard. He was also associated with a historical figure known as Hans Von Trotha, who was a knight and nobleman from the 1400s. He had a dispute with an abbot from a Benedictine monastery. He made a dam to deprive the town of Weissenburg of water and then broke it to flood the area. For this crime and others, he was summoned by Pope Alexander VI. He refused to appear and insulted the pope, resulting in his excommunication. Because of this, he was sometimes referred to as the “black knight.” After he was excommunicated, his land and money were seized and he retreated to the German mountains. He was then associated with cannibalism, the devil, and dark magic, and described as greedy, rich, and evil. Sometimes he has a white beard, wears a pointed hat, and carries a long rod. He may be dressed in bearskins and sometimes has blackened skin. He hid out and began to hunger for human flesh, this hunger peaked at Christmas time. He stuffed his clothes with straw to disguise himself as a scarecrow and stood out in a field. Eventually, a boy came by with a sheep, and Hans Trapp stabbed him with a stick and dragged his body back to his cave. He was going to eat the flesh but was suddenly struck by lightning and vaporized. Despite being killed, he is believed to still lurk wearing a cloak with straw spilling out, especially around Christmas time. Sometimes this serves as a punishment for misbehaving children and this role may be his attempt to atone for his sins. He is opposed by the Holy Maiden, representing baby Jesus, and they often travel together. In the legend of Jungfernsprung (“virgins leap”) a maiden leaped off a cliff, creating the spring, in an attempt to escape Hans Trapp who was chasing her with the intent to rape her. The water appeared magically, and she survived the jump due to her ballooning skirt.

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