Fireplace excursus A

[muckefuck]

While surfing the Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana for fireplace terminology, I came across this gem of folklore:

fumera Ninot ple d'ulls que, abans de Nadal, suposadament davalla per la xemeneia i s'encarrega d'avisar els Reis o el tió sobre la bondat que han fet els nens.

For those of you who inexplicably don't read Catalan, En Fumera (from fum "smoke") is the name of a spirit that sneaks into the house through the chimney and spies on the children so he can report back to the Three Kings (who are the holiday giftbearers in most of Spain) or the Yule Log (don't ask!). Another source informs me that té set ulls, quatre al davant i tres al darrera ("he has seven eyes, four on the front and three in back"), and yet another that he has four ears as well. In Girona, he apparently goes by the alias "Ximineia" (cf. xemeneia "chimney") or "Xocolata" ("chocolate") fent referència a l’estat i els colors de la seva vestimenta ("referring to the colors of his clothing") and supposedly some parents used to actually create one out of cloth and leave it sitting around the house in order to keep the younger kids in line. So be thankful: However much your own parents might have messed with you, they never brought a creepy doll into the house and told you it was watching your every move.

Comments

[off_coloratura]

Is this where the Mexican carol Fum, Fum, Fum gets its refrain?

Catalan yuletide

[ursine1.livejournal.com]

There aren't many chimneys in Catalunya except in rural areas these days. And although the Three Kings are traditional gift-bearers, American influence abounds. Kids being kids want presents on both December 25^th and The Epiphany. Harried parents relent by providing traditional sweets on Xmas or la nit de Nadal and save the bigger stuff for later.

I don't call a caga tió a "Yule Log" — it's a shit log. After all, when you sing to it, you threaten to beat the shit out of it with a stick unless it shits sweets!

I guess it's about time for me to set out my collection of caganers, my little shitters.

Carles

[gorkabear.livejournal.com]

Never heard of that!
Aquests del nord estan bojos, ben bojos.

If you only knew how of a melting pot the Xmas traditions are, you wouldn't believe it

[richardthinks.livejournal.com]

However much your own parents might have messed with you, they never brought a creepy doll into the house and told you it was watching your every move.

I thought you were half-kraut, like me...
I didn't have this particular creepy doll but I'm pretty much sure I was in the last generation to grow up with a non-ironic presentation of Struwwelpeter. And the Mainzelmaenschen, who had a sinister edge round our way.