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The Fänggen are female wood sprites in German folklore exclusively found in Tyrol.[1]
The singular term is Fangga, Fanggin,[2] or Fängge.[3] Plural terms are Fanggen, Fänggen,[1] Wildfanggen (wild = wild), wilde Wiber[4] or wilde Weiber (both: wild women).[2]
The life of the Fänggen is bound to the trees of the forest, with a special affinity to large and old trees. If such a tree is felled or dies, then the respective Fangga has to die. If the whole forest is logged, the Fänggen disappear altogether. [5] Their connection to trees and forest life is mirrored in personal names such as Stutzfärche,[3] Stutzferche [6] or Stutzforche[2] (all: Falling-Pine), Rauhrinde,[3] Rohrinta[6] or Rohrinde[7] (all: Rough-Bark), Hochrinta[6] or Hoachrinta (both: High-Bark),[8] and Stutzemutze [6] or Stutzamutza (both: Falling-Cat).[8]
The Fänggen are terrifying giantesses, as tall as an average tree. Their bodies are hairy and bristly.[1][9][6] Their head hair is filled with tree bast fibers and long gray lichens and tree moss.[6][2] Their mouth reaches from one ear to the other and their voices are deep. Some have beards and only wear the pelts of wildcats. Their aprons are made from wildcat pelts, their jackets from tree bark.[10][1]
The Fänggen are man-eaters preferring the flesh of children (which is why children should never leave the house in the evening)[1] but eating adult men, too.[11] They also steal children[12] or women who have recently given birth. They further exchange newborn children for changelings.[1] Boys they specifically grate to dust on a tree trunk[4] or snuff them downright like a pinch of snuff.[9]
Fänggen are always female, their husbands being the Waldriesen (forest giants; sg. Waldriese),[1] wilde Männer (wild men; sg. wilder Mann)[6] or Waldmänner (forest men; sg. Waldmann).[13] Those giants are a danger to their own offspring, though, which is why the Fänggen give their daughters away to human farms for them to serve there as maids. Such a Fangga-maid will never take on the Christian faith and will return to the woods as soon as she hears that one of her kind has died.[1]
The chamois are the herds of the Fänggen which is why the Fänggen are a threat to hunters chasing chamois.[1] The chamois are identified as cows by the Fänggen.[4]
- Bäschlin: Fängge. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 2 C.M.B.-Frautragen. Berlin 1930. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ISBN 978-3-11-016860-0)
- M. Beth: Kinderraub. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-Knistern. Berlin 1932. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ISBN 978-3-11-016860-0)
- Jungbauer: Kleid. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 4 Hieb- und stichfest-Knistern. Berlin 1932. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ISBN 978-3-11-016860-0)
- Wilhelm Mannhardt: Wald- und Feldkulte: Band I. Berlin 1904. (reprint: Elibron Classics, 2005, ISBN 978-1-42124740-3)
- Pehl: Menschenfresser. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 6 Mauer-Pflugbrot. Berlin 1935. (reprint: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York 2000, ISBN 978-3-11-016860-0)
- Paul Zaunert: Deutsche Natursagen: I. Von Holden und Unholden. Jena 1921. (reprint: Salzwasser Verlag, Paderborn 2012, ISBN 978-3-84600253-7)
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