Wolpertinger (Wolperdinger, Woiperdinger) lives in the dark alpine forests and rolling hills of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. An elusive creature, it's a hybrid of several animals. Wolpertinger likes to scare people or make them lose their way.
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Wolpertinger has the head of a hare with fangs; body of a squirrel, antlers of a deer, wings and sometimes legs of a pheasant. Taxidermic or skeletal representatives of Wolpertinger are conversation pieces and novelties at beer halls and museums.
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Wolpertinger is a south German tradition but has equivalents in other locales. Gift shops carry stuffed toy versions and Wolpertinger souvenirs. Wolpertinger art made from an Albrecht Dürer painting, Young Hare, above, is a classic in prints and posters.
Wolpertinger relates to other hybrid mythological creatures such as
Rasselbock - Thuringian Forest in central Germany, a rabbit with antlers
Dilldapp - Alemannic region: southern Germany, Switzerland, Tyrol, Lichtenstein, Swabia
Elwedritsche - Palatinate region, a chicken-like creature with antlers
Skvader - Swedish cousin of Wolpertinger.
Raurakl - Austrian Wolpertinger
Jackalope - America esp Colorado, Wyoming & Nebraska, a jackrabbit with antlers
Al-Mi'raj - one-horned hare or unicorn rabbit in Arabian mythology. The sight of it causes enemies to flee in terror.
Wolpertinger and its relatives are among the more mild-mannered spirits of the German pantheon. The Hare is a canny trickster element. The Stag is a creature of Faerie. Those who try to follow Wolpertinger's trail get lost as if they've stepped on an Irrwurz.
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This prankster spirit can also fly up from the bushes like a pheasant, scaring passersby. It's quickly gone before they get a look at it. The sound of thumping, mumbling, snorting or a whistle could be signs of a Wolpertinger nearby.
Wolpertinger and relations such as Elwedritsche are also the imaginary targets of hunts. Much like the famous snipe hunt in 19th century America, a person is deceived into waiting for the "prey" to show up while his friends sneak back to the hunting lodge and have a beer.