The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

HUNTS (HANS) MUFF-CHRISTMAS STORY AND BELIEF

MY FIRST RECOLLECTION OF CHRISTMAS WAS THAT AT LEAST A MONTH BEFORE
CHRISTMAS MY PARENTS WOULD SAY IF YOU AREN'T A GOOD GIRL "HUNTS MUFF
WILL GET YOU." THEY WOULD TELL US CHILDREN IF WE WOULD PRAY, HUNTS
MUFF MIGHT NOT COME. SO LONG BEFORE I KNEW ANY PRAYERS I WOULD SAY
"NA MA, NA MA." THIS WAS MY WAY OF SAYING SOME GERMAN WORD WHICH I
NEVER DID KNOW WHAT IT MEANT. BUT EVEN THO' WE PRAYED CONSTANTLY
EVERY NIGHT FOR A MONTH ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HUNTS MUFF
WOULD START TO COME AROUND. ONE TIME MY BROTHER CAME BURSTING INTO
THE HOUSE WITH HIS SHIRT TORN HALF OFF HIS BACK AND HUNTS MUFF RIGHT
BEHIND HIM. HE QUICKLY CLOSED THE DOOR AND HAD ALL THE REST OF US
HOLD THE DOOR AND EVEN THEN HUNTS MUFF MANAGED TO PUSH THE DOOR OPEN
A LITTLE WAYS AND WE ALL SCREAMED AND CRIED AND PUSHED ON THE DOOR
AND FINALLY HUNTS MUFF LEFT. ONE TIME WE HAD THE DOOR LOCKED AND HE
REACHED RIGHT IN AND TOOK THE KEY. ANOTHER TIME WE COULD SEE HIM
COMING ACROSS THE FIELDS, AT LEAST A MILE AWAY AND THE NEXT INSTANT
HE WAS ON THE ROOF RATTLING HIS CHAINS. WE WERE TOLD IF HUNTS MUFF
EVER GOT US, HE WOULD PUT HIS CHAIN AROUND OUR NECK AND DRAG US DOWN
THE ROAD UNTIL HE CAME TO A LAKE WHERE HE WOULD TIE A STONE ONTO THE
CHAIN AND THROW THE CHAIN AND ONE OF US INTO THE LAKE AND WE'D SINK
TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE. HUNTS MUFF NEVER CAME DURING THE DAY
BUT ALWAYS AT NIGHT JUST ABOUT CHORE TIME WHICH WAS ABOUT SEVEN
O'CLOCK. I WAS TEN YEARS OLD BEFORE I KNEW THIS HUNTS MUFF WAS A
FAKE. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE CHILDREN JUST HAD A VIVID IMAGINATION
OR WHETHER IT WAS JUST A WELL PLANNED HOAX. THIS HUNTS MUFF COULD
GROW RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES. EVEN WHEN I WAS TOLD THE TRUE
FACTS ABOUT HUNTS MUFF I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE I HAD BEEN SO
FRIGHTENED FOR SO LONG THAT THE SCAR REMAINED. THIS HUNTS MUFF WAS
EITHER A NEIGHBOR OR ONE OF MY BROTHERS WITH A BOARD ACROSS THE TOP
OF HIS HEAD AND A STOVE PIPE ON TOP OF THAT TO GIVE HEIGHT. HE
CARRIED A BIG CHAIN AND WHEN HE COULDN'T GET TO THE ROOF HE WOULD
THROW COAL UP TO MAKE IT SOUND AS THOUGH HE WAS WALKING AROUND UP
THERE. SOMETIMES IT TOOK TWO OR THREE OF MY BROTHERS TO CARRY OUT
THE HOAX. AS EACH ONE GREW UP AND KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON THEY WOULD
PROGRESS TO HELPING IN THE HOAX. CHRISTMAS DAY MADE THE HORRORS
OF THE PAST MONTH FADE AWAY ALMOST.

Submitter comment: MRS. DIAMOND WAS THE YOUNGEST CHILD OF THIRTEEN CHILDREN. AS SHE
TOLD THIS STORY SHE USED MUCH EMPHASIS AND GESTICULATION AND IT WOULD
SEEM THAT SHE STILL BELIEVES THE FOLLOWING TALE.

Where learned: HOME

Date learned: 04-02-1968