The Fenixmännlein (sg., pl.; ; Männlein = little man), also called Fenixmännel, Fenskemännel,Leander Petzold: Kleines Lexikon der Dämonen und Elementargeister. Munich 1990, p. 73. FeensmännelWill-Erich Peuckert: Schlesische Sagen. Munich 1993, p. 250. (all sg., pl.;Männel = little man in Silesian German) or Fenesleute (pl.; Leute = people) among other names are earth sprites and dwarves from German folklore. They were historically known in Silesia, particularly in the Oderské vrchy and Hrubý Jeseník as well as in the part of Lusatia belonging to Saxony.Alfred Meiche: Sagenbuch des Königreichs Sachsen. Paderborn 2012, p. 337. The first element of the name, Fenix- or variants, might either come from a Middle High German expression ein wenigez mennelin (= a little diminutive man) or from legendary beings called Venedigermännlein (sg., pl.; little Venetian men) or Walen (pl., sg. Wale), a kind of mythical miners or prospectors often said to hail from Venice. The latter option is supported by the fact that both Fenixmännlein and Venedigermännlein are supposed to be bigger than dwarves (German Zwerge, sg. Zwerg) but smaller than humans.
The Fenixmännlein are collective beings dwelling in hills and shrubbery.
Inside the mountains, they throw big parties. The Fenismannla (pl. Mannla = little men in Silesian German) are said to be the original owners of the recipe for Silesian streuselkuchen.Will-Erich Peuckert: Schlesische Sagen. Munich 1993, p. 252. When the Fänismännchen (sg., pl.;Männchen = little man) are baking cake in their caves, smoke is rising from earth holes and from beneath clods. They also can be heard kneading dough and forming cakes.R. Kühnau: Sagen aus Schlesien. Paderborn 2011, p. 32 f. But not only the male Fenixmännlein know how to bake, their female equivalent, the Venusweiblein (sg., pl.; Weiblein = little woman), do too.Eckstein: Backen. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 1 Aal-Butzemann. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 758. The Fenichmännchen or Fenskemännchen (both sg., pl.) cook as well. The same is true for the Fenskeweibel (sg., pl.; Weibel = little woman in Silesian German) who also gather wood and grind coffee with a coffee grinder.Karle: kochen. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 5 Knoblauch-Matthias. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 58.
Furthermore, the Vensmännel dry their linen on the riverbank.Müller-Bergström: Zwerge und Riesen. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 9 Waage-Zypresse, Nachträge. Berlin/New York 2000, Nachträge p. 1054.
Interaction with humans Abductions and changelings The Fenixmännlein are known to occasionally exchange human children for their own which are left behind as changelings. Sneaking around the windows, the Fenisweibel (sg., pl.) will use an unguarded moment to exchange the human baby for a changeling. As soon as this has happened, the father will have to chase the female dwarves on horseback. Upon reaching them, he will have to throw them the changeling and snatch his own child. Then he has to hurry back, throwing strands of yarn behind him which the Fenisweibel will have to reel, thus keeping them temporarily occupied. Only upon returning home the child will be safe.R. Kühnau: Sagen aus Schlesien. Paderborn 2011, p. 31. Another man saved his child from the Fenixmännchen by driving his wagon in front of their cave, snatching his child and throwing yarn at his pursuers.Hünnerkopf: Garn. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 303.
The changelings the Fenixmännel have brought will cause Alpdruck, i.e. torment sleepers with nightmares.Ranke: Alp. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 1 Aal-Butzemann. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 289. Those changelings the Fenixmannla have brought will dob so predominantly at noon.Jungbauer: Mittag. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 6 Mauer-Pflugbrot. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 400.
The Fenixmännchen steer a ship with which they abduct all humans having the bad luck of getting too close to it. Underneath the hills, there is a vast subterranean realm, entirely covered with water on which they row to and fro.Will-Erich Peuckert: Schlesische Sagen. Munich 1993, p. 256.
The Fenixmännlein particularly like abducting women in childbed, carrying them off to the Fenixmannlaberg (Fenix Men Mountain) to care for their children or for washing. Rescuing such an abducted woman is no easy task, for countless Fenixmännel will chase the rescuer and the woman. The rescuer will need to ride his horse as fast as he can, all the while throwing behind him flax (the dwarves must pull) a comb (the dwarves must heckle the flax with) and soap (the dwarves will slip on). Only when the woman is successfully carried beneath the roof the Fenixleute will have no power over her any longer.Will-Erich Peuckert: Schlesische Sagen. Munich 1993, p. 256 f. Another abducted woman in childbed forced to regularly wash the Fenixmännchen’s laundry asked passing people to give her a stand of unwetted yarn. The dwarves had to reel this first. During that time, the woman could be carried over the water to safety.Hünnerkopf: Garn. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 303 f.
Baking and cakes
Sometimes, cake is a reason for interaction between the Fenesleute and humans. The cake in question usually is Silesian streuselkuchen. The Feenstweiber (pl.; sg. Feenstweib; Weib = woman) once chased a ploughing farmhand who rode off on his horse because he feared the cake he had been offered. It was bloody on top.
Another ploughboy working near the Feenixhöhlen (Feenix Caves) in what was then Austrian Silesia saw smoke rising and thus asked the baking Feenixweibel to share their cake with him. Immediately, an invisible hand gave him a Krautkuchen (cabbage cake) coated with green linseed oil. At the same time, he got threatened to eat this cake on a table made from iron or else he would be done for. The ploughboy fulfilled the condition by using his ploughshare as the iron table.
The same happened to a ploughing farmer who heard the Fenixmannla kneading dough and forming cakes in the Fenixmannlaberg (Fenix Men Mountain), requesting a piece. He, too, had to eat on an iron ploughshare.Paul Zaunert: Deutsche Natursagen: I. Von Holden und Unholden. Paderborn 2012, p. 29.
Another farmhand who was ploughing with his farmer near the Fenichsmannlabarg (Fenichs Men Mountain in Silesian German) on Easter Saturday saw smoke rising from the ploughed furrow on the ground. He, too, wished to have a piece of easter cake the Fenixmannla were baking, and albeit he was rather talking to himself, he found a piece of streuselkuchen waiting for him. He ate it partially, thanked the Fenixmannla, and took the rest home in his handkerchief, putting it in his drawer. There, the piece of cake regenerated for every meal as long as a rest was left over. Only, a jealous colleague ate the whole cake one day after which it was gone.Paul Zaunert: Deutsche Natursagen: I. Von Holden und Unholden. Paderborn 2012, p. 28 f. Similarly, the Phonismännlein (sg., pl.) and the Fenixmändel (sg., pl.; Mändel = little man in Silesian German) from the Fenichsmannlaberg (Fenichs Men Mountain) give the condition of eating the cake without eating it whole.Eckstein: Kuchen. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 5 Knoblauch-Matthias. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 649.
The Venusweiblein gift cake to travelers passing by their cave and the Fenichmännlein share their food with the poor.Eckstein: Speise. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 8 Silber-Vulkan . Berlin/New York 2000, p. 224.
Sometimes, their cake can transform in something else. The cake of the Fenixmannla turns to lead inside the stomach. The Krautplatz (cabbage cake) of the Fenesleute dwelling in the Fenesloch (Fenes Hole) turns to dust. The cake of the Fenixmännchen might also turn to gold.
When the Venusmänndel wish to bake, they steal the dough from the villages.Eckstein: Teig. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 8 Silber-Vulkan . Berlin/New York 2000, p. 716.
The Fenixmännchen involuntarily disclosed their recipe for Silesian streuselkuchen to a poor girl, who, after hearing griddles clattering in the mountain, secretly approached the dwarves during the Twelve Days of Christmas and observed the Fenixmännchen baking. Recreating this recipe on Carnival, the cake became so popular that the girl was able to marry her beloved, the son of a wealthy farmer won over by her baking skills.Paul Zaunert: Deutsche Natursagen: I. Von Holden und Unholden. Paderborn 2012, p. 29 f.
Other interactions
The Feensmännel dwelling in the Veensmännelberg or Feensmännelberg (Feens Men Mountain) in the Saxon part of Lusatia used to lend their brewing copper to the citizens of Ostritz. After brewing their beer, the people returned the brewing copper by placing it on a footbridge crossing the Neisse river and leaving a bread roll inside the kettle. This lasted until somebody took the bread roll and left dirt inside instead.
The Feensmännelberg shortly opens on Christmas Eve during consecration. Then, the dwarves become visible as a crowd of little men or old men with long white beards wearing very short clothes. They rummage through heaps of gold. Should a traveler chance upon this sight, the Feensmännel will tell them monotonously to take a hand full of gold and get going.
A ploughing farmhand near the Fenixmänndelberg (Fenix Men Mountain) in Silesia heard the Fenixmänndel (sg., pl.; Männdel = little man in Silesian German) asking to be given a cloak of invisibility (rather a cap, for the German term is Nebelkappe = fog cap) so they might secretly visit a nearby wedding. The farmhand asked to be given such magical headdress as well, and joined the reverlry invisibly as well. All was well, with four or five Fenixmänndel sitting around every bowl, until the farmhand got in conflict with the dwarves over a bowl and his Nebelkappe got taken back. At another wedding, a woodcutter lost his Nebelkappe due to laughing despite being forbidden to do so.Will-Erich Peuckert: Schlesische Sagen. Munich 1993, p. 255 f.
Disappearance
In Austrian Silesia, the Fenesleute have moved out of the country. This happened because people started adding parsley to their dishes which they were unable to tolerate. The introduction railways also made the Fenesleute migrate, crossing the sea on barrels and sieves to America or England.Will-Erich Peuckert: Schlesische Sagen. Munich 1993, p. 258. This is true for both Fenesmannel (sg., pl.; Mannel = little man in Silesian German) and Fenesweibel.Eckstein: Sieb. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 7 Pflügen-Signatur. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 1680. Another tradition has the Venusmändel (sg., pl.) crossing water on baking trays.Eckstein: Backen. In: Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli, Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer: Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens: Band 1 Aal-Butzemann. Berlin/New York 2000, p. 778.