Bescherkind meaning Gift child in German, or Dzecetko meaning Child in Sorbian is a character from Sorbian (Baltic Serbian) folklore.
It is the oldest unmarried girl in the village, dressed up as a "bride". She is probably representing the young Spring Earth which brings presents of new crops, new food. She visits houses on last Wednesday before Christmas (originally probably on Winter Solstice day) accompanied by two or more girls dressed in traditional Sorbian dress, bringing good luck and sweets.
She carries a birch broom with which she strikes house and all the inhabitants "for good health". Slavs considered white slender birch sacred and associated it with spring, purity, natural beauty, and feminine qualities. Bescherkind also touches cheeks of all the children with her white gloves "for good luck". She never utters a word...
East Germany stamp depicting Bescherkind (Dzecetko in Sorbian)
Here the same stamp - when you move mouse to the stamp, you can see it
ReplyDeletein magnification
https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/120437-Bescherkind-Sorbian_Folk_Customs-Germany_Democratic_Republic_DDR
As you can see, the word is written as Dźěćetko , not as Dzecetko.
We Slavs should not mutilate our own languages and we should attach importance to how we write our words. Diacritical marks give the correct sound our words, even if Westerners can't pronounce it ;)
Dźěćetko sounds like a Polish word dzieciątko (dźě/ć/etko = dzie/ci/ątko), which is a diminutive of the word child/dziecko.
https://www.info.cz/magazin/archeolog-benes-legenda-o-praotci-cechovi-je-mytus-nasi-predci-z-vychodu-neprisli-41113.html
ReplyDelete/the legend of forefather Bohemian is a myth, our ancestors did not come from the east/