Dellermännle, the little penitent of the Derratal
By Ralf Ittermann · last reviewed on
The Dellermännle is a spirit of the alpine legend world.
The little penitent who haunts because of stolen gentian roots.
The Dellermännle is a small penitent mountain spirit of the Kleinwalsertal: an old, very small manikin in a blue linen garment, with a sack and a hoe over its shoulder. It must haunt because it stole gentian roots during its lifetime, and encounters hikers and alpine herdsmen in the Derratal.
The evidence base is thin but genuine: there is a published narrative core in two almost identical versions, in Richard Beitl’s Sagenwald of 1953 and in Karl August Reiser and Hulda Eggart’s Allgäuer Sagen. Mischievously tormenting, the little manikin pulls hair and throws sand into food.
Type: Penitent poor-souls’ spirit in dwarf form
Origin: legend tradition of the Kleinwalsertal
Texts: Beitl, Im Sagenwald (1953); Reiser and Eggart, Allgäuer Sagen
Period: published from around 1895 to 1953
Appearance: old, very small manikin in a blue linen garment
Origin and sources
Period of the Texts
The legend tradition was published from around 1895 to 1953; the narrative core is older, rooted orally in the Kleinwalsertal.
Area of Diffusion
Kleinwalsertal, Vorarlberg and Allgäu; the manikin is bound to the Derratal with the Derra or Derrenalpe.
Sources
Thin but genuine: a narrative core in two almost identical versions, in Beitl and in Reiser and Eggart.
Name and variants
Origin of the name: place-bound, named after the Derra or Derrenalpe in the Derratal, popularly Dellera. The derivation from Delle (‘hollow’) or Mulde (‘trough’) is speculative and unattested.
Appearance and behaviour
Appearance
The Dellermännle is an old, very small manikin in a blue linen garment, with a sack and a hoe over its shoulder. It disappears without a trace.
Effect
It is a penitent poor-souls’ spirit that must haunt because it stole gentian roots during its lifetime. Mischievously tormenting, it pulls hair and throws sand into food; in the Allgäu version, its appearance is an omen for the cattle plague known as the Flug. The sources make no connection to treasure or gold.
Profile: Dellermännle
The key aspects of the little penitent spirit at a glance.
A small penitent spirit of the Walser legend world, place-bound to the Derratal in the Kleinwalsertal, typologically situated among the Vorarlberg mountain manikins.
Hikers and alpine herdsmen in the Derratal; in the Allgäu version, its appearance is considered an omen for the cattle plague known as the Flug.
Old, very small manikin in a blue linen garment, sack and hoe over its shoulder; it disappears without a trace.
A penitent poor soul: the manikin haunts because of stolen gentian roots and torments mischievously, pulling hair and throwing sand into food.
The only tradition handed down is to pray a Lord’s Prayer for the little man, an intercession for the poor soul; one escapes the torment by leaving the place.
Walsermännlein, Vorarlberg and Valais mountain manikins, as well as, typologically, the small earth and dwarf manikins; not a wild man.
A narrative core in two versions
The name of the Dellermännle is place-bound: it refers to the Derra or Derrenalpe in the Derratal, popularly Dellera. The occasionally suggested derivation from Delle (‘hollow’) or Mulde (‘trough’) is speculative and unattested.
The tradition consists of two almost identical versions, in Richard Beitl’s Sagenwald of 1953 and in Karl August Reiser and Hulda Eggart’s Allgäuer Sagen of 1914. It is thus a single narrative core, not two independent traditions. Precisely this thin but clean evidence base makes the Dellermännle an instructive case: what the sources actually provide is clearly outlined, and everything beyond that is later embellishment.
Digital presence and classification
Digitally, the Dellermännle is present mainly through legend portals; alpine clubs and tourism take up the figure in a popular manner.
In religious-studies terms, the Dellermännle is an example of the thinly documented alpine penitent spirit. Important clarifications: a treasure spirit is unattested, the sack and hoe refer to gentian roots. The term ‘wild manikin’ is misleading, it is a penitent poor-souls’ spirit in dwarf form. And it is not a case of two independent traditions but a single narrative core in two versions.
A Lord's Prayer for the poor soul
A defence in the narrower sense is largely unattested. The only tradition passed down is to say a Lord’s Prayer for such a little man, an intercession for the poor soul who must haunt; one escapes the affliction simply by leaving the place. The sources mention no amulets or banishing spells. Dealing with the Dellermännle is thus not a protective ritual against an enemy, but pastoral help for a penitent.
Mountain manikins and penitent spirits compared
The Dellermännle stands alongside the Walsermännlein and the mountain manikins of Vorarlberg and Wallis, and is typologically related to the small earth and dwarf manikins, though it is not identical to the Wild Man. In the Alpine region it belongs in a line with the Nörgel as a small earth spirit, while the Salige Frau and the wild Fänggen form the great counterpoints of this legendary landscape.
Frequently asked questions about the Dellermännle
What is the Dellermännle?
A small penitent mountain spirit of the Kleinwalsertal, who must haunt because of stolen gentian roots.
Is it a treasure spirit?
No. The sack and hoe refer to gentian roots; any connection to gold or treasure is unattested.
How does one escape it?
By leaving the place; it is also recorded that one should say a Lord’s Prayer for the poor soul.
Further links
Further reading:
- Nörgel – the small earth spirit of South Tyrol
- Salige Frau, Fänggen – further figures of Alpine legend
- protective candle, amulet, salt – traditional protective means
- Protection Compass – an overview of protective means
Literature (selection)
Further standard works in the bibliography.
As a penitent spirit of a poor soul in dwarf form, the Dellermännle belongs among the small mountain manikins of Vorarlberg: not a treasure guardian, but a restless soul working off an old debt in the Derratal.
