thumb|240px|right|upright|A Klabautermann on a ship
A Klabautermann () "hobgoblin";
His name has been etymologically related to the caulking hammer, perhaps bridging a gap between the "caulk" and "noise" theories.
thought an earlier form *Klautermann could be reconstructed, derived from verb 'to climb'.
Classification
The Klabautermann, has been classed as a ship-kobold by some sources.
Ludwig Bechstein discusses klabautermann alongside the nis or nis-puk of Northern Germany as being both water sprites as well as house sprites. A different version places the Kaboutermannekensberg between Turnhout and Kasterlee<!--Casterle--> in the Belgian part of the Kempen region, with a generally evil reputation of stealing livestock, money, even kitchen utensils. But a miller in Kempenland did obtain the help of the mysterious being who performed work overnight in exchange for the bribe of bread and butter. But after remaining hid to spy on this kaboutermanneken, he discovered the sprite to be stark naked. Then he made the mistake of leaving him clothing, which the sprite gladly took, but would not return to the mill afterwards. The miller attempted to catch the sprite gone wayward, but was outwitted.
According to a version from (North Brabant province, Netherlands) the klaboutermanneken would do all sorts of household chores: make coffee, milk the cows, clean, and even do the favor of ferrying a man across the Demer. But it played favoritism, and tormented the neighbors with endless pranks, drinking their cow's milk and spoiling their butter.
Beings called ("redcap" from German ) or klabber reputedly multiplied wood, or rather, it would bring a few scrawny twigs which appeared not to serve much use as kindling, yet once ignited maintained as much fire as a bundle of wood.
In one tale, the aided a young man to marry a rich man's daughter by boosting the amount of guilders in his possession from eight hundred to a thousand, the amount stipulated by the bride's father as condition for marriage. Bechstein's embellishment makes the youth only have a paltry sum: "not even a hundred Batzen", or only a few guilders.
Explanatory notes
References
;Citations
;Bibliography
- Melville, F The Book of Faeries 2002 Quarto Publishing
- ——(1899). . Siegen: Westdeutschen Verlagsanstalt