- Description
- In popular culture
- See also
- References
- Further reading
{{Refimprove|date=April 2018}}In German folklore, a wolpertinger (also called wolperdinger or woiperdinger) is an animal[1] said to inhabit the alpine forests of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany. DescriptionIt has a body comprising various animal parts — generally wings, antlers, tails and fangs, all attached to the body of a small mammal. The most widespread description portrays the Wolpertinger as having the head of a rabbit, the body of a squirrel, the antlers of a deer, and the wings and occasionally the legs of a pheasant. Stuffed "wolpertingers", composed of parts of actual stuffed animals, are often displayed in inns or sold to tourists as souvenirs in the animals' "native regions". The Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum in Munich, Germany features a permanent exhibit on the creature. It resembles other creatures from German folklore, such as the Rasselbock of the Thuringian Forest, or the Elwedritsche of the Palatinate region, which accounts describe as a chicken-like creature with antlers; additionally the American Jackalope as well as the Swedish Skvader somewhat resemble the wolpertinger. The Austrian counterpart of the wolpertinger is the raurakl. According to the folklore, Wolpertingers can be found in the forests of Bavaria. Variant regional spellings of the name include Wolperdinger, Woipertingers, and Volpertinger. They are part of a larger family of horned mammals that exist throughout the Germanic regions of Europe, such as the Austrian Raurackl, which is nearly identical to the German Wolpertinger. [2] In popular culture- Wolpertingers feature in the MMORPG RuneScape as creatures that can be summoned. It is depicted as a combination of a rabbit and a wolf.
- Wolpertingers are the main characters in the novel Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers. The novel depicts them as anthropomorphic dogs with small horns.
- Wolpertingers and Skvaders appear in "Adventure Path #61: Shards of Sin" for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game as encounters and also as new familiar options for spellcasters.
- A wolpertinger features on one of the special animal tiles in the Winter Edition of Carcassonne.
- Wolpertingers are an obtainable pet in the MMORPG World of Warcraft during the Brewfest event.
- Wolpertingers are available as pets in the ARPG Path of Exile. There are three varieties purchased as microtransactions.
- Wolpertingers are an obtainable mount in the MMORPG Tibia.
- Wolpertinger is the German translation for jackalope in the game Guild Wars 2.
- Wolpertingers are common background creatures in the Land of a Thousand Fables adventure in Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine.
- Wolpertingers are also found in Amanda Hocking's Between the Blade and the Heart as docile pets.
See also- Al-mi'raj
- Elwetritsch
- Jackalope
- Lepus cornutus
- Rasselbock
- Skvader
References1. ^{{cite journal|title=Molecular gaze for the sci guy|journal=Nature Genetics|date=2006|volume=38|issue=3|page=269|url=http://go.galegroup.com.epl.idm.oclc.org/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CA183393834&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=&prodId=AONE&contentSet=GALE%7CA183393834&searchId=R1&userGroupName=eugenepl&inPS=true|accessdate=1 April 2018|publisher=Academic OneFile}}
2. ^http://hoaxes.org/animals/comments/wolpertinger
Further reading {{Commons category|Wolpertinger}}- {{cite book|last1=Heim|first1=Michael|last2=Reiser|first2=Hans|title=Mit dem Wolpertinger leben: Ein Verhaltensratgeber ["Living with the Wolpertinger: A Behavioral Guidebook"]|date=20 December 2012|publisher=Edition Lipp|isbn=978-3874907606|pages=1-70|language=German}}
- {{cite book|last1=Huber|first1=Reginald|title=Vom Adler bis zum Wolpertinger. Das bairische Bestiarium ["From the Eagle to Wolpertinger. The Bavarian Bestiary"] Mit sensationellen Fotos von A. & G.R. Kaut ["With sensational photos by A. & G.R. Kaut"]|date=1 February 1999|publisher=Bayerland GmbH|location=Dachau (Germany)|isbn=978-3892511885|pages=1-136|edition=Hardcover|language=German}}
- {{cite book|last1=Kirein|first1=Peter|title=Der Wolpertinger lebt. (Warum die Bayern mehr Haare haben) ["The Wolpertinger Lives. (Why the Bavarians Have More Hair)"]|date=1 January 1968|publisher=Verlag Karl M. Lipp|isbn=3-87490-501-2|language=German}}
- {{cite book|last1=Schallweg|first1=Paul|title=Der Wolpertinger - Das bayrische Urviech ["The Wolpertinger - The Bavarian Character"]|date=16 September 2015|publisher=Rosenheimer Verlagshaus|isbn=978-3475544798|pages=1-94|language=German}}
- {{cite book|last1=Schweiggert|first1=Alfons|title=Und es gibt sie doch!. Die Wahrheit über die Wolpertinger ["And they exist! The truth about the Wolpertinger"]|date=1 January 1988|publisher=Ludwig Verlag|location=Pfaffenhofen (Germany)|isbn=978-3778733257|pages=1-56|language=German}}
- {{cite book|last1=Schweiggert|first1=Alfons|title=Der Wolpertinger oder der gehörnte Hase. Eine ernsthafte Untersuchung eines bayerischen Phänomens ["The Wolpertinger or the horned rabbit. A serious investigation of a Bavarian phenomenon"]|date=1 June 1998|publisher=Ludwig Verlag|isbn=978-3778734759|pages=1-120|language=German}}
6 : Legendary mammals|Mythological rabbits and hares|Mythological galliforms|Mythological hybrids|Culture of Bavaria|German legendary creatures |