The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language — John Shaqi
The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language
History
The Book of Vagabonds and Beggars, with a Vocabulary of Their Language
Begging -- Germany; German language -- Slang; Wayfaring life -- Germany
The xiij^{th} chapter is about the VOPPERS. These beggars are for
the most part women, who allow themselves to be led in chains as if
they were raving mad; they tear their shifts from their bodies, in
order that they may deceive people. There are also some that do both,
VOPPERY and DUTZING, together. This is VOPPING, viz. when one begs for
his wife’s or any other person’s sake and says she has been possessed
of a devil (tho’ there is no truth in it), and he has vowed to some
Saint (whom he names), and must have xij pounds of wax or other things
whereby the person will be delivered from the power of the devil. These
are called DUTZING-VOPPERS.
_Conclusio_: This is a wicked and false way of begging. They sing,—
A beggar’s (BREGAR) wench (ERLATIN) will cheat,
And lie (VOPPEN) and be full of deceit (FERBEN):
And he kicks and beats her with his shoe.
There are also some VOPPERINAE, _id est_, women, who pretend that
they have diseases of the breast. They take a cow’s spleen, and peel
it on one side, and then lay it upon their bosom—the peeled part
outside—besmearing it with blood, in order that people may think it is
the breast. These are the VOPPERINAE.
+Of the Dallingers, or Hangmen.+
The xiiij^{th} chapter is about the D a l l i n g e r s. These are
they who stand before the churches, having been hangmen (although
they have left it off i year or ii since), and chastise and whip
themselves with rods, and will do penance and pilgrimage for their sin
and wickednesses. These often beg with much success. When they have
practised for a while and cheated many people thereby, they become
hangmen again, as before. Give to them if thou wilt; but they are all
knaves who beg thus.
+Of the Dützbetterins, or Lying-in Women.+
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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