Controversy over tradition: men beat women with cow horns on an island in Germany

An unusual tradition that has been practiced for 200 years on Borkum, an island in Germany, has generated controversy. On all the nights of December 5 The Klaasohm festival is celebrated, in which men wearing masks take to the streets and chase women to spank them with cow horns.

Becoming part of this tradition requires certain requirements that must be fully met. According to information collected by ABC, the ritual is practiced by six young men who dress up in masks and skin outfits of mystical creatures. These subjects must be natives of the island and children of parents who were also born in Borkum.

These six people are obliged to be part of the Borkum Youth Association, founded since 1830 and made up only of men. Additionally, they must be single, two members between 15 and 16 years old -small-, another two between 18 and 20 years old -medium- and the last pair over 20 years old-older-.

To carry out the tradition of the Klaasohm festival, the men go in disguise to the Betriebshalle der Borkumer Kleinbahn, the stage indicated for a fight to take place, included in the ritual, with which the leader of the group is defined, who, according to the story, He turns out to be the oldest of the six subjects.

Then, they go out to hunt women in the streets, carrying cow horns in their hands. Practice indicates that they should pursue young women; Several of them hold them while one of them hits them with his horns, which are sometimes full of sand, before the eyes of everyone present.

During this ritual, the identity of the Klaasohm remains anonymous, while Women who are beaten receive a gingerbread cookie and/or honey as a reward. At the end of the practice, the six men are carried by the community.

For the 2024 edition of this festival, a letter has circulated on social networks written, apparently, by a group of women who have criticized this practice and show their discontent with the actions of these men in the 21st century, as they consider that It is a “wild” party and they show a firm rejection of “hitting women for fun.”

“If you want to get your butt spanked with a horn, you can do it. But whoever does not want to must also be respected. On no day of the year should women stay at home and not dare to go out for fear of being beaten,” the publication says.

The authorities of Lower Saxony, Germany, referred to the controversy that has caused the event to be disclosed and they reported a warning.

“It is clear that everything comes to an end when women feel insecure and fear corporal punishment,” said the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Christine Arbogast, quoted by ABC.

The Borkum Youth Association spoke of the beliefs that their community has inherited from their ancestors.

“In order for Klaasohm to remain the most important festival that forms the identity of the inhabitants of Borkum, “It is necessary to maintain a low level of consciousness,” mentioned the association’s statement, cited by ABC.

The ARD Panorama program has strongly criticized this tradition and fueled the controversy by stating that “women talk about beatings, and it doesn’t seem like a fun custom at all. There is talk of bruises and a lot of pain, caused by an oppressive, shameful and depressing custom for women.”

According to ABC, the program’s journalistic team infiltrated the island to record the scenes of the tradition, but was discovered and had to flee and take refuge in a hotel.

AFP

While the Leer/Emden Police, who guard the island, He indicated that he will act in cases of violence.

“If we, as the Police, are aware of any attacks, we will pursue them in a consistent and holistic manner,” the entity stressed.