I spent a lovely day yesterday with a German-born American friend who’s currently spending a month in Germany. In her hometown of Heppenheim, the streets are decorated with these lanterns depicting scenes from various folk tales. In the middle photo below, the scene depicts the story of a farmer’s wife who brought a lunch of soup out to her husband, who was working in the fields. Before she could deliver the soup, she was attacked by a werewolf who tore her red dress. Luckily she survived the attack. Shortly after the werewolf disappeared, she saw her husband. Horrified, she realized that her very own husband was the werewolf because he had red fibers between his teeth — so she stabbed him.
Yeah, in lots of German fairy tales, they don’t live happily ever after.
There are also multiple tales of the giantess Trendula (which always end badly for the giantess), one of a knight and a white lady (not a white knight and a lady), the daughter of a giant who protects the land and her people, and a guard dog who protects the castle even after he becomes a ghost (among other stories).
This is the lantern associated with the story of the housewife married to a werewolf.
There are explanatory signs under each lantern telling the story associated with the pictures. Unfortunately, they’re in German and I didn’t save translations of each one. I’ll have to return on another occasion.
Heppenheim is located approximately 40 miles south of Frankfurt and 15 miles east of Worms.