HESCH HISTORY: die unklar Auerhahnbalz

This branch of the Austrian Hesch family is descended from Johann Hesch and his wife Marya (Schlinz) Hesch, who came to America from Oberschlagles, Bohemia with three sons: Paul, Mathias, and Anton. +++Johann & Marya settled in Buffalo County, Wisconsin but moved to Pierz, Mn in about 1885. .+++Mathias settled in Waumandee, Wisconsin and moved to Pierz in 1911. +++Anton never married but farmed with his dad in Agram Township, where he died in 1911.+++And Paul, my great grandfather, settled five miles away, in Buckman, Minnesota. He died there in 1900.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

die unklar Auerhahnbalz

This just in from Su in England, who's busy translating the village chronicles from Schamers. Between Google Translate and Herman (the German/English dictionary she bought lately), she's gaining an incredible understanding of the people and times there. For instance:

Dear Marlys,
All hail to wonderful Herman the German dictionary - it has just translated a word of quite remarkable obscurity:
die Auerhahnbalz - the mating time of the Capercaillie. The Capercaillie is a magnificent bird - the males are nearly 3ft tall, dark colour but red eyelids (like an enormous grouse) and have a loud, raucous call which may be heard rattling through remote Scottish conifer woods in spring when it indulges in spectacular display. I have never seen one and they are very rare but they seem to have been in the forests around Schamers as they are noted in the section on hunting.
Fancy that!

Of course David Attenborough has heard of the them!