Commemorative stamp series - Germany / German Democratic Republic 1977 - 60 Pfennig

Märchen-Kleinbogen - Issue 1977 With motifs from the fairy tale "Six Come Through the World", the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the German Democratic Republic publishes six multicolored special postage stamps. The six postage stamps are printed together on a miniature sheet. No First Day Cover Special cancellation from November 22, 1977 until January 21, 1978 Sixes come through the whole world The fairy tale "Six coming through the whole world" is one of the most popular folk tales due to its vividness, its exaggerated exaggeration and its wit. It reflects people's yearning for extraordinary abilities to overcome nature and assert oneself in life. The fairy tale was not yet included in the first edition of the "Children's and Household Tales" by the Brothers Grimm. They took it only in the second edition of 1819 under the number 71 instead of the fairy tale "Princess Mouse Skin" on. In their remarks, the brothers quote Grimm Zwehrn as their source. You have it from the wife Viehmännin, a peasant woman, who told the brothers numerous fairy tales. 21 are recorded in the second volume of their collection alone. Supernatural qualities of humans emerge early on as motifs in fairy tales and combine with elements of old folk tales. A similar story as our fairy tale reported around 1400 already the Italian Giovanni Sercambi. Giambattista Basile (1575-1632) tells in his fairy tale collection "Pentameron" of a rich "Dummling" of the five companions: lightning fast, rabbit ear, Triffgut, winds and strong backs, takes them into his service, wooing the king's daughter, the race wins and As the king does not want to give "such a rag-dog and day-thief" to his daughter, at last pull away with the treasures of the land. Folk tales, centuries of popular life, borne by them and passed on orally from generation to generation, have undergone transformations over time. The people have woven their yearnings and hopes, their experiences and criticisms of existing conditions. Our fairy tale has received a stronger anti-feudal aim. If the extraordinary abilities of the five in Basile still fell to a dumbbell, actually undeservedly, the story is later transferred to a dismissed soldier. He had received neither recognition nor payment from the king for his good and brave services; he wanted to avenge himself on the ingratitude and to take from the king the treasures of the whole country. Also added is the motive of the insidious king, who wants to kill the six at the feast. The fairy tale, in spite of the miraculous, the supernatural powers of the servants, has a very realistic core. It is based on a conscious realization of rulers and oppressed. The candidate for the kings does not want the bride, we do not even know if she is desirable. The hero only gains it to avenge himself and cause the king, who does not think to keep his word and give his daughter to a common, resigned soldier, to surrender all his treasures. The fairy tale is known in its basic salary throughout Europe. In the individual countries, however, the supernatural properties are different. We still find the Saufaus, Wolverine, Bergschieber, Bergsprenger, fortune teller, lane finder, climber, Steinbrecher, Ofenriecher, fog collector, warmer, grapple, launcher, screamers, splashes, Schwitzer, star, rainmaker, Springer, water carrier, fire extinguisher, gate puller, Traumseher, Ant counter, tree splitter, thinker, wrestler, iron head, potbelly, big nose, refractory, hard skin, ingenuity, Wolkenhascher and others. The main episodes in the stamp series are as follows: The king and his daughter did not want to keep their promise and tried to kill him and his companions. But when the king realized that he could not harm the six, he promised the man as much gold as he could carry only if he renounced his daughter. The man agreed and had all the tailors in the country sew a huge sack for fourteen days. The king had to hand over all the gold and all the treasures of the land; the strong man put everything in his sack, even seven thousand wagons of gold, with oxen and wagons. The Six went away with the treasures (60-pfennig value). The king sent his cavalry after, but the blower blew them in the air. The king had to let them go, and the six shared the wealth among themselves.