The
bieresel is mentioned in the
Die gestriegelte Rockenphilosophie (first published 1705) by apothecary and natural historian , where the "bier esel" is described as a devil or kobold taking on a shape of a
donkey and drinking beer by night, and seen in many places. The term
bieresel is attested as an insult dated 1597 in
Bürgel. Generally, the bieresel is described as a spirit with donkey legs, sometimes only three, In Grochwitz near
Torgau in Saxony, the Bieresel brings beer inside the house like a
Drak and also does other household chores like a Kobold. The only reward the Bieresel expects is a glass of beer every evening. If it doesn’t get its beer, then it will break everything. This tale is identifiable as a variant of the "
Schrätel und Wasserbär" type. In
former German-speaking Bohemia, it is said that unscrupulous
barkeepers turn into the
bieresel, a noisy Poltergeist monster, and in one of the villages of the there was a story of the monster taking occupancy in one of the rooms at a tavern. An encounter was reputed to be deadly. A servant lad who didn't believe it investigated, and apparently having fought with it, was found dead with a broken neck. A girl managed to see it, and described it as a gray ox with a thick red human head which is characterized by giant horns. The girl suffered from swollen face and fever from the encountere, but later recovered to tell her tale. A farmstead called "Muschick" in Settenz (Řetenice),
Teplice was reputedly haunted by a
bieresel that was donkey-headed and hooved. It committed all sorts of mischief, throwing and maids out of bed, breaking milk vats and other vessels. Teplice citizens who went to Settenz for beer would be followed back by the spirit, it was said. Elsewhere, the
biersal is described as a
sprite stemming from the
Germanic mythology especially of the
Saxony region and surviving into modern times in
German folklore. This household spirit abides particularly in breweries and in the bierkeller (i.e. beer cellar) of inns and pubs. In these establishments, the Biersal will gladly clean bottles, steins, casks and kegs that have been used in return for payment in the form of his own portion of beer. == Parallels ==