The totem

Franz Hohler first told the story of the flickering spirit being in October 1967, which the Schöppelimunggi and the Houderebäseler encounter late at night on their way home: the Totemügerli! Since then, it has been haunting our minds and may even make us feel a little more spooked on a dark night. Although it is written in a distorted version of Bernese German that doesn't actually exist, we can easily follow the story. The tale has long since become part of folk culture, with expressions like "aaschnäggele" or "i d Chnöde lööte" sneaking into our Swiss German language. Anyone who has long wondered what a Totemügerli might actually look like now has the opportunity to find out. The illustrations by Patrick Huber immerse us in a mythical world full of dark figures. "How often have I been asked since the creation of my Bernese German story what a Totemügerli looks like, what a Blindeli is, and how one should imagine Schöppelimunggi and Houderebäseler. And how often have I had to disappoint those asking when I said I didn't know myself." Franz Hohler, from the foreword.