West Slavic ethnic group, settled in central Texas in 1854. Wendish folklore is a blend of
Germanic and Slavic folklore. Not surprisingly, Wendish folk traditions and beliefs in the
United States have suffered the fate of those of other immigrant cultures. Wendish
folklore in the late 20th century, to the extent that it exists at all, is found among the older
generation. Motifs found in Texas as late as 1986 include the wódny muz (water sprite)
and the zmij (kobold, or house spirit). An example of the latter is in the following tale:
A farm boy finds a baby chicken in the pasture shivering in the cold. He
puts it behind the stove in the house to let it get warm and gives it some
feed. The next morning a large pile of feed has mysteriously appeared.
When the boy’s father sees it, he realizes that the baby chicken is really a
kobold. He tells his son to take it back to the pasture. (The moral is that it
is wrong to make use of the demonic powers of the kobold.)
The Wends are the only group of Slavs who are primarily Protestant. In 1854, because of
differences with the state church, a group of 500 conservative Wendish Lutherans under
the leadership of Reverand Jan Kilian emigrated from Germany. Having disembarked in
Galveston, they founded the farming community of Serbin (between Austin and
Houston). The descendants of this immigration call themselves “Wends,” although the
preferred academic term is “Sorbs.”
The Texas Wendish Heritage Society in Serbin has attempted in recent years to
increase an awareness amongTexas Wends of their cultural and folkloric heritage. The
society does this via folk festivals, guest speakers at society meetings, and a museum.
Charles Wukasch
References
Nielsen, George. 1961. Folklore of the German-Wends of Texas. In Singers and Storytellers, eds.
Mody C.Boatright, Wilson M.Hudson, Allen Maxwell. Publications of the Texas Folklore
Society No. 30, pp. 244–259.——
. 1989. In Search of a Home: Nineteenth Century Wendish Migration. College Station: Texas A &
M University Press.
Wukasch, Charles. 1987. “Dragons” and Other Supernatural Tales of the Texas Wends. Tennessee
Folklore Society Bulletin 52:1–5