Gækkebrev - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Nancy · 06-02-2006, 08:45 AM

During Easter the Danes send out Gækkebreve. It is a somewhat old and very popular tradition. The idea originates from the German bindebreve (= tie letter) and was common in Denmark from 16th - 18th century. The bindebrev's purpose was also to tease the recipient, just like a Gækkebrev. Some translates "gækkebrev" to "Gaggleletters" or, more surprisingly, to "loveletter". But what gække really means is to tease or to fool.

This tradition only exists in Denmark and it is said that the first real Gækkebrev was created in the early 1800. Since then it has developed and has been added more nuance. In Denmark today, a genuine Gækkebrev consists of (name)dots, a poem and a paper cut.

Upon receiving a gækkebrev, the goal for the recipient is to guess the identity of the sender. A very easy task if the sender's name is Ib. You see, the sender's signature is written with dots, one for each letter in his name. A smart way to go about this is of course to use both one's first name, last name and/or middle name. If the recipient doesn't succeed then he's a gæk - a fool. But if he does succeed then the sender is the fool. Who ever ends up being the fool must pay the penalty for this by either giving the other a kiss, an egg or throw him a party. Why an egg, you might ask. Well, nowadays we only use a chocolate Easter egg as penance but back then eggs were worth quite a bit and were actually used as means of payment in certain situations.

If you google gækkebrev you'll see that the letter comes in different shapes, colors and sizes. I chose green because it is suited for the season and, well, it's my favourite color heh. I decided to use the outline of anemones as it is the second most used flower during Easter. The most popular one (and which most Danes link to gækkebreve since not only do many enclose one in their gækkebrev, but its name, vintergæk (winter fool), is also related to this phenomenon) is the snowdrop but as it is a much smaller flower it would have taken forever to cut it out!

This is how mine looks:

I made this for my father as I know that he really appreciates this sort of thing. In order to make it difficult for him to guess my name I wrote the poem in Italics which (I hoped!) would make him believe that the sender was from one of the old people in his circle of acquaintances.

It worked like a charm! I visited him a week after he received the letter and as we exchanged news, he told me that he was puzzled by a gækkebrev that he had received recently. He then opened it, spelled out my name via the dots and then I though; crap! But then he started spelling out my cousin's name which, luckily, has the same amount of letters in both her first and middle name, HA!

I couldn't even get a word in edgeways before he started commenting the writing. He kept talking about possible identities to himself for some time and every now and then he'd cut himself off, asking himself; "which one of my friends has such a handwriting?!"

He still hasn't guessed it btw. so he owes me a chocolate egg

For those of you who are interested the poem I used goes like this:

"Bly, unselig og beskeden
fandt jeg vintergækken nys forleden.
Her i brevet jeg den varsomt lægger
den om sol og om forår tanken vækker.
Det er kun en en lille gæk jeg her dem giver
og den store gæk er de hvis de om mit
navn uvidende forbliver"

Unfortunately is loses something in translation but here goes:

shy and modest
I found the snowdrop the other day.
I enclose it carefully in this letter
which evokes thoughts of sun and spring.
It is only a small snowdrop I give you
but the real fool is you if you remain
unaware of my name

sapiens · 06-02-2006, 09:12 AM

That's a beautiful card and an interesting story. Did you write the poem yourself?

Charlatan · 06-02-2006, 10:09 AM

I hope my daughter is as good to me as you are to your father...

maleficent · 06-02-2006, 10:14 AM

that is very cool tradition... and the card and poem are beautiful... at what point do you give it up and tell him it was you, so you can collect the egg?

Pip · 06-02-2006, 01:42 PM

You Danes have so cute traditions! It's a beautiful card, and a nice photoshoot of it with the daffodils in the vase in the background.

Fly · 06-03-2006, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I hope my daughter is as good to me as you are to your father...

no doubt eh..........

what a sweetheart Nancy.

Nancy · 06-06-2006, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapiens

That's a beautiful card and an interesting story. Did you write the poem yourself?

No I'm afraid not. I was burried in work at the time - I barely even made the card in time for Easter! But next year I think I'll give it a go as I've never tried writing a poem before

Cynthetiq · 06-06-2006, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pip

You Danes have so cute traditions! It's a beautiful card, and a nice photoshoot of it with the daffodils in the vase in the background.

I don't think she was so excited about the cute cinnamon tradition...

very nice I never new the danish alphabet, but seeing the æ always makes me smile. Do you guys have the ð as well?

Pip · 06-06-2006, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

I don't think she was so excited about the cute cinnamon tradition...

very nice I never new the danish alphabet, but seeing the æ always makes me smile. Do you guys have the ð as well?

She seemed to enjoy it as long as it was she who was dishing out the spice.

Nancy · 06-07-2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pip

You Danes have so cute traditions! It's a beautiful card, and a nice photoshoot of it with the daffodils in the vase in the background.

It would've been even better had it been taken with a digital camera *sigh*

We have loads of cute traditions but an equal amount of mean ones as well actually

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

I don't think she was so excited about the cute cinnamon tradition...

I'm all for that tradition if, as Pip pointed out, I get to be the one dishing out the cinnamon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

very nice I never new the danish alphabet, but seeing the æ always makes me smile. Do you guys have the ð as well?

ð? Do you mean "å"?

Cynthetiq · 06-08-2006, 06:50 AM

nope this one Ð

Nancy · 06-08-2006, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleficent

that is very cool tradition... and the card and poem are beautiful... at what point do you give it up and tell him it was you, so you can collect the egg?

Thanks! I should have revealed it by the end of Easter on April the 17th but uhmm, I still haven't done so as I kept forgetting about it

I am going to visit him this weekend and I'll be sure to tell him though!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I hope my daughter is as good to me as you are to your father...

She'd be like you'd taught her to be, so I bet she is

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

nope this one Ð

Uhmm I don't know that one. The only additional letters in the Danish alphabet are æ, ø and å.

kramus · 06-11-2006, 04:38 AM

I like that tradition Nancy. If someone is able to take the time there would be some beautiful cards made, and very fun ones as well. btw green is my favorite colour

Lovely card, and I am glad the gækkebrev worked so well with your father. You come across as such a sweetie, with the different posts about drawings and such for him

06-02-2006, 08:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
Nancy Femme Fatale Location: Elysium	Gækkebrev During Easter the Danes send out Gækkebreve. It is a somewhat old and very popular tradition. The idea originates from the German bindebreve (= tie letter) and was common in Denmark from 16th - 18th century. The bindebrev's purpose was also to tease the recipient, just like a Gækkebrev. Some translates "gækkebrev" to "Gaggleletters" or, more surprisingly, to "loveletter". But what gække really means is to tease or to fool. This tradition only exists in Denmark and it is said that the first real Gækkebrev was created in the early 1800. Since then it has developed and has been added more nuance. In Denmark today, a genuine Gækkebrev consists of (name)dots, a poem and a paper cut. Upon receiving a gækkebrev, the goal for the recipient is to guess the identity of the sender. A very easy task if the sender's name is Ib. You see, the sender's signature is written with dots, one for each letter in his name. A smart way to go about this is of course to use both one's first name, last name and/or middle name. If the recipient doesn't succeed then he's a gæk - a fool. But if he does succeed then the sender is the fool. Who ever ends up being the fool must pay the penalty for this by either giving the other a kiss, an egg or throw him a party. Why an egg, you might ask. Well, nowadays we only use a chocolate Easter egg as penance but back then eggs were worth quite a bit and were actually used as means of payment in certain situations. If you google gækkebrev you'll see that the letter comes in different shapes, colors and sizes. I chose green because it is suited for the season and, well, it's my favourite color heh. I decided to use the outline of anemones as it is the second most used flower during Easter. The most popular one (and which most Danes link to gækkebreve since not only do many enclose one in their gækkebrev, but its name, vintergæk (winter fool), is also related to this phenomenon) is the snowdrop but as it is a much smaller flower it would have taken forever to cut it out! This is how mine looks: I made this for my father as I know that he really appreciates this sort of thing. In order to make it difficult for him to guess my name I wrote the poem in Italics which (I hoped!) would make him believe that the sender was from one of the old people in his circle of acquaintances. It worked like a charm! I visited him a week after he received the letter and as we exchanged news, he told me that he was puzzled by a gækkebrev that he had received recently. He then opened it, spelled out my name via the dots and then I though; crap! But then he started spelling out my cousin's name which, luckily, has the same amount of letters in both her first and middle name, HA! I couldn't even get a word in edgeways before he started commenting the writing. He kept talking about possible identities to himself for some time and every now and then he'd cut himself off, asking himself; "which one of my friends has such a handwriting?!" He still hasn't guessed it btw. so he owes me a chocolate egg For those of you who are interested the poem I used goes like this: "Bly, unselig og beskeden fandt jeg vintergækken nys forleden. Her i brevet jeg den varsomt lægger den om sol og om forår tanken vækker. Det er kun en en lille gæk jeg her dem giver og den store gæk er de hvis de om mit navn uvidende forbliver" Unfortunately is loses something in translation but here goes: shy and modest I found the snowdrop the other day. I enclose it carefully in this letter which evokes thoughts of sun and spring. It is only a small snowdrop I give you but the real fool is you if you remain unaware of my name __________________ I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

06-02-2006, 10:09 AM	#3 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I hope my daughter is as good to me as you are to your father... __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

06-02-2006, 10:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	that is very cool tradition... and the card and poem are beautiful... at what point do you give it up and tell him it was you, so you can collect the egg? __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

06-08-2006, 06:50 AM	#11 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	nope this one Ð __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

06-11-2006, 04:38 AM	#13 (permalink)
kramus loving the curves Location: my Lady's manor	I like that tradition Nancy. If someone is able to take the time there would be some beautiful cards made, and very fun ones as well. btw green is my favorite colour Lovely card, and I am glad the gækkebrev worked so well with your father. You come across as such a sweetie, with the different posts about drawings and such for him __________________ And now to disengage the clutch of the forebrain ... I'm going with this - if you like artwork visit http://markfineart.ca

06-02-2006, 09:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
sapiens Junkie Location: Some place windy	That's a beautiful card and an interesting story. Did you write the poem yourself?

06-02-2006, 01:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
Pip Likes Hats Location: Stockholm, Sweden	You Danes have so cute traditions! It's a beautiful card, and a nice photoshoot of it with the daffodils in the vase in the background.