!!!Flinserl

Flinserl, small metal leaf (Middle High German "vlins" = stone 
fragment). 1) Ear jewellery for men, worn in particular in the 
Biedermeier era as amulet or symbol by ox-cart drivers, sailors and 
carpenters; sometimes the flinserl was worn on the left ear, but 
generally stopped being used around 1870; the flinserl has enjoyed 
renewed popularity since the 1970s as a fashion accessory.

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2) Parade figure in the carnival customs practised in Aussee, Styria; 
the flinserl parade through the area on Mardi Gras in costumes 
decorated with silver sequins as well as a cloth mask ("Gugel") and a 
pointed hat accompanied by music ("Flinserl-Music") in pairs ("Mandl" 
und "Weibl" - "Man" and "Woman") (some 30 to 40 flinserl participate 
in the custom). The origin and age of the custom are unknown, the 
first written account dates back to the second half of the 
18%%sup th/%  century.

!Literature
L. Schmidt, Der Maennerohrschmuck im Volksschmuck und 
Volksglauben, 1947; F. Grieshofer, Faschingsbrauchtum, in: Oesterr. 
Volkskundeatlas, 5%%sup th/%  instalment, 1974; O. Bockhorn, 
Faschingsbrauchtum in Oesterreich, Steiermark: Die "Flinserl", in: 
Wissensch. Film 24, 1980; H. Nikitsch, Der Maennerohrschmuck im 
heutigen Wien, in: Oesterr. Zeitschrift fuer Volkskunde 94/45, 1991. 
O. Bockhorn, Die "Flinserl", 1978 (educational film by the OeWF).


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