Wild men in Braunschweig – Economies of hope and fear in early modern mining

Abstract

AbstractThis article investigates the myth of the Wild Man and the figure's symbolic and emotional significance for the Harz mining industry. From about the sixteenth century onward, the Wild Man became a point of identity in the montane region of the Harz Mountains. By analysing the appropriation and meanings of the Wild Man and his connection to mining in different media, especially on coins, this article stresses the importance of investigating not only material and empirical evidence, but also considering the imaginary and affective implications of mining. The changing perceptions of mythical figures such as the Wild Man reflected the desires, hopes, and anxieties of historical persons. They reflected the circumstance that mines represented sources of great wealth, but also delivered terror, injury, and death.