Cattle drive. In the region
During the autumn cattle drive, the cows and sheep are brought down from the mountain pastures to the valley. In the past, this custom was only celebrated as a festive occasion if the livestock were healthy and unharmed, if no one had died in the local farmhouse during the year, and if the dairyman had also returned home safely with the livestock. As a sign of gratitude, farmers, dairymen and shepherds celebrate the day of the descent by decorating the cattle entrusted to their care with alpine flowers, colourful ribbons, fir branches and other adornments. In addition, the smaller pasture bells that the animals wear throughout the summer on the alpine pastures are swapped for larger and more valuable yoke bells, which are only fastened around their necks on this occasion and produce very different sounds. The ringing of the bells is said to ward off evil spirits, ensuring that neither animal nor human comes to harm on the journey down to the valley.
The ‘Kranzkuh’ (crowned cow), which leads the procession, holds a special place. Her headdress is unusually large and usually features a cross or a mirror; the cross represents God’s blessing, whilst the mirror is said to ward off evil spirits. Depending on the region, either only the ‘Kranzkuh’ wears a headdress, or three ‘Kranzrinder’ lead the procession. In the past, if an animal had come to harm or if someone had died in the farmhouse during the year of the Almabtrieb, the first cow would often carry only a wooden plaque bearing the name of the alp. Celebrations were then strictly forbidden.
A large number of communities in the Hall-Wattens region adhere to this religious custom and organise a festive cattle drive only under the conditions mentioned above.
