In the Harz there were many old customs in the life of herdsmen from which today only few still exist. Many of the customs were linked with the first drove out in May. This was a large event for the entire community. People early in the morning accompanied the herdsmen and the decorated animals. On the pasture the festivity prevailed and one remained there all the day.

In Schadeleben, in the lower Harz on Whit Mondy there was a festive parade after lunch. After the signal, everybody with their animal gathered at the village's edge and went to the "Whit meadow". Horses first, followed by cows, goats and geese. The animals were allowed to graze there until evening. Horses, the municipality's bull, a sheep, a goat and a goose were decorated with a wreath and bands. Farmhands and herdsmen received small presents. The farmer, to whom the bull belonged, gave a neckerchief and a piece of cakes to the herdsman.

In Braunlage, herdsmen received a handkerchief which they fastened to their hat.

On their first drove out after winter, the cows were still very nervous and boisterous after the long stay in the stable, so the bells (really clips, but in the Harz called bells) were not put on the cows because they would have damaged these when raving. The bells were manufactured mainly in Suderode in the east-Harz until 1898 by the Kleemann family, later William Liesenberg took over the bell smithy and operated it until shortly after 1945. Also in other Harz places some cow bells manufactured. Today again in Wildemann bells are forged according to old models and dimensions. The herd's bells were property of the herdsmen who collected for it a rental fee from the cattle keepers. Cows were later called jokefully the "lady chapels of the upper Harz" by the holidays guests because of the music. The wooden handles, to which the bells were fastened , were carved by the herdsmen themselves, mostly during the winter.

In the morning when the herdsmen blew the signal, the animals leaving the stables arranged themselves in the herd and went to the pasture. On the way back in the evening, again a signal was blown, and the owners of animal opened their stable doors, each animal went into its stable all by itself. - Nearly each place had its own herdsmen signal.

It was custom that the cow herdsmen on Christmas Eve went through the village and blew their signal. They received then small gifts: Sausage, bacon, eggs, butter or also small presents. The same took place New Year.

In former times the "cow ball" took place in late autumm, when the pasture season ended. Nowadays it is celebrated in spring, for example in Tanne in the east Harz. Cattle drove-out in Wildemann is now at Whit Sunday, in other places of the Harz on other days.

Cowherd Theo Weinhardt,
St. Andreasberg

Red cattle,
Stolberg

Cowherd, Seesen

Cowherd Theo Weinhardt,
Sankt Andreasberg