The reason I wanted to write this post is because someone sent me music by the German band Nachtmahr <\/strong>(\u2018Nightmare\u2019) the other day. I have always known the German word for nightmare<\/em> to be der Alptraum<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>so I came to wonder why there are even two words for nightmare <\/em>in the German language: der Alptraum<\/strong> and die Nachtmahr.<\/strong><\/p>\n In actual fact there are three<\/em> words, because Alptraum is sometimes spelt Albtraum, with a B instead of a P. The way I learnt it was Alptraum<\/em>. Apparently, Albtraum<\/strong> is the new<\/strong> spelling, following the Rechtschreibreform <\/em>(German orthography reform), and Alptraum<\/strong> is the old<\/strong> spelling. It\u2019s a little confusing, but both spellings are correct, so don\u2019t be surprised if you happen to come across both of them.<\/p>\n The word Albtraum\/Alptraum contains the words Alb\/Alp and Traum.<\/p>\n Der Alb\/Der Alp:<\/u><\/strong> A mythical creature from Germanic folklore, similar to demon or goblin, believed to sit on and compress people\u2019s chests as they sleep. The English equivalent of this word would be elf <\/em>(in fact, the English word elf <\/em>is cognate with the German word Alp<\/em>), <\/em>while the equivalent demon is an incubus<\/em> or succubus<\/em>. A related word is der Alpdruck<\/strong>, meaning elf pressure<\/em>, which is used to refer to the feeling of pressure on one\u2019s chest during a nightmare.<\/p>\n Der Traum:<\/u><\/strong> Dream.<\/p>\n The word Nachtmahr contains the words Die Nacht and Die Mahr. Die Mahr:<\/u><\/strong> The Mahr <\/em>is basically another name for the Alb<\/em> (see above). Sometimes it also appears with a masculine gender (der Mahr<\/em>). The Old English word mare, <\/em>meaning night-goblin\/incubus, has Germanic origins. The English word nightmare<\/em> comes from the German Nachtmahr<\/strong>, and is a direct translation of it. Nachtmahr<\/em> is the old German word for nightmare, and is hardly used anymore. Alptraum<\/em> (or Albtraum) is the new, standard word.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Granted it is a little confusing, but I hope this has clarified the terms somewhat! And I hope you’ll agree that it’s an interesting little bit of folklore. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n More sleep-related words:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Der Nachtschreck\/Die Nachtangst<\/strong> \u2013 Night terror.<\/p>\n Die Schlafparalyse<\/strong> \u2013 Sleep paralysis.<\/p>\n Die Schlafst\u00f6rung<\/strong> \u2013 Sleep disturbance.<\/p>\n Der Nachtalb<\/strong> \u2013 Lit. night demon<\/em> or night elf, <\/em>a Nachtalb is another word for the Nachtmahr<\/em> (the creature itself, rather than the nightmare).<\/p>\n Der Schlafwandler\/Der Nachtwandler \u2013<\/strong> Sleepwalker<\/p>\n Schlafwandeln<\/strong> – Sleepwalking<\/p>\n Der Klartraum<\/strong>\u2013 Lucid dream (lit: \u2018clear dream\u2019, also known as der luzider Traum<\/em> \u2013 \u2018lucid dream\u2019)<\/p>\n Der Tiefschlaf<\/strong> \u2013 Deep sleep<\/p>\n Die au\u00dferk\u00f6rperliche Erfahrung<\/strong> \u2013 Out of body experience<\/p>\n S\u00fc\u00dfe Tr\u00e4ume\u2026 (sweet dreams\u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nETYMOLOGIE: ALBTRAUM\/ALPTRAUM = \u2018ELF DREAM\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Nachtmahr](\"http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Nachtmahr_(Abildgaard).jpg#\/media\/File:Nachtmahr_(Abildgaard).jpg\")
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\n\u201eNachtmahr (Abildgaard)<\/a>\u201c von painting: Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard; file: James Steakley<\/a> – Vestjaellands Art Museum, Sor\u00f8. Lizenziert unter Gemeinfrei \u00fcber Wikimedia Commons<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nETYMOLOGIE: NACHTMAHR = \u2018NIGHT MARE\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\nDie Nacht:<\/u><\/strong> Night<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/5\/56\/John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.JPG\")
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\n\u201eJohn Henry Fuseli – The Nightmare<\/a>\u201c von Johann Heinrich F\u00fcssli<\/a> – wartburg.edu<\/a>. Lizenziert unter Gemeinfrei \u00fcber Wikimedia Commons.<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Athens](\"https:\/\/c2.staticflickr.com\/4\/3796\/13270101565_915e5d680b.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2015\/06\/Nachtmahr_28Abildgaard29-350x295.jpg\")
![John Henry Fuseli – The Nightmare<\/a>\u201c von](\"http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.JPG#\/media\/File:John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.JPG\"){kind=link}
![wartburg.edu<\/a>. Lizenziert unter Gemeinfrei \u00fcber](\"http:\/\/faculty.wartburg.edu\/wilson\/arthistory\/images\/28\/28-39.jpg\"){kind=link}