Small Hummel Mors Ceramic Figurine - Water Carrier : Goebel W Germany

Goebel Hummel Figurine Mors-Mors Man with Water Buckets. These were produced in 1979 to commemorate Johann Bentz of Hamburg. In the late 1700's to the early 1800's many people in the German city of Hamburg did not have access to clean drinking water. While a river runs through the city, a lot of that water was polluted with waste water from breweries, and the canals acted as a sewage system. If you wanted clean water, you could pay for der Wasserträger (water carrier/water boy). He would bring clean water all the way from a well into your home. 

One Wasserträger of Hamburg was Hans Hummel. His actual name was Johann Wilhelm Bentz, and he lived from 1787 to 1854. He was a sullen man, who was always cursing due to the heavy burden of the water he had to carry. The children of the city shouted Hummel, Hummel! to annoy him and turned around and pulled down their pants to show him their bottoms. This did not annoy Hummel, but made him laugh. Mors, mors! he said. Mors is a word from Hamburg that means buttocks. Now Hummel Hummel! Mors, Mors!, is simply a friendly greeting between two Hamburgers.  

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