This German term describes an animated wooden sculpture, looking wild and often vulgar, in context with a musical instrument. Such figures are found even in churches as, for example, the three sculptures on the church organ in the Strasbourg Cathedral. (Ref: Otto Winckelmann: Zur Kulturgeschichte des Straßburger Münsters im 15. Jahrhundert. Zeitschrift für die Geschichte des Oberrheins. Vol. 22, 1907, Seite 247 ff).
Etymology: Ror is related to the German verb roehren,
to roar, and Affe, monkey or ape. So a Roraffe is a grotesque
odd automated or animated figure. (NL: brulaap, from brullen,
to roar, plus aap = monkey).
file roraffe.htm History:
Tue, 02 Mar 1999 22:04:36 +0100 Christian Greinacher; new
