Samson von Muhr

The giant "Samson" ... the landmark of the Lungau The giant Samson and his two dwarfs (not every place has little companions with them) are the last remnants of former large Corpus Christi processions, in which figures from biblical stories as well as legends and hero figures were carried. Samson is up to 6.5 meters tall and weighs around 85 kilograms. He is carried on the shoulders of a strong man, who skillfully balances the weight of the giant figure using a framework inside the hollow body. Samson has been documented since 1635 and symbolizes an Old Testament figure with superhuman strength — lying in his long hair. He represents the struggle of the Israelites against the Philistines, after which he killed 1,000 Philistines with an ass's jawbone at Lehi. Most of the figures carry such a jawbone as a symbol of strength. In the inner Alpine region, there are twelve of these Samson figures, ten of which are in the Lungau (Mariapfarr, Mauterndorf, Muhr, Ramingstein, St. Andrä, St. Margarethen, St. Michael, Tamsweg, Unternberg, and Wölting) and two in the neighboring Steiermark (Krakaudorf and Murau).