The Klabautermann is, in the superstition of a seaman, a ship's ghost or goblin who - usually invisibly - warns the captain in case of danger. The figure of the Klabautermann is connected with sailing. He helps with shipbuilding, with sealing the deck of the ship and likes to make fun of it. On board he makes himself noticed by rumbling and other noises. It is said: "When he knocks, he stays, when he planes, he leaves". He looks like a sailor - with a hammer and a pipe, sometimes with a sailor's chest, with red hair and green teeth. If he shows himself, this is a bad sign. He leaves the ship only when it sinks.
According to an old sailor's custom, a chicken belongs on every ship as a deterrent to the Klabauterman.
