B115A. Knots in wood, ATU 774H.. 15.16.27.28.
Angry at the carpenters, the character (St. Peter) asks another (Christ) to make knots in wood or branches iron. It only makes them very hard.
Catalans, Ladins, Dutch, Frisians, Germans (Mecklenburg, Alsace, Austria), Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks.
Southern Europe. Catalans (one entry): Camarena, Chevalier 2003, No. 774H [(Catalan text)]: 168-169; Oriol, Pujol 2008, No. 774H [angry with carpenters, St. Peter asks the Lord to place pieces of iron in the wood so that the carpenters can damage the tools; the Lord only places solid knots in the wood {i.e. the continuation of branches within the trunk wood}]: 155; ladins : Uffer 1955:65ff in Uther 2004 (1), No. 774H: 431.
Western Europe. Dutch, Friesians: Uther 2004 (1), No. 774H: 431; Germans: Dähnhardt 1909:174-175 (Simrock 1864:136-137; no place of recording in the source) [Peter and the Lord were wandering; carpenters worked in the same house; the Lord told Peter not to go there, but Peter went in; the carpenter, seeing a painted violin on his back, demanded that he play the violin with him; Peter replied that He does not know how; disgraced, Peter left and asked the Lord to make iron knots in the wood so that the carpenters would break saws; the Lord said that there were enough wooden ones, but they would be strong], 175 (Mecklenburg) [when The Lord and his disciples sat down for an evening meal, and the carpenters in the same room painted a violin on Peter's back; Peter asked the Lord to punish the carpenters to make iron knots in the wood, but he made them wooden, although very strong], 175 (Alsace) [Peter and the Lord went to villages and played violin and viola; carpenters drank from one tavern, drove out those who came, and broke their tools; Peter asked the Lord to punish the carpenters and turn wood into solid bone; the Lord limited himself to making solid knots in wood], 175 (Allgäu - the border between Bavaria and Tyrol) [Peter and the Lord got lost in the forest, asked the loggers for directions, and they gave them the wrong direction; Peter asked the Lord to fill the wood with iron nails, but he only made hard knots]; Germans (Austria: Carinthia) [The Lord made Peter a violin (Baβgeige), but it was too heavy; then he made it easy, Peter was happy; in one place, the carpenters asked Peter to play; but he did not understand the local dialect well and decided that they asked him for the keys to paradise; he refused to play, he was beaten and his violin was broken; Peter asked the Lord to punish the carpenters; he turned the palm forest into a spruce forest, and each trunk had hard knots]: Dä hnhardt 1909:176.
The Balkans. Hungarians: Dähnhardt 1909 [When Peter and the Lord were wandering around the earth, they heard carpenters cursing; Peter asked to punish them so that there would be less time to swear; the Lord commanded Peter spit on logs and as a result, hard knots appeared in the wood; since then carpenters have scolded Peter]: 176; Dégh 1965 [Jesus and Peter are wandering; Peter does not want to bend down to pick it up a horseshoe; Jesus picked up, sold, bought cherries; drops some, Peter bends down to pick them up every time; Jesus does not recommend going to the tavern, from where you can hear the cries of drunken carpenters; Peter insists; Jesus makes sure that Peter has a zither on his back, although he himself does not know about it; he is asked to play, Peter refuses, he is beaten; Peter asks that iron wood be permeated with wood as punishment for carpenters nails; Jesus thinks this is excessive, but agrees to make sure that there are knots inside the wood]: 184-186.
Central Europe. Czechs, Slovaks: Uther 2004 (1), № 774H: 431.