[5] The etymology of drak, it has been argued, does not descend directly from Latin draco (German: Drachen, Middle High German: trachen) for "dragon", but rather from the name mandragora (which is sometimes misconceived of as relating to the dragon, as in the English name "man-drake").
by such "cute" names as Tragerl, Stutzli (diminutive of Stutz, a Swiss franc coin), Geldhühndl,[6] but also calling it drak in Switzerland is apparently an adoption of the Low German form: this local house kobold exhibits an overlap with the Alpine "field dragons" (tatzelwurm, etc.
Some names given to the Drak hint at its elfish or Kobold descent, such as Alf,[3] Alber,[2] Alp,[5] Alrun[2] (mandrake), Kolbuck,[5] Koberchen,[14][6] Pûks,[5] and Erdhühnlein[15] (earth chicken).
Names based on clothing are typical for both Drak and Kobold, e.g. Hauslätzchen (house bib), Rôdjackte [5] or Rodjackte[2] (the one with the red jacket), Jackerl[16] (the one with the jacket; a devil name), Langwams (long doublet), and Kortwämsken (little short doublet).
[19] Such a Drachenhuhn[20] (dragon chicken) is sometimes capable of laying Taler (thaler) or silver eggs,[21] in the latter case two per day.
[22] The Drak might also appear as a (pied) calf,[19] a (three-legged or fiery) hare,[23] a wingless red snake,[24] or a black ant.
[25] Various fiery appearances are also typical for the Drak when it flies out at night.
Other appearances are more like animals, such as a fiery snake, cat, or chicken, a being with a big fiery head and a long black-blue tail, and a being with a big dog head and a glowing snake tail.
[28] To win a Drak as one's domestic spirit a deal with the devil[29] signed with one's own blood[30] is necessary, thus the owners are often said to be witches (German: Hexen, sg.
Owning a Drak makes the process of dying very difficult its owner.
The Drak carrying gold or money appears distinctly colored (red-hot, half red, half blue, blue generally or when carrying a particularly big amount, black or dazzlingly yellow) or flies particularly low.
If someone takes it home for it to warm at the fireplace, it will bring cereals to show its gratitude.
[35] It might even bring all ingredients needed to bake a cake, e.g. cream, butter, and raisins.
[16] The Drak brings other goods too, such as wood lugs turning into smoked beef,[15] sausages (accordingly it is called Wurstdrache or sausage dragon),[37] bread,[23] flour and eggs, linen, dung, and frogs which can be used to make chicken soup.
[16] As a black cat, it defecates knöpfle, a type of Southern German noodle dish.
The latter appears as a long boom, enters through the window's pendentive and leaves behind a gruesome stench.
Reciting the rhyme "Es fährt kein Fuhrmann über Land und Brück', Er lässet seinen Zoll zurück!"
has the same effect, as has showing one's naked behind, and shooting or throwing at the Drak, best with inherited silver, iron, or steel.
But one shouldn't stand directly beneath the Drak and flee under a roof as otherwise it will throw down a load of lice or filth,[44] or sulfur stench which will never go away.
This is the load the Drak had to drop because it flew over manure or tan,[42] thought to be yellow, pungent milk.