Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghostly Rider of the Meysemburg Forest, Der gespenstige Reiter
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The ghostly rider appeared as the shadow of a mounted knight, wearing a beret decorated with a flowing feather. Most horrifying of all, a long sword pierced straight through his chest, its point protruding from his back. The black shadow would slide rapidly down the sheer face of the rocks and race through the meadow toward Meysemburg before disappearing into the dark woods beyond the stream.
Late travellers who encountered the apparition on bright moonlit nights were overcome with terror. They would cross themselves and scarcely dare to speak aloud. The rider was not confined to the rocks in the meadow either. He was also seen along high mountain ridges, always near the edge of the rocky forests. Sometimes the shadow of a small greyhound was seen running beside the spectral horse.
People disagreed about what the apparition truly was. Some believed it was the ghost of a notorious witch’s accomplice, while others said it was a cursed knight condemned to wander endlessly as punishment for a terrible crime.
The story behind the haunting began when several knights of noble birth competed for the hand of the beautiful daughter of the lord of Meysemburg. The knight who won her affection was the noble Lord of Linster, a virtuous and respected warrior, and the two were soon betrothed.
The other suitors withdrew, but one remained behind as a guest at the fortress of Meysemburg. He had conceived a treacherous plan to steal the bride from Lord Linster. Consumed by jealousy and hatred, he swore bloody revenge upon his successful rival and waited for an opportunity to carry out his terrible scheme.
That opportunity came during the autumn hunting season. The Baron of Meysemburg organized a great hunt through the heavily wooded countryside, where deer, roe deer, wild boar, and other game were plentiful. Lord Linster and his dangerous rival both joined the hunt, which led through the dark forests toward the territory of Fels.
While Lord Linster pursued a deer, unaware that his enemy was following close behind, the jealous knight suddenly attacked him. He drove his spear against the unsuspecting Linster and forced him backward toward the steep rock wall above the Manzenbach valley.
There was nowhere for Linster to escape. The force of the attack caused his horse to rear, and with no ground behind it, the animal toppled backward over the edge of the cliff, carrying the knight with it into the depths below.
The legend explains the ghostly rider as the restless spirit of this murdered knight, forever racing through the forests and meadows where his life was so treacherously ended.
Sources
Reuland, Heinrich Adolph. Luxemburger Volksbücher: Geschichten und Sagen aus dem luxemburger Volksleben. Luxemburg: St. Paulus-Dr., 1892.