Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghost of the Nun
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Spirit of the Cloister Woman is the ghost of a nun who cannot find peace because she died before revealing where she had hidden a sum of money. She wanders near Triesenberg, waiting for someone who will help her recover the hidden treasure and free her spirit. One day, a farmer accidentally set out to feed his flock at two o’clock in the morning instead of four. Along the way, he encountered an unfamiliar nun who explained her predicament and asked for his help.
The nun told the farmer that he would soon stand before a large rock, where she would appear as a snake with a key hanging around its neck. To release her, he had to take the key from the serpent without being afraid. In return, she promised that he would enjoy good fortune in life and receive a place in heaven. The farmer agreed to help her.
Suddenly, a tremendous rushing and roaring sound filled the air, as though the world were coming to an end. The farmer found himself standing before a great rock, and a snake with its jaws wide open approached him. A key hung from its neck, just as the nun had described. But when the creature came close, the farmer was overcome with fear and jumped aside rather than taking the key.
The snake disappeared, and the nun appeared before him once more, weeping bitterly. She lamented that many years might pass before another person arrived at the right hour, and she could not know whether that person would have the courage to free her. With a sorrowful sigh, the nun vanished, condemned to continue wandering until someone brave enough to take the key finally appeared.
Sources
“Die Klosterfrau.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/klosterfrau.html