Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Headless Spirit of Gapfahl
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Spirit on Gapfahl is a headless ghost said to haunt the alpine pastures of Liechtenstein. It appears as a slender figure wearing a green cloak, but without a head. Those who encounter the apparition are overcome with terror. One cowherd experienced this while tending his cattle on the pasture. As he rested on a stone before returning to the alpine hut, he suddenly saw the headless figure standing before him. His face turned as white as chalk, and he stumbled back to the hut in such a state of shock that everyone who saw him was horrified. It took him an hour before he could speak and describe what had happened.
The ghost’s origin lies in a terrible act of violence committed long ago. A hot-tempered herdsman once killed a boy by beheading him with a forest axe. The boy’s unfortunate soul could find no peace after his violent death. Condemned to wander the land without a head, his ghost continues to haunt Gapfahl, appearing to those who venture across its lonely alpine pastures.
Sources
“Der Geist auf Gapfahl.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/gapfahl.html