Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The White Horse of Malanser
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The White Horse from Malans is a ghostly apparition said to haunt the Malanser hill above Eschen, where the ruins of a once-great castle still stand. Long ago, a robber knight lived in the castle with a band of armed followers. They terrorized the surrounding region, threatening the people of Eschen and Mauren with their raids and robberies.
Eventually, the farmers of Eschen and Mauren formed an alliance to put an end to the knight’s rule. They planned to attack the castle on a Sunday evening and set it on fire while its defenders were unaware. When the day arrived, the farmers marched up to the heights and ignited the castle at nine o’clock. The knight and his men-at-arms were heavily drunk and failed to notice the flames until the fire had spread too far. All the armed men perished in the burning castle, but the knight managed to escape on his white horse.
The farmers pursued the fleeing knight as he raced across the heights. In his desperation, he rode too close to a cliff and plunged over the edge with his horse. Yet the knight’s story did not end with his death. According to the legend, his restless spirit must continue to haunt the Malanser hill, riding his white horse through the area until he has made amends for all the harm he caused during his life.
Sources
“Die Malanser.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/malanser.htm