Tradition: Czech Mythology
Alternative Names: The Penitents of Lake Rachel
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Lake Rachel lies in a dreadful basin on the slopes of Mount Rachel, a place feared and avoided by shepherds and hunters alike. Deep beneath its dark waters, Pontius Pilate is condemned to atone eternally for the suffering inflicted upon Jesus Christ under his rule. His punishment continues unseen at the bottom of the lake, far from the world of the living.
Three maidens are also enchanted within Lake Rachel, condemned to suffer for their sins. One of them murdered her maidservant with a slipper while she was alive. For this terrible crime, she must wear iron slippers as punishment. On Midsummer’s Eve, she is permitted to swim ashore and remove them, leaving the heavy footwear upon a stone.
Under the moonlight, the maiden wanders barefoot through the forest. Her body bears the marks of her punishment: her lower half remains black, while her face and breasts have become white again. This change reveals that she has already partially atoned for her terrible sin, though her penance is not yet complete.
The lake remains a place of sorrow, where condemned souls endure their punishments in the hope of redemption. The legend ends with a prayer that God may grant rest to all lost souls.
Sources
Watzlik, Hans. “Die Büßer.” In Böhmerwald-Sagen. Budweis: Böhmerwalder Dorfbücher, 1921, Heft 5. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/tschechien/watzlik/buesser.html