Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Schön-Anneli of Berchtwil, Anneli von Berchtwil
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Anneli von Berchtwil was a young woman of extraordinary beauty who lived near the Reuss River in the Swiss canton of Zug. The Baron of Rüßegg became consumed by desire for her after seeing her during his travels along the river. He showered her with courtship, promises, and enticements, but Anneli refused to return his affection. Unable to accept her rejection, the baron continued to long for her, determined to make her his own.
One day, while Anneli was gathering hazelnuts along the banks of the Reuss, the baron’s men ambushed her. A fisherman waited nearby with a large boat beneath the overhanging branches, ready to help the warriors seize their intended prize. Anneli fought desperately against her captors, but the strong men eventually forced her to her knees. Trapped and terrified, she saw no way to escape their grasp except through death. Near Meisterschwil, she leaped from the boat into the swollen waters of the Reuss and disappeared beneath the waves. The Baron of Rüßegg waited in vain for her return, while his men and the fisherman came back to the castle empty-handed. The river spirits never returned Anneli’s lifeless body.
After her death, fishermen at the place where she had vanished sometimes saw a pale female figure hovering above the waters of the Reuss. The ghost cried out desperately for help, as though still seeking rescue from her terrible fate. From the dense thickets along the riverbank came answering whimpers and groans. According to the legend, the lustful Baron of Rüßegg and his accomplices were imprisoned among these thickets, where they were forced to atone for the crime that had driven beautiful Anneli to her death. Thus, the river became the setting for the restless apparition of the maiden and the supernatural punishment of those who had persecuted her.
Sources
“Berchtwil.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/berchtwil.html