Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghost Dance of Schallberg
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Night Dance at Schallberg is a supernatural legend from the Valais region of Switzerland, set near the lower Schallberg in the Ganter Valley. At night, an isolated house appears brightly illuminated, filled with deafening dance music, the pounding of mountain boots, and the joyous cries of numerous dancers. Yet the gathering behaves in a disturbing and unnatural manner: whenever an observer climbs a nearby tree to watch, the lights and music abruptly disappear, leaving only the rushing waters of the Saltina River. As soon as the observer climbs down, the mysterious dance begins again. The dancers are eventually revealed to be an enchanted company condemned to atone for secret dances held in defiance of the rules.
One night, a shepherd returning from the Alpine pastures follows an old mule track through the Ganter Valley. After passing through an eerie fir forest, he notices the illuminated windows of a secluded house at Schallberg. Hearing the lively music and heavy stamping inside, he suspects that young people have gathered for a forbidden dance. Curious but unwilling to enter, he climbs into a nearby elder tree to watch. The moment he settles among the branches, the music stops and the lights go out. When he climbs down, however, the house immediately becomes illuminated again, and the dancing resumes. He repeats the experiment, only to witness the same strange disappearance. Eventually, fear overwhelms him, and he flees into the night.
Despite his terror, the shepherd later grows curious about the dancers’ identities. He waits near the Chin Bridge until the morning bell approaches, when he hears music and excited cries coming from the direction of the Aspe. A procession of dancers advances toward him, their sounds growing louder as they approach. In the moonlight, their pale, aged faces seem strangely familiar, as though they belong to young people he once knew, yet he cannot recognize anyone. Just as he prepares to join the seemingly cheerful company, the entire procession suddenly plunges into the Chin River and disappears into the raging Saltina, like a fiery sack of leaves. Horrified, the shepherd escapes the region, convinced that he has witnessed an enchanted group of dancers condemned to make amends for their forbidden revelry.
Sources
“Der Nachttanz am Schallberg.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/allgemein/nachttanz_schallberg.html