Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Three Knights of Rudenz, The Ghostly Money Counters of Kleinteil
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Three Tyrants of Giswil are mysterious apparitions associated with old houses and castle ruins near Rudenz and Rosenberg in Obwalden, Switzerland. In an old house near Rudenz, close to the castle ruins, strange disturbances were once frequently reported. Loud arguments and the sound of people counting or calculating could be heard coming from a back porch. Anyone brave enough to open the door would see three tyrants seated at a table. They wore large white collars and carried long swords. However, as soon as they noticed an intruder, the three figures would scatter and vanish.
The ruins of Rudenz Castle were also associated with unexplained sounds. According to elderly locals, people gathering hay near the ruins during the summer sometimes heard a loud clanging around midday. The noise resembled a basket full of silver spoons being emptied onto a table, suggesting the presence of unseen beings handling or counting precious objects within the ruined castle.
A similar haunting was reported at an ancient house in Kleinteil, near Rosenberg. At certain times, three old knights were said to appear and count money throughout the night. They had reportedly been seen on several occasions, linking the mysterious figures of Giswil to the recurring legend of spectral warriors guarding or counting hidden wealth. Although the accounts provide no explanation for their identities or fate, the repeated appearances of three armed men, together with the sounds of money and silver, suggest a lingering supernatural presence connected to the region’s old castles and houses.
Sources
“Giswil.” SAGEN.at – Obwaldner Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/obwalden/giswil.html