Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Hierschermännchen
Category: Goblin
The Myth
The Hierschermännchen is a little dwarf said to inhabit the Holzer Busch, a wooded area between Bondorf and Holz in Luxembourg. Unlike many frightening supernatural creatures, this small being is known for interacting directly with people. It often speaks to those it encounters and even allows them to carry it.
A similar phenomenon was reported at a place called Misère, where another small supernatural being, the Hedemännchen, was known. Both traditions appear in Nikolaus Gredt’s Treasure of Legends of the Luxembourg Country, published in 1883. The surviving account provides few further details about either creature, leaving their appearance and precise nature largely unknown.
Sources
“Kobolde in Bondorf.” SAGEN.at – Luxemburger Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Kobolde_Bondorf.html