Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: None recorded
Category: Insect
The Myth
The Witch as a Fly is a vengeful witch from a legend recorded in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She can transform herself into a fly, using her tiny form to approach a victim unnoticed and deliver a fatal bite.
The story tells of a young man from Grabs who abandoned his lover after accepting a bribe to serve in the Netherlands. He left his home and became a soldier, leaving the woman behind. One day, while he was away, a fly bit him. The bite proved deadly, and despite every effort to treat him, he died.
It was eventually revealed that the man’s abandoned lover had been a witch. Seeking revenge for his betrayal, she had transformed herself into a fly and delivered the fatal bite herself. The tale presents shapeshifting as a means of supernatural vengeance, allowing the witch to pursue her former lover across distant lands and kill him in a form that initially seemed harmless.
Sources
“Die Hexe Fleige.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/hexe_fleige.html