Tradition / Region: Luxembourgish Mythology
Alternate Names: Wichtelcher of Belliger Seitert
Category: Gnome
The Myth
Near Waldbillig, in front of the Belliger Seitert forest, there lies a field once owned by Theodor Broos. Those who worked the land noticed strange things beneath the soil: carefully worked stones, set as if by deliberate hands, and an ash pit like the kind found in old farmhouses.
These discoveries stirred an old memory. The grandfather of the family had often said that this place was once the home of the Wichtelcher, little earth folk who lived hidden beneath the field. They were said to be no taller than one or two shoes, small enough to pass unseen, yet capable of shaping stone and arranging their dwellings with care.
The Wichtelcher were believed to live much like humans, with hearths, ashes, and shelters of their own, but all concealed underground. When the land was still quiet and lightly worked, they remained there. As time passed and the fields were turned more deeply, they withdrew, leaving behind only stones and traces of their former homes.
Though no one sees them now, the field is still spoken of with a certain respect. The worked stones and the ash pit are taken as signs that the little people once lived there, reminding those who know the story that the land around Waldbillig was not always empty beneath the surface.
Gallery
Sources
SAGEN.at contributors. (n.d.). Wichtlein (Waldbillig). In SAGEN.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Waldbillig.html
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
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Philosophical Readings
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Psychological Readings
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Esoteric Deep Dive
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Political / Social Readings
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Other
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