Tradition / Region: Romanian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Demon
The Myth
Many years ago, the pastor of Alzen had the habit of visiting the casino in Leschkirch twice each week. At midnight his coachman was sent to fetch him home. This duty troubled the servant greatly, for he had to drive alone across the Altmühl bridge at that lonely and haunted hour.
It was the custom to halt on the far side of the bridge so the horses could rest. Whether the coachman wished it or not, the animals were trained to stop there, and no urging could make them do otherwise.
One cold, bright night, under a clear moon, the coachman drove out as usual. The pastor’s coat lay folded on the back seat for the journey home. When the carriage reached the far side of the bridge, the horses halted of their own accord.
At that moment the coachman saw, in the pale light, a silent figure detach itself from the shadow of the bridge. Hat in hand, it climbed lightly onto the back seat and put on the priest’s coat.
The coachman trembled with fear. He thought he had glimpsed two horns upon the stranger’s head. His hands shook so violently he could scarcely hold the reins, and he dared not turn around again. The horses, as if driven by some unseen force, sped onward at a furious pace until they reached the appointed place.
Only then did the coachman gather the courage to look back. The seat was empty. The coat lay exactly where he had left it, untouched, and there was no sign of the strange passenger.
In the days that followed, people in every tavern spoke of the event. It was said that the pastor’s servant had unwittingly driven the Devil himself, and that he nearly left his master’s service rather than face such a night again.
Gallery
Sources
sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Alzener Pfarrersknecht als des Teufels Fuhrmann. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/rumaenien/siebenbuergen/alzenerpfarrersknecht.html
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive