Tradition / Region: Swiss Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog
The Myth
In the legends of the Jura region of Switzerland, people once spoke of a black dog known as Augenbrand.
He was said to haunt the area near the old bridge at Soyhières over the river Birs. The bridge has long since vanished, but the stories of the creature that wandered there remained. Augenbrand was described as a large black dog with burning, fiery eyes whose glow could be seen in the dark from far away. It was from these blazing eyes that he took his name.
The spirit was believed to be bound to the fate of his master, Count Rodolphe de Sogren, lord of the nearby castle. The count had been murdered in the year 1233, and after his death the dog was said to roam the countryside, searching endlessly for him.
Travelers passing the bridge or nearby roads at night sometimes claimed to see the glowing-eyed hound moving through the darkness. Others felt they were being followed, hearing movement behind them on the path. Those who strayed too far or wandered uncertainly were said to be pursued by the creature as it searched the land for the master it had lost.
Stories from the region tell that strange sounds were often heard near the castle grounds in summer nights — and among these tales was the recurring sight of the fiery-eyed dog wandering restlessly below the ruins.
Thus Augenbrand was remembered as a ghostly hound of Jura, forever roaming the place of his lord’s death, his burning eyes searching the night for the master he would never find again.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Augenbrand. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augenbrand
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