Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Chain-Rattling Ghost of Berg
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Near Berg in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen, an old and dilapidated town once stood abandoned. A man had taken his own life there, and afterward the place became associated with a disturbing supernatural presence. At night, people reportedly heard the sounds of unseen movements and the horrible rattling of chains, as though a restless spirit were wandering among the ruins. The eerie noises gave the deserted settlement a frightening reputation.
Only one man claimed to be unafraid of the apparition, boasting that even the wicked could not frighten him. Determined to demonstrate his courage, he approached the haunted place, but two miller’s apprentices had prepared a trick. They hid nearby and rattled chains to imitate the terrifying sounds attributed to the ghost. When the supposed haunting began, the self-proclaimed hero fled in fear.
The tale turns the legend of a restless spirit into a humorous story about false bravery. The ghostly noises that supposedly haunted the ruined town were revealed to be the work of mischievous pranksters, while the man who claimed to fear nothing proved unable to withstand even an imitation of the supernatural.
Sources
“Gefährlich.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (St. Gallen). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/gefaehrlich.html