Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Flowering Alpine Pasture, The Cursed Alpine Meadow
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Blümelisalp is a legendary alpine pasture in Switzerland that was once extraordinarily fertile and covered in flowers, but was transformed into a desolate landscape of ice and rock debris. The legend explains its destruction as divine punishment for the arrogance and impiety of a wealthy herdsman who abused the abundance of the mountain and mocked the traditional customs of the land. Similar stories are told in several Swiss regions, including the Bernese Oberland and the Klariden mountain range. In the days before the catastrophe, the pasture was so rich that cattle thrived beyond measure. Each cow was milked three times a day and produced two large buckets of milk at every milking.
The prosperous herdsman grew proud of his wealth and began to scorn the simple customs of earlier generations. He furnished his mountain dwelling lavishly and pursued a beautiful maiden named Kathrine. His arrogance culminated in an act of sacrilege: he built a staircase into his house using his own cheeses, spread butter over them, and washed the steps with milk. His sweetheart Kathrine, his cow Brändel, and his dog Rhyn all used this extravagant staircase. His pious mother, unaware of her son’s behavior, visited the alpine pasture one summer Sunday. Exhausted by the journey, she asked for a drink. The herdsman filled a pail with sour milk, sprinkled sand over it, and offered it to her. Shocked by this deliberate insult, his mother descended the mountain and, once she reached the bottom, turned back and called upon God to punish her impious son.
A violent storm suddenly swept across the mountain, devastating the once-blessed pasture. The herdsman’s dwelling and household were buried, and both people and animals perished beneath the destruction. The herdsman’s ghost and his household were condemned to wander the mountains until they could be redeemed. His lament declares that his dog Rhyn, his cow Brändli, and his beloved Kathry must remain on Mount Klaride forever. Redemption depends on a herdsman successfully milking Brändli in silence on Good Friday, despite the thorns surrounding her udder that make the cow restless and difficult to milk. One man once managed to fill half a bucket before another person suddenly tapped him on the shoulder and asked whether the milk was foaming nicely. The milker instinctively answered, breaking the required silence. At once, the attempt failed, and Brändlein vanished from his sight. The legend leaves the alpine household trapped under its curse, awaiting someone who can complete the difficult task without speaking.
Sources
“Der Hirte auf der Blümelisalp.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/grimm/bluemelisalp.html