Mythology

Spear-Bearer

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Der Lanzenträger, The Lancer
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Spear-Bearer is a mysterious apparition said to appear at midnight before the main entrance of the tenant farmer’s house in the courtyard of Born Castle in Luxembourg. The figure takes the form of a man holding a spear in his hand and remains completely silent.

As he stands before the entrance, the Spear-Bearer gradually grows taller and taller until his head reaches the height of the castle roof. Once he has attained this enormous size, he suddenly disappears. His silent appearance, unnatural growth, and unexplained disappearance make him a haunting presence associated with the grounds of Born Castle.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ed. de la Fontaine. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.

Velna Bedre

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Tradition: Latvian Mythology
Alternative Names: Devil’s Pit
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Velna Bedre, meaning the Devil’s Pit, is a sinister place in Latvian legend associated with dangerous supernatural forces. According to Andrejs Pumpurs’s epic poem Lāčplēsis, the pit lies in a landscape shaped by the actions of the devil and the thunder god Pērkons. In the tale, the devil digs a bottomless hole in the course of the Daugava River, causing the river to plunge into its depths. Pērkons responds with lightning and redirects the waters, raising a steep-sided hill around the pit.

The place retains its frightening reputation long after these events. Travellers passing through the area at night are warned that ghosts appear and attempt to deceive them, luring them into the pit and bringing them harm. The legend presents Velna Bedre as a dangerous place where the ordinary world borders a realm of malevolent supernatural beings.

Velna Bedre is also connected to the witch Spīdala and her companions. After travelling through the night on enchanted wooden blocks, they descend into the Devil’s Pit, where witches gather in a strange underground dwelling filled with bones, skulls, magical objects, and monstrous creatures. The pit thus serves not merely as a haunted landmark but as an entrance to a hidden world of witches, devils, and dark magic.

Sources

Pumpurs, Andrejs. “II daļa.” In Lāčplēsis. Archived version, Internet Archive Wayback Machine, January 31, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060131100630/http://www.ailab.lv/Teksti/Senie/Pumpurs/2.dala.html

Old Helgenhüsli Ghost

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Haunted Helgenhüsli, The Spirit of Nasenegg
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The old Helgenhüsli, a small wayside chapel that once stood along the path from Erlenmoos to Schwandegg, near Bärfalle, was reputed to be haunted. Although the building was demolished about a century ago, stories of its supernatural disturbances survived. One night, Ammann Uhr was returning from Einsiedeln and attempted to pass the little chapel, but a mysterious spirit led him astray. He wandered through the surrounding moorland for three hours, unable to recognize the landscape or find his way. Only as dawn approached did the misleading presence finally depart, allowing him to escape the bewildering ordeal.

The chapel was also said to repel those who tried to enter it. A man from Holzhäusern once went there at night to wait for a friend. As he attempted to enter the building, an invisible hand gave him a powerful shove, preventing him from going inside. The same strange occurrence had reportedly happened to the friend he was expecting, suggesting that an unseen spirit guarded the little chapel and refused entry to visitors.

Another eerie place lay along the road from Zug to Walchwil, below Lothenbach, at a spot known as Nasenegg. This location was associated with an apparition witnessed by a sober local man, who claimed to have seen a ghost there years earlier. The figure was particularly strange because it possessed neither a head nor any other limbs. These accounts established several locations around Zug as places where invisible forces, disorienting spirits, and bizarre apparitions disturbed those who encountered them.

Sources

“Die Gespensterorte.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/gespensterorte.html

Ghost Cart

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Phantom Cart of the Sihl Ravine
Category: Ghost

The Myth

In the old house of Friedli Menzinger, a man who was later beheaded, there once lived a poor widow with a large family of hungry children. Not far from the house lay an enchanted ravine carved by the Sihl River, whose waters often raged fiercely. On certain nights, the quiet of the surrounding countryside was disturbed by a strange and unsettling sound coming from the narrow path through the ravine.

The noise resembled a heavily laden cart struggling to make its way uphill, its wheels and load apparently laboring along the steep, confined track. The sound was so frightening that the widow never dared to look through her window or peer through the narrow cracks in her shutters. Whenever the ghostly cart approached, an even more terrible commotion erupted around the house: dogs and cats howled wildly and seemed to rage around the property.

The mysterious vehicle became known as the ghost car from the Sihl ravine. Its exact nature and origin remained unexplained, but its nocturnal passage brought terror to the widow and her children. The legend preserves the image of a phantom cart whose unseen journey could be heard in the darkness, accompanied by the furious howling of animals around the old house.

Sources

“Der Geisterwagen.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/geisterwagen.html

Berg Ghost

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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

Walchwil Ghost

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghost of the Walchwil Vineyards
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Many years ago, the picturesque hills of Walchwil in Switzerland were famous for producing an exceptionally fine wine said to possess mysterious powers. The wine was celebrated far beyond the village, and wondrous tales circulated about its strength. Yet the vineyards were also haunted by an evil ghost that tormented and terrified people of all ages, appearing both in daylight and under the cover of darkness. The pious winegrowers and fishermen of Walchwil struggled for a long time to find a way to rid themselves of the troublesome spirit.

Their hopes rose when a small monastery of Capuchin friars was established in nearby Arth. Desperate for help, the inhabitants sent a messenger to the neighboring village, asking the monks to drive away the ghost. A Capuchin friar answered their plea and came to Walchwil. Before attempting the exorcism, however, he demanded half a liter of the village’s fiery wine.

The ghost was terrified by the friar’s plan and immediately fled, declaring that if the priest drank even half a liter of Walchwil wine, it would be completely defeated. From that moment onward, the evil spirit was never seen in the vineyards again. The legend celebrates the extraordinary strength of Walchwil wine, whose reputation proved powerful enough to overcome even a terrifying supernatural enemy.

Sources

“Der Wein.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/wein.html

Stockhüper

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Stock Jumper, Hopen
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Along the road from Sattel to Ägeri, in the Swiss canton of Zug, lies the Schornen, an area known for its Letziturm tower and the remains of ancient defensive earthworks built by the people of Schwyz. According to local tradition, this disputed stretch of land once belonged to the estate of Ägeri but eventually passed into the possession of the municipality of Sattel through the sacrilegious perjury of an unscrupulous man. For his false oath, the man was condemned to a supernatural punishment, forever haunting the boundary of the land whose ownership he had helped determine dishonestly.

The perjurer appears as a mysterious black figure wearing a long coat and a broad-brimmed hat that hangs low over his head and reaches toward his broad shoulders. He is sometimes seen sitting atop the wooden picket fence that once marked the disputed boundary. More often, he leaps wildly from one boundary stone to another, racing along the border in a frantic, unnatural chase. During these nocturnal journeys, he emits a piercing, bone-chilling cry known locally as the Hopen. He particularly favors a small hill called the Stock, which gave rise to his name, Stockhüper, meaning “Stock Jumper.”

For many years, the Stockhüper was a familiar figure in local legend, condemned to roam the boundary as punishment for his dishonest testimony. However, the ghost has not been seen for a very long time. According to the tradition, a parish priest eventually banished him for eternity, bringing an end to his eerie nocturnal leaps and terrifying cries.

Sources

“Der Stockhüper.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/stockhueper.html

Ghosts of Ramswag Castle

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ramswag, The Golden Skittles of Ramswag
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Knight Heinrich Walther von Ramswag distinguished himself in 1278 when he marched with King Rudolf of Habsburg against King Ottokar of Bohemia and saved his sovereign’s life at the Battle of Marchfeld. As a reward for his service, he received 500 marks of silver, the estate of Kriessern with Blatten Castle, the estates of Bernhardzell and Sitterdorf, and the imperial bailiwick in Thurgau. The family’s sudden prosperity, however, made the Ramswags arrogant. During the period of celebration that followed, a magnificent feast was reportedly held at Ramswag Castle, attended by the king himself. In the castle courtyard, guests amused themselves by playing skittles with golden balls and pins.

During the Appenzell Wars, Knight Rudolf met a tragic death at Ramswag Castle, and the family’s estate eventually passed into other hands. Yet the castle’s past revelry is said to endure beyond the destruction of its walls. On nights of heavy, eerie weather, Rudolf’s ghost wanders through the deep cellars of the castle ruins, accompanied by other spectral figures. During these mysterious gatherings, the golden skittles are brought out once more, as though the ghosts are recreating the festivities of their former lives.

Those who pass near the ruins on such nights may hear the unmistakable sounds of the phantom game: balls rolling across the ground and pins tumbling down. These noises are interrupted by the groans and moans of the castle’s ghostly inhabitants. The spectral game continues in the darkness, preserving the memory of Ramswag’s former wealth and splendor long after the family and its castle have fallen into decline.

Sources

“Ramswag.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (St. Gallen). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/ramswaghtm.html

Musical Ghost

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Piano-Playing Ghost of Neuheim
Category: Ghost

The Myth

A farmer’s wife from the mountain village of Menzingen once travelled on a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Einsiedeln, accompanied by her twelve-year-old daughter. During the journey, the girl suddenly pulled a sugar heart from beneath her clothes and ate it, although she had no idea who had given her the mysterious gift. After the family returned home, the child began seeing a strange apparition: an old, wrinkled woman carrying a walking stick and a large rosary, approaching from the neighboring house. The girl alone could see the woman, but the haunting soon began to affect the entire household.

During the night, the inhabitants heard someone pacing up and down the wooden stairs, closing doors, and playing a musical instrument. The unexplained noises caused considerable fear and annoyance, but the farmer could find no source for them. Suspecting that a ghost had entered his home, he summoned the dean and several other priests to bless the house and perform exorcisms. They searched the entire building and kept a strict watch over the yard, hoping to discover the cause of the disturbances. After a prolonged period, the musical ghost reportedly disappeared, but the farmer was said to have spent 500 guilders dealing with the haunting.

A similar apparition was associated with the old chaplain’s house in Neuheim, where a ghost reportedly wandered through the building at night and played the piano. Its music disturbed the sleep of the household, turning an ordinary home into a place of nocturnal unrest. Together, these accounts describe spirits whose presence was revealed not only through strange visions but also through unexplained sounds and music that disturbed the living.

Sources

“Das Gespenst.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/gespenst.html

Bleichi-Mueterli

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Bleichi-Mueterli, The Spirit of the Bleaching Field
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Above Schönbrunn, along the road toward Hinterburg between Bethlehem and a place known as the Loch, lies a stretch of land called the Bleichi. The area was once haunted by a mysterious female apparition known as the Bleichi-Mueterli. She was described as a dark-faced figure wearing a white gown and a straw hat, often emerging from the Wösch, a forest between Bethlehem and Edlibach. She carried a light as she wandered through the area, and her strange appearance frightened those who encountered her.

Even in the nineteenth century, the apparition was remembered as a source of terror. A young boy from Schönbrunn was so frightened by seeing the Bleichi-Mueterli that he remained ill for some time afterward. In another account, a boy from Menzingen was walking past the Bleichi with his father when he saw the ghost carrying a small blue light. Terrified, he stayed close to his father, who could perceive nothing of the apparition.

The name of the Bleichi-Mueterli also became associated with a more earthly figure. A cheeky fruit thief reportedly disguised himself as the bleaching-field spirit and made his rounds among the heavily laden fruit trees, using the ghost’s frightening reputation to carry out his thefts. His long fingers helped him pluck the fruit, but the farmers eventually became watchful and put an end to his schemes. The legend thus preserves both the memory of a feared nocturnal apparition and the tale of a thief who exploited local superstition.

Sources

“Der Bleichi.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (Zug). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/bleichi.html