Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Drachensee, Aschauersee
Category: Dragon
The Myth
Where the Drachensee now lies, there was once a mountain mine. According to the legend, Saint Magnus of Füssen opened the mine by offering a loaf of bread to anyone from the surrounding area who would dig for treasure. The poor pagan people living nearby eagerly accepted the offer, for they had never known bread before.
As the mining continued, one family became particularly wealthy from the treasures they discovered. Their newfound riches, however, made them immensely proud. They built themselves a house directly above the mine and even constructed their own church beside it, refusing to worship alongside the other people in the local church.
Then disaster came. The house, the church, and the entire mine suddenly sank into the earth. Where they had once stood, the waters of the Drachensee appeared.
Yet the buried settlement has never completely disappeared. Every year on Christmas Day, the sunken mine, the house, and the church can supposedly be seen beneath the lake. Within the submerged church, the doomed family can be heard praying, while a terrifying dragon stands guard outside the church door, preventing anyone from approaching them.
The local church at Russen still bears the name St. Magenkirch, or St. Magnus Church, preserving the memory of Saint Magnus who is said to have opened the ancient mine. The lake is also known as the Aschauersee.
Sources
Theodor Vernaleken. “Der Drachensee.” In Kinder- und Hausmärchen in den Alpenländern. Vienna, 1863. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/vernaleken/drachensee.html