Tradition: Luxembourgish Mythology
Alternative Names: Wichtelchen of Sterpenich, Elf of Sterpenich
Category: Elf, Dwarf
The Myth
The Elf of Sterpenich was a small supernatural being who appeared to a poor serf near the castle of Sterpenich. In ancient times, the village did not yet exist and only a castle stood there, inhabited by a cruel nobleman who spent his days thinking of ways to torment his impoverished subjects. One day, the nobleman ordered one of his serfs to carry a letter to Metz and return with the answer within thirteen hours, before sunset. The task seemed completely impossible, but terrified of immediate punishment, the poor man set out at once. Beyond the first hill, however, he encountered an elf waiting with a small carriage and a team of horses.
The elf took the serf into his carriage and drove him to Metz and back with incredible speed, allowing him to complete the impossible journey. When they reached the castle again, the elf gave the serf a final message for his cruel master: he was to deliver the requested answer, but also tell the nobleman that the elf himself would come that very day to collect him and carry him into eternity. The serf repeated the message exactly as instructed. When the lord heard the elf’s warning, he cried out in terror, asking whether he was going to die, and immediately collapsed and died.
Afterward, the name Sterpenich remained attached to the castle and later to the village that grew around it. The little elf therefore became part of the legend explaining the place’s name, appearing as a mysterious supernatural messenger who punishes the cruel lord while rescuing the helpless servant from an impossible task.
Sources
“Das Wichtlein von Sterpenich.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Luxemburg. Reproduced by SAGEN.at.
https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Sterpenich.html