Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: –
Category: Flame
The Myth
Das Geldfeuer beim Johannisberg, the Money Fire of Johannisberg, was a mysterious flame that appeared at night beneath an old pear tree at the foot of Johannisberg, near a path leading from Budersberg to Kayl in Luxembourg. The tree still stood around 1865, and the remains of building foundations were later discovered nearby. The place was associated with a strange fire that could reveal hidden gold to anyone fortunate enough to encounter it.
One night, a man from Kayl was passing the old pear tree when he noticed a cheerful little fire burning beneath its branches. Assuming that shepherds had lit the fire and then abandoned it, he casually picked up a glowing coal to light his pipe before continuing on his way. He thought nothing more of the incident until he arrived home and discovered a tiny grain of gold lying inside his pipe.
Realizing what he had found, the man hurried back to the pear tree, hoping to discover the mysterious fire again and perhaps obtain more gold. But when he returned, the flame had vanished completely. The brief encounter had revealed the fire’s extraordinary nature, yet the opportunity to find it again had disappeared as mysteriously as the light itself.
Sources
La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.