Tradition: Austrian Mythology
Alternative Names: The Hollowway Ghost
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Ghost in the Hollowway haunts a long, deep hollow road on a distant mountain near Dornbirn in Vorarlberg, Austria. The hollow runs alongside an ordinary mountain road, and during winter, wooden sleds travel along their own track through its depths. Yet in the height of summer, when the surroundings are otherwise quiet, the hollow becomes the scene of a terrifying supernatural disturbance.
Around midnight, a tremendous roaring sound echoes through the hollow, resembling a heavy barrel rolling down the passage. The noise is accompanied by occasional piercing screams, while a strange clattering reverberates along the entire length of the hollow. Even the bravest traveller is overcome with fear when the mysterious sounds begin. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the roaring and clanging cease, leaving the hollow in complete silence.
Centuries ago, a knight’s castle stood near this haunted road, and the desolate surrounding area is still known as “at the castle.” The origins of the haunting have been forgotten, and nobody can explain what the ghostly roaring and screaming signify. The hollow remains a mysterious place where unexplained sounds disturb the summer nights.
Sources
“Der Geist im Hohlweg.” SAGEN.at – Vorarlberger Sagen aus dem Rheintal. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/vorarlberg/rheintal/geistimhholweg.html