Gnome of Butchers’ Street

Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Luxembourg Baker’s Gnomes, Butchers’ Street Elves
Category: Gnome


The Myth

In Luxembourg City, on Butchers’ Street, there once lived a baker who had more work than he could possibly manage. He searched for journeymen to help him, but none could be found. Troubled and weary, he went to bed one evening with his work unfinished.

When he rose the next morning, he was astonished to find that all the baking had been done. The same thing happened the next day, and again on the third. During the night, unseen little elves had helped the baker and completed his work.

But on the fourth day, in a moment of frustration, the baker uttered a curse, crying out against all the devils of hell.

From that moment on, the little helpers never returned.


Gallery


Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Wichtelcher zu Luxemburg. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Luxemburg.html


Interpretive Lenses

Religious Readings
  • Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
  • Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
  • Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
  • Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
  • Marxist Deep Dive

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