Tradition: Austrian Mythology
Alternative Names: Kaser-Manndl, Kaser-Mandl of the Fliegeralm, Kaser-Manndl of the Wotz-Alm
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Kaser-Mandl is a fearsome mountain ghost said to haunt the Alpine pastures of Tyrol in Austria, particularly during winter. It inhabits isolated mountain huts and is known for its terrifying strength, violent temper, and the dreadful noises that echo across the mountains. During the cold months, its presence fills the surrounding countryside with fear, but as spring approaches, it grows quieter and eventually disappears. In one account, a blackbird sings beautifully from a pine tree on the mountain for several days before the spirit’s departure.
At the Fliegeralm, a locksmith named Huis built a hut beneath the mountain despite warnings that a Kaser-Mandl roamed the area during winter. One evening, while he worked inside, he heard footsteps circling the hut and someone violently shaking the door. When he opened it, nobody was there. Later that night, while sleeping on a bundle of hay, he awoke to find the monstrous ghost standing beside him. The creature attacked like an enormous butcher’s dog, its eyes blazing with fire and its body poised to tear him apart. Huis fought back with his tremendous strength and struck the spirit so forcefully that it was thrown across the hut. Although he survived the encounter, he never again dared to spend the night alone in the mountain dwelling, carrying his work back to the valley every evening instead.
Another Kaser-Manndl haunted the Wotz-Alm, where its hut stood high upon a snow-covered mountain. Its terrifying roars and otherworldly noises could be heard for miles, and people who ventured too close risked returning with their heads badly battered. One Christmas Eve, a farmer at the Zotta-Hof jokingly promised his finest cow to anyone brave enough to climb the mountain and return with the ghost’s milking bucket and foot-warmer. A poor servant girl accepted the challenge because she hoped to help her seriously ill mother. She climbed six miles through bitter winds and snow until she reached the brilliantly illuminated hut.
Inside, she found the Kaser-Manndl dressed in its Sunday clothes, sitting beside the hearth and cooking a coal-black meal. The spirit invited her to join its supper, but when she recoiled in fear, it told her to make the sign of the Cross over the pan. The dark food instantly transformed into beautiful cakes, which they ate together. Recognizing the girl’s courage and the purpose of her visit, the Kaser-Manndl gave her the milking bucket and foot-warmer without requiring her to ask. It also instructed her to demand the farmer’s finest cow together with its calf, as punishment for sending her into such dangerous weather.
When the girl returned, the farmer refused to honour his promise. The following morning, his champion cow, Robblerin, was found dead in the stable. The next day, another cow, Maierin, strangled herself with her chain, and a third cow died soon afterward. Terrified that he would lose his entire herd, the farmer finally gave the girl his finest remaining cow, allowing her to escape poverty and support her mother. The girl continued to pray for the redemption of the Kaser-Manndl of the Wotz-Alm, whose strange power could bring both terror and unexpected generosity.
Sources
Von Günther, Amalia. Tales and Legends of the Tyrol. London: Chapman and Hall, 1874. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46047/46047-h/46047-h.htm