Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Pledge Well
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Payment Fountain is a haunted well in the rushes of Mauren, Liechtenstein. In ancient times, a godless usurer and swindler lived nearby. He exploited the desperation of his poor fellow citizens by lending them money under unfair conditions. For every hundred he promised to lend, he would provide only fifty or, at most, eighty, keeping the difference for himself. Through these dishonest dealings, he grew wealthy at the expense of those who were already struggling.
After his death, the usurer’s ghost began haunting the well, where it has reportedly been seen repeatedly. The apparition serves as a warning against greed, usury, and the exploitation of the poor. Sometimes, strange murmuring sounds rise from the water, believed to be the ghost repeating the words of his dishonest trade: “Eighty for one hundred.”
Another version tells that the usurer met a terrible end while returning home. He strayed from the road and sank into the marshy ground that once surrounded the area. The mire slowly swallowed him, dragging him deeper and deeper until escape became impossible. At last, only one outstretched hand remained visible above the ground before he disappeared entirely. His ghost is said to haunt the well as a reminder that dishonest dealings and greed can bring a person to a dreadful end.
Sources
“Der Pfandbrunnen.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/pfandbrunnen.html