Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Water Maiden of Zug
Category: Mermaid
The Myth
The Mermaid of Zug is a legendary water spirit associated with Lake Zug in Switzerland. According to local folklore, the Old Water King ruled a mysterious underwater kingdom and had a beautiful daughter who fell in love with the handsome son of Zug’s town clerk. Her father disapproved of their romance and forbade her from seeing the young man. When he noticed his daughter’s sadness, however, he agreed that she could marry her beloved if the young man came to live in his underwater realm.
The mermaid swam to the shore and called to the young man, who had also been longing to see her. She offered him a magical potion that allowed humans to survive beneath the water. He drank it willingly and followed her into the kingdom of Lake Zug, where they were married.
At first, the young man enjoyed his new life, but he eventually grew homesick for his parents, friends, and the town above the lake. Seeing his sorrow, the mermaid devised a way to return him to his former home. On a dark night in March, she poured her magical potion into the drinking water of the houses along Untergasse, a street in Zug’s old town.
On 4 March 1435, the street supposedly sank beneath the waters of Lake Zug. Yet, thanks to the mermaid’s magic, its inhabitants survived underwater rather than drowning. The young man was reunited with his family and neighbours, while the sunken settlement became part of the mysterious underwater world.
According to the legend, on Sundays when the lake is exceptionally clear, children may still glimpse the submerged town beneath the surface. Some also claim to hear festive music rising from the underwater kingdom of the Water King.
Sources
Sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Seejungfer von Zug. In Sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/seejungfer_zug.html