Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative names: Poli
Category: Ghost, Cow
The Myth
Poli could have lived a good life as a herdsman on Gritsch, but one particular cow made his work miserable. The animal repeatedly escaped, forcing him to spend hours searching for it.
Poli frequently cursed the cow and began thinking of a way to get rid of it. Eventually, he devised a plan. He felled a fir tree, stripped off its bark, and placed the wet, slippery pieces of bark across a dangerous location.
He then drove the cow over the slippery surface. The animal lost its footing, fell from the mountain, and died beneath a rock.
After his death, the unfaithful herdsman was condemned to wander as a ghost for his crime. He was forced to carry the cow up the mountain as many times as there were hairs on his head.
Whenever he finally reached the summit, he let out a loud cry of joy that could be heard far across the mountains. His cry was believed to be a sign that snowfall would soon come to the Gritsch Alpine pasture.
Another herdsman is said to haunt the path from the Wang Alp to the Rappenstein for the same crime. He had caused many cows to fall into the ravine and was likewise condemned to wander after death. His cries could always be heard whenever a storm was approaching.
Sources
“Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/