Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: The Giant Heim, Heim of Heimenstein
Category: Giant
The Myth
The Giant Heim was a legendary giant who lived on the Heimenstein rock in the Neidlingen Valley, in what is now Baden-Württemberg, Germany. One morning, he decided to build a castle on the opposite side of the valley and called out to the people below, asking who would help him. Masons, carpenters, stonemasons, and locksmiths eagerly accepted his offer, for Heim possessed abundant gold and promised generous wages. Before long, they had constructed a magnificent castle on the rocky heights.
When Heim inspected the finished building, he discovered that one nail was missing from a window at the top of the highest tower. Furious at this imperfection, he refused to pay the workers until the nail had been driven into place. However, none of the builders dared to venture out of the high window to complete the task. Heim therefore promised an especially generous reward to anyone brave enough to do it.
A young locksmith’s apprentice volunteered. Although poor, he was in love with his master’s daughter, and his poverty had prevented him from hoping to marry her. With everyone watching anxiously, the young man stepped out of the tower window and began hammering the nail into place. Heim admired his courage and held him securely by the neck until the work was finished, then carefully lowered him to safety.
Pleased with the apprentice’s bravery, the giant praised him and rewarded him with so much gold that he became wealthy. The young man could finally overcome the obstacle of his poverty, and his master’s objections to the marriage disappeared. The legend connects the giant Heim with the castle of Reußenstein and presents him as a powerful figure whose wealth and extraordinary strength are matched by his appreciation of courage and skill.
Sources
“Die Sage vom Reußenstein.” SAGEN.at – Deutsche Sagen aus Baden-Württemberg. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/deutschland/baden_wuerttemberg/reussenstein.html