Tradition: Austrian Mythology
Alternative Names: Toad of the Hohe Salve
Category: Frog
The Myth
The Salve-Toad is a supernatural creature associated with the Hohe Salve mountain in Tyrol, Austria. It is said to be the transformed soul of a brigand who lived a wicked life and failed to fulfil a sacred vow. After death, he was condemned to crawl up the mountain in the form of a toad and seek redemption inside the chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist. His punishment forced him to struggle slowly up the steep mountain while carrying the burden of his past crimes.
According to the legend, the brigand had promised to make a pilgrimage to the summit of the Hohe Salve if Heaven would help him escape his evil companions and return to a righteous life. Although he received the assistance he had prayed for, he forgot his vow. After his death, he was transformed into a toad and compelled to climb the mountain. When he finally reached the chapel, people at the entrance repeatedly pushed and kicked him away, preventing him from entering. Nevertheless, the determined creature continued trying until at last it managed to crawl inside.
Once within the chapel, the toad crawled three times around the altar. At that moment, the curse was lifted, and the creature was instantly transformed into a handsome man. He addressed the people praying there, recounting his former life as a brigand and the long, painful penance he had endured. After revealing his story, he suddenly disappeared, leaving the worshippers to wonder at the strange event.
Another version of the legend tells of a remorseful mother whose son had become the leader of a band of robbers and murderers. After he refused to surrender to justice, a vision of the ghastly head of St. John the Baptist appeared to him in a dream, prompting him to give himself up. He was executed alongside his companions, and his mother buried their heads together on the mountain. In deep repentance, she sold all her possessions and used the money to build the chapel that still stands on the summit of the Hohe Salve.
Sources
Von Günther, Amalia. Tales and Legends of the Tyrol. London: Chapman and Hall, 1874.