Tradition: Czech Mythology
Alternative Names:
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Stilzel was once a horse herder who worked for the farmers of Heuhof, near the Bavarian border. His difficult task was to drive a hundred horses into the forest pastures. One day, before returning home, he counted the herd to make sure none had wandered off into the vast woods. However, no matter how many times he counted, he could only account for ninety-nine horses because he kept forgetting which horse he was riding. Enraged by his failure, Stilzel cursed and swore so blasphemously that the stones seemed to fly toward the sky and the forest trees trembled. Finally, he stood upon his horse and hanged himself from a pine branch using his own whip.
After his death, Stilzel became a mischievous and terrifying spirit who haunts the forest at night. He cracks his whip and bellows like an entire herd of cattle, frightening border guards into believing that smugglers are driving livestock across the border into Bavaria. The guards rush out, hoping to catch the smugglers, only to become trapped in deep mud up to their forks. From somewhere nearby, Stilzel laughs like the devil at their misfortune. Wanderers who hear the forest roar are warned never to look behind them, for Stilzel may leap onto their backs and force them to carry him until they are exhausted, their chests heaving and their knees buckling.
Despite his frightening nature, Stilzel sometimes helps people who recognize his presence. Once, a farmer from Bärnlohe found that his wagon would not move, even though it carried no logs and his oxen could not pull it forward. Realizing that Stilzel was secretly pressing his fist against the wagon, the farmer shouted at the spirit to get off and help push. Immediately, the wagon became light and rolled forward as if moving by itself.
Stilzel is also associated with the Saumühle, an old mill between Flöß and Heuhof where he once herded horses. According to the legend, the supernatural herdsman carried the entire mill there himself on his back. His stories portray him as a powerful, unpredictable spirit who delights in frightening travellers and tricking those who enter his forest, but who can also be persuaded to lend a helping hand.
Sources
“Stilzel.” In Hans Watzlik, Böhmerwald-Sagen. Budweis: Böhmerwalder Dorfbücher, 1921, Heft 5. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/tschechien/watzlik/stilzel.html