Tradition: Austrian Mythology
Alternative Names: Norgg, Norgge, Nörgg, Nörggele
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Norggens are supernatural household helpers in Tyrolean folklore. They are generally helpful spirits, but their temperament can change dramatically when they are in a bad mood. Normally, they assist with domestic and agricultural work, yet when angered or mischievous, they become hot-tempered and capricious, causing trouble for the people they live among.

When a Norggen becomes troublesome, it may appear at night with a red face, three constantly trembling legs, two bare feet, bloodshot eyes, long beards, and bushy eyebrows. It can be found decorating clothing with strands of moss, wearing pointed hats, and carrying a large hammer. Norggens most often appear at night between the first quarter of the moon and the full moon, and they frequently dwell in forests, mountain caves, or even people’s homes.

One legend tells of a poor woman who asked a Norggen for shelter. He allowed her to stay in his house until January and rewarded her kindness generously. The baby never fell out of its cradle, the cow stopped kicking the milk pail, the potatoes did not rot, and the hens began laying eggs long before the first thaw. This story demonstrates the Norggen’s ability to bring good fortune and protect a household when treated kindly.

Another tale concerns a wealthy merchant who trespassed on a Norggen’s property. The spirit warned him that his wife would belong to him if she failed to guess his name three times in three months. The merchant returned home and told his wife everything. When the time came, they visited the forest to discover the spirit’s name. After several failed guesses, the merchant’s wife followed a path in the snow to a tiny house, where she saw a Norggen humming to himself. She heard him reveal that his name was Pursintziegel.

The next morning, the merchant’s wife guessed the name correctly. The Norggen turned green with rage, cursed, and vanished. He was never seen in those parts again. This legend portrays the Norggens as powerful and potentially dangerous spirits who can be outwitted through cleverness, but who do not tolerate trespassing or disrespect.

Sources

“Norggeny.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/norggeny

The Myth

The Little Mother is a mysterious old woman who appears in the spinning rooms of Dornbirn, in Vorarlberg, Austria. She has a haggard face that sometimes seems gentle and sweet, yet also carries an expression of deep sorrow. Every evening, she enters a room where neighbours gather to spin, sit in a back corner with her spinning wheel, and work silently until the others leave. Although nobody knows who she is, the villagers allow her to come and go without questioning her presence.

For three years, the old woman attends these gatherings without speaking or joining in the conversation. While the other women spin and the men smoke their pipes, she continues her work in silence. Eventually, a thoughtful young man notices something unusual about her spinning: she always turns her wheel to the left. When he asks her about it, her face brightens with a smile, and she gestures for him to follow her outside.

The two walk through fields and meadows beneath the night sky until they reach a solitary bush. There, the old woman explains that she has spun in this unusual way for many years, and that the young man is the first person to notice. His observation has brought her good fortune, and she promises him a reward. She instructs him to dig beneath the bush the following morning, telling him that whatever he finds will rightfully belong to him. Having spoken, she vanishes into the night.

The next morning, the young man digs at the indicated spot and discovers a pot filled with coins. The treasure brings him lasting prosperity, and he eventually dies in old age as the richest farmer in the village. The legend suggests that the Little Mother’s mysterious spinning was connected to an unresolved misfortune from her own life. The original account speculates that the problem may have originated when she was young and attended social gatherings where not everything was entirely proper, though it does not explain the exact nature of her burden.