Liechtenstein Mythology

Dragon of Guflina

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: Guflina Dragon
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Deep within a rugged cliff on the heights of Silum lived a dragon of terrible size. It was a winged beast with horns upon its head and eyes that burned like two blazing torches.

The dragon was the terror of the miners and mountain folk. Each spring and autumn, when the herds of cattle were driven to the Silum alpine pasture and the Bargella Alp, the monster emerged from its cave at night and attacked the animals, causing great destruction. The attacks brought misery and fear to the people who depended upon the mountain pastures.

At last, the Giant of Guflina dared to face the beast. The dragon emerged from its cave and lunged at the giant, snorting with fury. It struck him heavily across the shoulders and attempted to bury its powerful claws in his flesh and strangle him.

The giant endured the attack. With a sudden movement, he seized the dragon by the neck and drove it against the rocky cliff with both hands. He squeezed with such force that the dragon’s bones cracked, and its throat released a terrible howl that echoed across the mountains.

The miners rushed to the scene and found the dragon lying dead upon the ground. A great cheer rose through the Alpine valleys. With the monster slain, the mountain folk could once again drive their herds safely to the high pastures.

Sources

“Guflina.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Liechtenstein. Reproduced by SAGEN.at.
https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/guflina.html

Dragon of Bleika

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: Dragon of the Bleika
Category: Dragon

The Myth

In the Bleika, a tract of land north of the church of Triesenberg covered with beech forest and meadows, a dragon is said to lie hidden beneath the earth.

The dragon will remain there until the stones of the chapels at Litze and St. Wolfgang at Meierhof have all fallen from their places. When not a single stone remains upon another, the dragon will break free, and the entire Bleika will slide down into the valley as a gigantic landslide.

Sources

“Bleika.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Liechtenstein. Reproduced by SAGEN.at.
https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/bleika.html

Lindworm of Laubwinkel

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: Lindworm of Mäls
Category: Dragon

The Myth

In ancient times, a terrible Lindworm lived at the northern foot of Ellberg, in a place called Laubwinkel. It terrified the inhabitants of Mäls, especially around the swamp where the creature was said to dwell. The area that is now known as Oberfeld was then a wild, marshy landscape washed by the Rhine, covered with oak forests, hedges, and dense bushes.

The people of Mäls tried to keep the Lindworm away from the village by carrying food out to it. Calves, sheep, and goats were taken to the edge of the swamp and left there for the monster to eat. When this failed to rid them of the creature, the villagers tried another method. Large nets were stretched across the northern end of Ellberg, hoping that the Lindworm would become entangled in them. The beast escaped the traps, however, and continued to haunt the people of Mäls.

Since the monster could not be overcome by natural means, the villagers turned to the Virgin Mary. They vowed that if the Lindworm disappeared, they would build a chapel in her honor, and they held a nine-day devotion dedicated to Mary.

Their prayer was answered. The Lindworm suddenly vanished and never appeared again. In gratitude, the villagers are said to have built the pilgrimage chapel of Mariahilf, which was later enlarged. A dragon’s head made of sheet metal can still be seen on the church tower, while several large holes high in the nearby rock face are known in local tradition as the “dragon holes.”

Sources

“Der Lindwurm.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Liechtenstein. Reproduced by SAGEN.at.
https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/lindwurm.html

Lindworm of Balzers

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Lindworm of Mals, Mariahilf Lindworm
Category: Dragon

The Myth

Long ago, a terrible Lindworm roamed a swamp near the village of Mals, close to Balzers, causing great harm to the local inhabitants. The villagers tried every means they could think of to keep the monster away or drive it from the area, but nothing worked.

Unable to defeat the beast by natural means, the villagers turned to supernatural help. They held a nine-day devotion in honor of the Virgin Mary and made a solemn vow: if the dragon disappeared, they would build a chapel in her honor.

Their prayers were answered. The Lindworm suddenly vanished and was never seen again.

In gratitude, the villagers built the pilgrimage church of Mariahilf, which was gradually enlarged over time. The memory of the monster remains part of the site: a dragon’s head made of sheet metal sits atop the church tower, while several large holes high in the nearby rock face are still known locally as the “dragon holes.”

Sources

“Die Drachenlöcher.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus Liechtenstein. Reproduced by SAGEN.at.
https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/drachenloecher.htm

Poli the Cursed

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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/

Fire-Red Goat

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Tradition / Region: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative names: The Red Goat of the Treasure
Category: Sheep

The Myth

In Triesenberg there once lived a wealthy but extremely greedy farmer who trusted no one with his hidden fortune. One Sunday he told his wife, daughters, and servant to go to church while he remained home alone.

The servant became suspicious and secretly hid himself in the hayloft to watch.

During the church bells for the consecration, the farmer entered the barn carrying a pot filled with gold. He lifted part of the wooden floor and poured the treasure into a hidden cauldron buried beneath the barn. After the farmer left, the servant climbed down and stole a few pieces of gold.

Soon the farmer returned with another load of treasure. Looking into the hidden pit, he muttered that some gold seemed missing, even though he believed himself alone. Frightened, the servant did not dare move again.

When the farmer came a third time and emptied more gold into the hidden place, he sealed the floor and declared:

“Only the one who drives a fire-red goat three times around this treasure during the consecration bells, in the three highest names, shall ever reach this gold.”

Three weeks later the farmer died. No treasure or documents could be found, and his family fell into despair. The servant then told them to pray for him while he searched for something important.

After another three weeks he returned leading a terrifying fire-red goat. The wife and daughters laughed, believing all their prayers had only been for a strange red animal. But the servant warned them to wait and see.

The following Sunday, during the church bells, the servant and the widow opened the barn floor and drove the fire-red goat three times around the hidden treasure.

At that moment the ghost of the dead farmer suddenly appeared sitting upon the gold. When the church bells stopped ringing, the spirit vanished forever, finally released from its curse. The hidden fortune now belonged to the family.

As reward for his courage and cleverness, the servant was allowed to marry the farmer’s eldest daughter.

Sources

SAGEN.at. (n.d.). Der feuerrote Geissbock. In SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/geissbock.html

Lochgass Schimmel

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Tradition / Region: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative names: The Lochgasse White Horse
Category: Horse

The Myth

Near the narrow road known as the Lochgasse in Vaduz, there once lived a cruel and greedy farmer feared for his dishonesty. Nothing was safe from him, not even horses, which he regularly stole and sold in secret.

One Christmas Eve, he decided to continue his crimes even during the holy night. Crossing near a church shortly before midnight, he noticed a magnificent white horse tied beside the wall. The animal was beautiful, powerful, and calm beneath the winter stars.

The farmer quickly untied the horse, leapt into the saddle, seized the reins, and struck its flanks.

At once the white horse exploded forward with a terrible neigh, racing wildly through the frozen night. The rider could barely control it as it thundered up the Lochgasse at unnatural speed.

Just as the thief believed the horse was finally his, the animal stopped with violent force. The farmer was hurled from the saddle onto the road, where he broke his neck.

As he lay dying, his eyes opened in horror when the white horse transformed before him into the Devil himself.

After death, the greedy farmer found no peace. His spirit was condemned to wander the Lochgasse in the form of a ghostly white horse, endlessly roaming the road where he had died. The phantom continued to appear for many years until a sacred cross was finally placed there, bringing the haunting to an end.

Sources

SAGEN.at. (n.d.). Der Lochgass-Schimmel. In SAGEN.at – Plattform für Kultur und Volkskunde. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from SAGEN.at

Wildmannli

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Tradition / Region: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative names: Wild Men / Wild Folk
Category: Cave Dweller

The Myth

The Wildmannli were mysterious mountain beings said to live in caves high in the Alps around the Nenzing Valley and the alpine pastures of Seris. Their homes were stone caves called “Kasten,” hidden among the mountains and cliffs.

They appeared as small wild people completely covered in thick hair like bears. They wore no clothing and lived apart from ordinary humans in remote valleys and forests.

Despite their strange appearance, the Wildmannli often helped the mountain farmers. They came to the alpine meadows of Malbun and Steg and secretly cared for the cattle, feeding and watching over the animals while the herders remained below in the villages. Farmers trusted them so much that they sometimes stayed away from the high pastures for days, believing the Wildmannli would protect the livestock.

The Wildmannli, however, avoided violent weather, especially the warm alpine wind known as the Föhn. One autumn, while the wind raged high in the mountains, the farmers remained in the valley harvesting potatoes, assuming the Wildmannli would still tend the cattle. After several days, they finally climbed back into the Alps and found the animals nearly starving, because the Wildmannli had stayed hidden in their caves during the storm.

Another story tells how the Wildmannli summoned a midwife from Triesenberg to help a woman give birth deep in the mountains. After the child was born, the midwife was paid with an apron full of charcoal. Angry and disappointed, she threw away pieces of coal along the road home.

An invisible Wildmannli followed behind her, picking up the discarded coals and repeating: “The more you throw away, the less you will have.”

When the woman finally returned home, only a few pieces remained in her apron. But when she emptied them onto the stove, the charcoal had turned into shining silver coins. She rushed back to recover the discarded pieces, but they had vanished completely.

In later years, a Wildmannli was heard crying from the heights of the Ochsenkopf mountain: “Bitzi and Batzi have died!” After that night, the Wildmannli disappeared forever and were never seen again.

One cave near the mountain is still known as the Wildmannskirchle — the Little Church of the Wild Men.

Sources

SAGEN.at. (n.d.). Die Wildmannli. In SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/wildmannli.html

St. Mamerten Hound

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Tradition / Region: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Dog

The Myth

The St. Mamerten Hound appears as a dog with fiery eyes that sits upon a chest of gold inside the church of St. Mamerten, preventing it from being taken.

One evening, a young man from Triesen went into the church of St. Mamerten to pray. Suddenly, a spirit appeared to him and said that if he wanted to become rich, he should return at midnight with two other young men. He would see a chest full of gold, and on it would sit a dog. If they threw the dog down, all the gold would belong to them.

The next evening, the young man returned with two friends, and they knelt one behind the other in the pews. When the church bell struck midnight, the chest with the dog appeared. The young man in the front pew stood up and tried to throw the animal down, but it leaped up, stared at him with fiery eyes, barked and howled, and jumped from one side of the chest to the other. He called for help, and the second came, but he also failed. They then called the third, but he said in a trembling voice that he was afraid.

At that moment, they heard a piercing scream, and the dog and the chest disappeared. The spirit that had first appeared returned, wept, and cried out that he must now wait another hundred years before he could ask someone for help again.

It became completely dark in the church, and the friends could not move and had to remain inside until the sexton came to ring the morning bell.

Sources

SAGEN.at. (n.d.). Der Schatz von St. Mamerten. In SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen. Retrieved May 23, 2026, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/mamerten.html