Luxembourg Mythology

Wild Boar

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Das wilde Schwein, The Hellish Beast
Category: Pig

The Myth

The Wild Boar is a terrifying creature described in a Luxembourgish legend about young horse herders who spent their nights taking horses out to pasture. An old farmer recalled that strange and frightening events often occurred during these nocturnal excursions. Among them, he particularly remembered a wild boar that periodically charged through their herders’ campfires, sending countless sparks flying into the air and leaving the men’s faces blackened by morning.

The appearance of this hellish beast brought disaster to the herders. Whenever they saw it, their horses would scatter in every direction, forcing them to search for the animals afterward. On one occasion, the boar suddenly sprang between the legs of one of the young men, compelling him to endure a terrifying ride through forests and rough terrain until he reached a distant, towering rock.

The unfortunate herder was trapped on the rock for seven days. Only on the eighth day did he manage to escape, facing numerous dangers along the way. He eventually returned to his companions, half-starved and covered in blood. The tale portrays the Wild Boar as a demonic and dangerous creature whose supernatural strength could carry people away and bring chaos to those tending horses at night.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Luxembourg, 1882.

Léwfrächen

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Lion Maiden, Lioness of Oak
Category: Lion

The Myth

Léwfrächen was a mysterious maiden who lived inside a thick, hollow oak tree near the village of Eich in Luxembourg. She kept a tame lion, which gave her the name Lion Maiden. The hollow tree, known as the Léwfrächeshielchen, stood beside an old path leading into the meadows along the Alzette River. The path became known as the Lion Maiden’s Path, preserving the memory of the strange woman and her feline companion.

The hollow oak was also associated with a will-o’-the-wisp that emerged from its trunk every evening, appearing as a mysterious light in the gathering darkness. The tree became so closely linked to the local landscape that some claimed the village of Eich itself took its name from the hollow oak. Little else is known about Léwfrächen, her lion, or the mysterious light that appeared from their unusual dwelling.

Sources

“Löwenfräulein.” SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Loewenfraeulein_Eich.html

Mamer Goblin

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: The Twelve Goblins of Mamer
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The goblins of Mamer are supernatural beings said to haunt the churchyard of Mamer, Luxembourg. They appear in a legend involving a gravedigger who was known as a drunkard and thief. On Christmas Eve, while digging a grave in the churchyard, he encountered a boy walking along the path and singing. Enraged by the boy’s singing, the gravedigger attacked and beat him. When he later reached for his brandy bottle, he noticed a small man dressed in white sitting four graves away, his tongue hanging out.

Terrified, the gravedigger tried to flee, but the little man held him back. When the gravedigger struggled against him, the spirit struck a metal object with a small hammer, producing a ringing sound. A light then appeared in the sacristy, and twelve more goblins emerged. They seized the gravedigger and forced him into an open grave, where they surrounded him. The first goblin complained that he was cold, and the others brought him fire on a shovel, which he drank. The gravedigger was ordered to drink as well, but when he refused, the goblins forced the burning substance into his mouth.

The punishment grew more brutal as the goblins twisted the gravedigger’s legs over his back and forced his head between them. They eventually threw him out of the grave and back into the churchyard, where he lay unconscious. The following day, he became ill, and the boils covering his body convinced him that the encounter had not been a dream. The legend presents the goblins as frightening supernatural enforcers who punish the gravedigger after his cruel behavior on Christmas Eve.

This account was recorded by Nikolaus Gredt in Treasure of Legends of the Luxembourg Country, published in 1883.

Sources

“Kobolde auf dem Mamer Kirchhof.” SAGEN.at – Luxemburger Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Kobolde_Mamer.html

Lunkaulemännchen

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Lunkaule Manikin
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Lunkaulemännchen is the restless spirit of a wicked man who lived a sinful life, particularly through the dishonest act of moving boundary stones to alter property boundaries. Even death and burial could not put an end to his wicked nature. He is said to wander at night along the banks of the Moselle River near Grevenmacher, where he continues to commit mischief.

The creature is especially feared by late-night travelers near the village of Wellen. On a hill overlooking the village stands an old and venerable chapel, where passing travelers are advised to pray to Heaven for protection. Those who fail to seek divine protection risk a sudden encounter with the Lunkaulemännchen, which leaps onto their backs and forces them to carry it down into the valley.

As it rides its unfortunate victim downhill, the little spirit pinches, strikes, and presses against them relentlessly. It continues tormenting its victim until the exhausted traveler collapses, gasping for breath. The legend presents the Lunkaulemännchen as a punishment-bearing spirit whose nocturnal attacks reflect the wickedness of its former human life.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.

Hierschermännchen

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Hierschermännchen
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Hierschermännchen is a little dwarf said to inhabit the Holzer Busch, a wooded area between Bondorf and Holz in Luxembourg. Unlike many frightening supernatural creatures, this small being is known for interacting directly with people. It often speaks to those it encounters and even allows them to carry it.

A similar phenomenon was reported at a place called Misère, where another small supernatural being, the Hedemännchen, was known. Both traditions appear in Nikolaus Gredt’s Treasure of Legends of the Luxembourg Country, published in 1883. The surviving account provides few further details about either creature, leaving their appearance and precise nature largely unknown.

Sources

“Kobolde in Bondorf.” SAGEN.at – Luxemburger Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Kobolde_Bondorf.html

Remerschen Giant

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Der große Mann zu Remerschen, The Great Man of Remerschen
Category: Giant

The Myth

The Giant of Remerschen was an enormous man said to have lived near the Moselle River in Luxembourg. Fishermen on the river frequently saw him approaching from the direction of Remerschen. His stature was so extraordinary that he could cross the entire Moselle in just two steps.

Whenever the giant reached the river, he placed one foot on the island near Besch and the other on the opposite bank. With this immense stride, he crossed the water effortlessly, as though the broad river were no obstacle at all. The legend preserves a striking image of a giant whose extraordinary size allowed him to traverse the Moselle with ease.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ed. de la Fontaine. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.

Krügekrämer

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Der Krügekrämer, The Jug Peddler
Category: Giant

The Myth

The Krügekrämer was a mysterious, gigantic figure said to haunt the northeastern corner of the Remich Forest in Luxembourg, near a salty spring known as the Salzbur. The spring flowed into the Moselle almost as soon as it emerged from the ground. Fishermen traveling home by boat at night frequently encountered the strange, tall man near the spring. They gave him the name Krügekrämer, meaning “Jug Peddler,” because he carried a large number of earthenware jugs that clattered together ominously as he moved.

The apparition reportedly followed the fishermen along the river until they reached a nearby small ravine, where he vanished without a trace. His immense height made him especially frightening to those who encountered him in the darkness.

One fisherman recounted seeing the Krügekrämer himself on a late winter evening. He and a companion had gone fishing and intended to land near the Salzbur to unwind their fishing line. As they approached, the fisherman heard the unmistakable clatter of clay vessels striking one another. When the moon emerged from behind a cloud, he saw the figure standing close before him, as tall as a poplar tree. His companion had noticed nothing, but the fisherman quickly signaled to him, and they hurriedly rowed to the opposite bank of the Moselle to escape the uncanny apparition.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ed. de la Fontaine. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.

Tree-High Figure

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Die baumhohe Gestalt, The Tree-Tall Figure
Category: Giant

The Myth

The Tree-High Figure was a mysterious, hairy creature encountered at night near the Höllenfeld in Luxembourg. According to a local legend, a weaver from Stadtbredimus was carrying a roll of cloth to Schwebsingen when he passed the field after dark. In a roadside ditch, he noticed a shapeless figure covered in long hair, curled up as though it were a dead animal.

Curious, the weaver approached to examine what he had found. Suddenly, the figure rose from the ditch and began to grow, becoming larger and larger until it stood as tall as a tree. Terrified by the uncanny sight, the weaver swore never to pass that place again except in broad daylight.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ed. de la Fontaine. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.

Ardennes Giant

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Der Riese im Ardennerwald, The Ardennes Giant
Category: Giant

The Myth

The Giant of the Ardennes Forest was a monstrous being who possessed a magnificent gemstone that shone as brightly as the Sun. The giant had mounted the precious jewel in the center of his shield, granting it magical powers that made the shield invulnerable to ordinary weapons. When Emperor Charlemagne learned of this treasure while holding court at Aachen, he expressed his desire to possess it. Six of his bravest companions immediately volunteered to venture into the Ardennes Forest and seize the jewel for their emperor. Among them was the father of the young Roland, the hero who would later become famous in legend. Although Roland was considered too young to lead the expedition, he pleaded until he was permitted to accompany his father as a shield-bearer.

When the knights reached the forest, they separated to search more effectively for the giant. For three days and three nights, they wandered through the dense undergrowth without finding him. On the fourth day, exhaustion overcame Roland’s father, who lay down to sleep beneath an ancient oak tree. As soon as his father began to snore, Roland spotted the giant descending from a mountain, his shield flashing with brilliant sparks of light. Without waking his father, the young hero seized his weapon, mounted his warhorse, and charged toward the enormous opponent.

The giant looked down upon Roland with contempt and mocked him, but the young warrior refused to retreat. A fierce battle began. The giant swung a heavy iron bar at Roland, who swiftly dodged the crushing blow and hurled his spear at the monster. However, the spear bounced harmlessly off the giant’s enchanted shield, protected by the magical gemstone. Realizing that ordinary attacks could not penetrate the shield’s power, Roland drew his sword in both hands and struck at the giant’s left hand, severing it from his body. Since the giant had been holding the shield with that hand, the magical protection was broken, and he lost his courage.

Roland then defeated the giant completely by cutting off his head. He claimed the radiant gemstone from the fallen giant’s shield and returned with it to Emperor Charlemagne. The emperor and his court were astonished when the young shield-bearer presented the precious jewel. Through his courage, quick thinking, and skill in battle, Roland had accomplished a feat that the other knights had failed to achieve, securing the magical treasure for his emperor.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ed. de la Fontaine. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.

Pastor of Nennig

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Der Pastor von Nennig
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Pastor of Nennig is the ghost of an elderly priest who appears to a young boy tending cattle near the village of Nennig. The apparition sits in a tree where the first branches begin to spread from the trunk. Dressed in priestly vestments and holding a missal, the old man appears to murmur a prayer while gazing pleadingly at the boy. For six weeks, the boy sees the same apparition without telling anyone, until fear finally drives him to confess the matter to his spiritual father.

Following his confessor’s advice, the boy approaches the priestly apparition and asks what he wants. The ghost reveals that he was the penultimate pastor of Nennig and that he still owes the Virgin Mary a Mass. The boy, who was the priest’s last baptismal candidate, is the only person who can release him. The priest instructs him to pray the Ave Maria, make a pilgrimage to Luxembourg, and offer a consecrated candle at the high altar in honour of the Queen of Heaven.

The devout boy undertakes the pilgrimage accompanied by many other worshippers. At the Church of Our Lady in Luxembourg, he walks three times around the high altar in silent prayer and places the consecrated candle on its steps. He then declares that the priest has been released. The elderly ghost, who has accompanied the pilgrims throughout their journey, rises towards heaven. However, the boy is so deeply affected by these events that his health deteriorates, and he soon dies. According to the legend, the priest had been praying after him, calling him to follow into death. The tale reflects a local belief that the dead can summon the people they loved most in life to join them in the afterlife.

Sources

La Fontaine, Edmond de. Luxemburger Sagen und Legenden. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Ed. de la Fontaine. Luxemburg: Jos. Beffort, 1882.