River dweller

Baachjöfferchen of Ettelbrück

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Waaßerkätchen, Plätschkätchen
Category: River dweller

The Myth

Near Ettelbrück there is said to appear at night a strange water-being known as the Baachjöfferchen. It emerges from the mill pond called Millewo, dressed in white.

From there it wanders along the stream beside Feulener Straße, babbling softly as it moves. After following the water for a time, it turns to the right across a gentle slope and makes a wide arc through the land.

At last it returns to the very place where it first appeared and slips back into the water, its murmuring voice fading as it disappears beneath the surface.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Das Baachjöfferchen. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Baachjoefferchen.html

Äschtercher of Useldingen

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Useldingen Gnomes, Äschtercher
Category: Gnome, Forest dweller, River dweller

The Myth

Between Useldingen and Ewerlingen, in the woods near the Lohmühle mill, little gnomes were said to live. The people of the area called them Äschtercher.

These small beings were known to frighten children who wandered too far into the woods. They were said to be especially drawn to those who bathed in the Attert River, where they would appear suddenly and startle them.

Thus the people spoke of the little gnomes of the forest, who lingered near the river and the mill and whose presence was feared by the young.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Wichtelcher zu Useldingen. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Useldingen.html

Azuki Arai

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Azukitogi, Azuki Togi
Category: Yōkai, Mountain Dweller, River Dweller

The Myth

Deep in the mountains of Japan, near forest streams and quiet rivers, there is said to live a yōkai known as Azuki Arai, the Bean Washer. It dwells far from villages, choosing remote riverbanks where the sound of flowing water masks its presence. Travelers rarely see it, but many have heard it.

Azuki Arai spends its time crouched beside the water, washing red azuki beans in a basket. As it works, it sings a strange song, its voice mingling with the sound of beans being rinsed:

“Azuki araou ka?
Hito totte kuou ka?”

“Shall I wash my beans,
or shall I catch a human to eat?”

Between the lines of the song comes the sound shoki shoki, the rhythmic noise of beans being washed. The voice carries through the valley, echoing along the stream.

Those who hear the song are often startled or unsettled. It is said that people drawn too close to the sound lose their footing and slip into the water. The splash frightens Azuki Arai, and it immediately flees into the forest, vanishing without a trace.

Azuki Arai is known to be extremely shy and avoids being seen. It mimics the sounds of nature—rustling leaves, flowing water, birds, and insects—to conceal itself. Because of this, most encounters are only auditory, and sightings are rare. Those who do catch a glimpse describe a small, squat figure resembling a monk or peasant, with a large head, wide eyes, and an unsettling grin, seated by the river as it washes beans.

Despite its eerie song, Azuki Arai is not considered truly dangerous. It does not pursue humans, and it disappears at the slightest disturbance. In some regions, seeing it is considered a sign of good fortune, as few are ever able to do so.

Thus, when the sound of beans being washed rises from a mountain stream, people say Azuki Arai is near—quietly working by the water, singing its strange song, and slipping away unseen the moment it is discovered.