Swiss Mythology

Mermaid of Zug

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: The Water Maiden of Zug
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

The Mermaid of Zug is a legendary water spirit associated with Lake Zug in Switzerland. According to local folklore, the Old Water King ruled a mysterious underwater kingdom and had a beautiful daughter who fell in love with the handsome son of Zug’s town clerk. Her father disapproved of their romance and forbade her from seeing the young man. When he noticed his daughter’s sadness, however, he agreed that she could marry her beloved if the young man came to live in his underwater realm.

The mermaid swam to the shore and called to the young man, who had also been longing to see her. She offered him a magical potion that allowed humans to survive beneath the water. He drank it willingly and followed her into the kingdom of Lake Zug, where they were married.

At first, the young man enjoyed his new life, but he eventually grew homesick for his parents, friends, and the town above the lake. Seeing his sorrow, the mermaid devised a way to return him to his former home. On a dark night in March, she poured her magical potion into the drinking water of the houses along Untergasse, a street in Zug’s old town.

On 4 March 1435, the street supposedly sank beneath the waters of Lake Zug. Yet, thanks to the mermaid’s magic, its inhabitants survived underwater rather than drowning. The young man was reunited with his family and neighbours, while the sunken settlement became part of the mysterious underwater world.

According to the legend, on Sundays when the lake is exceptionally clear, children may still glimpse the submerged town beneath the surface. Some also claim to hear festive music rising from the underwater kingdom of the Water King.

Sources

Sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Seejungfer von Zug. In Sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/seejungfer_zug.html

Warlock of Ägeri

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Warlock of Oberägeri
Category: Sorcerer

The Myth

The Warlock of Ägeri is a feared sorcerer from the forests near Oberägeri, Switzerland. He lived in an old charcoal burner’s hut beneath St. Jostenberg and was believed to be in league with the Devil. According to legend, he was eventually arrested in Zug and executed for his supposed dealings with evil powers.

Before his death, the warlock confessed to several strange acts. On one occasion, he transformed himself into a felled tree trunk. Two tired woodcutters sat on the trunk to eat their afternoon meal. One began carving the bark with his knife, unknowingly causing the disguised sorcerer terrible pain.

In another tale, the warlock promised a group of hunters an extraordinary hunt, provided they followed his instructions and faced a particular direction. The hunters obeyed and soon encountered an astonishing number of hares and deer. However, whenever they fired their guns, the barrels burst or the weapons failed, leaving them unable to kill any of the animals.

Another notorious sorcerer from the region was Hans Blattmann, who faced accusations of witchcraft in Lucerne in 1597. He possessed an assortment of mysterious objects, including a bowl, a fire mirror, a magic ring, silver symbols, blessed candles, seeds, and a special parchment used in his rituals.

Blattmann also prepared healing ointments for painful legs using animal fats, beef marrow, and blessed wax. People told extraordinary stories about his supposed powers, which mixed healing remedies with suspected sorcery.

Together, these tales portray the sorcerers of Ägeri as mysterious men who could transform their bodies, manipulate hunters’ fortunes, and use strange objects and rituals to influence the world around them.

Sources

“Hexenmeister” (Warlock of Ägeri). SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/zug/hexenmeister.html

Hexenmeister

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Hexenmeister
Category: Sorcerer

The Myth

The Hexenmeister is a male sorcerer from the folklore of St. Gallen, Switzerland. He can use supernatural powers to bring misfortune upon people who anger or mistreat him.

In one tale, a young beggar arrives at a farmhouse and asks the farmer for a midday meal. The farmer refuses, explaining that he is too busy bringing hay into the barn. The young man responds that the farmer will not manage to bring in any hay that day.

As soon as the farmer gathers a bundle of hay, a sudden gust of wind sweeps it away. The farmer struggles throughout the day while his neighbours work without trouble. Only the following day can he finally bring the hay safely into the barn.

The young beggar causes further damage whenever someone angers him. Eventually, he is brought before a court, where it is discovered that he had received communion while unworthy. This is taken as proof that he is a Hexenmeister, a sorcerer whose supernatural powers bring harm to others.

The tale warns that mistreating a stranger may bring unexpected consequences, especially when that stranger possesses hidden magical powers.

Sources

“Hexenmeister.” SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/hexenmeister.html

    White Hare

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: White Hare, White Rabbit of Purgatory
    Category: Rabbit

    The Myth

    An old Swiss legend tells of a farmer who secretly diverted his neighbour’s water supply by digging into its channel. The wrongdoing led to a bitter quarrel and an unjust judgment, leaving the dispute unresolved.

    After the farmer’s death, a white hare began appearing at night, reminding people of the injustice he had committed. The apparition continued until the soul of the deceased farmer was redeemed from purgatory.

    The tale presents the white hare as a supernatural reminder of wrongdoing that remains unsettled even after death. Its repeated appearances connect the natural world with the fate of the dead, suggesting that injustice must ultimately be acknowledged and atoned for before a troubled soul can find release.

    Sources

    “Werwolf Born” (Werewolf of Born). SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/solothurn/Werwolf_Born.html

    Village Pig

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: Dorfsschwein, Village Pig
    Category: Pig

    The Myth

    The Village Pig is a mysterious supernatural creature from the legends of the Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, recorded by Jakob Kuoni in 1903. It was particularly known in stories told by the Stubetiknaben, young men who went out at night along country fields, forest paths, and village streets. During these nocturnal wanderings, a pig would suddenly appear among them and prove extraordinarily difficult to escape.

    Some accounts describe the creature forcing itself between a man’s legs and carrying him away to a distant dwelling or barn. It would apparently continue its journey as long as it could find a house or livestock shelter. In other stories, the Village Pig pursued bachelors who had fled into barns, peering through windows or looking through barn doors while standing on a ladder. One man harassed by the creature in the meadows encountered a whole group of young piglets accompanying it.

    The man eventually ordered the supernatural animals to leave in the name of the Devil. They immediately withdrew with grunts and squeals and disappeared into nearby woods. Another legend from Altstätten claims that the Village Pig once entered a church. When the clergyman and sacristan attempted to catch it, the clergyman mounted the animal, only to be carried away on its back. These stories portray the Village Pig as a mischievous and persistent nocturnal creature that tormented people who encountered it after dark.

    Sources

    “Dorfschwein.” SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/dorfschwein.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    Doll on Klariden

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: Zurrimutzi, The Living Doll of Klaridenalp
    Category: Object

    The Myth

    The Doll on Klariden is a supernatural creature from a legend set on Klaridenalp, a mountain pasture between the Swiss cantons of Glarus and Uri. Centuries ago, a dairyman and two farmhands spent the summer tending cattle on this exceptionally fertile alpine pasture. The cows produced so much milk that they could be milked three times a day, leaving the men with little work. Their comfortable life eventually led to boredom and mischief. Complaining that God had forgotten them, the dairyman decided to make a woman of his own. Using old rags, torn trousers, a worn felt hat, and patched socks, he constructed a life-sized female doll stuffed with hay. The men named her Zurrimutzi.

    The three herdsmen treated Zurrimutzi as a companion, including her in their card games and meals. They placed her beneath the cows to milk into her mouth, propped playing cards between her stiff fingers, and jokingly offered her food. One day, while the dairyman smeared cream across her face, the doll suddenly came to life. Her eyes began to move, her mouth opened, and she started swallowing the cream. Although the men initially fled in terror, they returned when she appeared to remain peacefully seated at the table. Soon, however, Zurrimutzi developed an insatiable appetite, devouring enormous quantities of cheese, bread, butter, milk, cream, and rice pudding. She grew into a tall, strong, shapeless woman whom the three men eventually struggled to carry to a neighboring pasture for her customary Sunday sunbathing.

    As Zurrimutzi grew, she began speaking and helping with household chores, although her work was clumsy and she prepared vast quantities of food primarily for herself. She also joined the men’s card games and invariably won against whoever played her. At night, she sometimes ran across the roof of the alpine hut, making it thunder as though a dozen horses were galloping overhead. When autumn arrived and the herdsmen prepared to descend into the valley, they were ashamed to take their monstrous companion with them. They decided to leave secretly while she slept, unwilling either to kill her or to abandon her openly.

    Their plan failed when Zurrimutzi appeared at the doorway and ordered the dairyman, as the head of the alpine farm, to remain with her. The two farmhands were permitted to leave, provided they did not look back. They obeyed but spent the night in another hut, hoping their master would join them. When he failed to appear the following morning, they returned to investigate, praying the Lord’s Prayer at every bend in the path. Near the hut, they discovered Zurrimutzi dancing on the roof, where she had spread the dairyman’s flayed skin to dry. As blood dripped into the gutter, she hopped from one leg to the other. When she noticed the farmhands, she roared that their prayers had saved them: had they not prayed, she would have bitten their throats as she had done to their master. Horrified, the two men fled down the mountain and did not look back until they reached a chapel in the Uri lowlands.

    Sources

    “Puppe Klariden.” SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/uri/Puppe_Klariden.html

    Witch as a Fly

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: None recorded
    Category: Insect

    The Myth

    The Witch as a Fly is a vengeful witch from a legend recorded in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. She can transform herself into a fly, using her tiny form to approach a victim unnoticed and deliver a fatal bite.

    The story tells of a young man from Grabs who abandoned his lover after accepting a bribe to serve in the Netherlands. He left his home and became a soldier, leaving the woman behind. One day, while he was away, a fly bit him. The bite proved deadly, and despite every effort to treat him, he died.

    It was eventually revealed that the man’s abandoned lover had been a witch. Seeking revenge for his betrayal, she had transformed herself into a fly and delivered the fatal bite herself. The tale presents shapeshifting as a means of supernatural vengeance, allowing the witch to pursue her former lover across distant lands and kill him in a form that initially seemed harmless.

    Sources

    “Die Hexe Fleige.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/hexe_fleige.html

    Black House Poltergeist

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: The Black House Dweller
    Category: House dweller

    The Myth

    The Black House Poltergeist haunted a house in Tübach, in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. The building had a sinister reputation, and people avoided living there because strange disturbances made it seem as though something was terribly wrong inside. Its most notorious feature was the terrible noise heard at night, as if heavy sticks or tree stumps were being thrown about the house by an unseen presence.

    The disturbances were severe enough to make the house an unwelcome place to live. Although the legend does not describe the spirit’s appearance or explain why it haunted the building, the unexplained nighttime racket suggests a poltergeist whose presence was revealed through the violent movement of objects and the disruption of domestic peace.

    Eventually, the Black House was demolished. A new building was constructed in its place, becoming the popular restaurant known as Ruheberg. The old haunting was no longer a source of fear, and the legend concludes that the poltergeists had finally found peace. People could enter the new establishment without worrying about the frightening disturbances associated with its predecessor.

    The Black House Poltergeist represents a haunting tied closely to a particular building. Its identity is defined not by a visible form or a known history, but by the noises that made the house infamous and drove people away. The demolition of the structure brought the story to a peaceful conclusion, suggesting that the supernatural disturbance was bound to the old house itself.

    Sources

    “Das schwarze Haus in Tübach.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/schwarze_haus_tuebach.html

    Cradle Spirit

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: The Good Spirit of Guggernfluh
    Category: House dweller

    The Myth

    The Cradle Spirit is a benevolent supernatural being from a legend set at the Jessenen estate in Yberg, in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The spirit is associated with Guggernfluh, a steep cliff overlooking the valley where the weather is notoriously harsh. Although the area is known for its violent storms, a good spirit is said to dwell there and occasionally help the people who live nearby.

    One afternoon, near the end of the haymaking season, a farmer’s wife remained at home with her newborn twins while the rest of the household went to work gathering hay on Guggernfluh. As a thunderstorm approached, she became frightened and attempted to protect the house from the weather witches by placing an axe upright in the grass outside. While she sat beside the cradle, an unseen voice called her from the mountain, urging her to come and help with the haymaking. Although she could see nobody, she eventually left the house after the voice called her three times, moving her crying children to a corner beside the stove before departing.

    When the woman reached the meadow, she joined her husband, sons, and the farmhands in bringing the hay under cover. Before long, however, she heard persistent cries coming from the nearby woods, sounding distressingly like her own children. Following the noise to the edge of the steep cliff, she discovered a small, hunchbacked woman sitting on a patch of level grass. The strange figure was hairy and cradled something in her arms. To the mother’s horror, she recognized her own twins. As she cried out in alarm and tried to approach, the hunchbacked woman vanished, leaving only a night owl with drooping wings disappearing into the bushes. A tremendous storm then broke over the landscape.

    Terrified and fearing for her children, the woman hurried home. There she found the twins safe and sound in their cradle beside the stove. Each child held a fragrant hyacinth, known in the story as a lady’s foot flower. Her husband and the farmhands confirmed that none of them had called her to the meadow. The woman realized that the good spirit of Guggernfluh had rocked and guarded her children while she was away, and that the frightening apparition she had seen at the cliff was connected to this mysterious protection.

    Once the storm had passed, the grateful mother carried the two flowers to the small church in Yberg and placed them on the altar. According to the legend, their sweet fragrance lingered in the church for months afterward.

    The Cradle Spirit represents the mysterious benevolence attributed to supernatural beings inhabiting dangerous landscapes. Although the encounter initially appears threatening, the children are never harmed, and the flowers reveal the spirit’s protective role. The legend links the wild and stormy heights of Guggernfluh with the safety of the family home, suggesting that unseen powers could intervene to protect vulnerable children when their parents were unable to remain beside them.

    Sources

    “Der Wiegengeist.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/allgemein/wiegengeist.html

    Sterbensstein

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    Tradition: Swiss Mythology
    Alternative Names: The Death Stone
    Category: Object

    The Myth

    The Sterbensstein, or Death Stone, lies at Kirchetbüel in Oberhasli, along the route to Gadmen near Meiringen in the Swiss canton of Bern. The stone rests beside a narrow, rocky gorge through which the River Aare flowed in ancient times. Its surface bears several impressions resembling marks left by human fingers, as though someone had pressed a hand into the stone.

    According to local legend, a murder took place at this spot long ago. A woman who suffered a violent death desperately tried to grasp the stone, leaving the impressions of her fingers behind. The marks were said to preserve the traces of her final struggle, transforming an ordinary rock into a lasting reminder of the tragedy.

    The Sterbensstein is thus associated with death and the enduring physical traces of a violent event. Beyond this brief account, the legend provides no further details about the woman, her killer, or the circumstances of the murder.

    Sources

    “Der Sterbensstein” (The Death Stone). SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/grimm/dersterbensstein.html