Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Scholtesbur Washerwomen; Midnight Washers of the Well
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Around midnight, a villager was passing the Scholtesbur near Lintgen with his dog when he saw two women at the well, silently striking their washbasins with tremendous force.
The dog shrank in fear against its master, sensing something unnatural.
The man hurried past, but soon heard footsteps behind him. Looking down, he noticed a long shadow at his feet. Turning quickly, he saw that one of the women was following close behind, while the other came after at a distance.
He called out to them, asking what they wanted, but received no answer. Since they neither attacked nor spoke, he continued on his way, gripping his walking stick in readiness. The dog followed in terror, tail tucked.
When he finally reached the hilltop and looked back, the women had vanished.
Yet down at the Scholtesbur he saw them again — now whirling in a wild, diabolical dance.
Gallery
Sources
sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Wäscherinnen am Scholtesbur zu Lintgen. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Scholtesbur.html
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive