Tradition: Austrian Mythology
Alternative Names: Toad Witch, Frog Witch
Category: Frog
The Myth
Witches in Burgenland mythology were believed to transform themselves into large frogs or toads to enter stables and steal milk from cows. They crept into barns and drank directly from the cows while the animals were lying down. After such a visit, a cow might have a swollen udder but produce no milk, or give blood instead. These strange occurrences were blamed on witches who had taken the form of enormous toads.
One tale tells of a family whose great-grandmother knew how to drive away witches. When the cows began losing their milk, a man was instructed to keep watch in the barn with an iron-tined pitchfork. He was told to attack any creature that entered, whether it was a cat, a dog, or a frog. During the night, a large toad appeared, and the man pinned it to the ground with his pitchfork. The creature began screaming and pleading with him to stop, insisting that it would not return.
The man refused to release the toad, accusing it of causing trouble by stealing the cows’ milk. As he held it down, the creature cried out that its blood was flowing and promised never to come back. Eventually, it disappeared, leaving the family to believe that the witch had been driven away. The following day, a woman was found lying in her home with the door locked. Nobody was allowed to enter, and no doctor was called. The tale presents the wounded toad and the suffering woman as two forms of the same witch, punished for stealing milk from the cattle.
Sources
Petzoldt, Franz. “Die Hexe als Kröte.” SAGEN.at – Sagen aus dem Burgenland. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/burgenland/petzoldt/hexe_kroete.html