Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
The Ruffinihaus is a commercial building on Sendlinger Strasse in Munich’s old town, made up of three connected sections arranged around a triangular courtyard. It rises four stories and features bay windows and stucco decoration across its street-facing facades.
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It doesn’t look like it now, but once, it used to be an execution ground. And from this, ghost stories come out at night.
East corner facing the Rindermarkt, with the Ruffiniturm fresco.
The Raven Stone Executions
Gabriel von Seidl designed the Ruffinihaus between 1903 and 1905, building it on the site of the medieval Ruffiniturm, a tower that had been part of Munich’s old city defenses. The tower was demolished to make way for the new building, which kept the name of the structure it replaced.
Diagonally opposite the Ruffinihaus , at the corner of Sendlinger Straße and Färbergraben, is a relief of a horse with the inscription “Rappeneck”. However, according to older records, it is actually the “outer Rabeneck” – a name that refers to the raven, a bird of death associated with gallows sites.
In the Middle Ages, execution sites were often called “Raven Stone” because of the ravens that swarmed around them. The house at what is now Roseneck was called the “inner Raven Corner” as a counterpart to this. After the city expansion in the 13th century under Louis the Strict, the execution sites were placed outside the new city walls.
Raven’s Stone Execution Grounds: The name Rabenstein (Raven’s Stone) derives from the phenomenon of ravens and other carrion birds regularly circling execution sites. This phenomenon can be found in many cities in Germany.
Next to the house at Rappeneck, the executioner’s house is said to have once stood on Sendlinger Straße, with the execution site behind it, in an open field. Indeed, old documents also refer to the houses at the corner of Färbergraben and Hofstatt as “am Rabenberg” (at the Raven Hill). The execution site is believed to have been located precisely where the Hofstatt (farmstead) now stands.
The Skeletons Haunting the Night
Over the years, the ground has been disturbed several times as the city grew and buildings were built on top of it. Bones were found during excavations, as those hanged were usually buried on the spot. Some claim that the area is haunted, and the executed are supposedly seen there at night, carrying their heads in their arms.
Today, strange beings are said to appear at the site every few months and then crumble to dust back to the earth, translucent figures with gaping mouths, as their final scream and words.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
At the edge of Könizwald, a wooded hill ridge in Bern, where the woods breathe with ancient wind and twilight clings to crumbling stone, there are no residences registered but ghosts. And one of the ghost said to have lingered here, are said to have watched over the city in turbulent times.
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Once there was a country estate both serene and somber—Campagne Mon Repos, or “My Rest.” Though the grand house has long since been demolished, the legend that haunts the land remains very much alive: the spectral vigil of General Robert Scipio von Lentulus, who still guards Switzerland’s fate from beyond the grave.
The Former Manor in the Woods: The former Campagne Mon Repos estate, once home to General Robert Scipio von Lentulus, now a haunting memory in the woods of Könizwald.
The Sleeping General in Könizwald
Born in Vienna in 1714, Robert Scipio Freiherr von Lentulus was a man of distinction. He was first an officer in the Austrian service, then a lieutenant general under the Prussian flag, and eventually an influential figure in the Swiss military and political scene. People often went to him for advice and intelligence. It was said that he was from an originally Roman family who had had ties in Bern since the 1500s.
When he retired, he purchased a peaceful estate near Bern in 1779, a place meant for reflection and final repose. But even in death, the general would not find peace and his concern for the city he was put to protect seems to have lingered into his afterlife.
Portrait of a Ghost: Portrait of Robert Scipio von Lentulus (1714–1786), General, of the Grand Council of the City of Bern in 1745.
After Lentulus died in 1786, he was buried at the estate and his grave is located on the highest point of the Lentulus Hill, which bears his name.
After his death however, strange occurrences began to stir around Mon Repos. The estate passed through generations of noble Bernese families until its demolition in 1955. The solitary garden pavilion with its shutters perpetually closed was said to have been haunted by the ghost of Lentulus.
Lentulus, the Phantom Advisor
As legend has it, whenever Switzerland teeters on the brink of turmoil, brave souls gather outside the locked and weathered pavilion. They perform a solemn ritual: three times they must call out, “General Lentulus, General Lentulus—is Switzerland in danger?”
Silence is the usual reply. But not always.
On a particularly ominous evening in a time of political unrest, a group of men performed the ritual, as others had before them during the Sonderbund War, a civil war in Switzerland in 1847. The night air was thick with dread. They waited, and waited—until at last, the groaning sound of furniture scraping echoed from within the house. Shuffling footsteps followed. Then the creak of ancient hinges, as the shutters flung open.
Silhouetted in the window, stood a tall, spectral figure and it was unmistakably the ghost of General Lentulus. Pale-faced and still bearing the stoic expression of a military commander, he answered grimly, “No. Not yet. Let me go back to sleep.”
With that, the shutters closed once more, and the forest swallowed the silence again.
Though Campagne Mon Repos may be gone, the haunting of General Lentulus is said to be lingering in the woodlands of Bern. On misty nights when the country’s future feels uncertain, some claim to hear the subtle shuffle of boots and flickering light from where the pavilion was.
“Not yet,” he once said and Switzerland has been spared for many of the wars in modern time. But what if the day comes when his answer is no longer so reassuring?
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
Before Munich expanded into the modern metropolis it is today, Alter Südfriedhof served as the city’s primary burial ground a few hundred meters south of the Sendlinger Tor (Sendlinger Gate) between Thalkirchner Straße to the west and Pestalozzistraße to the east.
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The Old Southern Cemetery in Munich was established in 1563 as a plague cemetery, then known as the “ferterer Freithof” (outer cemetery), outside the city gates. Thousands of plague victims, soldiers, and notable citizens rest beneath its weathered gravestones. From 1788 to 1868, it was the sole and general burial ground for the dead from the entire city.
Visitors often describe an unsettling silence that seems to swallow every sound. Reports of ghostly silhouettes drifting between monuments and unexplained cold spots have made this cemetery one of Munich’s most enduring paranormal hotspots.
Among the most famous ghosts are nine students and actors who burned to death in their Eskimo costumes at a carnival ball on February 18, 1881 that was remembered as the Eskimo Tragedy.
That evening, the Munich Academy of Fine Arts held its 1881 carnival celebration at Kil’s Colosseum. The theme was “A Pub Crawl Around the World.” The students had created various scenes from around the world, which were displayed throughout the hall, and dressed up accordingly.
Before the Fire: German photographer circa 1881: “Living Pictures” from the artists’ costume party of the Academy of Fine Arts “Knee Prizes Around the World” in Kil’s Colosseum, before the fire on February 18, 1881
The sculpture class were dressed up as polar bears and inuits, although their theme was Antartica. There was a papier-mâché igloo, as well as icebergs made of wood and plaster and herring fried over tallow candles.
Around midnight, one of the costumed figures got too close to a candle flame. The others rushed to his aid, but the flames quickly spread to their costumes. The tubs of water that had been placed inside the set for safety were forgotten in the spreading panic.
Startled by the screams of the burning Eskimos, the neighboring “Indians” wearing long coats tried to extinguish the flames, but were unsuccessful. Several of the festival-goers also tried to help the performers, dousing them with their drinks, but most did not recognize the seriousness of the situation or mistook the flames for a planned performance.
The incident was over after four minutes. While the carnival celebration continued for another hour, the twelve seriously injured were taken to the general hospital.
Seven of the nine deceased were buried in a mass grave at the Old Southern Cemetery in Munich.
The Ghosts of the Cemetery
Following this incident, all carnival events in Munich were cancelled in 1881. As a consequence, the city of Munich tightened fire safety regulations and security measures. Seven of those burned were buried in a common grave in the Old Southern Cemetery (today section 20). Their cries of pain are still said to be heard in the cemetery on that night.
During the bombing raids of World War II, the Southern Cemetery resembled a battlefield. Eyewitnesses reported open graves, broken headstones, and exposed, half-decomposed body parts. And even today, it is said that every year on February 18th, shortly before midnight, cries of pain can be heard. These are the laments of nine art students who, in the winter of 1881, were burned alive in their Eskimo costumes on their way home from a carnival ball.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the folklore of the Germans living in former Bohemia and Silesia, places that are now part of Czech Republic and Poland, a forest spirit was warned about. Particularly in the regions shaped by dense woods, marshes, and old trade routes, the spirit known as the uhaml prowled. This entity is something between ghost and monster that no one can describe how it looks like.
Lore described the uhaml as a formless figure, often glimpsed only in fleeting moments or seen more as movement in the shadows than a solid body. It was not a spirit tied to a specific grave or location, but a presence that could appear anywhere in the darkness.
Bohemia and Silesia:A lot of old folklore from these parts were often germanic because of the german settlers from medieval times, especially for mining. At times, certain settlements far outnumbered the Czech and Polish speakers. During the 1900s, there were less and less until world war two when all the Germans were expelled.
The Forest Spirit
The uhaml was not merely a scary story told to discourage children from wandering at night. It served as a cultural explanation for tragedies that the people of earlier centuries could not otherwise explain. Carriages that overturned, travelers who disappeared between towns, hunters who never returned from the woods, and people who died suddenly in the dark were all sometimes attributed to the presence of the uhaml.
The exact nature of the uhaml varied by region and storyteller. In some tales it resembled a disembodied shape moving just beyond the sight of the observer. In others it was more like a presence that could not be seen at all, only felt. Although there is no description for the creature, it is often said to be female.
The spirit is sometimes described as some sort of a demonic bird, although it is said to have horse feet. The call of uhaml is what is most prominent of the spirit, sounding something like Uhuhu, like an owl. People imitating the spirit are in danger of being chased by it.
The Uncanny Owl:The name Uhaml can be explained as a Silesian dialectal form of Standard German “unheimlich”, meaning “eerie” or “uncanny”, or can more likely be connected to the Eurasian eagle-owl, called “Uhu” in German with regard to its call. According to historians, people of olden times believed that when the eagle owl let its sinister scream sound in European forests or along the coast, it was a sign of ghosts, accidents, or other terrible things to come. In Asia, especially for the Mongolians and the Turks, the owl is seen as sacred instead.
A Folkloric Warning
But how do you save yourself from a danger you can’t see? To protect oneself of the uhaml, people were said to sometimes leave three chips of wood or a loaf of bread in the parlor. The uhaml would enter and cut the bread in two and take one of the pieces with her. If you were being chased by her, the only way to escape was to reach the border of the forest and home and to seek cover of the eaves of the roof, hoping she would pass by.
Another similar creature is found in Lower Austria close to the historical territories that had tales of the uhaml, there is the Udl. This is a demonic kind of bird dwelling in the woods covering the slopes of the castle mountain in Mödling. The screeching and nightly call of the Udl is an omen for war or other disasters.
So what was the uhaml? Some connect the legends as a sort of cousin to the German Aufhocker, another unidentifiable shapeshifting spirit of the forest, jumping on the back of other people, wearing them down. The victims often die of exhaustion because the Aufhocker cannot be shaken off or killed. As the Uhalm, the only way of getting out of the situation is by making it back home in time.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
In the old valleys of Wales, where the mists cling low to the rivers and the stones whisper beneath ancient oaks and deserted crossroads, there drifts a figure called The Gwrach y Rhibyn or the Hag of the Mist. She is a monstrous spirit of death and sorrow, an omen said to visit the doomed in the hours before their final breath.
She is not merely a ghost, but something far older and more primal, a remnant of forgotten gods or cursed fae, whose wails echo through the Welsh night like the cries of the damned. Sometimes mentioned as a witch, vampire or a Welsh Banshee.
The Legend of the Gwrach y Rhibyn
The Gwrach y Rhibyn appears as a withered crone, her skin corpse-pale and drawn tight over sharp bones. Her tangled hair hangs like seaweed over her sunken eyes, and her blackened teeth glint when she opens her mouth to scream. She sometimes is said to have leathery, bat-like wings that stretch from her arms, and her fingers end in claws long enough to rake through the soul. The sight of her alone is enough to drive men to madness.
So ugly is she that there is a Welsh saying that goes: Y mae mor salw Gwrach y Rhibyn, meaning: She is as ugly as the Gwrach y Rhibyn.
She is often heard but seldom seen, for the Gwrach y Rhibyn moves through the mists unseen, brushing past her victims as she follows them along lonely roads or beside dark waters and rivers she is said to linger around. She is often mixed with the legend of the Canwyll Corph, or corpse candles, like will-o-the-wisps orbs of bluish white light seen around graveyards or places where people died.
The Harbinger of Death
Her arrival is always heralded by the rising of mist—dense, choking vapors that seep across crossroads and riverbanks. It is said she calls out to the living by name, her voice a shrill cry that freezes the blood. She is a death omen and the one seeing her, will either die soon, or someone close to them will.
“Fy ngŵr! Fy ngŵr!” She wails for a husband soon to die. “Fy mhlentyn bach!” she shrieks for the innocent whose time has come. Sometimes, her cry is that of a man, “Fy ngwraig!” echoing through the blackened air. No matter the form her voice takes, it is always followed by death.
Those who claim to have seen her say she hovers at windows, her wings brushing against the glass as she calls to the doomed inside. Others tell of meeting her at the crossing of streams, where she kneels to wash her hands, not in water but in the memory of blood.
Like the Irish Banshee, the Gwrach y Rhibyn is said to only warn about the death of only those with pure Welsh blood or bloodline.
Haunting for Blood
Although she is mostly known for just warning people about a near death, she’s not particularly known for taking their lives.
There is a lore about her enjoying hunting down children though and takes a fair bit of blood from them. Terrified, they come home, pale and sickly. She is even said that she is sometimes feeding on babies blood straight from their crib.
For a long time, it was said that when a healthy baby grew to be a sickly child, it was the Gwrach y Rhibyn who had been taking their blood. This part of the lore is also why she sometimes is said to have stained black teeth and that her mouth is dripping with blood. Sometimes she is even said to have hollow and long vampiric fangs she drinks the children’s blood with.
Another lore linking her with the European vampiric myths is that she is said to come back to feed on the same victim again again, causing them to wither away in the end and die.
Encounter with the Witch at the Cow and Snuffers in Llandaff
There seems to be not too many specific encounters with Gwrach Y Rhibyn that have been written down and preserved, but one of them comes from Wirt Sikes in his book British Goblins from 1880, and perhaps one of the most retold in collections of folktales about the Hag of the Mist:
The book tells the tale of a respectable farmer that Mr. Sikes met while on a walk close to Cardiff in 1878, who told the author of his encounter on the night of November 14th, 1877 with the terrible Hag of the Dribble. While visiting an old friend in Llandaff, the farmer was sleeping soundly in his bed when he was abruptly awakened “by a terrible screeching and shaking of my window. It was a loud and clear screech, and the shaking of my window was very plain, but it seemed to go by like the wind.” Excited more than frightened, the farmer jumped out of bed, ran over to the window, and flung the thing open.
“Then I saw the Gwrach Y Rhibyn,” the farmer said, “a horrible old woman with long red hair and a face like chalk, and great teeth like tusks, looking back over her shoulder at me as she went through the air with a long black gown trailing along the ground below her arms, for body I could make out none.” The hag gave out another ungodly shriek while the farmer stared at her, completely dumbfounded by what he was seeing. Then he heard the creature buffeting her wings against another window on a house just below the one he was staying in. And then, she finally vanished from his sight. The farmer stared into the night, and swore that “as I am a living man, sir, I saw her go in at the door of the Cow and Snuffers Inn, and return no more.” He watched the inn’s door for a long time after the incident, but he never saw her come back out before he drifted off into sleep once again.
The next day, the farmer was told that the innkeeper of the Cow and Snuffers, who went by the name of Llewellyn, had passed away during the night. The man had kept the inn for seventy years, and his family for three hundred years before him, at the exact same inn. The farmer, having sworn that all of this was true, left Mr. Sikes with one final thought: “It’s not these new families that the Gwrach Y Rhibyn ever troubles, sir, it’s the old stock”
The Vampiric Gwrach y Rhibyn in Llyn-y-Guelan-Goch
One of the stories that makes the Gwrach Y Rhibyn more vampiric though is from Bob Curran’s vampire books. Although the research of his books has been under much scrutiny, here it is. It is also worth noting this story doesn’t seem to appear anywhere else except in his book, although it is quite a detailed one.
In the small hamlet of Llyn-y-Guelan-Goch near Llanfor, villagers lived in fear of an ancient burial ground known for ghost lights and terrible noises after dark. A retired minister, Reverend Elias Pugh, was known locally for his knowledge of witchcraft and spirits, which brought some comfort to the community. One night, an elderly woman named Ann Hughes passed the cemetery and saw a strange stooped figure among the graves. Soon after, she sensed something following her. At a crossroads, the presence revealed itself as a bluish flame that transformed into a hideous hag in a green cloak stained with blood. Ann collapsed and later awoke with a bleeding wound on her wrist, certain the creature had fed on her blood.
In the small hamlet of Llyn-y-Guelan-Goch near Llanfor, villagers lived in fear of an ancient burial ground known for ghost lights and terrible noises after dark. A retired minister, Reverend Elias Pugh, was known locally for his knowledge of witchcraft and spirits, which brought some comfort to the community. One night, an elderly woman named Ann Hughes passed the cemetery and saw a strange stooped figure among the graves. Soon after, she sensed something following her. At a crossroads, the presence revealed itself as a bluish flame that transformed into a hideous hag in a green cloak stained with blood. Ann collapsed and later awoke with a bleeding wound on her wrist, certain the creature had fed on her blood.
Places where the Gwrach Y Rhibyn is said to have haunted in Wales:
St Donats Castle
This ghost heralds a death in the family very much like a banshee – wailing pierces the night air, and scratching is heard at windows. The entity was named as Lady Stradling, murdered by another member of her family. The apparition is also seen, some writing at it resembles an old, haggled woman, while others claim the figure wears high heels and a gown made of fine silk. If this was not enough, the castle is also reported to be home to a large floating eye that glows, a semi-transparent large black cat, and a piano that has a habit of playing itself.
This old hag is said to still haunt the ruins here from around the 1850s. Some say that she was conjured up by the fairy folk residing in the area, when the master of the castle cast them out because of their feasts. Or was she the work of the sorcerer who conjured up the castle from thin air? In any case, it was said to be dangerous to sleep in the castle, as those who spent the night woke up mad after seeing her appear in front of them.
Once owners of the building, the de Clares family were haunted by a Gwrach-y-rhibyn, warning them about an imminent death in the family. Now they have moved away, the ghost is still seen – drifting towards the castle only to disappear once she enters the ruins. A figure dressed in green also haunts the building.
Although not so many sources written down about this legend, it is said that the Gwrach-y-rhibyn has been haunting the old castle as well as the surrounding area with local tales dating back to the Victorian times at least.
The little information about her comes from the Ceredigion area, connected to Cors Bochno near Borth. According to T. Gwynn Jones, “Gwrach y Rhibyn” is associated with the Glamorgan area and believed to be a death omen.
Folklorists believe that the Gwrach y Rhibyn may once have been divine once. The word gwrach may have been ancient Celtic, and was perhaps more of a wise and elderly woman, not just the witch or hag the word has become today, mostly with negative connotations.
Interesting though, Bob Curran, writer of vampire books claims that the vampiric element to the witch has been dropped in recent times rather than been added on, as many of the old folkloric had a revamp of in the 19th and 20th century. There is however, a controversy regarding his claims as well as his books.
The Enduring Legend of The Gwrach y rhibyn
Witches are intimately connected with the eve of the Celtic festival of winter (Noson Calan Gaeaf), during which the gwrachod were said to wander the landscape, strong in the dark. Bonfires were lit, ghoulish faces carved into turnips to scare off evil, including witches.
The Gwrach y rhibyn is often fused together with the Cyhyraeth. They have a lot of similarities, but it was the nineteenth-century folklore collectors who fused the two figures.
A leading figure in Welsh mythology, Ceridwen featuring in works by medieval bards, Victorian writers and modern artists. She is regarded as the goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration by modern pagans.
Some whisper that she is a forgotten water spirit, or perhaps a shadow of Dôn, the ancient Welsh goddess of creation and the sky. Dôn has different etymological origins than the Irish Danu; while the latter is perhaps a water goddess (cf. the Danube river and the Vedic Danu), Dôn more likely comes from ghdhonos, meaning “the earth.” In this sense, she can be seen as the Welsh version of “dheghom” from Proto-Indo-European mythology, the primordial Earth Goddess from which all other gods originate.
Others say she is the cursed wife of Afagddu, the misshapen son of Ceridwen, doomed to wander forever as the harbinger of death. But whatever her origin, her purpose remains unchanged. She is the messenger who brings the final warning, the cold breath that precedes the grave.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Founded in 1589 by Duke Maximilian I as the royal brewery, this institution remained exclusive to the court until King Ludwig I opened it to the public in 1828, transforming it into a democratic gathering place for all of Munich. The main hall, called the Schwemme, seats over 1000 guests in a space that seems to amplify the joy of celebration with every clink of mugs.
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Known around the world for lively music and overflowing beer steins, the Hofbräuhaus also carries centuries of darker history. Fires, political upheaval, and countless personal tragedies have unfolded within its walls. Employees have described glasses moving on their own, unexplained whispers in vacant dining rooms, and the occasional apparition seated alone at a table before vanishing moments later. Some believe former patrons simply never left their favorite tavern.
Bad Bavarian Beer:William V, Duke of Bavaria found the beer in Munich bad so he imported beer from Saxony. He eventually asked his royal court to find a solution. A local brewery followed in 1589. Today, regular patrons store their mugs in small lockers and there is a long waiting list to have their own mug.
The Munich Man in Heaven
If you go on a ghost walk in Munich, or listen to some of the local ghost legends, you will often hear the tale of an angel who returned to earth because there was no beer in the afterlife.
Alois Hingerl was a porter with the number 172, and a loyal regular at the Hofbräuhaus. He was struck down by a stroke and died while working at the Munich Central Station. Two angels carried him to heaven, where he was assigned the name “Angel Aloisius,” a harp, and a cloud, on which he was supposed to rejoice and sing Hallelujah. He also had to follow the “heavenly house rules” on a fixed schedule.
The Origin of the Tale:Angel Aloisius is the protagonist of “A Munich Man in Heaven,” the wonderful short story written by Bavarian writer Ludwig Thoma in 1911. The city of Munich awarded a Ludwig Thoma Medal in his honour from 1967 onwards, but the award was discontinued in 1990 after his national conservative attitude, anti-Semitic slogans and anti-socialist polemics became known.
The Munich man grew increasingly frustrated in heaven due to a lack of beer and snuff, and jumped on the chance to travel back when a mission to earth presented itself.
He was to deliver a letter with divine advice to the Bavarian government. Alois was very happy about this mission, took the envelope with divine advice, and flew straight to Earth. As he had done in life, he went straight to the Hofbräuhaus, where he ordered one beer after another.
He forgot about his mission and has been sitting there to this day, while the Bavarian government is still awaiting divine advice. Legend has it he is still sitting in the HBhaus enjoying his Maß to this day and the Bavarian government had to make do without divine guidance.
With a bit of luck, you might have the pleasure of encountering Angel Aloisius at the Hofbräuhaus.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Just 30 minutes from Vienna lies the ruin of Mödling Castle, once Austria’s largest castle complex, where the Babenbergs lived in 1177, but history of the place on the hilltop stretches much further back.
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Throughout the years, the once noble castle was often dubbed by its other name, Devil’s Stone. Although the old castle is now in ruins, there are local legends about demonic spirits said to never have left, and never will.
In the Ruins of Castle Mödling
Once upon a time, this now ruins was one of the largest castle complexes in Austria. In the 12th century, a branch of the Babenberg family resided here. The ruins remaining is actually a 19th century reconstruction of the much older castle that originally was.
After the Hungarian victory at the Battle of Pressburg, the Bavarians retreated as far as the Vienna Woods, resulting in a two-hundred-year gap in records and only a few noteworthy archaeological finds from this period.
The next record of a castle in Mödling dates from 1137 and mentions a “castellanus” who presumably already resided on a hill overlooking the town. Around 1150, the Babenbergs, under Duke Henry II Jasomirgott, began construction of a stone castle. Today, only the foundation walls and a few imposing arches remain.
The Demon Stones
Another nickname for the Mödling Castle is actually Teufelstein, meaning Devil’s Stone. It is uncertain when people started to refer this place as such, but in the play Der Teufelstein in Mödling (also Die Zauber-Rose) from 1800 it is referred to as such. Although a folktale romantic comedy, could there be something the writer drew inspiration for?
Because there have been several legends referring to the Devil’s Stones. In these tales, people often talk about something demonic happening on the castle hills, like wicked goblins causing mischief, or even demonic birds screeching in the night as a bad omen of oncoming danger and death.
The Cries of the Demonic Bird Udl
One of the enduring legends of the Schlossberg or the castle hill near Mödling, is the call of the demonic bird Udl. It is said to sound eerie and hoarse, filling everyone hearing it with dread, because they know what it means.
Demonic Bird Lore:The Udl is thought to be connected to the Eurasian eagle-owl as many other demonic bird stories are. According to historians, people of olden times believed that when the eagle owl let its sinister scream sound in European forests or along the coast, it was a sign of ghosts, accidents, or other terrible things to come. In Asia, especially for the Mongolians and the Turks, the owl is seen as sacred instead.
No one can scare the creature away, and no one dares to kill it. It always returns to its forest and is said to never leave. And its voice heralds war and famine, sickness and death. And attacks from the Hungarians, Ottomans and even Romans, the attacks were plenty on these hills.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
Nockherberg is the name of a small terrace on the slope of the eastern bank of the Isar in Munich, situated in the urban district of Au. An annual beer festival rich in tradition takes place there in the Paulaner Brewery called the Salvator-Ausschank auf dem Nockherberg. According to local lore, an old brewer is still haunting the place and the festival.
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With its ale-benches, light music and huge crowd of visitors, today’s Salvator-Ausschank resembles the pole marquees at the Munich Oktoberfest. On the Nockherberg, beer is not served in usual beer glasses, but in Keferloher, tankards made of robust earthenware. The sturdy tankards keep the beer cool longer and also make ‘undemonstrative’ refilling possible.
Paulaner am Nockherberg: Beer garden of the inn Paulaner am Nockherberg in Munich, looking in the direction of the inn’s main building. // Image: Wolfgang Kopp/Wikimedia
The strong beer festival takes place annually during Lent in the Paulaner main hall at Hoch Street 77. It starts around Saint Joseph’s Day (19 March) and lasts for 17 days. The festival is associated with the traditional ‘Holy Father Feast’ on April 2, commemorating Francis of Paola, founder of the Paulaner religious order.
The Undead Brewer
The Paulaner monks have brewed beer in the monastery for their own consumption at least since 1634. Their nutrition was, on principle, very modest, even more so during Lent, and therefore they were permitted to brew a stronger version of their ‘liquid bread’ during this time of fasting. This strong beer, that has been brewed every year in spring since 1651, was named the ‘Holy Father Beer’ in honour of the founder of the order.
Zacherl was born in 1772, the son of a cook. In 1806, he became the tenant of the former Paulaner monastery brewery , which he purchased in 1813 along with all its associated properties. He continued the brewery’s strong beer tradition under the name Salvator.
Master Brewer:Franz Xaver Zacherl (officially Zächerl ; * 1772 in Munich ; † September 16, 1849 in the suburb of Au ) was a Bavarian brewer, maltster and member of parliament. With the Salvator brand , Zacherl competed with the royal brewery, the strong beer monopolist. Despite official warnings, he served it again from 1813 to 1816 and finally annually from 1820 onward. The government tolerated this illegal practice, fearing an uprising by the Munich population if the popular beer were banned. Finally, in 1837, King Ludwig I (reigned 1825–1848) issued a formal exemption.
The undead brewer Franz Xaver Zacherl is said to haunt this area. Because his descendants changed the name of his brewery after his death, contrary to his wishes, he is said to return to Nockherberg every year during the strong beer season and wreak havoc there.
Haunted Beer Festival in Nockherberg
So what is the havoc his ghost is doing? Every year, people gather to drink beer and party in this place, and sometimes, things go awry. And with a beer festival with alcohol at the center stage, a lot did go overboard.
Originally, Lenten beer was considered to be strong enough only if a bench drenched with the beer would adhere to a person’s Lederhosen when he attempted to stand up.
Derblecken ,Bavarian for ‘making fun of someone’, can be traced back to the tradition of an innkeeper greeting his guests. In former times he was apt to know all the villagers by name and was quite familiar with all the local stories and rumours. Regular guests were frequently teased with those stories by humorous and self-confident innkeepers.
circa 1895
The only violent event in the history of the town festival occurred on 23 May 1888, when a trivial quarrel turned into a mass brawl between soldiers and civilians. When an artillerist drew his sabre, a fight broke out in which walking-sticks and beer mugs were also put to good use. The fight spread throughout the hall and into the garden. Neither the gendarmes nor the jail guard from Neudeck could control the mob. In a later investigation this was considered the reason for the inability to control the escalation. It was also claimed that irritation caused by an increase in the price of Salvator beer was the underlying reason for the wrath of the festival guests. The ‘scandal year’ 1888 remained a topic of conversation in Munich for many years.
So when the next brawl breaks out, or if the beer in the mug suddenly vanishes, perhaps it could be the ghost of the old brewer at Nockenberg?
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
The Frauenkirche officially the Cathedral of Our Lady, also known as Munich Cathedral is a late Gothic church building in Munich’s Old Town and is one of the landmarks of the Bavarian capital , Munich. It is also said to be full of fantastical legends and ghosts.
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One of these is the story about Fanny, said to appear on her death anniversary, on Valentines day, after she threw herself from one of the tower because of a broken heart.
Frauenkirche: In 1468 architect Jorg von Halspach went looking for money to build a new cathedral in Munich and ended up making a bargain with the Devil. The cathedral’s master builder had promised him a church without windows. Also, In exchange for his help, the devil was to receive the soul of the first person to enter the church.
The Life and Tragedy of Fanny
Maria Franzisca was born in Ingolstadt, but after her father’s early death, she moved with her mother to Munich, where her mother remarried. Fanny received an excellent education from her mother and showed remarkable talents even as a young girl. She wrote poetry, sang, played the piano, and composed music. The girl had a particular affinity for dramatic subjects. It is said that she had already written a plan for a tragedy at the age of nine, which was published posthumously.
FannyIckstatt: Image of the Silhouette of Fanny von Ickstatt and her mother Maria Franzisca von Heppenstein. Maria Franzisca Magdalena Freiin von Ickstatt , called Fanny (* 11 May 1767 in Ingolstadt ; [ 1 ] † 14 January 1785 in Munich ), gained sad notoriety by jumping to her death from the Munich Frauenkirche and is considered a female version of Goethe’s Werther .
Contemporaries reported that she could laugh and cry in the same minute. She often mentioned that she would die an unusual death.
During a stay in Ingolstadt, Fanny met the young officer Franz von Vincenti at a ball. They fell passionately in love, and Franz requested a transfer to the Leibregiment (Life Regiment) in Munich. However, his mother, Maria Franzisca von Heppenstein, had higher ambitions for Fanny and opposed the couple’s marriage. When the rumors grew increasingly intense, Franzisca finally declared that marriage was out of the question. Tumultuous scenes ensued in the house, which in turn became the subject of whispers throughout the town.
Because of the preceding events, Fanny’s mother planned to remove her daughter from Munich for the time being. On January 14, 1785, at around 2 p.m., Fanny, accompanied by her maid, climbed the north tower of the Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady), as arranged with the tower keeper the previous day.
She had the keeper open a grille for a better view and then jumped from it. She crashed headfirst through the roof of the benefice house and died on impact.
For weeks, this event shocked the city, yet not a single newspaper reported on it. The tower keeper and the chambermaid confirmed the suicide: Fanny had jumped from the tower room with a farewell. Nevertheless, the bishop, as well as the police and the electoral authorities, concluded it was a tragic accident. For years it was a debate. Was she severely depressed? Could the Goethes novel on her bedside chamber of unrequited love be to blame? Some have even hinted that her mother ended up falling for the same man. Today, there is no definite answer to the tragedy.
The Haunting of Fanny in the Tower
Some of the young woman’s surviving works were printed after her death in 1785/1786 in the Palatinate-Bavarian Museum, along with letters from her mother, as part of a defense by the editor against the widely held view that Fanny von Klein had committed suicide and that her mother was to blame. Ickstatt’s sudden and highly visible suicide shocked the public and led to a short-lived media sensation.
Now, she is mostly remembered in local lore as the lady in white that haunts the tower of the Frauenkirche. People say you can spot her in the windows, every Valentines day, the day she ended her life. But if we are to believe local legends, it is far from the only supernatural thing that is haunting the church.
The Devil’s Footprint in Frauenkirche
Another story from the Frauenkirche is about the strange footprint inside of the cathedral. The cathedral’s master builder had promised him a church without windows when he made a pact with him to build it. But when the devil inspected the work and stood where the imprint was, he saw not a single ray of light. He laughed and stamped his foot in glee until he took another step – and suddenly discovered windows hidden behind the pillars. Enraged by the master builder’s deception, he unleashed a storm to destroy the building. The storm subsided, but the devil’s wrath remains – even today, a cold wind always blows around the cathedral.
Also, at the “Frauenfreihof,” as the cemetery by the cathedral was still called at the beginning of the 19th century, a ghost was said to haunt, wearing a white nightcap.
So what of the tragic tale of Fanny and her following ghost story, now largely forgotten? News of Ickstatt’s started a debate about the cultural anxiety of how printed descriptions of suicide might glamorize the act and contribute to a suicide epidemic, leading us back to the German author Goethe. At the beginning of his Italian Journey, on September 6 , 1786, during his only visit to Munich, Goethe stayed overnight at the Gasthaus Schwarzer Adler near the cathedral. That evening, the then 37-year-old Goethe climbed the north tower of the Frauenkirche, from which Fanny von Ickstatt had thrown herself the previous year. Goethe knew that Fanny had thoroughly read Werther and underlined passages, and therefore wanted to see the original location for himself. He wrote in his letters: “I climbed the tower from which the young lady threw herself and looked around at the Tyrolean mountains.”
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Searching for its name, the utburd ghost from Norwegian folklore haunts the forests, waters and houses its parents left them to die. For the most part, they remained in folk tales, but sometimes, the stories about the dead children got real life consequences.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures from Irish mythology is the Banshee, the omen of death, wailing as death comes to a house. But where does she come from? And what does she want from the dead?
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
The area around the plague chapel in the Lauterbach Forest, a few kilometers from Seeshapt is also said to be haunted by an ancient curse as well as the ghosts of people buried in its nearby wells.
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The Chapel is actually called Pollingsried Chapel, named after the deserted village it used to belong to. Although it is properly more known under Weilheim Chapel, a nearby village. The ominous chapel can be reached via the Tradfranzhof farm, the last remaining farm of the old hamlet the chapel belonged to.
Pollingsried once consisted of four or six farms clustered around the chapel. originated from the clearing of a wooded area near Polling Abbey, sometimes before the Hungarian invasions of 955 as an estate before being divided into the farmsteads.
In the Middle Ages, the first chapel, dedicated to Saint Sebastian, was built, serving the inhabitants of Pollingsried as a place of worship.
Saint Sebastian:According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this did not kill him. Legend says he was rescued and healed by Irene of Rome, a popular subject in 17th-century painting. After his recovery he went to Diocletian to warn him about his sins, and as a result he was clubbed to death. Sebastian is a popular male saint, especially today among athletes. In medieval times, he was regarded as a saint with a special ability to intercede to protect from plague, and devotion to him greatly increased when plague was active.
In 1803, Polling Abbey was dissolved, and the forest, including Pollingsried, became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. The farmers then became tenants to the state and had to pay high sums for this. They sold off their farms, one by one, or lost it because of debt. The last farm in Pollingsried was demolished in 1864.
Today, only the chapel and its wells remain. The other farms disappeared in 1803 during secularization, when large areas once belonging to the clergy were transferred to state ownership. As a result, many hamlets were abandoned and their inhabitants resettled. Perhaps the chapel’s isolation fueled the imagination, turning into legends that the farms were abandoned because of a curse lingering in the area.
The Plague History of the Pollingsried Chapel
The small chapel is dedicated to Saint George and Saint Anne. Inside, the visitors are still able to see a fresco of Saint Roch, the plague victims’ protector, and inscriptions containing names of over 300 victims. The chapel’s simple interior features the original terracotta floor. A small window on the west side offers a glimpse inside as the church is only opened on special occasions today.
The chapel itself is often said to have originated in one of the darkest chapters in Bavaria’s history, a plague epidemic that swept through the lands in 1633-1634. This was during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) that brought the plague to the region with the Swedish invasions.
The Thirty Years War and the Plague:Thought to have originated in Northern France in 1623, the plague was carried throughout Europe as a result of troop movements associated with the Thirty Years’ War. Initially perceived as safe from war, Bavaria became a battleground as Protestant forces, led by influential leaders such as Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden, invaded the territory. By the mid-1630s, the conflict had left Bavaria in a state of turmoil, and its population was estimated to have decreased by about 30 percent during the war.
Particularly in nearby Eberfing and the surrounding marshlands, was said to have been stricken hard. At that time, the people of Pollingsried vowed to have a mass celebrated annually in the chapel in honor of Saint Sebastian, the patron saint against the plague.
There have been mentions of some sort of chapel here since 1138/40. First, it was said a wooden chapel was built as a prayer site for the victims’ families as well as a plague cemetery. But in 1655, the chapel burned down and was rebuilt as a small Baroque church.
Saint Sebastian’s Cranium:Sebastian’s cranium was brought to the town of Ebersberg (about 80 km from the chapel) in 934. A Benedictine abbey was founded there and became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in southern Germany. It is said the silver-encased cranium was used as a cup in which to present the consecrated wine of the Blessed Sacrament to the faithful during the feast of Saint Sebastian. Safe to say that they in this area, feared the plague. // Image:J. Patrick Fischer/Wiki
A votive, or holy tablet is said to have once hung on the north wall of the Pollingsried chapel, its depiction was said to show a vow the people of Eberfing made. When the plague raged through Germany from 1633 to 1634, the farmers of Eberfing, (In some versions it was Eichendorf), offered a mass to St. Sebastian, and pledged to hold mass there every year if the people in the region were spared from the plague, as far as the bells ringing could be heard.
From that time on, no one in the area where the church bells could be heard fell ill with the plague. Perhaps this is were the plague legends now surrounding the chapel come from. And throughout times, the protection the pledge gave has now turned into a story of it being cursed.
The Pentagram Wells
Perhaps some of the stories are connected to the five moss covered wells that are placed around the chapel. one is said to be located in or beneath the church itself. Together, they supposedly form a pentagram, can still be found today, and there are said to be recurring ghostly apparitions in the forest.
It is said that plague victims were once thrown into the wells there. Only when the wells were full did they supposedly begin burying them around the church.
They are arranged in the shape of a pentagram, which served the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages as a protective symbol against demons. Four fountains are arranged around the chapel; the fifth, the so-called “Devil’s Fountain,” is said to be located directly beneath it.
Divers inspected the wells in the later years but have found no skeletons. Also, there are only four wells found. Historians, too, found no evidence in the annals to support the rumors. Besides, the wells were their drinking waters, and throwing plague victims into that would have been something completely odd thing to do.
However the empty wells remain in the stories, barred so that nothing can go in. Or out.
The Haunting of the Plague Chapel
So except for the legend about protection from the plague and the mysterious wells, what are people actually claiming that goes on around the chapel? Many residents were said to be afraid because of apparitions and the wailing of the dead, which seemed to come from the cemetery. Some say that’s why they left.
After the people left, witches, demons and ghosts remain, holding black masses and haunting the ground. There are tales of a woman hanging from a tree in the woods and when there are no lights, you can see a red figure with terrifying eyes in the window. Inside the chapel, candles were burning there at night and you can see an upside-down cross.
Instead of being protected from the plague, they say that the place is cursed within a 5 kilometre radius. About how far the bells can be heard perhaps?
The sound of screams and glinting eyes in the dark are said to follow you through the forest. And those who go looking for them often get lost in the forest.
Some claim that black Hellhounds are prowling the place. Huge, black dog with bloodshot, fiery eyes that are barking around the chapel at night. Some versions however, claim that it is a friendlier black dog that guides lost travelers.
Several bodies are said to have been sunk in the well. Legend has it that in 1625, a girl was murdered by the pastor near the chapel and thrown into one of the wells. Her black dog howled at the scene of the crime and kept watch beside the body. When the priest arrived at the church, the dog is said to have leaped at his throat, exposing him as the murderer and he confessed on his deathbed. Even today, the girl’s former companion, the jet-black dog with the fiery red eyes, is said to roam the woods at night, howling loudly.
Now, did a girl get murdered here? Who knows, but as there was no priest at this chapel, it was most likely not a priest murdering her.
The only tragic incident in Pollingsried, in which 13-year-old Elisabeth Promberger died, dates back to 1701. The young girl fell from the upper threshing floor of the farm and died from her injuries. A sad incident, but one that was “only” an unfortunate accident.
The truth of the Plague Chapel
But what is the truth behind these wild rumours? The chapel we see today is rebuilt after it burned down in the 17th century. Not much has changed since then.
The Oberammergau Plague:There are many stories about Bavarian villagers protecting themselves from the plague with pledges. The most famous one is perhaps the legend about Bad Kohlgrub was so depopulated that only two married couples remained alive. The village of Oberammergau remained plague-free until 25 September 1633, when a man named Kaspar Schisler returned home after working in the nearby village of Eschenlohe. Over the next 33 days, 81 villagers would die, half of Oberammergau’s population. On 28 October 1633, the villagers vowed that if God spared them from the plague, they would perform a play every 10 years depicting the life and death of Jesus. Nobody died of plague in Oberammergau after that vow, and the villagers kept their word to God by performing the passion play for the first time in 1634. This pledge and tradition is still going strong.
The caretakers of the chapel have worked hard to refute the haunted rumours and stop people drawn to the place to vandalize it further. The chapel is more protected than ever though with surveillance cameras. In the 1980s it was vandalised and set on fire. Its bells were thrown into the pond.
That is also why they are rather hesitant to share direction to it when discussing the legends that have haunted the chapel for decades now.
Was there even a plague going on at this time and place? Because of the famous Oberammergau Plague and the passion play that followed, the years 1633-1634 have traditionally been thought of as plague years. But was it really? It seems like there was an outbreak of plague in villages like Oberammergau, but it took place from September 1632 to March 1633, when there were a total of 84 deaths from all causes. And in the case with Pollingsried, there certainly weren’t enough people to fill wells or cemeteries.
The Haunted Chapel in the Forest
To get to the chapel today, you have to make it through the dense forest. Contrary to the legends, there are signs to the chapel, but they are few and far between, and it’s easy to get lost. It does have its own parking lot at Tradfranz farm though, so there is that. Perhaps not at hidden away as the legends would have it
Only once a year does this place come alive: The Annafest takes place in the summer, with a mass held in the small church. Who knows, perhaps the chapel is the victim of legends out of control. Or perhaps under the church, a fifth well lays in waiting.
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Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
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