The story of the lost castle of Hollerwiese on Mariahilfberg Hill is still a mystery to this day. It is said that the ghosts of those living in the castle are still seen on the meadow where the castle once stood.
East of the city of Amberg in Bavarian Germany, there is a forest-covered ridge, reaching the top called Mariahilfberg Hill and has many mysterious legends surrounding it. The hilltop is crowned with a beautiful church, surrounded by a vast forest. Behind the church is a meadow known as the Hollerwiese or Hollow Meadow.
It used to be an unwooded area up until the 1800s but is now covered with trees like the rest of the hill, hiding away the name and the legend. But according to legend, the ground sounds strangely hollow when you throw stones on it.
Read Also: This is not the only mysterious forest in the world. Read about the haunted Romanian forest Hoia Baciu as well.
The Two Sisters
There is a legend that once there was a castle standing where two very wealthy sisters lived. They had also inherited the monastery in Amberg and the towns of Raigering and Neumühle from their father and had more than enough for both of them.
Their wealth was stored in huge barrels and chests in the basement of the castle of Hollerwiese. The two sisters decided to share their wealth with each other and together they promised to help each other and live in harmony.
One of the sisters was blind and the seeing sister was the one counting the money and keeping track of their fortune. In the beginning the blind sister trusted her sister without questions.
The Church on the hill: Here you see Wallfahrtskirche Maria Hilf in Amberg. The lost castle and the meadow are supposed to be right behind it. //Source: Campiana/wikimedia
The seeing sister got greedy however and started to keep more and more to herself, giving her sister less. This was something the blind sister started to suspect.
One day, the blind sister felt with her hand on the uneven stacks of gold and realized how her sister had deceived her. She cursed the castle, making it sink into the earth, still with both of them inside where none of them would have the opportunity to spend their fortune.
In some versions of the legend, the blind one got out of Hollerwiese and spent the rest of her life in Neumühle.
It is said that during holy celebrations many see the two sisters, sitting in the meadow, waving at those passing, reminding them about the barrels of gold that sits just underneath the surface.
The Robber Baron
Another version of the story of the lost castle of Hollerwiese is about the thief that supposedly lived in the castle on the mountain. He stole goods from merchants and harvests from farmers. His daughter was grieved by their fathers criminal acts and tried to undo everything he did wrong by giving back to those he robbed.
Often did she beg her father to stop, but he only laughed at her. And when she warned him about the Heavens vengeance, he only ignored her. But in the end, his greed was punished.
Under a terrible thunderstorm the entire castle was washed away with all the residents. According to legend, there can still be sound remains of it under the meadow.
Ever since that fateful night, a maiden in a white robe is seen sitting on a stone near the Hollerwiese on the evening of the solstice. Next to her is a black dog with a golden key in his mouth. This key is said to be able to open the treasure chambers of the sunken castle.
Step into the fabled forest of Brocéliande, where tales of enchantment and eerie mystique surround you! Discover what lies deep in the shadows of this haunted forest that is said to be in the real forest of the Paimpont forest in Brittany, France.
Step into the mysterious and legendary forest of Brocéliande, a place steeped in myth and mystery. In this mythological forest lies a cursed as well as magical woodland, where fairies and powerful spirits lurk, and dark secrets await in its depths. Enter if you dare, for many strange tales have been stamped upon this fairytale land.
Background of The Forest of Brocéliande
Brocéliande is a mythical enchanted forest found in the Arthurian legends, primarily in French folklore. Many often think that ARthurian legend only exists in English mythology, but in Brittany in France there is a long tradition of ARthurian folk tales. The very idea of King Arthur is shrouded in mystery in if and where he lived.
Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from France
So even the existence of this enchanted forest is both a legend and a myth. Or is it? It is said to be the home of the Lady of The Lake, Viviane, who taught Merlin magic and other secret knowledge of the spirit world.
The forest is also said to hide numerous magical objects like Excalibur, and even contain supernatural or enchanted creatures like werewolves. A wealth of legends and stories include this haunted forest; lending it an unnerving atmosphere that has enticed adventurers through its doors for centuries.
The Haunted Forest: This ancient forest have all of the stories, from beautiful fairy tales to haunted ghost stories.
Arthurian Legends of The Forest of Brocéliande
In literature we first heard the name of the forest in the Roman de Rou chronicle by Wace from 1160. He had heard legends about this place and even went to Brittany to see it for himself. He came back disappointed though and wrote:
“I saw the forest and the land and looked for marvels, but found none. I came back as a fool and went as a fool. I went as a fool and came back as a fool. I sought foolishness and considered myself a fool.”
It was in this forest that Merlin, King Arthur’s advisor, was said to have been taught magic by Viviane, The Lady of The Lake and where his tomb is said to be.
Furthermore, both Excalibur and The Holy Grail were supposedly hidden somewhere within the depths of this forest. Today, Brocéliande is also known as ‘The Valley of No Return’, a phrase derived from its mysterious and enchanting stories that keep people coming back time after time to explore what lies in its shadows.
The Real Paimpont Forest
But is this a real forest filled with legends, or is the forest itself just a fairytale? There have been different theories about exactly where it is supposed to be. An though many think of the Brocéliande as a purely mythological place, many points to the Paimpont Forest in Brittany as the one from the fables.
In the 15th century it was known as the Brocélien forest and is located in the northwestern French region of Brittany.
One of the more magical sights of the Brocéliande forest that we can actually find in the Paimpont forest is the Vale of no Return or Vale of False Lovers. This is a place where Morgan le Fay from the Arthurian legend felt disappointment in her love for Guimar and as revenge created the Val sans Retour where unfaithful knights would be imprisoned.
It is located in a deep valley and it is said the entrance to the Val is near the town of Tréhorenteuc among the oaks and pines surrounded by a rocky moor.
The Val sans retour: The legend attached to it is primarily recounted in the Lancelot-Grail: in it, Morgan le Fay experiences a disappointment in love with the knight Guiomar, and, in retaliation, creates the Val sans retour in the forest of Brocéliande, where any knights unfaithful in love are imprisoned.//Source:Tsaag Valren/
Vivien the Fairy – The Lady of the Lake
One of the most famous characters from Brocéliande’s fables is Vivien the Fairy Queen. She goes by many names. Nimue is another name that has been attached to him. She is perhaps best known as the Lady of the Lake that gave King Arthur the Excalibur sword.
Legend has it that her magical powers are so great that she was able to imprison Merlin in a tree and keep him there until he died. There is actually a place that are called the Tombeau de Merlin from this story.
Vivien, or the Lady of the Lake was said to have a fierce temper and is not to be trifled with – once, when two men attempted to steal the golden apple from her orchard, she cursed them both to wander the forest forever in pain.
Château de Comper and the Magical Lake
The Paimpont Forest also gives us the location of her magical lake as well in the northern part of the forest close to the Concoret village.
Her lake is said to be the Lake of Diana close to the castle Château de Comper. This is a castle that saw a lot of fighting throughout the years as one of the strongest positions of Upper Brittany as well as riots during the Revolution in 1790.
There it is a large pond where it is said she lived in a crystal palace built by Merlin that was hidden under the waters of the lake.
Fairies and Creatures of the Forest
Brocéliande is home to many creatures, both real and mythical from the Breton myths. Fairies in particular, are believed to be the main inhabitants of this forest like Vivian. There are also these little protectors and child-like creatures of the forest. They are small human-like creatures that live deep in the woods, protectors of its secrets with their mischievous behavior. Meanwhile, fairies cast illusions over travelers who pass through the forest – luring them away from safe paths into an endless spiral of treacherous obstacles and bramble thickets.
But not everything that lurks in the forest is said to be of the child-like manner and innocent. There are also tales about ghosts, revenants and the will of the wisps that will lure you away and can harm you. Were druids gather in ancient holy places and giants are said to be entombed.
The Brocéliande forest, or as we know it as today, the real Paimpont Forest is said to be a place of supernatural power and places, where those brave enough to enter can hear strange murmurs in the night, or catch glimpses of apparitions within its depths.
Château de Trécesson, the ancient castle in Brittany has more than one ghost haunting the place. Perhaps it’s not too strange to be haunted by the mysterious Dames Blanches when the location of the castle is in an enchanted forest.
Château de Trécesson is an ancient castle tucked away in the French countryside that has been the source of fascination and speculation among locals for centuries.
The castle in Brittany has a mysterious past and its origin is lost in the mists of time, replete with tales of hauntings and supernatural phenomena, has attracted visitors far and wide hoping to get a glimpse into its paranormal secrets.
History of Château de Trécesson?
Château de Trécesson is an ancient castle situated in the French countryside, and it dates all the way back to 810 AD. The castle is built on the foot of the Buttes de Tiot and has stood for more than two millennia and endured the passing of time, but its rich history and ghostly lore still remain a mystery.
It’s rumored to be haunted by ghosts, and visitors have reported having odd experiences while visiting the castle grounds.
Legends and Ghost stories of Château de Trécesson?
There are many rumors and tales about Château de Trécesson that have been passed down through generations. One of them is of several guests at the castle that have seen a group of ghosts playing cards. Who the winner will be in the eternal game they are playing or what game of cards they have been on for ages are uncertain.
There is also talk of an unknown monk wandering nearby close to the meadow by the castle and on the roadside leading up to it. He is sometimes described as headless. Perhaps not so surprising as the Château de Trécesson is built in the The Enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, a place of wonder and supernatural in every tree stem.
The Enchanted Forest of Brocéliande
The Castle is close to a part of the mythological forest known as Brocéliande. The real forest connected to this is the The Paimpont Forest. It is located around the village of Paimpont in Brittany.
It contains the castles Château de Comper and Château de Trécesson as well as the Forges of Paimpont, a national historic site. It has been associated with the forest of Brocéliande and many locations from Arthurian legend, including the Val sans retour, the tomb of Merlin, and the fountain of Barenton as well as The Lady of the Lake.
Dames Blanches French Folklore
There’s also a long-standing local legend involving the castle’s ‘Dames Blanches’, or ‘White Ladies’. According to folklore, these female ghosts are said to inhabit the castle and torment its inhabitants with misfortune, calamity, and sometimes even death in many stories in French folklore.
This castle has also been said to have one of these Lady’s in white or Dames Blanches in residence from the time the castle was in the hands of Monsieur de Trécesson.
People tell stories of hearing strange whispers in the walls, feeling cold chills running through the rooms, and seeing shadowy figures of beautiful women in a muddy white dress with a flower crown roaming around in the night air.
It is said it was her brothers who murdered her in 1750 that buried her alive on her wedding day as they felt they had accepted a wedding that dishonored the family.
The whole event was spotted by a couple of poachers that saw the carriage with the woman was out in the woods and the men started digging the grave they sealed her in before driving away. Why they didn’t have the decency to kill her before burying her is unclear.
The poachers found the courage to tell the people in the nearby village about it, and they came for her rescue. They were too late and she died, but didn’t really leave. It is said she is seen close to the castle, and floating on the waters still wearing her wedding dress.
Her name or where she came from was never discovered.
The Heartbroken Lovers
Another popular tale tells of two lovers being separated due to their families’ objections. The man was forced by his father to go fight in the crusade of 1249. He was killed in battle and his young wife died of grief only a few months after the news reached her.
The spirit of the two lovers have been spotted replaying their final farewell scene close to the castle’s gateway.
The Ghost of Nan Tuck is the haunted legend about an accused witch from England still haunting the woods; she, according to legend, was killed by the villagers chasing her down.Now she is haunting the place she was killed on.
The parish of Buxted in southeast England looks quaint and peaceful enough today if you don’t know its bloody history. The rural parish is green with farmland and woodlands stretching out to the coast. But between the green trees, there is a haunted legend from darker times still haunting the woods.
Nan Tuck is a ghost that is said to haunt the village of Rotherfield in Buxted, England. The story goes that she was a woman who lived in the 17th or possibly 18th century and was accused of poisoning her husband.
The Witch Hunting in England
Nan Tuck was sentenced to death by hanging as the punishment for murder as well as witchcraft was in England. But before she could be executed, she escaped and fled into the woods to escape punishment. Whether she actually did murdered her husband or not is never really discussed or how the trial was. In any case, she was guilty in the public eye and fair game to all.
The public not only believed she was a murderer, but a witch on top of it. This was a time were the fear of witches was at an all time high in Europe and it is estimated that as many as 30 000 – 60 000 people were executed between the 13th to 18th century. In England there is estimated that around 500 were convicted as witches, 90 percent of them women. In England they didn’t burn the witches, but they hanged them.
Many of these deaths had no records of them, and we can see this with this story, that has no written records of it whatsoever, and solely relays on oral tales throughout times. This is what the legend of the Ghost of Nan Tuck tells us.
Nan Tuck’s Escape Into the Woods
Nan Tucks Lane: Heading through Solomon’s Wood. Named after the Ghost of Nan Tuck who was chased down this lane by the irate villagers of Buxted who believed she was a witch. // source
The whole village rallied and started to chase the wicked witch and murderer down in the woods. For days Nan Tuck evaded them by hiding in haystacks, climbing hedges and sneaking around in the woods to escape certain death.
It is said that she was attempting to take sanctuary in Buxted Parish Church known as St Margaret’s Church– according to the right of asylum, fugitives were allowed to escape punishment by touching the altar of a church if they were able to reach it – when local officials who were in pursuit forced her into the woods, and she never reached sanctuary.
Nan Tuck disappeared that night and was never seen again – alive. According to some versions of the tale she was caught up by the angry villagers and it was them who murdered her. In some versions she was killed in the woods, in others, she was taken back and they held a trial by water.
The trial by water was a highly deadly method of finding out whether or not someone was a witch by dunking them in water to see if they floated or sank. And with so many other women accused of witchcraft, she drowned during the trial, which ironically meant she was not a witch as the holy water didn’t repel her, causing her to float like a witch.
The Ghost of Nan Tucks Lane
The legend of Nan Tuck is one that has been told ever since. Sometimes the Ghost of Nan Tuck is depicted as a young woman, sometimes as an old one. It is said that her ghost can be seen wandering the woods near Rotherfield at night.
Legend holds that a circular patch of land in the woods near Nan Tucks Lane, were she supposedly tried to escape through, stays infertile and no vegetation will grow there. And the question if the Ghost of Nan Tuck really was a witch, still remains to this day.
So if you are walking down Nan Tucks Lane late at night and meet someone, perhaps hide and duck as it might very well be the Ghost of Nan Tuck coming for you.
The Nan Tucks Lane poem by Roy Carnon
Whether there really was a woman behind the legend is also a bit uncertain. But the legend of the Ghost of Nan Tuck haunting the woods has made into songs and poems, like this by Roy Carnon:
The new moon older by a memory threw this sinuous line down and round Poundsley way. Following feet that trod the centuries across the weald – deepening contoured tracks unknowing. The way imprinted to Hadlow, Framfield, Buxted, – on to Blackboys, cruciform neeting, pointing the fingerpost of death. Following feet – feet following years crushed harsh in grass; tearing the flowers wond – gaping raped petals laid cold on the lane. Congealing tar concealing blood, the shape of your agony lays still on bruised grass still on earth maimed by you fall. Tear-blurred, memory retreats beneath track-patterned clay but a Sussex lane remembers.
Enter into centuries-old folklore of the legendary Jersey Devil from the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Uncover its sinister past, how it has been remembered, and why so many theories persist today.
The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is a place in New Jersey in the USA. The place is shrouded in mystery and steeped in more than one legend, the most famous one being that of the Jersey Devil who has been a source of fascination for centuries.
Dating back to the 18th century New Jersey folktale, the Jersey Devil has inspired a multitude of theories — some plausible, and some outlandish. Learn more about this legendary creature and its continued cultural significance today.
The Origins of the Jersey Devil
According to local legend, the Jersey Devil, sometimes known as the Leeds Devil, often described as a flying biped with hooves. The Jersey Devil was born in 1735 in Estellville, New Jersey. The story goes that a woman named Deborah Leeds, known as Mother Leeds gave birth to a child cursed with the form of a dragon or other fantastical beast.
She already had twelve children, and when she found out she was pregnant with the 13th one, she cursed the child in her womb, calling the child the devil himself. Mother Leeds gave birth on a stormy night, and the child was born as a monster.
In some variations of the legend, Mother Leeds was a witch herself and the father of the Jersey Devil was the Devil himself.
The Jersey Devil: Here are several depictions of the creature known as the Jersey Devil or the Devil of Leeds throughout the years.
The creature soon escaped and began terrorizing the locals, swooping down from the sky and stealing farm animals, destroying crops, and even reportedly attacking some people. To this day, it remains an enduring element of local folklore — as well as a source of mystery and enchantment for many.
Sightings and Reports Throughout History
Since its first sighting in 1735, the Jersey Devil has been reported to have been seen in various forms and places in and around New Jersey. Before the 1900s, it was mostly referred to as the Leeds Devil or the Devil of Leeds, either because of the family name of Leeds or because of the New Jersey town called Leeds Point.
Sightings of the legendary creature have been reported throughout the centuries, most often as a winged demonic creature that walks on two legs and is able to fly. According to these sightings, it was blamed for killing many livestocks, and even Napoleon Bonaparte was said to have seen the Jersey Devil when he was out hunting in 1820.
Reports of its presence grew after a wave of sightings occurred near Camden between 1909 and 1910, leading to widespread newspaper coverage when the Jersey Devil allegedly attacked a trolley cart as well as livestock and the police themselves supposedly opened fire at the creature.
People reported footprints in the snow looking like the Jersey Devil as far as Delaware and Maryland. According to the writer Gordon Stein in his book Encyclopedia of Hoaxes, a man came forward as the culprit behind the mysterious footprints.
Nevertheless, there were organized manhunts and in the woods and people were advised to stay in their homes. Although these reports tapered off over time, tales of its exploits continue to be told among local residents today.
The Blue Hole
But where does the Jersey Devil really live? The Pine Barrens is a large area, but there is one particular place that is talked about more than others. In the middle of a dense forest there is a lake with a very unusual color that is often connected to the Jersey Devil called the Blue Hole.
As well as being a popular party spot, it also contains countless legends. For instance it is supposedly bottomless with powerful currents. In real life the Blue Hole really has some cold spots, but the legend tells that the water is freezing cold all year-round. It is around these parts that the Jersey Devil is most active.
Modern Theories and Beliefs About the Jersey Devil.
There are various theories and beliefs about the Jersey Devil that have been held throughout history. These range from mythological explanations such as the creature being the Thirteenth Child of Mother Leeds to more scientific concepts like a rare species of mammal surviving in an area where it is not known to exist.
More down to earth explanations have also been put forward saying the Jersey Devil is nothing more than the figment of imagination that came from the fear of the isolated place the Pine Barrens was at the time. It was considered dangerous and inhospitable with highwayman, fugitives, and outcasts like poor farmers, Native Americans and runaway slaves.
Some people believe that the Jersey Devil is actually an alien or interdimensional being, while others speculate that it may be a form of cryptid capable of shape-shifting. Regardless, speculation and legends surrounding the Jersey Devil continue to this day.
Captain Kidd
One of the other legends from the Pine Barrens is that of Captain Kidd. His real name was William Kidd and was a Scottish sea captain who turned into a pirate. He was executed in London in 1701 for both murder as well as piracy.
According to legend he buried a treasure that has yet to be found. It is not only in the Pine Barrens, but also in Nova Scotia, Connecticut and Long Island that have legends and myths about there being buried treasure around those parts.
According to legend from Pine Barrens though it is around Barnegat Bay that CAptain Kidd is haunting as a ghost, often reported about being a headless ghost.
Captain Kidd is often seen in company with the Jersey Devil himself, walking along the beach.
The Black Doctor of the Pines
The ghost of the Black Doctor is said to be the spirit of a man known as James Still. Still was said to be forbidden from practicing medicine due to his race, and he went to the Pine Barrens to practice medicine in the isolated communities of the Barrens.
There he studied medicine from textbooks and according to some legends, learned herbal medicine from the Native Amercans as well.
How he died is still debated. Some say the locals in the Pine Barrens tells the story of how he was lynched when they found out he practised medicine.
Others tell the story about how he was a hero in the isolated community and died of a heart attack, which is the true story of how James Still died.
He is said to be a helping ghost and is said to still come to the aid of lost or injured travelers in the Pine Barrens woods.
The Girl With the Golden Hair
Another ghost that haunts these parts is said to be a woman dressed in white found by the seaside, staring out into the sea as she is still mourning her lover she lost out there.
Her ghost stories are often mixed with the Jersey Devil as well, as he is said to sit next to her.
The White Stag
Something less menacing than the Jersey Devil is the spirit of a white deer that is said to show up when lost travelers need aid in the Pine Barrens. It is also said that the spirit is a warning of danger ahead.
This comes after a story where a stagecoach nearly fell into the Batsto River. The coaches reached Quaker Bridge and the horses refused to move and go over it. When the driver investigated further, he saw the white stag on the road before it disappeared before his eyes.
A closer inspection showed that the bridge was destroyed and since then it is said to mean good luck if you ever spot it.
The Black Dog
Another animal spirit around these parts is that of the Black Dog. Most often, seeing a Black Dog is a bad omen in European mythology, but in this instance, it is a good luck charm. It roams on the beaches and forests from Absecon Island to Barnegat Bay and is considered a harmless spirit.
It is said to be the ghost of a dog that was on board a ship that was attacked by pirates on Absecon Island. They killed the crew on the ship and among the killed were the cabin boy as well as hin trusted black dog.
The Black Forest in Germany is known for its haunted dark fairy tales from the brothers Grimm and the magical place has more than one legend about something magical and strange happening. But how haunted is really this place?
The Black Forest in Germany is not really a single forest, but a whole forested mountain range covering a large part of the country of dark fairy tales where around 60 % of the area is covered with some form of woodland. The Black Forest or Schwarzwald in German goes from southwest in Germany, down the Rhine Valley to the west, almost reaching the border to France and Switzerland, covering over 6000 km2.
The place is mainly rural with a few large towns and many scattered little villagers around and has become a place where legends of the supernatural and fables are allowed to live between the brooding thick woodlands with miles and miles of a forestry trail.
The Most Haunted Places in the World?
The place often pops up on lists of Most Haunted Places both in Germany as well as worldwide, but what exactly makes this entire place haunted as it is known as this dark and magical place for any outsiders? Calling the entire place haunted in the strictest sense doesn’t quite cover it all as the world enchanted does, with both the good and the bad.
Read also: Check out all the haunted places around Germany: Here
The Black Forest with its ominous sounding name is said to house everything from wicked witches, hungry werewolf, beautiful nymphs and forest goblins between the dark trees. Many of the stories sound like they come from one of the Grimm brother’s fever nightmare, and a couple of the stories of the Grimm brothers actually take place in a place that looks a lot like the Schwarzwald.
Stories like Hansel and Gretel losing their way in the forest and being captured by a witch, the menacing Pied Piper leading the children away from the urban town into the wild or the Little Red Riding Hood with the wolf knocking on the door. But do they actually take place here like the tourist guides would like you to believe? Have a bite of the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, and finish your glühwein, because many of these legends is like a super dark fairy tale.
Background of the Black Forest
Walking through the landscape of the Black Forest you will see the romantic part of Germany with stout timber farmhouses and remnants of Baroque fortification from the 17th century, especially on the mountain passes. The highest peak is the Feldberg at 1493 meters above sea level before drooping down with its deeply carved valleys and rivers like the Danube river starts and continues through Europe.
In ancient times, The Black Forest was known as Abnoba Mons after a Celtic deity, Abnoba. She was worshiped in the Black Forest and the surrounding areas and couldn’t encapsulate the spirit of The Black Forest better. She was of course a forest and river goddess, showing just how much of an importance the thick woodlands with its wispy waterfalls and evergreen meadows had for the people living there.
Historically the people living in this forest area were known for forestry and the mining of ore deposits. Today however it is tourism that is the primary industry.
It was the Romans that gave the mountain range the name The Black Forest because of the densely growth of the very dark green conifer trees.
Because of its long history, it is easy to believe like The Black Forest area has been this unchanged and wild place forever without any disturbances. However that is not the case and the area has been through many changes and has been thoroughly cultivated by the human hand.
It used to be a mixed forest until the 19th century, when the Black Forest was almost completely deforested by too much forestry. It was replanted, this time, mostly with spruce as the only type of tree. Then in the 90s, a series of windstorms, among them Hurricane Lothar in 1999, swept over the Black Forest and destroyed much of the replanted forest. Large areas were left to nature and have since grown into a natural mixed forest again, showing how nature always finds a way.
Myths and Legends of Schwarzwald
Deep and dark forest landscapes create mysteries and legends and Schwarzwald is no exception. Legend has it that the forest area is haunted by werewolves and witches and in some cases, the devil himself.
Read more about the haunted forests around the world: Here
There are also stories about a headless horseman riding on a great white steed, a mythical motif we see in many instances in countless ghost stories and written horror like the famous Sleepy Hollow for example.
We can also find dark fairy tales of an evil king who kidnaps women to take them to his magical underwater lair where he lives among the nymphs.
The Black Forest is not short of stories that tell about the dangers of the wild and what will happen to those that step outside from the path. And none more of them than what we can find in the Grimm brothers collected stories. But did the brothers really find some of the stories among the dark pine cone trees?
The Stories of The Brothers Grimm
This is a place where magic is everyday, the birthplace of Cuckoo Clocks ticking away on walls, fairy tale is real life and the people use tarot cards as playing cards. The Black Forest is also were most people connect the often bizarre and dark fairy tales of the Grimm brothers, and many of them can be traced back to the area.
Stories from the Black Forest: The Brother Grimm’s Fairy Tales definitely helped making the Black Forest a place of magic and wonder.
Brothers Grimm set many of their most scariest folk tales to the Black Forest as this was one of the places where they collected them throughout Germany. The brothers didn’t actually write the fairy tales themselves though. The stories themselves had been told orally for ages locally, they simply put them down to paper.
Like Hansel and Gretel’s encounter with the witch were well suited as the place had a reputation for witches and witchcraft long before any of these tales were written down. Fairy Tales like Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty are also said to have been set inside of the Black Forest. But is this true?
How accurate it is though is hard to say, as many of the stories are also said to be from northern part of Germany, especially around Hesse. Although the fairy tales doesn’t really have a super specific location attached to them, and many are reworks of tales that have been told all over the place, locating these fairy tales to this specific mountain range is difficult.
Although the marketing of the tourism in the Black Forest will tell you another story, because many parts of the area really fits perfectly for the more darker tales.
If you are looking for a fairy tale which explicitly plays in the Black Forest is the more under the radar fairy tale called “Heart of Stone” by Wilhelm Hauff.
The Modern Myth of Der Grossmann
There is a particular creature that shows up today on many listicles online about the Black Forest being one of Germany’s most haunted places. This is the story of Der Grossmann and it looks like it originated online together with the urban legend of Slenderman, not in the forest as a fairy tale to keep children out from the dark forest.
Der Grossmann tells of a tall and ugly man, badly disfigured with bulging eyes and too many arms. He is associated with woodcuts carved in the 1700s by an unknown artist in Germany and has as of today a pretty extensive backstory. According to ‘local legend’ bad children were sent into the forest, and they had to confess their sins to der Grossman. It is said that the worst children never came out from the forest again.
This particular story looks like it didn’t originate in the depth of the Black Forest because all information about it comes from articles discussing the historical aspects of the urban legend, the slender man. And in no place does the old legends from Germany mention a creature like this.
Even though it isn’t necessarily an old folk tale, the story is a pretty good one.
Hauntingly Beautiful
Whether a modern ghost story from one of the small towns, or an ancient legend that over time turned into one of the darker fairy tales, the Black Forest holds the macabre and haunted together with the whimsical and magical.
It has and probably will continue to draw people that wish to disappear in between the trees and off the beaten path that leads into the wild.
This haunted forest known to be the Bermuda Triangle of Romania with its eerily coiled trees and whispers of local legends reminds us all that Transylvania is not only haunted by the legend of Dracula and vampires. Take a walk in the Hoia Baciu Forest and hopefully you will get out as well.
Romania has a rich history of the unexplained and lores and legends that will creep into the bones of those listening. This forest is clouded in mystery and is no exception. Strange orbs of lights are said coming from inside the treeline, and rumors of it being a possible gateway to another dimension draws desperate people to try for themselves. The stories of the haunted forest has reached an international reputation now and is on most lists of “most haunted places in the world“.
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The forest has always had a paranormal undertone whispering in the wind from old legends, but modern lore of the forest being a hotspot for UFOs, missing time and has started to take hold as well. All of these legends are what has given it the nickname the Bermuda Triangle of Romania. The mysterious forest of Hoia Baciu, or Pădurea Hoia as it is in Romanian, has many haunted legends lingering among the trees.
Hoia Baciu Forest: The Transylvanian forest is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, largely due to its peculiar trees, a dense thicket of gnarled, contorted trees with twisted branches that seem to reach out like spectral fingers. Local legends claim that the trees are imbued with supernatural energy, and many believe that they are gateways to other dimensions or portals to the spirit world.//Source: Wikimedia
The Haunted Forest for Ufology
It’s not only those living close to the Hoia Baciu forest, superstitious people or those seeking ghosts that claim there is something going on in between the trees. Even in academic circles there are those who were intrigued by the strange place and the subject has been dealt with by both national research as well as overseas.
UFOOver the Treetops: This picture is one of the pictures Emil Barnea took of the sky above the forest, now believed to be of more strange origin.
Even some selected professors at the university in the city claim this particular forest is a place where paranormal activity happens, and in the modern world filled with strange disappearance legends, tales of aliens and UFO’s has started becoming a part of the lore of the haunted Hoia Baciu Forest.
In the late 60’s a biologist named Alexandru Sift came back with pictures from the forest that he claimed were flying UFO’s in the sky over the twisted trees. Sift wandered into the forest to have a closer look at the strange vegetation that can be found in there as part of his research.
These pictures of the alleged UFO’s were published by his chemist friend of Sift, side by side with theories about the paranormal stuff happening in the old forest right outside the city. And what he found and reported off got more people interested in both the paranormal legends that had seemingly always followed Hoia Baciu.
The same claim about seeing a UFO inside of Hoia Baciu came from a military technician named Emil Barnea as well. In 1968 he took some pictures in the western part of the forest while he was camping in the forest. Barnea took a huge hit by publishing the pictures as the communist government at the time looked at tales like ghosts and aliens like madness and superstition. He even lost his job because of the publishing of the pictures.
But what was the truth behind the pictures? What flew in the sky that made people think it had to be aliens? Both of these cases, with what seemingly looked like picture evidence, helped to give the forest a sense of notoriety more than a local place filled with local legends.
When first delving into the local lore since the first trees started growing there, strange occurrences had been reported long before the 60’s and people started talking about UFOs.
The Bermuda Triangle of Romania
Hoia Baciu Forest is located near the Cluj-Napoca city in the northwestern part of Romania, an old forest still stands only half an hour away from the city by car. The forest is in notorious Transylvania, and for many it is expected that a haunted forest should be placed right here. Although the city close to the forest is free from the Dracula tales of Bran Castle and the tourist attractions one might find in a lot of towns capitalizing on the vampiric lore of the country. But there is a certain eeriness to the trees bending in twisted ways with skeleton-like branches reaching out for the hikers.
We are away from the bustling modern everyday life from the city and here in Hoia Baciu Forest and the only thing to hear is the falling leaves, whispering as they reach the ground, and the sounds of deer, walking among the trees. Some might say Hoia Baciu is much more scary than Dracula himself.
Strange Lights of Hoia Baciu: Another one of the pictures taken by Barnea in the 60’s showcasing strange lights that has been told legends about in Hoia Baciu throughout the years. What the lights and figures over the forest really was has never been found out, but has been the source of much speculation within the ufology community.
When saying the forest is an old one, it truly is. As in 55 000 year old. With such old places like the mysterious Hoia Baciu, there are old stories that no one really knows when they started or came from. Farmers in the valley claim the forest is haunted to this day, and especially stories about strange disappearances there are plenty of. The story about the strange disappearances are also why the Hoia Baciu forest is also sometimes referred to as: “The Bermuda Triangle of Romania.”
The Disappeared Shepherd
One of these disappearance stories from Hoia Baciu tells of a shepherd that went into the Hoia Baciu and vanished with more than 200 of his sheep without a trace, never to return. Perhaps a man could simply vanish in a forest by himself, but 200 sheep? The stories about many people disappearing are odd considering the forest is not that big compared to other places an covers an area of about 3 square kilometers.
In some sources it is after the disappeared shepherd that the forest is named Hoia Baciu. The locals are at times afraid to enter the forest because of tales like this that have been handed down for generations. The once brave enough to venture in have also complained about feeling nauseous, itching as well as getting migraines when they are brave enough to enter.
The Girl Who Vanished
Perhaps the most famous tale from this forest is of the 5 year old girl that wandered into the forest one day and got lost and disappeared from the face of the earth, at least for the rest of the world. Years passed and after five years of being missing she came back out from Hoia Baciu, supposedly in the same clothes she wore on the day of her disappearance, not looking a day older.
When asked where she had been and what had happened, she had no answers. She reappeared in the forest with no memories of where she had been and what happened to her, at least, she didn’t want to share it. For her it had apparently only been a little while, not many years.
Many accounts claim there are many, perhaps as many as thousands of people that have disappeared in this Bermuda Triangle of Romania over the years. But of course, no hard evidence is found of these occurrences. Because they never happened, or merely because they happened so long ago that evidence of this is long gone?
Ghosts Haunting the Forest
There are not only strange legends about people being whisked away for years or forever or pseudo science of UFO and aliens that are told going on inside of the forest. A part of the local legends of the forest also deals with ghosts haunting the trees.
One of the ghost stories tells of the ghosts of Romanian peasants that were murdered in the forest and is believed to still be trapped in the forest, unable to move on.
They are sometimes seen wandering among the trees in Hoia Baciu, observing the people entering their final resting place. Other tales of shadow figures, something looking like ectoplasms as well as hearing strange voices are also told by joggers and hikers. One of the ghosts are supposedly also wearing something that looks like the northern Romanian traditional clothing.
The Poiana Rotunda Inside Hoia Baciu
The Poiana Rotunda: The clearing in the forest were most of the strange happenings is taking place giving the nickname Bermuda Triangle of Romania// Photo: Lajsikonik
Most of the paranormal reporting has now started centering around a supposed vegetative dead zone found inside of Hoia Baciu. This place is called Poiana Rotunda, or ‘Round Meadow’ found west in the forest.
The Poiana Rotunda is a one kilometer area of grassland inside the thick forest and is a close to perfect circle on the ground where no trees grow from the soil, apparently without an explanation.
People claim that they feel nauseous or dizzy when coming close to this place, and most of the strange things that are told about the forest are said to have started or happened around this dead zone.
What happened here has been up for much speculation. Could it be from a UFO landing at this place, could it be a sign of the gateway to the parallel dimension that seems to have spirited away many people throughout the years?
The more earthly and natural reasoning for this mysterious meadow in the middle of the forest could also be caused by natural causes or illegal deforestation the forest is suffering from. Soil samples have been taken from the place, but as of now, we don’t really have a definite explanation for this phenomenon.
A Walk Inside of the most Haunted Forest in the World
No matter what really lies inside the forest, of it really is haunted or some sort of Bermuda Triangle of Romania, it certainly pulls the strangest and darkest things out from people visiting. It is a perfect setting to put on a tv-show, sell books claiming all sorts of stuff.
Maple groves, gatherings of beech, ash and elm wrap around themselves, contorting to strange shapes that perhaps help the feeling of uneasiness and gives the forest an overall creep factor. Blocking out the sun, leaving us in a sort of eternal shadow below the trees, anything seems possible in Hoia Baciu.
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
