Legends & Witches in the Sciliar Area and South Tyrol

In ancient times, a large city stood on the site of the village of Siusi and up to above San Valentino. Once an old, poor man came and sought lodging, but no compassionate heart opened a door for him. So he went further and spoke above San Valentino in a farmer’s house and was given a “ladle” of water. He poured it out of the window, and in an instant, the great, proud city was flooded. In the church of St. Virgil (St. Vigil), the saint of that name commanded the rushing debris and rubble to stop with his “crook” (shepherd’s staff), and the wild element obeyed him. Thus the church of St. Virgil remained standing. The first Mass on Easter Sunday is still held in the filial church of San Valentino in Siusi, because it is said to have stood on the site of the parish church of the Seiser city. (Castelrut. Prof. Th. Wieser.)

Source: Legends from Tyrol, collected and published by Ignaz V. Zingerle, Innsbruck 1891, No. 631, pp. 357f

Oswald von Wolkenstein, out of jealousy, left his wife and children at Hauenstein, which was so poorly supplied with food that his wife died of hunger, and upon his return he found only one child still alive. Later, a woman was often seen sitting in front of the castle gate, combing her hair. She was said to have often told honest people who came to the castle about a treasure hidden in the courtyard. Large fires were often seen there, and lights can still be seen at night, which frequently mislead travelers.

Once, a farmer from Siusi went up to the castle and wanted to retrieve the treasure. But all his efforts were in vain; he found nothing but broken window panes. Miraculously, he took a few pieces of the glass home, and when he arrived, they had suddenly turned into shiny gold coins.

Another time, a farmer from Siusi again climbed up to the castle to find the treasure. But his search was also in vain; he found only a few large feathers in front of the gate. He took one and placed it on his hat. When he returned home, he found a silver spoon on his hat instead of the feather! (Castelrotto)

Source: Zingerle, Ignaz Vinzenz, Legends from Tyrol, 2nd edition, Innsbruck 1891, No. 525, p. 296

The Sciliar as Seen from Castelrotto

One of the most striking and bizarre Dolomite massifs in South Tyrol is the Sciliar, on the eastern side of the Eisack between Ponte Gardena and Ponte Isarco. Yet the valley walker or railway traveler notices little or nothing of it; only occasionally do the Sciliar towers appear through the gorges that run down to the Eisack, and that is all. To properly admire this impressive rock formation, one must ascend higher, to Castelrotto, Siusi, or the Renon. The view is almost at its most magnificent from Castelrotto, from where the accompanying image was taken.

Source: Der Alpenfreund, Monthly Journal for the Dissemination of Alpine Knowledge among Young and Old in Popular Descriptions from the Entire Alpine Region and with Practical Tips for Enjoyable Travel. Ed. Dr. Ed. Amthor, Volume 4, Gera 1872, p. 375.

Once the Sciliar had become snow-free again, a new herdsman went up and settled in the alpine hut. As night fell, he crawled onto the haystack and made himself a cozy nest from the sparse hay remaining from the previous year. He had hardly fallen asleep when the door opened, and in came a Wild Man. The herdsman pretended not to be there and remained perfectly still.

The Wild Man went straight to the stove, kindled a fire, and cooked a Blenten or Pulggen from ash and water, as the locals called it. A proper Pulggen is made from black Blenten flour (heath grain) with water. The herdsman watched secretly, somewhat afraid.

When the ash porridge was ready, the Wild Man signaled to the herdsman to come out of his hiding place. He dared not oppose the Wild Man, so, though thoroughly frightened, he descended from the hay and stood before the stove. The Wild Man began to eat and gestured to the herdsman to join him. The herdsman hesitated, but when the other signaled a second time, he obediently ate a piece of Pulggen in God’s name. It was probably not much. The Wild Man grinned and was satisfied that he ate at all. They repeated this a second time. After they had eaten the mush, the Wild Man departed.

Had the herdsman not eaten, the Wild Man would have torn him apart.

Source: Heyl, Johann Adolf, Folk Legends, Customs and Beliefs from Tyrol, Bressanone 1897, p. 352

A farmhand in Siusi secretly watched the stable girl, who was rumored to be a witch, as she rubbed an oven fork with an ointment in the kitchen and recited the well-known spell:

“Everywhere open
And nowhere touch!”

and rode up through the “Kemat” (chimney). Since she had left the ointment jar standing, the farmhand took the opportunity, rubbed some on the kitchen broom, then sat astride it and recited the spell:

“Everywhere open
And everywhere touch!”

He had misheard the spell. Badly battered, he reached the roof, hitting his head everywhere.

Through the air, it became easier, and he finally arrived at the Sciliar, where the witches were already dancing briskly. The farmhand danced along, and when the dance ended, several witches dragged the stable girl over, slaughtered and roasted her. Then they all sat down in a circle and had a good feast. They threw the farmhand a roasted rib, but he was disgusted and did not eat it, instead hiding it.

When the witches later assembled the bones and brought the girl back to life, the rib that the farmhand had taken was missing, so they replaced it with a rib made of hazel wood. They declared that if anyone now called the girl the “Hazel Witch,” she would immediately fall dead. Then everyone returned home. The next day, as the farmhand and the stable girl were eating, the farmhand suddenly said to the farmer: “There is a witch in your house.” The farmer angrily replied: “What, there are witches in my house? Don’t tell me that again!” The farmhand then said: “Yes, in your house, there is a Hazel Witch.” Instantly, there was a crash from the chair, and the girl lay dead on the floor with broken limbs.

Source: Heyl, Johann Adolf, Folk Legends, Customs and Beliefs from Tyrol, Bressanone 1897, pp. 435f