Austrian legends
From the book "Legends of Austria" ("Tannen-E - a city under eternal ice»)

Translated from German by Roman Eivadis

Basilisk

One June morning in 1212, in Schönlaterngasse lane, in front of house number 7, a baker's shop, as prosperous as the greedy master Garhibl, a huge crowd of townspeople gathered. The gates were locked, and desperate cries for help came from the house. Curious and onlookers all arrived. In the end, a couple of daredevils decided to break the gate; meanwhile, the others hurried to the city judge, Jacob von der Hülben, and informed him that something terrible was happening at the baker's house.
Meanwhile, the gate suddenly opened of its own accord, and the baker, deathly pale, appeared before the eagerly advancing crowd, which bombarded him with questions. However, before the baker could explain what had happened, the city judge came with his guards and demanded an answer from the shaking baker - which caused a disturbance in the order.
“Mr. City Judge,” said Garhible, stuttering, “a terrible monster has started in my house!” Early this morning, one of my maids was about to draw water from the well, and she noticed, deep in the well, some wonderful gleam and glow; at that very moment such an infernal stench hit her nose that she almost fainted. She screamed loudly and ran into the house. My student volunteered to see what was the matter. He ordered to tie himself with a rope, took a torch in his hand and went down into the well. Before he reached the water, he suddenly let out a terrible scream and dropped the torch. We quickly pulled it out. The poor guy almost died of fright. When he came to his senses, he said that he had seen a terrible monster at the bottom of the well, resembling either a rooster or a toad. His paws seem to be thick and warty, his tail is jagged, covered with scales, and on his head is a fiery crown. This monster, the boy says, cast such glances at him that he already began to say goodbye to life. If we hadn’t pulled him up at the same moment, the baker concluded his story, he would have perished in the well.
The city judge was embarrassed and did not know what to do in this strange case. Fortunately, a pundit, Dr. Heinrich Pollitzer, was in the crowd. Having made his way to the city judge, he announced that he knew what was the matter, and asked permission to calm the townspeople.
“The name of the beast that was seen in the well is the basilisk,” he explained. - A basilisk comes from an egg laid by a rooster and incubated by a toad. Even the ancient Roman writer Pliny described this animal. It is unusually poisonous, even its breath, but what to say - just the sight of it is fatal to humans. He must be killed immediately. And this can be done in only one way - by showing the beast a mirror. As soon as he sees his vile appearance, he will immediately burst with rage. If there is a person who dares to this feat, - the scientist turned to the baker, - then your house will get rid of the monster.
The crowd was silent. The baker cried out without hesitation:
- Which of you dares to extend a mirror to the basilisk? I swear, he will not regret it - I will reward him princely!
Put a baker in front of people even a barrel of gold - and then, it seems, no one would have expressed a desire to climb into the well. Nobody spoke a word. The strongest men slipped away first, and the rest followed them little by little, for even the proximity of the well itself, in which the dangerous beast lurked, terrified them.
Only one mastered his fear and announced that he was ready to try his luck. It was a poor fellow named Hans Gelbhaar, an apprentice to the baker himself.
“Master,” he said, “you know that I have long since loved your daughter Apollonia with all my heart. I also know that you are angry with me for this. If you agree to give me your daughter as a wife, then for the sake of such happiness I will not be afraid to risk my head.
And since the baker was in indescribable fear of the monster, even such a price - at which he would not have agreed for anything in the world if this misfortune had not happened - seemed to him not too high. He waved his hand and gave his word that Apollonia would become his wife as soon as the basilisk died.
The city judge ordered a large mirror to be brought, Hans was tied with a rope, and he began to slowly descend into the well. He managed to dodge the basilisk's deadly gaze and hold up a mirror to it, safely avoiding danger. The basilisk, seeing its hideous disguise, burst with anger with a thunderous crash. The apprentice, alive and unharmed, climbed out of the well, Apollonia embraced him in joy, and the baker had no choice but to keep his word. Hans and Apollonia lived happily ever after.
The well, on the advice of Dr. Pollitzer, was filled up with stones and covered with earth, thereby burying the monster at the bottom. But even in his death he did not lose his destructive power. Several workers were poisoned by poisonous fumes rising from the well, and died two or three days later. The baker's apprentice did not survive either.
In memory of the basilisk, an image of the beast was placed in the niche of house number 7 in Schönlaterngasse lane. From now on, the house was called nothing more than "basilisk house". Belief in a dangerous monster has long gone, only the expression "basilisk look", which means an ominous look, lives to this day.

Danube mermaid

At the hour when the evening calmly fades, when the moon shines in the sky and pours its silver light on the earth, sometimes a charming creature appears among the waves of the Danube. Light curls, framing a beautiful face, are decorated with a wreath of flowers; the snow-white camp is also twined with flowers. The young enchantress now sways on the shimmering waves, then disappears into the depths of the river, only to soon reappear on the surface.
At times, the mermaid leaves the cool waters and wanders in the moonlight through the dewy coastal meadows, not even afraid to show herself to people, looks into lonely fishing huts and enjoys the peaceful life of their poor inhabitants. Often she warns the fishermen, informing them of the impending danger: ice jams, floods or a fierce storm.
She helps one, but dooms the other to death, luring her seductive singing into the river. Overwhelmed by sudden melancholy, he follows her and finds his grave at the bottom of the river.
Many centuries ago, when Vienna was still a small town and where tall houses now flaunt, low fishermen's huts were lonely pressed together, one frosty winter evening, an old fisherman with his son sat in his poor dwelling, by a flaming hearth. They mended their nets and talked about the dangers of their trade. The old man, of course, knew many stories about mermen and mermaids.
- At the bottom of the Danube, - he said, - there is a huge crystal palace, and the river king lives in it with his wife and children. On large tables he has glass vessels in which he holds the souls of the drowned. The king often goes out for a walk along the shore, and woe to the one who dares to call out to him: he will immediately drag him to the bottom. His daughters, mermaids, are all like the selection of a beauty and are very eager for young handsome guys. Those whom they manage to charm must certainly drown in speed. Therefore, beware of mermaids, my son! All of them are charmers, sometimes they even come to dances with people and dance all night, until the first roosters, and then rush back to their water kingdom.
The old man knew many stories and fables; the son listened to his father's words with disbelief, for he had never seen a mermaid before. Before the old fisherman had finished his story, the door of the hut suddenly opened. The interior of the poor dwelling lit up with a magical light, and a beautiful girl in a shimmering white robe appeared on the threshold. Her braids, shining like gold, were woven with white water lilies.
- Do not be afraid! - said the beautiful guest, fixing her wet blue gaze on the young fisherman. - I'm just a mermaid and I won't hurt you. I've come to warn you of danger. The thaw is coming; the ice on the Danube will crack and melt, the river will burst its banks and flood the coastal meadows and your homes. Don't waste your time, run or you'll die.
Father and son seemed to be petrified with amazement, and when the strange vision vanished and the door quietly closed again, they could not utter a word for a long time. They didn't know if it happened to them in a dream or in reality. Finally, the old man took a breath, looked at his son and asked:
- Did you see it too?
The young man shook off his numbness and silently nodded. No, it was not an obsession! There was a mermaid in their hut, they both saw her, they both heard her words!
Father and son jumped to their feet and rushed out of the hut, into the frosty night, hurried to their neighbors, other fishermen, and told them about the miraculous incident. And there was not a single person in the village who would not believe in the divination of the good mermaid; they all tied their belongings into bundles and left their dwellings that same night, carrying with them everything they could carry, and rushed to the surrounding hills. They knew perfectly well what a sudden thaw threatened them with, if the stream, bound by frost, suddenly broke its shackles.
When morning dawned, they heard a dull crack and roar coming from the river; bluish transparent blocks of ice piled on top of each other. The very next day, the coastal meadows and fields were covered with a seething and foamy lake. Only the steep roofs of the fishermen's huts rose forlornly above the still rising water. But not a single person and not a single animal drowned, everyone managed to retire to a safe distance.
The water soon subsided, the stream returned to its course, and everything became as before. But is it all? No, one person lost his peace forever! It was a young fisherman who could not forget the beautiful mermaid and the gentle gaze of her blue eyes. He constantly saw her before him; the image of her haunted the young man relentlessly, whether he was fishing or sitting in front of the hearth. She appeared to him even at night in a dream, and in the morning, waking up, he could not believe that it was just a dream.
More and more often he went to the banks of the Danube, for a long time he sat alone under the willows of the riverside and stared into the water. In the noise of the stream, he seemed to hear her alluring voice. Most willingly he went out in his boat to the middle of the river and thoughtfully admired the play of the waves, and every silvery fish swimming past seemed to tease him on purpose. He leaned over the side of the boat, stretched out his arms to her, as if he wanted to grab her, grab her and hold her forever. However, his dream did not come true. Day by day his eyes became more and more sad, and everything was bitter in his heart when he returned to his dwelling in the evening.
One night his anguish became so unbearable that he secretly left the hut, went ashore and untied his boat. He didn't come back again. In the morning, his boat, alone, without a swimmer, swayed on the waves in the middle of the river.
No one ever saw the young fisherman again. For many years since then, the old father sat alone in front of his hut, looked at the river and wept about the fate of his son, whom the mermaid had taken with her to the bottom of the Danube, to the crystal palace of the water king.

Magic castle Grabenweg

Once upon a time, on both sides of the picturesque valley, in which the village of Grabenweg is located today, near Pottenstein, wild, broken rocks and steep mountain slopes with snow-capped peaks rose. Not many people settled here, and they were poor, like church mice, because in the valley there was enough food for only two or three small and unpretentious flocks of sheep.
In places patches of sparse grass grew in the crevices of the rocks. You can’t work up fat on such grass, it was enough for the sheep only in order not to die of hunger. And on one of these miserable pastures a certain young shepherd drove his flock day after day. Once - the inhabitants of the plains celebrated the summer solstice at that time - he went with the sheep again up the steep and steep slopes. Having reached the place, he left the animals in care faithful dog, and he himself sat down on his favorite place, a small ledge of rock, from which Mountain peaks and ridges. After some time, he took out his pipe from the shepherd's bag and began to play on it. Suddenly it seemed to him that the rock behind him trembled and moved. He sprang to his feet in fright. The earth shook, and from its bowels an ominous rumble and thunder were heard; the mountain opened up, and the huge stone on which he had just sat fell into the abyss. Around the young man something crackled and hissed; an unbearable brilliance blinded him for a moment; he screwed up his eyes, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw, on the very spot where he so loved to sit, a marvelously sparkling crystal palace.
The shepherd boy froze in amazement and did not take his eyes off this shining miracle, which appeared in the middle of bare rocks from nowhere. The palace burned in the sun and sparkled; a row of slender columns made of the purest rock crystal and a golden ornament adorned its entrance. Silver steps led up to a folded gate studded with precious stones.
The young man stood motionless, as if bewitched. Finally, from above, from the most distant peaks, the sound of a bell reached his ears. There, in the silence of the heavens, lived an old hermit who, every hour of prayer, rang the bell. As soon as the last stroke of the bell melted into the air, a clear, gentle voice was heard from the palace, at first quietly, then louder and louder. Fascinated by the sweet singing, the shepherd grabbed his pipe and began to play along with the invisible singer.
When the song ceased, the radiant folding door opened, and on the threshold appeared a girl of such extraordinary beauty that even the luxury of a crystal palace seemed miserable next to her. She was dressed in a snow-white, glittering toe-length dress. The young man couldn't look at her. The beauty approached him with a smile and kissed him on the forehead.
The shepherd boy was so amazed that he could not utter a word.
“Dear young man,” said the girl. - With your pipe, you removed part of the terrible spell that has kept me imprisoned here for many years. Now it depends on you whether you will be able to disenchant me to the end. Your reward for your feat will be this crystal palace with its countless treasures and my hand.
The girl fixed her gaze on him, full of supplication, and said in an incantatory manner:
- Will you have the courage? Are you ready to try your luck and save me?
The shepherd seemed to wake up from a dream. In order to help a beautiful girl, he was ready for any feats. His eyes lit up, his cheeks flushed.
- What should I do to disenchant you? he exclaimed.
“Your task is not easy,” the girl answered. - A difficult and dangerous service you will have to serve me. Did you think well? Is your decision firm?
The young man said that at the very moment when he saw her, he forgot forever what fear is.
The girl smiled and continued:
- Every year, on the day of the solstice, come to this mountain an hour after sunrise. Wait until the hermit's bell announces the hour of prayer. This palace will again appear before you. Enter it boldly, fearing nothing, and go through all the chambers to the very last room. There I will meet you in the form of some vile monster. Do not be afraid and do not lose courage! You should come up to me and kiss my forehead. If you do this three times on the same day and at the same hour, then with the third kiss the evil spell will disappear, and I will become yours along with the castle and all its treasures. If you want this, stretch out your hand to me and give me your word that you will not back down.
The young shepherd swore that no forces in the world would force him to break this vow, and extended his hand to the girl.
“Thank you,” said the beauty. “If ever doubts begin to overcome you, remember your promise and be steadfast. Exactly one year later we will see each other again.
With these words, she returned to the magic castle, the shining door closed behind her, there was a clap of thunder, and the castle disappeared under the ground. The rock again found itself in its place, and everything became as before.
Everything that happened to him seemed to the young man a strange dream. From that time on, he could not think of anything but the promise he had made to the magical beauty. And every time he drove his sheep into the mountains, he seized with sacred awe at the sight mysterious rock, from which, thanks to his pipe, a crystal palace grew.
So a year has passed. On the day of the summer solstice, the shepherd went with his flock long before dawn to the indicated place. His heart was beating loudly. He no longer knew whether he dreamed all this a year ago in a dream, or whether it happened in reality. Finally, in the east, the sun rose from behind the mountains, the hermit's bell rang, and as soon as the last blow died down, the magic castle again shone in front of the young man. He hesitated for only a moment, then boldly approached the castle and wanted to open the gate. But they themselves swung open before him, and the young man was able to freely enter the palace. Such magnificence, which immediately surrounded him, he could not imagine even in his most daring dreams, but he did not look either to the right or to the left, but rushed through all the chambers straight to the very last room. Her door was closed. He hesitated for a moment, then gathered all his courage and pressed the doorknob. In front of him lay a large hall. Before he even had time to look at him, a monstrous snake soared from a soft bed covered with precious velvet and with a hiss rushed towards him. The shepherd was so horrified that he almost lost his mind. He already wanted to take flight, but in time he remembered the words of the girl, bravely stepped towards the snake and kissed her on the head. Feelings left him, and he powerlessly sank to the ground.
When he came to his senses, he saw that he was still lying on the same ledge of the rock, and the magic castle had disappeared without a trace. He straightened up, looked around and could not believe his eyes: the slopes of the mountains were covered with lush greenery, the eternal snows no longer gleamed on the ridges and battlements, as before, and the rocks were no longer so broken and steep. The shepherd, in joy, grabbed his pipe and played the sweetest melodies, and the morning breeze carried wondrous sounds far over the green slopes. And when he put aside the flute, it seemed to him that he heard, in the sighs of the breeze gently soaring over the rocks, the voice of a girl thanking him.
Another year has passed. The solstice day came again, and everything was the same as the first time. Only this time he found a ferocious beast behind the door of the last room, which, baring its teeth, rushed towards him with a furious roar and with its mouth open. No wonder the young man almost succumbed to fear again. He again wanted to flee, but in time he remembered the promise given to the girl. Reluctantly, he hugged the vile monster by the neck and kissed him on the forehead.
At that very moment, as if by a wave of a magic wand, the monster disappeared, and a round dance of the most charming fairies appeared before the young man. The Crystal Palace resounded with sweet music. The shepherd could not marvel at the fabulous creatures and enjoy the marvelous sounds, but suddenly he saw a beautiful girl right in front of him. She smiled at him and waved her hand affectionately, and at that moment he would not hesitate to jump into the fire and burn to the ground, if that could only help her. He stretched out his arms to embrace her, but the walls of the palace slowly floated away, and in another moment everything was out of sight, the rocks closed, and there was a familiar ledge in front of him, as if nothing had happened.
When the shepherd came to his senses again, he almost cried out in amazement: there were definitely no steep rocks. Rounded peaks and sloping slopes were visible everywhere, trees were green and shrubs were blooming. Where, not so long ago, the sheep dejectedly plucked the stunted grass between the stones, emerald green shone in the sun. Below, in the valley caressing the eye, a silver stream gurgled.
It is not difficult to imagine with what eagerness the young shepherd from now on drove his sheep to this wonderful pasture. While the sheep were grazing, he sat on a stone, played the flute and dreamed of a beautiful girl.
Finally the third year passed. The shepherd was no longer a timid boy, but a strong, handsome young man. He spent the night before the solstice on the cherished rock, playing such marvelous melodies as he had never heard before. When the sun rose and the hermit's bell ceased, the palace suddenly reappeared before him.
But how he has changed! Blue flames burst out of the windows, and a disgusting monster guarded the entrance. The shepherd was not at all embarrassed, but walked with firm steps straight towards the beast, and he, growling, gave way to him. There was an unimaginable noise in every chamber. Ugly dwarfs jumped around him, making terrible faces and throwing blinding lightning bolts at his feet. Here the shepherd's heart still trembled, but he did not retreat, but went through all the chambers and resolutely pushed the door of the last hall. The door opened - and a huge dragon, belching fire, rushed at him with a chilling howl; his fiery eyes were the size of cartwheels. The shepherd almost fainted from surprise; he backed away in horror, and then completely rushed out of the palace. There was a loud, wicked chuckle following him.
In an instant, the young man found himself on a green lawn in front of the palace. And then the earth trembled, the air was filled with a terrible hiss and whistle, and a monstrous howl came from the palace. And through it the shepherd clearly heard the groaning of a beautiful girl. Immediately the meaning of what happened came to him, and he realized that he had not kept his promise. An indescribable fear for the girl seized him. With one leap he reached the gate and wanted to rush to her aid, but the gate was already locked. He rested against them with all his strength, the gates, unable to stand it, swung open, and he ran into the palace. But then there was a powerful thunderclap - and the palace disappeared under the ground along with the young man.
No one knew where the young shepherd had disappeared. A year later, on the holiday of the summer solstice, fellow countrymen found him dead on the spot where there used to be a small ledge of rock. And the valley has remained the same flourishing and friendly to this day.

"Quenring Dogs"

At the beginning of the 13th century, when the knighthood in the young duchy of Austria reached its highest peak, the Kuenrings, whose family castle was located in the Waldviertel, were one of the richest and most powerful families in the country. However, they did not consider it shameful to increase their wealth by robbing peasants and townspeople.
Hadmar III, owner of the castle of Aggstein, and his brother, Henry I, were the most famous robbers in the Wachau. "Kuenringskie dogs" - so they called themselves. The whole country suffered from the atrocities perpetrated by these pirating knights, and even the inhabitants of well-fortified cities did not know peace. So, for example, in 1231 the brothers turned the cities of Krems and Stein into a pile of ruins.
The shortest and most convenient way from the west to Vienna in those days ran along the Danube. However, Hadmar von Kuenring built his robber nest in the Wachau and never missed an opportunity to seize a merchant ship sailing down the Danube and drag the confiscated cargo to his castle Aggstein. Blocking the Danube with an iron chain, he plundered the detained ships, took everything he liked, and the merchants were glad to get away. Until recently, between Schönbüel and Aggstein, one could see the ruins of the watchtower, from which the guards of Hadmar notified their master of the approach of ships by blowing a horn, and which was therefore popularly called the “Trumpet Tower”.
These lawlessness, of course, could not continue for a long time; Duke Friedrich the Militant decided once and for all to put an end to the robbers. He stormed Zwettl, where Heinrich was at that time. The villain managed, however, to escape and take refuge in Aggstein, in the castle of his brother Hadmar. Aggstein was almost impregnable: located on a high sheer cliff, it could even withstand a months-long siege. The duke, convinced that nothing could be achieved by force, decided to resort to cunning and deal with both brothers at once.
A Viennese merchant named Rüdiger, who had already been robbed more than once by Hadmar, went on behalf of the duke to Regensburg. There he equipped a large, strong ship and loaded it with precious goods. In the holds, he hid a detachment of warriors armed to the teeth, who were supposed to take Kuenring prisoner as soon as he stepped on deck. Everything happened as it was planned. The ship was delayed off Aggstein; the news of rich booty lured Hadmar himself out of the castle. And as soon as he stepped on the ship, the soldiers rushed at him from ambush and tied him hand and foot. The ship set sail at once; archers and slingers repelled the attempts of knightly knechts to recapture their master.
Hadmar was brought in triumph to Vienna and thrown at the feet of the duke, and the castle, left without a master, was soon captured and destroyed. The duke acted generously with the two knights of von Kuenring. He gave them life and freedom; however, for this they had to return all the loot, compensate for the damage and provide hostages. However, the spirit of Hadmar, the formidable lord of the Wachau, was broken. A few years later he died in a small village on the upper Danube while on a pilgrimage to Passau.

Snow Jacob from Wolfstein Castle

In a narrow valley stretching from Aggsbach all the way to the Dunkelsteinerwald Forest, the Wolfsteingraben is home to the ruins of Wolfstein Castle. A statue of St. Jacob was once installed in the castle chapel. This saint is especially revered by the villagers, for he is considered a miracle worker, and people in heaven owe his intercession for good weather, without which the peasant cannot do. The Wolfsteiners also revered their saint and cherished him like the apple of their eye. That is why they had the most favorable weather in the whole region.
It is not surprising that the neighbors soon became jealous of the Wolfsteiners for having such a patron. More than others, the Hansbachers were dissatisfied with their weather and often made a pilgrimage to Wolfstein to the holy miracle worker in order to beg him for good weather for themselves. However, St. Jacob seemed deaf to other people's prayers: their weather was still bad. In the end, the Hansbachers got angry in earnest. Several daredevils snuck into the chapel of Wolfstein Castle one night and stole the saint.
When the Wolfsteiners came to the chapel in the morning, Jakob disappeared without a trace. True, they immediately realized that only their Hansbach neighbors were capable of such blasphemy, but they could not prove anything, but their search did not lead to anything - the statue fell through the ground. The Hansbach thieves cleverly hid it in their church, in a secluded place where it was not so easy to find.
However, St. Jakob did not like the Hansbach church. She seemed to him too big, alien and cold. He longed for his cozy little chapel. And so, on a gloomy, stormy night, when snow covered the whole earth, he left his new home and went back to Wolfstein. In Siedlgraben he met an old peasant who immediately recognized the lost miracle worker in the night traveler.
- God, it's St. Jacob! exclaimed the astonished peasant. - Tell me, where are you heading in such bad weather?
The saint replied:
- Home, where else! I didn't like Hansbach.
The peasant was beside himself with joy and began to warmly thank the saint. The next morning, when he arrived at the chapel, he saw that St. Jacob was indeed standing in his former place. From now on, the weather again met the wishes of the Steinbachers, who organized an unprecedented holiday on the occasion of the return of their saint. The Hansbachers no longer dared to abduct the saint, but dutifully went with prayer to St. Jacob when they needed good weather.
Since the miracle of the return happened on a snowy night, the statue has since been called the "Snow Jacob".

Forgotten Chapel at Scharfenec Castle

Once I was driving through the forest, in the vicinity of Baden, a poor knight. He had no castle, no dwelling; his whole estate was a good sword hanging at his side. Out of vexation at his miserable lot, he almost drove the horse to death. In desperation, he finally dismounted, sat down on the green moss and began to curse fate.
- The last hope left me! he exclaimed and sighed heavily. "The devil doesn't even care about me!"
As soon as he had uttered these words, he saw the devil in front of him.
- I'm here. What do you want from me? he asked.
The knight, who had endured so much grief and deprivation in his lifetime, believed that nothing could be worse than all these trials. And therefore, not in the least embarrassed by the appearance of an ominous guest, without much thought, he demanded in a firm voice:
"Get me a castle at once, with everything a true knight should have!"
- I will fulfill your desire, - answered the devil, - but on one condition. You must not marry until death. If you violate the condition, then instead of paying for the castle, you will give me your soul.
The knight agreed and the very next morning drove into the castle of Scharfenec, built for him by the devil on a high rock.
Several years have passed. The knight lived merrily and happily in his castle, revered by all his neighbors for his friendly disposition. However, over time, loneliness began to torment him. He would be glad to marry, but then he would have to give his soul to the devil. In addition, he recently made acquaintance with the kind and beautiful daughter of the owner of the nearby castle Rauenstein. A beautiful girl has not left his mind since then. To make her his wife seemed to him the highest bliss on earth. The young beauty also fell in love with the knight von Scharfeneck; he had only to ask his parents for the girl's hand, and they would gladly agree. But he did not dare to take this step, for for the sake of it he would have to give up eternal bliss.
Not himself from longing, he wandered through the forests, having lost sleep and rest; the image of his beloved girl stood before his eyes day and night. In desperation, he turned for advice to a pious hermit who lived nearby in the forest and was revered by all people in the area. He told him about his misfortune, and did not conceal how he got in touch with Satan himself, because of which he could not marry now without plunging himself into the fire of hell.
The good hermit listened attentively to him. The suffering of the knight touched his heart, and he promised to help the trouble and taught him how to be and what to do, so that he again perked up. For he knew the means of teaching the devil a lesson! The knight said goodbye to him, showering him with words of gratitude, immediately rushed to the Rauenstein castle in joy and asked for the girl's hand.
A week later, fun began at the castle of Scharfenec. The owner was celebrating his engagement to Fräulein von Rauenstein. Close and distant guests came, a rich treat was prepared for them.
When the hermit, also invited to the feast, raised his goblet for the health of the bride and groom, the door of the hall suddenly burst open with a crash. Dressed in a black dress, a tall knight, whom none of those present knew, crossed the threshold, looked with a grin at the embarrassed bridegroom and exclaimed:
- I came to collect the agreed payment for the castle.
The knight turned as white as a sheet; the guests also stared in horror at the sinister figure of the stranger. Then the hermit fearlessly stepped up to him and asked:
“So it was you who built the castle?”
The black knight gave an affirmative answer.
“We would like to make sure that your castle really has everything that a real knight should have,” continued the hermit.
The black knight grinned impudently and nodded his head. However, the hermit remained imperturbable.
“If everything is as you say, you will certainly receive your due payment,” he said calmly. “But are you sure that you didn’t forget anything, fulfilling your promise, and handed over to the current owner everything that should be in the castle - chambers and stables, a kitchen and a cellar, walls and towers, windows and doors?”
- All without exception! Everything a true knight should have! - the stranger declared triumphantly.
- Well, then take us all together with the bride and groom to the chapel! said the hermit quickly.
The devil burst out with a monstrous curse and at the same moment fell into the ground. Of course, it was not in his power to build a chapel in the castle, which is why Scharfenek lacked this integral part of any medieval castle.
The saved knight threw himself at the feet of the hermit and, with tears of gratitude in his eyes, vowed never to forget his miraculous beneficence.

Copper sorcerer at Rauenstein Castle

Lived many centuries ago in Baden, in the castle of Rauenstein, a knight named Wolf, who skillfully wielded a sword and knew no fear, but such a harsh and cruel disposition that he was called behind his eyes only as a “severe stone”. He was powerful and courageous and believed that everything was permitted to him in relation to poor and unborn people, especially if they incurred his wrath.
Once, two young citizens dared to shoot game in the forest that belonged to a knight. They were captured, taken to the castle, thrown after a brief interrogation in the prison tower and sentenced to death.
The elderly father of both captives offered the owner of the castle a large ransom and asked to spare his sons, but the knight mockingly rejected the offer. In his indignation and despair, the old man could not restrain himself and began to shower terrible curses on him. Then the knight ordered to seize the ill-fated father and throw him into prison after his sons.
This townsman was a most skilled craftsman, a master of bell making; the second such was not to be found in the whole district, and the people of Baden stood up for him and for his sons, turning to the knight with a request for indulgence. After long negotiations, the knight Wolf agreed to pardon only two prisoners, but on such cruel terms as only a man with a "heart of stone" could conceive. Instead of a ransom for himself and for one of his sons, the father was to cast a bell, the first blow of which was to sound at the moment of the execution of the second son.
In addition, the knight, in order to hasten the old man, appointed a very short time for casting the death bell. He ordered it to be cast in the courtyard of Rauenstein Castle. It is easy to imagine the desperation of the poor old man who set to work to save at least one son. Since the time allotted to him was short, and it was difficult to get the necessary material so soon, relatives and familiar masters brought him everything they could find; among the donated things were also saints of chased work.
With trembling hands, the old man set to work. His art was a joy to him all his life, but when he sounded the bell that brought death to his own son, he cursed his craft and the day when he decided to master it.
Finally, the bell was ready and hung in the castle tower. As soon as the tongue with a rope was tied to it, the knight ordered to call. At that moment, the old master lost his mind. He rushed up the narrow winding stairs to the top of the tower and began to ring out frantically. The ringing of the bell drowned out his wailing. Without stopping, the old man cursed his bell and prayed to God to send punishment on the knight's head.
His son had already been killed long ago, and the unfortunate madman on the tower continued to ring, not for a second letting go of the rope. Suddenly, a terrible thunderstorm broke out. Lightning struck the tower and killed the ringer, but the castle was burned to the ground.
However, the knight Wolf was rich enough to rebuild it. A few years later, he again towered over the city, even more beautiful than before. And so the knight decided to marry his daughter. Solemnly, with music and bell ringing, they greeted the bridegroom entering the castle. The daughter of a knight in a wedding dress stood on the balcony and waved to her chosen one. At the same time, she, forgetting herself, inadvertently leaned over the fence, fell down and died at the same moment. And then suddenly the bell of death itself struck.
This was the first of many misfortunes and misfortunes that befell the castle and the Rauenstein family. And every time the bell struck in the tower. At first they wanted to smash him, this hated herald of fate, but by that time the belief had already spread that the whole family would die out as soon as the bell was destroyed. And then they took off his tongue, and walled up the tower in the hope of making him at least shut up.
Misfortune, however, did not leave the house of Rauenstein alone. And every time another trouble approached, the muffled chimes of the bell came from the tower. Like a little owl, he sent his ominous cries to people in the stillness of the night. In the end, the Rauensteins left the castle and sold their family home to another knightly family.

Margrave Herold and his daughters in the Dunkelsteinerwald Forest

Having defeated the Avars and pushed them back to the east, Charlemagne settled the plundered, devastated lands between Enns and Vienna Woods Bavarians and made the ruler of these border towns and villages of his brother-in-law Herold, in order to prevent further raids by violent robber tribes.
The residence of Margrave Herold was in Lorch. In the legend, everything is described differently. To the northeast, about an hour's walk from Melk, rises the gloomy Prakkersberg mountain, the threshold of a vast forest. On the flat top of the mountain, from where a wide view of the plain, the foothills of the Alps and the Danube opens, the margrave ordered to build a castle of extraordinary beauty. There he built himself a dwelling and ruled, surrounded by his three daughters and a numerous retinue, in luxury and splendor.
During the next uprising of the Avars, Herold died, the castle on the mountain went underground, and the margrave's daughters disappeared without a trace. On the site where the castle stood, in the ominous twilight pine forest, today a pond overgrown with elodea shimmers, called the “lake” by the locals.
This place is unclean, the Prakkersberg mountain. Somewhere out there, the daughters of the margrave are still hiding, one of whom was called Salome, and fooling lonely travelers. Once they lured three young artisans into the thicket, showing them a luxurious castle, appearing before them as beautiful princesses and affectionately calling them their betrothed; the poor fellows then forcibly got out of the dark forest. It is not surprising to go astray, especially at night, if you rush to the call of an alluring voice or to the sounds of enchanting singing. You don’t have time to come to your senses, as there are already wild thorny thickets around, and you are covered from head to toe with abrasions and scratches, and the path is as if it had never happened. And behind his back - malevolent laughter; it is the forest ghosts, the daughters of Margrave Herold, who amuse themselves.
The nearby village of Gerolding owes its name to the count, and the ravine that stretches from the mountain to the ancient village of Mauer is still called Salome's Ditch.

Mount Etcher

Since Etcher raises its head above all the mountains in the area and even from a distance looks unusually majestic, it is not surprising that so many legends have been born about it since ancient times.
They say that countless evil spirits live on Etcher, but their deeds are supposedly so bad that they even yearn for their underworld. Between the icy Thorstein and the Schauchenspitze the devil lives - so people thought in the old days; V clear days sometimes it instantly twists and drives snow clouds across the sky, and at night it reminds of itself with fiery sparks.
There is a large and inaccessible lake on Etcher. Huge ice blocks of bizarre shapes cover its surface, and dark fish live in the depths, which are said to be blind. Formerly people believed that these were the souls of sinners awaiting deliverance. And among these fish there is one special, distinguished by its size and strange appearance. For more than a thousand years she has been living in dark waters. This is Pilate, who unjustly condemned the Lord and was exiled for this to a mountain lake, where he now awaits, dumb and blind, the Last Judgment. That is why the lake is called "Pilat's Lake".
There were many legends about numerous caves, often leading far into the depths of the mountain, especially about the Thunder Hole, the Pigeon Hole and the Money Hole.
The largest Thunderhole - and there are several on Etcher - is located on the western slope of the mountain. If in clear weather a stone is thrown into this cave, then clouds will immediately move in and a terrible thunderstorm will break out. This is how mountain spirits take revenge on people for disturbed peace. Don't believe? Well, try it yourself - and see if it's true or not!
Pigeon Hole got its name from the many mountain jackdaws nesting in it. In fact, these are not birds at all, but the souls of great sinners - misers and usurers, who, as a punishment for their unrighteous life, were exiled after death to Etcher and now wander there without sleep and rest in the form of black birds.
The Money Hole has been rumored to hold countless treasures for centuries. And it was like this: in the time of Charlemagne, a certain rich widow named Gula lived in Mautern. When the Avars moved along the Danube, devastating the lands with fire and sword, she rushed with her little son Oenother and all her wealth on greyhound horses into the mountains and took refuge in the caves of Etcher. She made a dwelling for herself in the Pigeon Hole, and in the Money Hole she placed reserves of silver and gold. So she lived, not knowing grief, rejoicing that her son in the clear mountain air quickly grows up and turns into a real giant.
He became the guardian of the mountain, endowed with magical powers, and showed up here and there, each time changing his appearance and scaring away various evil spirits from the mountain slopes. When Count Grimwald undertook a campaign against the Avars, the giant Oenother joined his army and, they say, performed many feats of arms. After the defeat of the Avars, Enoter laid the foundation for a new, powerful family. His mother remained in the Pigeon Hole until the end of her days, and since her son never touched the treasures, they lie somewhere in the Money Hole to this day.
The legend of the riches hidden in the bowels of Etcher has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries and annually attracts hundreds of treasure seekers, especially strangers. They descended into the cave, and a few days later they returned with tightly stuffed bags to their homeland. It is said that some lucky ones even took away the treasures they found on donkeys; the donkeys, of course, were invisible, but the locals could hear their trampling well at night.

King Otter and Ruprecht's Hole on the Otterberg

In the Semmering region, on high mountain Otterberg, stood in ancient times a huge luxurious castle in which the powerful King Otter lived with his court. All the lands in these parts belonged to him, and he also had a strong army, consisting of knights and horse bollards. When his hair turned gray and approaching old age weakened his strength, earthly dominion bored him. He destroyed his castle on Otter and descended with all his retinue into the bowels of the mountain, where he ordered to build for himself magnificent palace and has lived ever since in peace and tranquility. He sits in his shining halls on a golden throne and enjoys a peaceful sleep. On his head is a golden crown, and in front of him on a marble table lies a scepter studded with precious stones. Around him, nobles and servants froze, just like the king, immersed in a deep magical sleep.
The entrance to the underground palace is guarded by gnomes who serve the king in those rare hours when he wakes up from a long sleep along with all the courtiers. Then the king orders to arrange wild feasts, and on quiet nights you can hear the noise of many cheerful voices coming from the mountain and fervent music. At times, one hears from there, as it were, the peals of distant thunder. It is the skittles rattling with which the dwarves love to play so much. But sometimes the king suddenly expresses a desire to leave the underground palace and go free with his retinue. Like a hurricane, the cavalcade flies through the forests that cover the Otterberg, then turns back at Sonnwendstein and returns through Ruprecht's Hole to the castle.
One day a poor peasant boy decided to see what was going on in Ruprecht's Hole, to see if they were telling the truth, that icicles were hanging from the ceiling and walls of the cave. He asked two friends to lower him on a rope deep into the cave, and when darkness enveloped him, he suddenly felt uneasy, and he shouted to his comrades to quickly pull him up. The sound of his voice, repeatedly refracted on the ledges of the rocky vaults and amplified by the echo, seemed so terrible to them that they let go of the rope and ran away. The peasant fell down to the bottom of the cave, tore his hands to blood, but remained alive. Overcoming the pain in his bruised limbs, he rose to his feet and began to look for a way out of the gloomy cave. He wandered for a long time in the darkness, but he was surrounded only by sheer stone walls, and there was not even a thin ray of light that would show him the way to freedom. When he had already lost his last hope of salvation, he suddenly saw a little man in front of him, who asked him what he was doing here.
The young man's heart was pounding with fear, but he gathered together all his courage and told the dwarf his sad story.
"I'm begging you, help me get out of here!" he exclaimed, finishing the story.
The dwarf smiled and answered him kindly:
- I will help you. Follow me trail after trail, but look do not stumble.
The young man obeyed him, and they walked for a long time through the mountain until they came to a platform where the dwarves were playing skittles. The skittles were all of silver, and the ball was of solid gold. The dwarfs sat next to the platform and drank wine from golden goblets.
- Arrange the pins for us, - one of them turned to the young man, - and then you can take one pin for yourself.
He agreed, and when the gnomes finished the game, he took one skittle for himself. Then the guide led the young man further, through the halls and passages, to the gate on the eastern slope of the mountain. Here the young man said goodbye to the dwarf and thanked him for his kindness.
- If you really want to thank me, - said the dwarf, - bring me a gift from your overworld.
- What would you like? - asked the young man.
- Most of all I love grapes and raisins, - answered the dwarf, and, noticing the amazement of the young man, smiled. - For us dwarves, this is the same curiosity as gold and precious stones are for you.
The next morning the young man went with a sack of grapes and raisins to the Otter. When he came to the familiar gates in the rock, he found them tightly locked. He stood a little bewildered. So without waiting for anything, he put his gift on a stone at the gate and set off on his way back.
Meanwhile, the sky darkened and fog rose. Although it was not raining, it seemed to the young man that his dress was becoming heavier and heavier, so that soon he could barely move his legs under the burden of this armor. At home, he discovered, to his great joy, that his jacket, trousers, and hat were completely covered with small golden drops. This is how generously the dwarf from Mount Otterberg repaid the poor peasant youth for the gift of grapes and raisins, while remaining unnoticed. Since then, the young man never again felt the need to look for gold in Ruprecht's Hole.

Pied Piper of Korneuburg

In the old days, when people suffered from many misfortunes that are very easy to deal with today, so many rats once bred in the city of Korneuburg that the inhabitants fell into despair. All the nooks and crannies were infested with rats, they roamed freely around the city, snooping from house to house and from room to room, and nowhere was there peace from them. You pull out a chest of drawers, and a rat jumps out of it right at you, you go to bed, and they rustle under you in the straw, you sit down to eat - uninvited guests are right there and jump without fear right on the table. Whatever people did to get rid of vile creatures, but all in vain. In the end, the city council decided to collect a high reward for the one who will be able to free the city from rats forever.
Some time passed, and then a stranger appeared to the burgomaster and asked if the people who told him about the promised reward were telling the truth. When he was assured of the veracity of what he heard, the stranger declared that he undertook to lure all the rats out of their holes and shelters with his art and drive them into the Danube. The city fathers rejoiced when they heard his words.
The stranger stood in front of the town hall and took out a small black pipe from his dark leather bag, which hung on his shoulder. These were unpleasant sounds that he extracted from his instrument: a piercing creak and screech resounded through all the lanes, but this music clearly seemed beautiful to the rats. They all rushed out of their holes at once and hurried after the musician. The rat-catcher walked slowly towards the bank of the Danube; behind him, ahead and to the sides, a terrible procession of rats snaked through the streets of the city, like a giant black-gray worm.
Arriving on the shore, the stranger did not stop, but went on and plunged into the river up to his chest. The rats followed him into the water; the current immediately picked them up and carried them away, so that they were all drowned to the last, as if they had never existed at all!
The astonished people of Kornoiburg, having gathered on the banks of the river, could not be surprised at the strange sight, and when it was all over, they escorted the rat-catcher with joyful cries to the town hall, where a well-deserved reward awaited him.
However, now that the rats had disappeared, the burgomaster received him far less cordially. He declared that the work was not so hard, and besides, no one could guarantee that the rats would not return; in a word, he wanted to get rid of the stranger by paying him only a quarter of the appointed sum. He opposed this and demanded to give him all the money in full. Then the burgomaster threw a skinny purse at his feet and pointed to the door. The rat-catcher, without touching the money, left the town hall with a gloomy face.
Several weeks have passed. And then one day the stranger reappeared in the city. Now he was dressed incomparably richer than last time. Stopping in the main square, he took out of his pocket a pipe that burned like gold in the sun, put it to his lips, and such marvelous music flowed that people froze and turned to their ears, as if enchanted, forgetting everything in the world. Only the children rushed out of their homes at once and rushed after the stranger, who, continuing to play the pipe, went to the Danube. Near the shore, a ship adorned with colorful ribbons and fluttering flags swayed. The stranger, without interrupting the music, boarded the ship, and the children skipped after him. As soon as the last of them stepped on deck, the ship set sail and swam downstream, faster and faster, until it was out of sight. Only two children remained in the city: one was deaf and did not hear the inviting sounds of the pipe, and the other, already at the very river, suddenly decided to return to grab his jacket.
When the Kornoiburgers missed the children and found only two of them, their grief was indescribably great, and the whole city resounded with heartbreaking cries and groans. For there was not a single family in the city that did not mourn at least one child.
This is how the deceived rat-catcher took revenge on the inhabitants of Kornoiburg.

King Richard the Lionheart in Durnstein

Among other princes and noble knights, among other princes and noble knights, there were also the King of England, Richard the Lionheart, and the Duke of Austria, Leopold V, also called the Virtuous.
When Emperor Frederick, who by that time had already reached a very advanced age, drowned in the river, a dispute arose between the princes, who should lead the army of the crusaders. Everyone considered himself smarter, braver and more worthy than others. King Richard the Lionheart was one of the most arrogant rulers, and not without reason, for he was a noble lord; however, in his pride, he often forgot that there were other equally worthy sovereigns. During the siege of the stronghold of Akka in 1192, he inflicted a grave insult on Duke Leopold. The Austrians hoisted their flag on the captured rampart, and King Richard ordered it to be torn down and raised his banner on the rampart, throwing the Austrian field banner into the mud. Duke Leopold felt - with good reason - deeply humiliated and since then could not forgive Richard for this insolence. He secretly vowed to take cruel revenge on the king.
Shortly thereafter, the duke with his retinue left the sacred land and returned to his homeland. The rest of the knights also did not stay long in the Land of the East. A plague broke out and claimed many lives. King Richard, going home, chose the sea route; a sudden storm brought him to the shores Adriatic Sea, and he had no choice but to continue his journey through the country of his mortal enemy, Leopold of Austria. He put on a pilgrim's dress, and so he managed to get to the village of Erdberg, near Vienna itself, where he arrived on a blizzard winter evening. Hunger forced the king and his companions to visit the inn. In order to remain unrecognized, he behaved like a simple pilgrim, he even stood up to the hearth, as the cook ordered him, and began to rotate a fat chicken on a spit over the fire. To his misfortune, the noble guest forgot about the precious ring gleaming on his finger, and poor pilgrims who themselves have to roast their own chicken on a spit usually do not wear precious rings. The cook suspected something was wrong and took a closer look at the strange stranger in the gray dress of a pilgrim. On top of all the troubles, an old warrior happened to be in the tavern, who was together with Duke Leopold in the sacred land. To this old warrior the face of the pilgrim seemed familiar; looking intently at him, he suddenly recognized the king of the English. It is not difficult to guess that he immediately whispered this to the cook.
Suspecting nothing, Richard calmly turned the chicken on a skewer, and when the cook approached him, he smiled affably at him. What were the astonishment and fear of the king when he heard the words "your lordship" addressed to him.
“It is not proper for you to fry your own meat,” said the cook politely. - Surrender, for resistance is useless.
King Richard quickly controlled himself, put on an indifferent expression on his face and pretended not to understand a word of what the cook said. But he did not let up and reproachfully continued to call him to prudence, saying that he was the king of England and that it was pointless to deny, since he was identified. Convinced that he had fallen into a trap, Richard threw off his cloak from his shoulders and proudly exclaimed:
- Fine! Take me to the Duke. I will surrender only to him.
On the same day, the noble captive was brought to Leopold's castle. Shortly thereafter, the duke ordered that he be secretly transported to Dürnstein Castle and entrusted to the care of his faithful servant Hadmar von Kuenring.
For many months, Richard the Lionheart languished in the dungeons of a powerful castle. His subjects were knocked down in search of the king, but their efforts were not crowned with success. When the news of the storm and the sunken royal ship reached them, everyone finally believed in his death. His brother, Prince John, was proclaimed the new king, and soon many Englishmen forgot to even think about the former monarch.
But there was one man in England who did not want to believe in the death of his master. It was the singer Blondel devoted to the king. Taking his lute, he went in search of the missing master. Many hardships and dangers fell to his lot, but Blondel did not lose courage, no matter how hopeless the search seemed to him. He walked along the Rhine from city to city, from castle to castle, he searched on the banks of the Danube. He questioned the warriors, knightly knights and wanderers, but none of them heard anything about the fate of his master.
So the singer got to Dürnstein. His faith in the success of the protracted search was almost exhausted. Sadly, not hoping for anything, he climbed the hill, sank to the ground in front of the powerful towers of the castle, looked around the Danube valley and sang his song. It was a tune that only his master knew; before going to the Land of the East, he performed it for the king for the last time. Having sung the first stanza to the end, he felt such grief in his heart that, unable to utter any more sound, he mournfully fell silent. And then it seemed to him that from somewhere behind the high thick walls of the castle a certain voice responded to his singing, quiet, muffled, but still clear and intelligible. As spellbound, the singer listened to these sounds. No, he wasn't wrong! It was his master who sang the second stanza of the song!
Now Blondel knew that the king was still alive, and even knew the place of his imprisonment. The faithful spierman hurried back to England, spread the news of the king's fate everywhere, and did not rest until Richard was released for a huge ransom.
In the spring of 1193, Richard the Lionheart was handed over to the emperor, who soon allowed him to return to his fatherland.

Schreckenwald Rose Garden at Aggstein Castle

After the Kuenrings found their inglorious end and, at the behest of Frederick the Martial, their robber nest was destroyed, Aggstein Castle stood for almost two centuries as a sad ruin. In 1429, Duke Albrecht V gave the “desert temple”, as Aggstein was then called, “destroyed in the old days for the atrocities perpetrated by the owners, and now empty”, to his faithful adviser and chamberlain Georg Schekk von Wald, allowing him to re-erect the walls of the castle. For seven years, the knight's subjects groaned under the unbearable burden of the work assigned to them, laying stone upon stone, until the castle took on its former formidable appearance.
In a strange way, the knight Schekk von Wald achieved the favor of the duke - with lies and flattery. Skillfully pretending to be an honest man, he was in reality greedy, arrogant and cruel. As soon as he settled in the new castle, he immediately showed his true face and began to sow terror in the Wachau no less zealously than the “Kuenring dogs” once did. He mercilessly oppressed his subjects, squeezing all the juice out of them. He so shamelessly abused his right to collect the toll on the Danube that the ships, as usual, left him completely robbed. Soon it was already called throughout the Danube valley only as "Schreckenwald".
A particularly evil fate was prepared for his captives. He ordered them to be hung on a rope over a steep slope in order to squeeze the highest possible ransom out of them. If there was no hope of getting a ransom, he pushed his victim through a small door in the wall to a narrow platform, under which a gaping abyss. Here, the unfortunate man himself chose: either to die of hunger in agony, or to put an end to his suffering at once, jumping down onto sharp rocks. The knight called this small ledge of rock his “rose garden”. There were already legends about the "kindergarten" then, and people shuddered at the mere mention of it.
Schreckenwald hunted robbery and robbery for many years and accumulated so much wealth that he managed to take possession of four more castles in the district. One day the knights brought to him a young captive, who, judging by his appearance, was of a noble family, but refused to give his name. He, too, had to share the fate of many of his predecessors, he was also pushed into the "rose garden". But the young man turned out to be a brave and dexterous climber. He measured the depth of the abyss with his eyes, noticed the dense crowns of ancient mighty trees below, handed over his fate to the Lord and fearlessly jumped down. He fell on one of the crowns; flexible branches softened the force of the blow, he managed to grab onto a thick bough and held on to it. In a moment he was safely down on the ground. And it is not surprising to imagine what his soul felt at the sight of this land, littered with the decayed remains of the knight's former victims.
The rescued prisoner hurried to the valley, gathered knights and horse bollards from neighboring castles, guarded Schreckenwald and took him prisoner. The robber finally received his long-deserved punishment and was beheaded.
Aggstein Castle remained in the possession of the descendants of the knight. However, the last Schreckenwald turned out to be no better than his ancestor: he also blocked the Danube with a chain and began to rob ships.
Once he captured a certain count, who, however, managed to escape from the castle with the help of a young man, the son of Mrs. von Schwallenbach. And while the count hurried to Vienna to complain to the duke about Schreckenwald, the young man was thrown into the dungeon by order of the robber knight. After a short time, the owner of the castle, as usual, gave his knights the order to send the captive through the "rose garden" after the others to the bottom of the abyss.
The young man was already standing on the edge of the platform, when he suddenly heard the ringing of the evening bell from Schwallenbach. The poor man knelt down and asked the knight to give him a few more moments for his deathbed prayer, at least before the final chime of the bell sounded. The knight laughed and said that he would gladly grant his wish; he laughed at this fool who, instead of asking for mercy, knelt down and prayed to God. However, very soon the fun left him. The bell rang incessantly; his ringing did not stop for a second, he rang and rang, so that everyone present felt uneasy, and other knechts, with their hearts cold with horror, prayed to God that their master would release the prisoner. But Schreckenwald did not know pity; he cursed the crazy bell and waited impatiently for it to stop at last.
Many innocent victims were already on his conscience, but this young man remained alive. For before the Schwallenbach bell died down, Schreckenwald and his men had to rush headlong to arms. Captain Georg von Stein surrounded the castle with his soldiers and had already entered the courtyard. The robber's nest was captured by the besiegers. So the miracle of the Schwallenbach bell prevented the death of the young captive. The last descendant of Schreckenwald lost all his wealth and died a miserable beggar.
The memory of the "rose garden" in Aggstein Castle is still alive among the people. In the Wachau, still, speaking of a person who is in trouble and who can get out of it only at the cost of mortal risk, they use the expression "he landed in the rose garden of Schreckenwald."

Wine from the ruins of Greifenstein Castle

One poor day laborer was celebrating the christening of his seventh child. Since on such a joyful day one cannot do without at least a modest meal and a sip of wine for the godfather, he bought a small jug of wine with the last pennies, which, however, was very soon drained. With a dry throat, as you know, there is no time for fun, and since the owner’s wallet was completely empty, he decided to at least show his goodwill and handed the eldest daughter a jug with the words:
- Go and bring us some wine!
The girl asked him for money, but he answered her jokingly:
- You don't need money. Go upstairs to the ruins of the castle, where they will give you wine without any payment. There is a whole sea of ​​​​wine in the cellars!
The girl did not force herself to beg for a long time and hurried up the hill to the castle. By the time she reached the ruins, it was quite dark, but there were lights in all the windows, and although the castle had been empty for hundreds of years, fun reigned there now. At the gate stood a beautiful woman in a white robe with a large bunch of keys at her waist. Without further questioning, she took the jug from the girl's hand and told her to wait. After a short time, she reappeared, handed the girl a jug filled to the brim and said:
- Well, my child, take this wine to your father and tell him that as soon as his thirst overcomes, let him send you here. But don't tell anyone where the wine comes from.
The girl thanked her and went home with a full pitcher. After tasting the wine, the guests unanimously declared that they had never drunk anything tastier in their lives. On the next holiday, the father again sent his daughter to the castle, and she again returned home with a full jug of noble wine. From now on, whenever there was a holiday in the house of a day laborer, he received wine without any payment from the cellars. ancient castle. And every time a white woman appeared to the girl and filled the brought vessel.
But then one day, while treating the neighbors who came to visit and getting pretty tipsy, the poor day laborer blabbed and revealed the secret of his wine. And when in the evening he sent his daughter again to the castle, she found, as usual, the brightly lit ruins dark, silent and gloomy. And no matter how long the girl waited at the gate, the white woman did not appear, neither that nor the next evening. Her poor father, by his talkativeness, himself deprived himself of good wine from the cellars of the castle.

Today, the Austrian Mint is releasing the last silver coin from the Tales and Legends of Austria series into circulation. The theme of this issue Oh my dear Augustine».

The obverse depicts the cheerful singer and musician Augustine, who lived in Vienna in the 17th century at the height of the plague. Above, in a semicircle, the name of the issuing country: "REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH". Also engraved on the top of the coin is a curved paper band with the inscription "WIEN 1679". The denomination of the coin "10 EURO" is indicated on the right.

On the reverse of the coin, Augustine is shown in one of the taverns in Vienna, playing his musical instrument for the amusement of guests and the owner of the drinking establishment. One of the old quarters of Vienna is visible in the background. Below is the name of the coin. German DER LIEBE AUGUSTIN.

Briefly about the coin:	A country	Republic of Austria
	Denomination	10 euro
	Date of issue	October 12, 2011
	Metal	Ag 925
	Diameter	32 mm
	Weight	17.3 g
	Circulation	40.000 (Proof), 30.000 (Spec.UNC)
	Artist	obverse - Thomas Pesendorfer reverse - Herbert Wähner
	edge	smooth
	Series	Tales and legends of Austria
		Austrian Mint

Author

Abstract

The world of the Austrian legend is the world high mountains, eternal ice and mysterious caves. Legends, unlike fairy tales, reflect not only ancient beliefs, the temper and character of the people, but also significant historical events and features of nature. Therefore, the book will be of interest to both children and adults - anyone who is interested in the history and culture of the peoples of the world.

In Russian, the legends of Austria are published for the first time.

Tannen-E - the city under the eternal ice

ETERNAL ICE OF LEGENDS

Danube mermaid

Tree in the glands at Stock im Eisen

Basilisk

miraculous rescue

Spinning at the cross

Master Martin Iron Hand

Kalenberg pastor

moaning tree

Master Hans Puksbaum

Judith of Vienna

Ham at the Red Tower

scratched

The Devil and the Gunsmith

Take care pfennig

Mokhnach-Kosmach

Doctor Faust in Vienna

Dear Augustine

Undermining the Gentiles

LOWER AUSTRIA

King Otter and Ruprecht's Hole on the Otterberg

Magic castle Grabenweg

Snow Jacob from Wolfstein Castle

Forgotten Chapel at Scharfenec Castle

Margrave Herold and his daughters in the Dunkelsteinerwald Forest

"Kunring Dogs"

King Richard the Lionheart in Durnstein

Schreckenwald Rose Garden at Aggstein Castle

Copper sorcerer at Rauenstein Castle

Wine from the ruins of Greifenstein Castle

Pied Piper of Korneuburg

fairy queen

Ghost of the Fischamend Countess

Proud pine in Marchfeld

Baden brownie

Wandering Grinder and the Devil at Dürnstein Castle

Ghosts at Schauenstein Castle

Death in a wine barrel

Shatuchy stone near Celking

How the monastery of Klosterneuburg was founded

BURGENLAND

Mermaid's Curse

Forest Fairy

Lake Neusiedl

Purbach Turk

Turks at the walls of Gussing

worship stone

Devil's stone in Sankt Jorgen

Lucky from Wörtherberg

Maiden Wasteland

UPPER AUSTRIA

How the Danube mermaid thanked the boatman

Dwarf cave near Obernberg

House of Dr. Faust near Ashach

Lord of the Danube

Innkeeper from Windegg Castle

Hans the Giant of the Mühlviertel

Miul's owner and musician

Hotel "At the jumper" in Eferding

About Saint Wolfgang

About how the Irrsee lake appeared

Fortress Rannariedl

Mountain Dwarf Bread from Reichraming

Saint Peter and donuts

Hunter from the Dead Mountains

SALZBURG

Mountain man from the Gerloz plateau

King Watzman

Gift of the gnomes

Enchantment Stone of the Dwarves of Untersberg

About how a peasant met Frau Perchta near Radstadt

Lofer Maiden

Putz from the village of Neukirchen to the Pinzgau

One hundred and eighty dozen gold ducats

Theophrastus Paracelsus in Salzburg

ice meadow

Whitemoser from the Gastein Valley

Doctor Faust and the Salzburg Cellar

Emperor Karl of Untersberg

Mother owl from the village of Zell and her children

Lost wedding procession

Treasures of the Stubenbergers in the Shekl Cave

Gleichenberg witch

Herold von Liechtenstein

snake crown

Lake Wildsee on the Zirbitzkogel mountain

Agnes von Pfannberg

Dragon Slayer from Mixnitz

Foundling of Wildon

How the Ore Mountain was discovered

The end of the silver mine at Zairing

Silver babies from Arzberg

Queen of snakes near Judenburg

Woodcutter from Mariazell - guardian at the gates of hell

CARINTHIA

Watchman from Klagenfurt

Christmas Eve in Mölltal

Church in the Tauern mountains near Ossiach

Treasure mountain near Metnitz

Snake Slayer in the Gläntal Valley

The Blacksmith from the Bank of the Rumpelbach

Knight Bibernell from Stein Castle near Oberdrawaburg

Turkish descent near the town of St. Veit on Gayane

Devil's Bridge in the Dravatal Valley

The Giant of San Leonard Lake

White rose in Arnoldstein monastery

How the blacksmith from the Parable about a bet fought with the devil

Friedl - Empty pocket

Ms. Hitt

Giant of Mount Glungetser

blessed virgins

Tannen-E, the city under the eternal ice of the Ötztal Glacier

Hitte Hatta and the Great Jordan in the Gurgl Valley

Lake Ziereinersee

Casermandl - the evil spirit of Oberwalchen

Fairy of the Sonnenwendyoch mountain range

The Brave Maid of the Wattenser Valley

As a peasant had a dream about a bridge over the river Tsirla

Mouse attack

VORARLBERG

About how a hurricane happened in Schreker Meadow

How one old woman came to Dornbirn to spin yarn

night perfume

Divovishcha

About where the Jodlerbühel hill came from near Bezau

How the Bregenz women fought with the Swedes

White woman from Rosenegg

Beauty of Ruckburg Castle

The story of the healing spring

werewolves

Information about translators

Tannen-E - the city under the eternal ice

Austrian legends

Compiled by I. P. Streblova

ETERNAL ICE OF LEGENDS

Have you ever heard of the rich city of Tannen-E, high in the mountains, which one day was covered with heavy snow, and the city remained forever under eternal ice? The inhabitants of this city were overcome by greed and vanity, not only did they have nowhere to put their money - so they decided to build a tower to heaven, a tower above all snowy peaks, and hang a bell at the top so that all the peoples of the world know about this city. It was then that nature disposed of it in its own way - and punished its disobedient children who tried to disturb its harmony. And it didn't happen somewhere in a magical distant kingdom, but in a real place that can be found on the map: in the Alps, in the Austrian land of Tyrol, in the Ötztaler Fernern mountain range, where a rocky spire rises above the peak of the mountain covered with the Aiskugel glacier - this is a tower that was not completed by the inhabitants of Tannen-E.

There is something surprisingly familiar about this story. She immediately reminded us of the Russian fairy tale about the fisherman and the fish and dozens of other fairy tales of the peoples of the world, telling about punished arrogance. But stop! Do not rush to conclude that the Austrian legend about the city of Tannen-E is the sister of these fairy tales! There is a difference between legend and fairy tale.

First, the location. In a fairy tale, everything happens in a distant kingdom, in one village, or it’s generally unknown where: there lived an old man and an old woman, but we don’t know where they lived - and this is not so important in a fairy tale. In the legend, the place of action is indicated exactly. Look at the beginning of the Austrian legends: "One peasant from Obernberg, on the Inn River ..." or "Once upon a time lived in the Upper Mülfirtel, Hans the Giant ..." - all these are absolutely reliable names of specific geographical places that exist today. Cities, villages, valleys, rivers, streams, lakes, mountain peaks, individual rocks are named - and an amazing and instructive story is associated with each place. Gradually, as we get acquainted with the Austrian legends, we have a complete picture of the nature of this country, where every corner is covered with poetry. This is a kind of poetic geography. Here is the geography of Burgenland, with famous flat lakes and picturesque castles. And here is the geography of the land of Styria: mountain lakes, glaciers, sheer cliffs, caves.

We arranged the legends in the way it is usually done in the Austrian collections of legends - according to the lands. Nine sections of a book are nine pieces geographical map that together make up one country - Austria. The geography of the legends is peculiar. It doesn't set priorities. A small village, an inconspicuous stream, and a local mountain cliff can be at the center of the action. And in this the legend is very modern. After all, it is high time to abandon the method of acquaintance with geography on the principle of marking: this city is worthy of mention because it is large and economically important, and that one is small and insignificant, and not worthy of being known about it. Modern knowledge is humanistic, for modern man every corner on earth is valuable - to the same extent that the ancient creator of the legend was important for his the only corner, which he described in detail and lovingly - after all, once he made up his whole world, he did not know other corners.

So, in a legend, unlike a fairy tale, a specific place of action is named. Of course, it happens that in a fairy tale the place of action is known, as, for example, in the famous "The Bremen Town Musicians" by the Brothers Grimm - such fairy tales are close in their features to legends. The legend not only names a specific place, but also often names specific natural features: if in a fairy tale the sea is a conditional phenomenon, then in the legend each lake has not only a name, but also a description of what water it contains, what shores, what grows around. Glaciers, snowfalls, caves, mountain paths are described in detail, and in urban legends - streets, alleys, taverns.

The second difference between a legend and a fairy tale is that historical characters participate in the legend and historical events are mentioned. Among the numerous beggars, lumberjacks, blacksmiths and Hans, who, if they bear a name, it has long become a generalized symbol of a daring or rogue from the people (a situation familiar to us from a fairy tale), there is a very real legendary Hans Puksbaum, who once led or the construction of the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, or the legendary alchemist Theophrastus Paracelsus, or Charlemagne, or Madame Perchta, who was not included in the annals at all, but was just as famous thanks to the Austrian legend. It is no coincidence that in the last phrase the word “legendary”, which is appropriate in this case, came up twice. Because a legendary person is a historical person, processed by a legend in a special way. Unlike the chronicle, the exact date when an event occurred or when a historical hero acted often disappears in a legend. On the other hand, the characteristic features of a historical person in the legend are exaggerated, becoming brighter, more prominent. And again, the same phenomenon, unusually close to the worldview of a modern person: there are no main and secondary people, just as there are no main and secondary cities - everyone can participate in the creation of history, but he must do something significant for this - for his loved ones, for of his people. It turns out that in a fairy tale the personality is erased, the main character is the people, generalized and typified, while in the legend, living, real people appear against this background.

And finally, we got to the third difference between a legend and a fairy tale. This is her special form. Much has been done about the form of a fairy tale, and it is described in detail. No wonder, because the tale is very recognizable in form, and this is expressed in certain linguistic features. The fairy tale has a beginning and an ending, there is a threefold repetition of the plot, there are stable epithets. With a legend, the situation is more complicated. The main thing here is the story itself, the plot, and it can be presented in different ways. Often this plot is reflected in the early chronicles, and then it is repeatedly recorded and presented with variations. The legend always has many treatments. We chose the option suggested by the wonderful Austrian writer Kate Rehais. But with any processing of the legend, the leading features of its content remain. We have already spoken about them.

A few words about translators. Legends was translated by a large team of well-known and young translators. Everyone - with his own professional destiny, with his own style. But in the approach to the legends there was a unity of views. We tried to preserve the accuracy of geographical designations, the features of colloquial speech, the rather complex and diverse language of descriptive narration, unlike a fairy tale. We really wanted the reader to feel with us the charming power of Austrian legends.

The basis for the book was a wonderful collection of legends in the processing for children and youth, made by the famous Austrian children's writer Käthe Recheis (Käthe Recheis). It is called "Legends from Austria" ("Sagen aus Österreich", Verlag "Carl Ueberreuter", Wien - Heidelberg, 1970). In general, adaptations of legends were made more than once, but it was this version that attracted us with its simplicity and expressive power.

Here are the legends of Austria. Amazing, unique country. Created by amazing, unique people. But their essence will be clear to you. After all, this country is a particle of a single Earth, and these people are part of a single humanity.

I. Alekseeva.

Full of legends. They say that under the city are three underground passages that several ghosts live in the castle and that the alchemist Dr. Faust stayed here...

Plague in Feldkirch - medieval legend

From Liechtenstein, two ghosts were moving towards the Il River. One carried a broom, the other - a shovel ... Approaching the river, one ghost said to another: "Go to the right and dig there, and I will go to the left and I will take revenge there." So they parted ways. This was the beginning of a great pestilence. Whoever looked at them immediately staggered and turned black. If someone sneezed at that moment, his temperature immediately rose and he fell dead the same day. People prayed and asked God for help.

In 1465, 400 people died from the plague in just one year. The salt market, which then took place on the bridge over the river Il, could no longer remain in the city and was moved towards Bludenz.

Soon the plague again came to the city along with the Swedes. Every seventh house inthe city was empty. It is said that the pestilence stopped only when the inhabitants of the city promised to build a church. It was the "Frauenkirche" near the Kursk Gates, the construction of which was completed in 1473.

The impressive architecture of Austria would mean nothing without the legends associated with it. Even the Cathedral of St. Stephen - and he keeps interesting story. And in every legend you can feel the atmosphere of this country. Sometimes even stronger than when sightseeing.

The historical center of the capital of Austria is the imperial city. Beautiful, majestic buildings, cozy coffee houses and pastry shops, the famous Vienna Opera and the Ring Boulevard filled with greenery... The locals have always been proud of this place. But their sense of humor always added a special piquancy to him. For example, from ancient times preserved interesting riddle. Vienna has thick and strong walls, fortified bastions and well-guarded gates. But without going through the gate you can get inside. It turns out that the answer is simple: one of them is called the "Red Tower". There is no "gate" in the title. By the way, it was through them that the main path to the Inner City ran.

The pride of Austria is its flag. You can read more about other features of this country and its resorts. Pay attention to the white stripe decorating the red field. She is a reminder of the courage of the Austrian duke. He had to fight with a whole horde of enemies led by the Sultan. But he didn't back down. Although the clothes were stained with blood, a white strip remained - a place under the weapon.

In the Imperial City, by the way, you should definitely look at the Cathedral of St. Stephen. It really stands out from the rest of the buildings. And on its walls you can see "scars". Once there was a shopping mall near the cathedral. And the sellers cut out length measures to measure the goods. So these slots remained on the walls of the sights.

They say that when it was being built, one of the linden trees was preserved. The architect came to the priest and warned that the trees should be cut down. But he begged him to leave one of his favorite limes. “She is as old as I am and should not leave the world before me,” the priest addressed the architect. The specialist went to meet him and redesigned everything.

Moreover, everything was conceived so that the linden looked into the window of the priest. He was incredibly happy. “We are good friends, Linden and I,” he said. And they say that when the time came for the priest to leave the world, the linden blossomed. Everything would be fine, but it was in the middle of winter. Austria keeps such an amazing legend to this day. However, she has in her arsenal and many other interesting stories.