#7 - The Water Tower of Chapel Bridge
Chapel Bridge, deemed the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe and the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world, has a medieval stone tower by its side, popularly known as, “The Water Tower.” It dominates the old town.
It is pertinent to point out that many visitors feel that this Water Tower has a sinister feel about it. This may be because it served as a dungeon in medieval times and must have witnessed the suffering and torture of innumerable inmates, not to mention gory deaths. Probably, it is the presence of ghostly specter that makes visitors uncomfortable near it.
Does this have anything to do with the devastating fire of 1993 that engulfed this 14th Century bridge and destroyed it completely? It is a matter of conjecture and not conclusively proved.
The bridge itself was rebuilt within a year.
#6 - The Bridge Displaying the ‘Dance of Death’
The wooden Spreuer Bridge, is covered, the way Chapel Bridge is, and likewise, its ceiling too displays paintings. But, these medieval paintings are unique as they depict the eerie ‘Dance of Death.’
The 72 panels, painted by Kaspar Meglinger between 1626-37, describes in graphic details the macabre scenes of death and of the ‘Great Reaper’ that urges people to dance with him, in other words, exit the world. This gruesome theme portrays the feeling and emotions of people facing death due to epidemic pestilence.
#5 - The Giant Skeleton of Lucerne
The world’s folklore and fairytales are full of giants and ogres that not only roamed the planet, but interacted with people too. Their existence may be termed as mere hearsay, but the discoveries of giant human skeletons in different parts of the globe lend credence to this belief.
The unearthing of the, Giant Skeleton of Lucerne, remains a mystery to this date. This human skeleton, measuring an unbelievable 5.97 meters (19.6 feet), was discovered in the canton of Lucerne in 1577 in the hollow of an uprooted oak tree. However, it is not on display.
#4 - The Cavern of the Three Tells
The folklore of a hunter and his hounds is told in various ways across Europe.
It goes something like this:
A hunter and his dog, while in the forest, find a trapdoor in the ground. The hunter opens it to find a subterranean passage. He descends down the passage with his dog and reaches another door that opens easily.
This door leads to a cavern, where he finds a fully clothed huntsman and his hounds along with another man, all sleeping soundly. He also finds a horn and a sword lying on the table. The moment he brings the horn to his lips to blow it, the huntsman stirs from his sleep. Alarmed, the hunter keeps the horn down and picks up the sword.
The instant he half draws the sword, the men wake up angrily, and the hounds start to stir restlessly. Simultaneously, the door begins to close behind him. In panic, he, along with his dog, makes a dash for the door, and he succeed in getting out of the underground passage. But the poor dog gets trapped in the closing door and dies.
The Swiss twist to this fable replaces the huntsman, his aide and his hound with the Three Tells. The Three Tells, so called by the herdsmen, are the three founders of the Helvetic Confederacy, that according to Swiss legend, lies in deep slumber in a cavern near Lake Lucerne.
Unlike the frightening conclusion to the hunter’s story, the Three Tells, who eternally sleep in the clothing of olden times, are deemed the country’s saviors. The belief is that they will awaken in the country’s hour of need and lead it to victory.
#3 - The Dying Lion of Lucerne
The Lion Monument of Lucerne, depicting a dying lion, was carved out of a cliff face in memory of the Swiss Guards, who sacrificed themselves in service of the royals, during the French Revolution in 1792. The memorial was designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen, a renowned Danish sculptor, and carved by a stonemason from Constance, called Ahorn, in the 19th Century.
As the story goes, this monument came into existence through the efforts of Second Lieutenant Carl Pfyffer von Altishofen, an officer with the Swiss Guards. At the time when his colleagues in the Swiss Guards were dying protecting the royals in Paris, during the Revolution, he was away availing leave in Lucerne.
When he learned of the tragic end of his mercenary friends in the Swiss Guards, he decided to erect a memorial in their honor after the Revolution was over in 1815. Although this move was opposed by Switzerland’s liberal politicians, he got it built with the support of the people of Lucerne.
You can see the dying lion resting his head on a shield bearing the symbol of the French monarchy, that Swiss Guards was loyal to. A part of a spear sticks out from the lion’s side that caused its death. The memorial’s inscription reads: ‘To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss’.
The exquisite carving gives such realistic expression to the dying lion that Mark Twain was moved to describe it as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world” in his travelogue ‘A Tramp Abroad’. Today, it is a major tourist attraction.
#2 - The Ghost of Mount Pilatus
Mount Pilatus, besides being one of the top tourist attractions near Lucerne, is also known for the famous legend of Pilatus.
According to the gospels, Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, refused to condemn Jesus of Nazareth, but the Jewish rabble wanted Jesus dead, therefore was Pontius Pilate’s forced to execute him. However, this act attracted the condemnation of Tiberius Caesar, that drove Pilate to commit suicide.
Pilate’s body was first thrown into the Tiber River, but it did not sink. The same thing happened in the Rhone River, and in Lake Lausanne. It finally found its resting place in the deep and isolated, Lake Oberalp on Mount Pilatus.
It is said that after the immersion, the agitated ghost of Pilate caused thunderstorms in the area in ancient times. It is believed that on every Good Friday, the ghost rises to “wash the blood of Christ from its hands.”
However, for some reason, the ghost has finally found peace, and no longer troubles folks in the Lucerne area.
#1 - The Dragons of Mount Pilatus
Various dragon legends and stories are attached to Mount Pilatus. As a matter of fact, in medieval times there is said to have lived several dragons within the mountain, which had healing powers.
This legend follows the story after there was a terrible thunderstorm on the evening of 25 May 1499 in Lucerne. On the morning of 26 May 1499 it is said a magnificently large, wingless dragons rose from within the River Reuss. The theory is that the dragon got caught in the storm on Mount Pilatus, and in the process ended up in the river. Various town’s people saw the dragon.
One legend follows the journey of a farmer (Stempflin). He tells the story of how a dragon flew to Mount Pilatus, and landed so close to him, that he fainted. When he woke up, he found he was hurt, but there was left for him a dragonstone (gem). Today, the healing properties of dragonstone is well known.
Another legend tells the story of how a Regional Governor, Winkelried, killed a Mount Pilatus dragon. It is said he wrapped his spear in thorn twigs, thrust it into the mouth of the dragon, and followed-up his action by piercing the dragon with his sword.
Unfortunately though, some of the dragon’s poisonous blood dropped on Winkelried’s hand, and in combination with the dying dragon's poisonous breath, the blood in Winkelried’s veins froze, and he died to.
- PS. Learn more about the Dragon Legends from our Dragon Legends of the Alps article.
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