One of many oldest castles in Switzerland is the hilltop fortress Lenzburg Fortress. Stated to be constructed on prime of an previous dragon lair from historical instances, it’s also stated to be haunting with a bell ringing for nobody and the ghost of a maid by the effectively within the midst of the evening.
Excessive above the medieval city of Lenzburg within the Swiss canton of Aargau, Lenzburg Fortress is among the oldest and most storied hilltop fortresses within the nation. Many would additionally take into account it some of the necessary castles within the nation. Its thousand-year historical past is steeped in bloodshed, intrigue, and thriller.
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From dragons and cursed maidens to bells that toll for no dwelling hand, the haunted historical past of Lenzburg Fortress affords a chilling glimpse into Switzerland’s darker folklore.
A Fortress Raised from Dragon’s Blood
Even earlier than the eleventh century citadel was constructed, somebody had been dwelling there. In 1959 they discovered a Neolithic gravesite on the carpark in addition to Roman and Alemannic traces. As with many historical websites, the origins of Lenzburg Fortress are rooted in fantasy. Lengthy earlier than it grew to become the residence of counts and Bernese bailiffs, the hill on which it stands was stated to be dwelling to a fearsome dragon. The beast, hiding in a darkish, yawning cave inside the hillside, terrorized the encompassing countryside, till two brave knights — Wolfram and Guntram — confronted and slew the creature.
Grateful for his or her bravery, the individuals of Lenzburg awarded the knights by naming them Counts of Lenzburg and granting them the hill to construct their stronghold. After the household grew to become extinct by means of the male household line in 1173, the lands had been shared between the homes of Kyburg, Zähringen and Hohenstaufen earlier than the Habsburg took over the territory.
The Bell That Rings for No One
Among the many citadel’s most eerie options is its Twelfth-century bell within the courtyard of the bailiff’s workplace within the citadel. After the Habsburgs occupied the citadel within the thirteenth and 14th centuries, it was then used because the seat of presidency by the Bernese bailiffs till the 18th century.
Native legend holds that on nights of the complete moon, the nice bell typically rings out, despite the fact that nobody is within the tower, and no hand is seen to tug the rope. The ghostly toll reverberates by means of the traditional partitions and throughout the shadowed courtyard, waking uneasy desires amongst these staying close by.
No passable rationalization has ever been discovered for these phantom peals, although some imagine they’re a name from the opposite facet, or a lament from the numerous souls who as soon as known as the citadel dwelling.
Some say it comes from a legend that occurred not too removed from Lenzburg. A person was as soon as stated to have been discovered murdered on the road, however they had been unable to seek out his killer. To catch him, they determined to interrupt a bone from the corpse and cling it on the pull of the Lenzburg Fortress bell.
Anybody searching for justice or alms from the bailiff needed to ring it. For a few years, the bone had been tied like this to no avail, till one full moon evening, a begging previous man rang the bell and was abruptly splashed with blood, a certain signal of his guilt. He was arrested and confessed to having attacked and murdered the person in his youth.
The Sod Maid Ghost of Lenzburg Fortress Haunting the Nicely
Amongst Lenzburg’s spectral inhabitants you will discover the ghost of a maid haunting the citadel. At this time she is generally known as the Sod Maid. She is alleged to seem every year on Corpus Christi Eve that falls on the finish of Might or in June. Wearing a trailing robe and clutching a small, pale baby to her breast, the sad ghost wanders by means of the citadel gardens underneath cowl of evening.
Her path is at all times the identical: she strikes towards the traditional sod effectively, a kind of dug shaft effectively, now-sealed pit inside the grounds, rocking and soothing the kid in her arms. Because the church bell strikes midnight, the lady lets out a grief-stricken cry and drops the kid into the darkish, watery depths. A sickening, heavy thud follows. It’s stated this tragic act was born of forbidden love, and that the maid, unable to bear the disgrace of her secret, drowned her baby to maintain her secret protected.
The legend claims she will solely be redeemed if a pure, virgin maiden can catch her tears in a jug earlier than they contact the bottom. However when one courageous woman as soon as tried it, the tears proved impossibly heavy, and the jug slipped from her grasp. Since then, the Sod Maid nonetheless wanders the grounds, weeping for the kid she misplaced and the salvation perpetually out of attain.
A Fortress Steeped in Historical past and Shadows
Although as we speak Lenzburg Fortress affords family-friendly exhibitions and meticulously restored rooms showcasing medieval home life, the load of its historical past lingers. The echoes of misplaced souls cling to its historical stones, and guests typically report unsettling emotions in sure elements of the citadel, notably close to the previous effectively and bell tower.
It stays a spot the place historical past, fantasy, and ghost story intertwine — a citadel raised from a dragon’s grave and watched over by a mom’s everlasting sorrow. Lenzburg Fortress is not only a relic of the previous, however a dwelling, respiratory testomony to Switzerland’s darker folklore, its legends as enduring because the mountains themselves.
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References:
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