beliefs & stories from across the globe
to readers, the first thing that came to mind, was the architecture; not so much just buildings
and homes, but works of art. Add a beautiful countryside landscape, and you have a picture
perfect scene. But beyond the carefully sculpted walls, and deep within the woods, there are
things that are spoken of that are sure to get a chill out of you. In my research, I found
several interesting things about German legends and folklore, and learned a thing or two
along the way. As I previously mentioned, many countries and regions have sightings and
stories of ghosts, but it is interesting to study the unique culture and beliefs of individual
countries.
Along my path, I came across things such as Doppelgangers, werewolves, and even
stumbled upon Frankenstein’s castle. My journey ended in the enigmatic Harz Mountains.
Imagine if you will, a guy walking along with his girlfriend, window shopping in a small
town. Through one of the window displays, he glances toward a person walking across the
floor inside. As his girlfriend is looking at the lamp in the window display, his eyes are locked
on the man walking across the floor inside. The man’s likeness is the exact same as his! Could
it be his long-lost twin? Some say it very well could be his Doppelganger; a spirit that is said to
take the form of any human that is about to die.
The 19th century term Doppelganger derives from Germany. It is also sometimes know as
“Double Goer.” A tale of dread is often attached to the Doppelganger legend. Impending
death is said to come to those who witness their own Double. It is conflicting whether the
Doppelganger’s image can be seen in a mirror; some reports say it is possible, while others say
it is not. Many sources agree that if you witness your Doppelganger, death is soon to come.
Occasionally it is rumored to make itself known to friends or loved ones, causing the loved
ones to think that it is the person rather than the double.
Many claim that the Doppelganger can depict the complete opposite of your true self. If
you are a good and kind person, perhaps your Doppelganger could be mean and nasty.
There are also other accounts of Doppelgangers serving a different purpose. 16th century
poet John Donne who was at the time in Paris was visited by his wife’s Doppelganger. The
double was allegedly holding the newborn, and at the time his wife was truly pregnant. It
seems that at the moment the doppelganger showed itself to John, his wife miscarried. You
can find more on that account here…
http://www.wintersteel.com/Doubles_Doppelgangers.html
I read several cases involving the Doppelgangers, and one detail that kept repeating itself in
different cases, for some reason really gave me chills. In many reported cases (most cases with
witnesses) the Doppelganger would simply walk up and stand beside its double, and start
mimicking whatever the person was doing! Imagine sitting at the table in the morning eating
a bowel of cereal, and your double walks in sits across from you and begins to do the same as
you. Another thing I guess you could say I didn’t find. I didn’t find any happy accounts
associated with doppelgangers.
Late 1500’s. On the outskirts of Cologne and Bedburg Germany, the wolf attacks became
numerous. To the point that the townsfolk were finding human remains on their land.
Legend says that one day, a group from town cornered a wolf. The group had some dogs,
which attacked the wolf. The group attacked as well with spears. At that point, it is said that
the wolf stood up on its hind legs and transformed into a man who they recognized from
town. The man was Peter Stubbe.
Peter had been known to dabble with the occult from an early age, even trying to deal with
the devil. He was the first ever to ultimately be charged with what is now known as
Lycanthropy. He had confessed to 16 murders. But in any case, this is the first modern day
sighting of a werewolf. We have all kinds of scientific and medical reasons for Lycanthropy in
today’s society - we know that it is actually more of a psychiatric condition; one having
delusional thoughts that they are transforming into an animal. It is typically brought on by
conditions such as schizophrenia. But back in the 1500’s the mentality was much different.
Without the knowledge of today, they often turned to paranormal reasoning.
Tales of werewolves are abundant across Europe, and Germany certainly has its share. One
speaks of a woman that came home one day with a fresh kill of a sheep. When asked how she
obtained it, she proceeded to demonstrate. She told her friend to climb to the roof. As he
watched from the roof, a wolf ran across the field and grabbed a convenient sheep. The
Shepard saw this, fought with the wolf who tried to fight back. In the process, the wolf
turned to its human form, the woman.
In the Klein-Krams area, hunters enjoyed the vast array of species and often chose this are
to conducts their hunts. On many occasions, they encountered a particular wolf that could
never be killed. One day they witnessed the wolf grab an animal they had been hunting, and
amazingly head toward the village! Soon after a man traveling through the village, went into
the home of a man by the name of Feeg. As he entered the door, several screaming children
came running out. When he enquired as to what the commotion was about, they said that
Feeg was turning to a werewolf, and if they didn’t run, they would get bitten.
The ways of becoming a werewolf vary. Different sources say different things. A wolf Strap
is a popular way, magic rubs and oils are another. Of course a bite can be the source. These
are just a few of many examples.
The rules of the stories vary as well. It isn’t always a silver bullet that kills a werewolf. And
furthermore, a full moon isn’t always a factor. A combination of different beliefs about
werewolves exist around the globe and in different cultures, and Hollywood theatrics might
have played a large role on what the general beliefs and standards are today. There are now
medical answers and treatments for lycanthropy, also medically termed Clinical Lycanthropy.
Darmstadt Germany late 1600’s. Let’s walk down a tree-lined path. As we are walking, we
round a curve, and go a bit higher in altitude. We pause in our tracks, for looming above,
against the night sky, is what is now known as Frankenstein’s Castle.
It is rumored that Mary Shelley based her novel on the past history of the owner of this
castle, Johann Konrad Dippel. Dippel tended to experiment on human bodies. He would
save body parts for whatever scientific experiment he was currently working on. Some claim
that part of his medical aspirations came from the corpses in the graveyards. Even though
Dippel was a well-known scientist, he dabbled in alchemy. He was known for some remedies,
and his desire to prolong life. However, he was also known to try to re-animate dead animals,
and exhume body parts.
Years later, along comes Mary Shelley. Rumors and sources are very conflicting on whether
or not she at one time she visited the castle and learned of the proprietor’s history. Some
historians insist that she was once a visitor there, others say it is not true. Why all the drama
on whether she visited? Because it is a popular opinion that Shelley’s idea of the novel
Frankenstein was seeded after a visit to the castle in Germany. Shelley fans are quick to say it's
not true, that Shelley came up with the idea for the novel. The experts tend to disagree.
Leaving back down the path of the castle shell, we make our way over to the Harz
Mountains, a place of mystery for a very long time. Things that are said to have happened in
this area vary widely. Rumors of witchcraft, apparitions, and other paranormal activity are
widespread throughout the area.
On April 30th in the Harz Mountains, in a small village by the name of Schierke, you will
find a celebration that is similar to what you may know as Allhallows eve. It is called
Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night). There are booths with crafts set up, concession stands,
fireworks, and trinkets you can buy. The legends say that in the past, witches gathered there
for ceremonies. There are many different aspects of Walpurgisnacht, and what the witches
(Hexens) did when they gathered, little is known.
Some of their activities are said to be magic; re-enactments of folklore, flying on
broomsticks, and dancing on a plateau dubbed “The Hexentanplatz,” or “The Witches’
Dancing Place.” The Hexentanplatz is located on the highest peak of Harz Mountains. It is
called Brocken Mountain, or Brockenberg Mountain. The mountain towers over the village
of Schierke. This celebration is in honor of a goddess of old legends. In German folklore she
is called Walpurga. She is said to have the powers to bring summer, thus the celebration is on
April 30th into May 1st. According to legend, Walpurga was chased by the Wild Hunt, a
ghostly group representing winter. She looked for safety and hiding among the townsfolk,
and if they helped her, they were greatly rewarded. For more information on this legend, you
can stop by here:
http://www.worldandi.com/public/2001/April/walpu.html.
If you are hiking in The Harz Mountains, you might encounter phenomena called “The
Brocken Spectre”. The Brocken Spectre has several different names. You might hear it called
“Glory,” or perhaps “Brocken bow,” among a few others. Back in the late 1700’s, pioneers
including Johann Esaias encountered the phenomena. In reports of what he experienced, his
shadow was immensely magnified. Scientifically, the large shadow occurs when the
mountains are higher up than the clouds. The sun reflecting your shadow off the highest part
of the clouds below the mountain is known to cause the effect of the Brocken bow.
Occasionally, reflections of a colorful ring of water combined with droplets from clouds,
will give the effect of a halo surrounding the visitor’s head. Today we know that the glory
effect is common in mountains worldwide, but the discovery spawns from the Harz Mountains.
Throughout The Harz Mountains you will find tales of demons, ghouls, witches, fairies,
and even elves. There is an abundance of folklore attached to this mystical and hauntingly
beautiful area.
Until next time…
Tracey H.
PROOF PARANORMAL
Sources:
Doppelganger article:
http://www.wintersteel.com/Doubles_Doppelgangers.html
I found the following account to be very interesting…
http://www.ghostvillage.com/encounters/2005/09122005.shtml
A scientific article pertaining to doppelgangers…
http://farshores.org/p_dopple.htm
Origin of werewolves:
http://www.hotspotsz.com/article65.html
Among many other sources, Peter Stubbe is also mentioned here:
http://www.dragon-warrior.com/Bestiary/werewolf.shtml
Many German werewolf legends can be found here:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/werewolf.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_lycanthropy
A look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
http://wiretap.area.com/Gopher/Library/Classic/franken.txt
Informative article on Walpurga can be found here:
http://www.worldandi.com/public/2001/April/walpu.html
A bit on the Brocken Spectre:
http://www.weather-photography.com/album.php?cat=opticsandsubcat=brocken
and more examples of the Brocken Spectre:
http://www.philiplaven.com/p2c.html
If you’re planning a trip to Germany you might want to stop by here:
http://www.visits-to-germany.com/