Swiss Alps folklore illustration

Das Wütisheer (The Wild Hunt)

by Hans Michel

Legend German / Swiss German

📍 Locations in this Story

🏞️Rotental ⛰️Scheidegg 🏠Gassen 🏔️Faulhorn 🧊Rottal Glacier

📖 The Story

People often hear, from the Rotental and across the Scheidegg, the roar of the raging host, the Wütisheer. It is worst around the holy Christmas season, when it carries on its haunting most fiercely. Mighty giants—said to be the land's first inhabitants and called West Frisians—lead the nocturnal procession. After them come dwarfs of dreadful shape, riding on every sort of beast, and the spirits of all those burdened with a curse, whose haunt is the Rotental and the Rottal Glacier.

When the howling storm announces the approach of this wild hunt, the gates of the milk-house up on the Scheidegg—where the road goes toward Gassen and the Faulhorn—must be opened to the ghostly troop. Woe to the house if this is not done!
Translation confidence: 86%

Meaning is straightforward; slight uncertainty remains about ethnonym usage and exact farm-building sense.

From the Rotental one often hears, over beyond the Scheidegg, the roaring of the wroth host, or the Wütisheer. Most fiercely it drives its haunting about the holy Christmas-tide. Mighty giants, prime-dwellers of the land, called West Frisians, lead the night-faring train; then come dwarfs of loathly shape, riding upon all manner of vermin-beasts, and the spirits of all those laden with curse, whose sojourn is the Rotental and the Rottal glacier.

But when the howling storm makes known the drawing-near of this wild hunt, then up on the Scheidegg, there where the way leads toward Gassen and the Faulhorn, the gates of the milk-house must stand opened to this ghost-haunting. Woe to the house if this does not happen!
Translation confidence: 88%

Standard German narrative with clear syntax; a few regional toponyms and culture-terms are interpreted conservatively.

👻 Mythological Entities

⚡Wütisheer (Wild Hunt Host) 👤Giants (prime-dwellers; 'We... 👤Hideous Dwarfs on Unclean B... 👤Cursed Spirits of Rotental/... 🕯️Obligatory Opening of the M...
View detailed entity information

⚡Wütisheer (Wild Hunt Host)

Event⚠️ Dangerous

Original: "das Brausen des wütenden Heeres oder das Wütisheer"

A roaring nocturnal host that passes over the Scheidegg, strongest at Christmas-tide, experienced as a haunting procession.

Cultural Context: Alpine legend; Wild Hunt complex with seasonal (Christmas) haunting

Associated Locations:
🏞️Rotental ⛰️Scheidegg
Appears in:

👤Giants (prime-dwellers; 'Westfriesen')

Being⚡ Ominous

Original: "Mächtige Riesen ... Westfriesen genannt"

Mighty giants described as ancient inhabitants who lead the night procession.

Cultural Context: Alpine legend; ancestral/primeval beings

Associated Locations:
⛰️Scheidegg
Appears in:

👤Hideous Dwarfs on Unclean Beasts

Being⚡ Ominous

Original: "Zwerge von scheusslicher Gestalt, reitend auf allem möglichen Ungetier"

Dwarfs of dreadful appearance riding on various vermin-like creatures as part of the host.

Cultural Context: Alpine legend; dwarf-lore; Wild Hunt entourage

Associated Locations:
⛰️Scheidegg
Appears in:

👤Cursed Spirits of Rotental/Rottal Glacier

Being⚠️ Dangerous

Original: "die Geister aller jener Fluchbeladenen"

Spirits of people burdened with a curse, whose dwelling-place is the Rotental and the Rottal Glacier.

Cultural Context: Christian folk belief and Alpine haunting lore

Associated Locations:
🏞️Rotental 🧊Rottal Glacier
Appears in:

🕯️Obligatory Opening of the Milk-house Gates

Ritual⚠️ Dangerous

Original: "müssen ... diesem Geisterspuk die Tore des Melkhauses geöffnet sein"

A required act: opening the milk-house gates when the Wild Hunt nears; failure brings woe.

Cultural Context: Protective household practice within Wild Hunt belief

Associated Locations:
⛰️Scheidegg
Appears in:

📜 Story Details

Author/Source
Hans Michel
Category
Sage
Original Language
German / Swiss German
Myth Type
Legend
Primary Themes
Wild Hunt Seasonal haunting (Christmas) Household peril and protection
Secondary Themes
Giants Dwarfs Cursed dead/spirits Storm as omen
Narrative Function
Warning tale and practice-enforcement (open the gates) tied to a feared nocturnal procession.
Belief Context
Alpine legend with Christian calendar framing (Christmas-tide) and protective custom.
Original Source
View on Märchenstiftung

🔍 Folklore Classification

Thompson Motif Index

  • Wild Hunt / spectral host in storm 78% confidence
  • Protective/appeasing act to avert harm (opening doors/gates) 72% confidence

Motif labels given without codes because exact Thompson codes are not recalled with full reliability.

ATU Classification

Local legend/Wild Hunt complex; ATU tale-types typically do not fit well.

📚 Provenance

Bibliography
Hans Michel, Ein Kratten voll Lauterbrunner Sagen. Wengen 1936. Eingelesen von der Mutabor Märchenstiftung auf www.maerchen.ch.

📝 Notes on Translation

Kept 'Wütisheer' as a named phenomenon; rendered farm-terms literally; treated ethnonym 'Westfriesen' as reported legendary designation.