Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World
Germany is known for their sausages, which is often served with potato salad. Also, Germany is known as the home of the third largest music market all over the world. In England, Germany tops the list for the said category as it is the home to two famous composers, namely Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, who were part of those who paved the way for the different types of music enjoyed by many now.
Just like any other city or country in the world, Germany has contributed to another area that a lot of people find intriguing – the paranormal world. Locals know a lot of places where mythical creatures and ghostly apparitions appear but one of the scariest is the Black Forest.
A photo showing the Black Forest from above. (Link: https://www.tripsavvy.com/most-haunted-places-in-germany-4103556)
What You Need To Know About The Black Forest
Although the name of the German forest may be pictured as an enticing place to be because a cake has the same name as the forest being talked about in this article, it isn’t exactly as yummy as that piece of pastry goodness. This is because the Black Forest is said to be a home to many ghosts because the sun barely shines some light in this part of Germany.
The Black Forest at night. (Link: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/earth-planet/images/39492991/title/black-forest-germany-night-photo)
The Black Forest is composed of dense fir trees and if you are familiar with the fairytale books of the Brothers Grimm, this was actually the forest where they based most of the stories they wrote. Considering the fact that the Brothers Grimm targeted children as their main market for their fairytale books and knowing now about the backstory of how they were inspired to make the stories makes it a bit spooky.
The Romans were the ones who named the forest as the Black Forest, or Silva Nigra in their language. History says that when the Romans arrived at the Black Forest, they were so spooked of how dark it was so they coined it as the Black Forest. The Black Forest is near the Rhine River and to locals, this is what they refer to as Schwarzwald. The Black Forest is not just full of trees but many other things could be seen there – monasteries, castles, and ruins.
A photo showing the Rhine River near the Black Forest. (Link: http://www.germany.travel/en/leisure-and-recreation/scenic-routes/galerie-legendary-rhine-romantic-route.html)
Ghostly Stories And Mythical Creatures From The Black Forest
Most of the ghostly stories and supposed encounters with the ghosts living in Black Forest came from the elderly people of Germany. Accordingly, the stories stem back from when the forefathers knew of the area and they were passed on from generation to generation.
Some of the most famous stories of ghosts and mythical creatures living at the Black Forest include sorcerers, wizards, nymphs, a headless horseman, witches, the devil, and the ghost of a king. Aside from these mythical creatures, people in Germany also believe that a pack of wolves lurk at the Black Forest.
Accordingly, the headless horseman rides all over the forest with its white, great horse. The king, on the other hand, is said to be a ghosts that likes to kidnap women if they get lost at the Black Forest. The king allegedly takes these girls away from their families and keep them in his underwater lair. As for the sorcerers and wizards, who are referred to in Germany as Freischützen, they were identified as marksmen. They reportedly fired bullets and they never miss their target despite the fact that the Black Forest is really dark.
Some of these sorcerers and wizards also guised themselves as werewolves. One popular story regarding this was about the wolf always making a way to get a sheep for himself. The sorcerer or wizard guised as a wolf was never caught. A hunter then tried to stay awake and succeeded in shooting the wolf. The next morning, one person was found wounded in his bed. It is believed that this person was the wolf.
As for the ghosts of the Black Forest, two of them are said to be monks from the monastery of St. Blasein. The monks were reportedly merciless and oppressive against their subjects and they remained to haunt the monastery even after they passed away.
A photo of the abandoned monastery at the Black Forest. (Link: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/799600108813740739/?lp=true)
Another story belongs to a tall and disfigured man and was referred to as der Grossmann. He reportedly has a lot of arms and he has bulging eyes. Per the story, bad children were taken by their parents at the Black Forest to confess their sins to such creature. The kids were never seen or found again.
