The Skull Spider

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This spooky spider has already been mentioned above on p. 70, legend 10, as well as p. 119, legend 32. It lives in the Wildg’fahr cave at the Rosnerwald estate on the Sonnenberg mountain of Naturns. It is described as very large and with long feet, and its body has a form and appearance identical to that of a skull.

Once, a farmer dared to go into the cave, and immediately the spider jumped him and wove threads which were as strong and firm as the hairs from the tail of a horse. The farmer made the sign of the cross three times against it three times. Then it had to let go of him, and he ran away from it as if he had seen a tarantula or a large scorpion. During this flight, he hit a rock so hard that he somersaulted and rolled down the mountain for a fair bit. The fright shook him so deeply that he felt like was broken for a long time. He never went back into that cave again for the rest of his life.

Source: Alpenburg - Mythen und Sagen Tirols, p. 217

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Geographic Coordinates: 46° 39' 0.00" N, 11° 0' 15.00" E