The Neckar Sacrifice in the St. John's Night

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Geographic Coordinates: 49° 30' 42.00" N, 8° 26' 15.00" E

When a fisher ventures out on the quietly gurgling flow during St. John’s Night in order to set fish traps or check fishing lines to see if any fish have been caught by them, he sometimes hears groaning or loud shouting from within the waters as if someone was in danger of drowning. But that person should beware of rowing towards such calls or even replying to them. For it is the spirit of the Neckar himself who searches for a living soul during that night and wants to attain power over it. And when someone follows that call, they will be pulled into the depths and then the empty boat floats downriver through the silent night to the abodes of the humans.

But if a child of men were to have the desire to refresh their bodies during the balmy night with a cool bath, then they — man or boy — should readily pledge their souls to God. For if God does not take them into his benevolent protection, they are doomed beyond the hope of rescue. They are grabbed by their feet and dragged down to the cold bottom of the river. And the next day their clothes are found at the shore, and their pitying neighbors will search for the dead person so that they can be buried in the graveyard but fail to find them. For three days and three nights all searching will be for naught, for the corpse lies fixed to the bottom of the river. On the fourth day, the corpse begins to rise and the gurgling water no longer keeps it and throws it at the shore. But around the neck they will wear a blue ring — a clear sign that the Neckar spirit has had power over them and strangled them during St. John’s Night.

Author’s Note: Based on Nadler’s “Neckarsage” (“Neckar Legend”) in the Badisches Sagenbuch, vol. 2 p. 479-480. This surely ancient legend is connected with the prohibition of the heathen water cult, which was for example connected to Frau Holla in the form of a water woman and which was expressed through the celebrations and bonfire during the shortest night of the year.

Source: Schönhuth - Die Burgen, Kläster, Kirchen und Kapellen Badens und der Pfalz Erster Band, p. 371f

Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles 1E Note: This story was published in the book Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles: Commentaries on German folklore. Get the book for further context and explanatory commentary!