The After-Feeder in Katschow

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Geographic Coordinates: 54° 44' 49.26" N, 17° 54' 21.73" E 54° 35' 34.62" N, 17° 51' 36.38" E

A man died in the village of Katschow in the district of Lauenburg who had allegedly been greedy for all his life. When the corpse was supposed to be put into the coffin, it was noticed that the dead one had soiled his resting place. But in order to avoid disapproval from the relatives, it was foolishly claimed that the wet spots resulted from the large amounts of sweat which the man had shed while in his final death throes. Then the coffin was carried to the church yard and lowered into the blessed soil there.

A few weeks had passed when the oldest son of the deceased fell sick and died. Eight days later, the second one followed him. Eight days later, the third son was carried out of the house, and when the first month after the death of the first brother had barely passed, the youngest and final son had to pass from this world.

Obviously, these deaths — which had rapidly followed after each other — caused the greatest consternation in the entire village. The relatives of the greatly suffering family went to the village of Lanz where an old, experienced man lived who knew what to do in situations like this. This man then disclosed to them that two men should go to the church yard at night between eleven and twelve o’clock, and then open up the father’s grave. When they would open the lid of the coffin, they would find the dead one in a sitting position. He would offer them his hand and indicate that he would like to talk to them. However, they should not react to those entreaties, but immediately take a sharp spade, cut off the corpse’s head with it, and then put the latter between the feet of the corpse. Then all danger would be gone forever.

But if they did not do so, the dead one would continue his ghastful work, and, between eleven and twelve o’clock of every night, suck at the life’s marrow of his relatives until he had put them all beneath the ground. Soon after, the dead one would climb the church tower of Katschow and ring the bells there. Then all people would die in an area as far as that sound could reach.

The fear of the relatives now reached even greater heights due to these revelations, and offered a lot of money so that two men could be found who would do this horrible task. Finally, two brothers agreed to this, went to the church yard, and dug up the corpse between eleven and twelve o’clock. They found everything just as the wise man had said before. And when the dead one stretched his hands towards them, one of them grabbed the spade, and cut off the Nachzehrer’s (“after-feeder”) head in one go. Afterwards, they put his head between his legs, and filled up the pit again. And indeed, the dead one had been unable to pull anyone after himself from that time onwards.

(Oral tale from Katschow, Lauenburg district.)

Source: Jahn - Volkssagen aus Pommern und Rügen, p. 403f