The Smacking Death

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Geographic Coordinates: 51° 28' 0.00" N, 11° 18' 0.00" E

In the year 1565 it occurred in Sangerhausen that a distinguished matron died. After her departure, a great dying began that was so rapid that the number of dead people increased from week to week. First the number of the dead increased from 18 people to 30, then to 50, then to 60, 80, and finally 129. Then a rumor arose among the locals that this must be the “smacking death” which arose from the above-mentioned matron. She would feast in her grave and gorge herself on all nearby, and people had heard of a number of similar examples elsewhere. And as long as such “smacking” endured, the dying would spread further. For this reason, many demanded that the grave should be opened, that the veil and funerary clothes should be ripped away from the dead one, and that a grave spade should be used to cut off her head, as such methods had been used to good account elsewhere. Such demands could only be staved off with great effort, and it was next to impossible to get the people to abandon their superstitions. In 26 weeks, 1174 people died in Sangerhausen, which had 700 houses at the time.

Source: Bechstein - Der Sagenschatz und die Sagenkreise des Thüringerlandes Vierter Theil, p. 86f