The Rider within the Beeches of Klosterlausnitz
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| Geographic Coordinates: 50° 55' 0.00" N, 11° 52' 0.00" E |
During the nights of the new moon, nobody likes to go into the beech woods of Klosterlausnitz, or indeed into their general vicinity, and whoever is able to do so takes a different route that leads around this evil place. For in the night of the new moon, a ghostly horseman rides through the beeches with shouts of “hey-ho” and “hooray”. Many have seen that he is missing a head, while others saw him with a hunter’s hat. But he rides on a pale horse and that much is certain. It is the spirit of an old huntsman who maltreated the farmers and devastated their fields along with his companions while hunting game. He had impudently bragged that neither God nor the Devil could touch him. This appeared to be true during his life, which seemed charmed. He had received high honors and respect from distinguished people until he reached the end of his life. But then his fortunes changed, for God does not tolerate mockers. Now the huntsman rides around in the hunting grounds he favored when he was alive, and his restless soul waits for deliverance.
Source: Grässe - Der Sagenschatz des Königreichs Sachsen Zweiter Band, p. 342f