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In the folklore of theAlpine region of south-central Europe, theTatzelwurm (German:[ˈtatsl̩ˌvʊʁm]),Stollenwurm, orStollwurm is a lizard-like creature, essentially a sort ofdragon (seeGermanic dragon), often described as having the face of a cat, with a serpent-like body which may be slender or stubby, with four short legs or twoforelegs and no hindlegs, the latter a trait shared with manylindworms. Stories of essentially the same creature also exist in the folklore ofSouth Sweden.[1]
The creature is sometimes said to be venomous, or to attack with poisonous breath (a common trait in dragons, seeatter), and to make a high-pitched or hissing sound.
Anecdotes describing encounters with the creature or briefly described lore about them can be found in several areas of Europe, including the Austrian,Bavarian, French, Italian and SwissAlps. It has several other regional names, includingBergstutz,Springwurm,Praatzelwurm, and in French,arassas.
The nameTatzelwurm (Swiss German:Tazzelwurm) is not traditionally used in Switzerland,[2] and the creature is usually known by the Swiss asStollenwurm orStollwurm ("tunnel worm"[3] or "dragon of the mine-tunnels")[4] in theBernese Alps. The tunnel and underground motif can be found broadly elsewhere amongGermanic dragons, like thelindworm,Fafnir andNidhogg, the Swedish analogs, andflogdrake, among many more.Stollenwurm may also be interpreted to mean a "serpent" with "short, thick feet".[5][6]
Tatzelwurm was the term localized inBavaria, Germany (with variantsDaazlwurm andPraazlwurm) according to an early study.[7] ButTatzelwurm has later came into currency in Austria.[8]
Bergstutz,Birgstutz orBirgstuz'n ("mountain-stump"[citation needed]) was the local name used in places in Austria such as the state ofStyria, parts of theTyrol,[a]Salzburg and theSalzkammergut region, and some parts of Bavaria (specificallyBerchtesgaden), according to early studies.[7][9][10] The name was simplyStutzn in the valleys of theTraun andAlm rivers of Austria.[7] Also the formlinwurm (cf.German:lindwurm).
In the French Alps, "arassas" was the applied name of the legendary cat-headed lizard.[11]
Slovenian forms include:Daadzelwurm,Hockwurm.
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In the anecdotes,Tatzelwurm orStollenwurm has been described as resembling a stubby lizard measuring anywhere from 1-3 to 5-7 feet in length.[12][13] and purportedly either two- or four-legged, or even six-legged.[14]They have been described as having a cat-like face, especially in Switzerland.[15][16]
TheTatzelwurm of Austria and Bavaria is described as having poison breath,[4][17] said even to be lethal.[18] TheStollenwurm also has been characterized as poisonous in Swiss lore.[15][19][20] Poison, specifically so called "atter", especially "attery breath", is a common trait inEuropean dragons.
The Tatzelwurm also allegedly issues a shrieking sound,[4] whistles[17] or hisses.[21]
An early description of dragon (Latin:draco) sightings in Switzerland was given byJohann Jacob Wagner [de] in 1680,[23] and replicated withcopperplate illustrations of the beasts byJohann Jakob Scheuchzer in 1723.[26][27][24] Even though Wagner had been the one to record the testimonies, the creatures were later dubbed "Scheuchzer's dragons",[28] and were interpreted asStollenwurm sightings by other commentators.[29]
An anecdotal "cat-headed serpent" with a black-grey body and no legs[b][30] was said to have been encountered by Johann[es] (Hans) and Thomas Tinner[c] at a place locally known as "Hauwelen" on the mountain ofFrümsen in the Barony ofAltsax, Switzerland.[d] It was alleged to measure 7 feet or more in length. Residents in the neighborhood were complaining that their cows' udders were being mysteriously sucked on but the incidents stopped after this creature was killed.[30][11][32]
A four-legged, cat-faced "mountain dragon"[e][22][33] was described by one Andreas Roduner as something he encountered in 1660 on Mt. Wangersberg inSarganserland (Landvogtei of Sargans), and when it reared up on its hind legs it became tall as a man, with boar-likebristles running down its back (pictured right).[22][11]
A creature like a four-legged lizard with a crest on its head, to give a later naturalist's description, was allegedly seen by Johannes Bueler ofSennwald Parish.[34][35] A dragon with an enormous head and two forelimbs, was claimed to have been encountered by 70-year-old Johannes Egerter ofLienz on Mt.Kamor; when it exhaled its breath, the man said, he was overcome with headache and dizziness.[19][20][28]
The naturalistKarl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre writing on the "history of dragons of the Alps" in 1887 explained that these creatures could all be identified as species of lizards or snakes (seemingly ignoring the cat-headed features).[36] Dalla Torre considered these giant creatures of the past to have died out by his time, alongside the folk belief associated with them, but that the popular notion of theTatzelwurm in his day lingered on as a "phantom" of those past legendary creatures.[37]
In contrast,Josef Freiherr von Doblhoff [de] counted these early dragons among his "Tatzelwurm of old and now", the title of his 1896 paper.[38] Although Wagner in the 17th century reported each Swiss monster sighted as a dragon,Studer in the early 19th century stated that the Alpine Swiss locals were generally unfamiliar with the namesDrache orLindwurm and knew only ofStollenwurm.[15]
Scheuchzer has been frequently ridiculed for his credulity in the dragons, evident in the tone of his work.[24] The historian Peter H. Hansen notes however that, in an earlier piece of writing, Scheuchzer expressed skepticism in the material and comments thatNewtonian scholars like him in this era had to maintain a posture of open-mindedness regarding nature, and that the modern distinction between "natural" and "supernatural" phenomena cannot strictly be imposed on the developing naturalism of the 18th century.[25]
A 1779 legend describes an encounter with the Tatzelwurm by farmer Hans Fuchs. According to the story, while in the mountains, he allegedly saw two of these creatures in front of him. Frightened for his life, he fled to his home and died of a heart attack from the experience. Supposedly before he died, he told his family of the encounter, describing the creature as 5 to 7 feet in length with a serpent-like body, two clawed front legs and a large feline-like head.[39]
Two Bernese,Samuel Studer (1757–1834) andJohann Rudolf Wyss, (1783–1830) who contributed greatly to Swiss folklore in the early part of the 19th century also added to the knowledge of folklore of theStollenwurm.[40] Although both authors give expression to the idea that theStollenwurm (rather than Swiss dragons) have heads that look like cats,[15][41] this is not to say that actual examples of lore they collected from Alpine people speak of any cat-headed creatures.
TheStollenwurm according to Studer is so called fromStollen meaning "short feet", and were believed to appear after humidly hot weather or when the weather is undergoing volatile change. The people considered them to be poisonous and harmful, and to resemble short, stubby serpents, with a round head similar to a cat's, and clawed feet.[15]
Studer represents perhaps the best source of knowledge on theStollenwurm available.[42] His contribution to the lore occurred in a short article on insects and the Stollenwurm which appeared inserted in the travelogue of theFranz Niklaus König's travelogue, published in 1814.[42]
Studer's treatise included eyewitness accounts.[43][44] In 1811, aStollenwurm with a forked tongue, serpent-like but rather wide head, and two stubby feet was reported by a Schoolmaster Heinrich,[f] which he claimed to have seen inGuttannen-tal, Canton Bern, Switzerland. He described it as measuring 1klafter in length, with a body about the thickness of a man's leg.[45][46] A few years before, Hans Kehrli from Allmentli inTrachselwald claimed to have killed a quite small, hairyStollenwurm carrying 10 young.[47][48]
Studer offered a bounty of 3 to 4Louis d'or to anyone who could supply him with the remains of an "authentic stollenwurm", indicating the degree of his conviction that the creature existed.[49][50]
The writer Johann Rudolf Wyss, explicitly stated that while the dragon was fabulous, theStollenwurm was dubious. To the standard description of theStollenwurm as a sort of snake with a cat's head and short feet, he added it was sometimes said to be hairy, and not just 2 or 4 but multiple limbs like a caterpillar.[51]
Wyss records a fabulous description from a certain shepherd inGadmen valley who said there were two types ofStollenwurm, white ones with a little crown, and the more common black ones.[52][53]
Wyss in the estimation ofHeinrich Dübi [de] was a less significant source than Studer regarding the folklore of the dragons orStollenwurm.[54] Something Wyss had done in his commentary is to bring up several pieces of Swiss folklore on snakes, suggesting connections. He conjectured that herdsmen of the Alps were "probably" talking about theStollenwurm when they said they believed "serpents"[55] had the habit of sucking milk from pasturing cows, which could be warded against by placing a whiterooster near the cows.[56][g]
In the folklore ofSouth Sweden there exist dragons described akin to Tatzelwurm. They belong to a type of dragon which arise when a greedy person who has hidden his money dies. The soul then turns into a terrible, but usually small, dragon and lies on top of the treasure to guard it. Legends say that they resemble lizards or fish, with toothy mouths, claws and long tails, and specifically in southern Sweden, there are stories about such dragons with cat heads.[1]
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