TheBergmönch ("mountainmonk";German:[ˈbɛʁkˌmœnç]) is a mountain spirit fromGerman folklore. He is also known asMeister Hämmerling ("masterhammering guy").[1]
The appearance of theBergmönch is like agiant in size.[1] He has white hair[2] and fiery looking eyes as large as dining plates.[3] The mountain spirit wears a black hoodedcowl as used by monks; this gave rise to his nameBergmönch.[4] He also can be dressed like a miner. As such he is calledMeister Hämmerling.[5] Additionally, he can take the shape of a horse with long neck and terrible looking eyes, and is also able to become invisible.[1]
The residence of theBergmönch are pits andmines in the mountains. There he is active as well deep in the pits as up on the surface. Especially on Fridays this mountain spirit is very busy. He fills the excavatedores from one bucket to another. TheBergmönch should be given his head because he will violate anyone who dares to scold his futile effort.[1] The mountain spirit generally is an erratic and dangerous being. His breath is poisonous, able to kill twelve people at once. Also, he sometimes grasps a miner and puts him down at another place with so much strength that the miner's limbs are shattered.[1] The mountain spirit loves hoaxing and is known as a very hot-tempered person.[6] He doesn't like being denied or joked about and will surely punish those who deny him.[7]
TheBergmönch can also be just and helpful, guarding the good miners and punishing the evil ones.[7] He punishesvices such as whistling and cursing, egoism, infidelity and idleness.[2] For example, the mountain spirit killed an evil foreman of miners by crushing his head invisibly with his knees.[1] TheBergmönch sometimes gives miners whose mining lamps are in danger of going out some of the oil from his giant pit lamp. This oil never diminishes and burns steadily even for years when the miner never reveals the secret that he got lamp oil from theBergmönch. He also has favorite miners whose work he does, excavating ores for them. This spirit is able to excavate more ores in one hour than miners are able to excavate in one week. He also shows his favourite miners hiddenlodes of gold and silver but the miner has to throw some of his mining tools in the offered lode or it will be closed to never being seen by human eyes again.[8]
Many other mountain spirits appear inGerman folklore. The most frequently appearing mountain spirits are thedwarves, which are most commonly calledZwerge (sg.Zwerg) but are also known under a wide range of other names such asBergmännchen (sg., pl.; "mountain manikins") orErdkobolde ("earthKobolds"; sg.Erdkobold). They are said to often appear in droves.[7] A malevolent mountain spirit ofSwabian salt pits is the long-nosedHalgeist orHaalgeist (both "salt ghost") which throws everyone over the mountain who dares to make fun of its large nose.[9]
Legends about theBergmönch and other mountain spirits from German folklore.