Above Innsbruck, on the old Umbrüggler Alm, there is said to have once lived a lavish dairyman who misused butterballs for bowling. The punishment for his profligacy came after his death. The spirit of the dairyman was condemned to live every winter in various huts in Tyrol as a Kasermandl. The little forest spirit can become very mischievous if you tease him. At the same time, however, he is also said to harbour good things: A poor maid was sent by her farmer to the Wattener Alm in the middle of the night to spy on the dreaded Kasermandl. The maid was promised a cow as a reward. But after the maid had returned safely, the farmer refused to keep his word. Suddenly, a cow died in his barn every day until the farmer had to honour his promise.
All Tyrol fans know this peak on the Nordkette mountain range, as it is an Innsbruck landmark. If you believe the legend of the same name, it is a petrified woman on her horse. The giant queen is said to have ruled the land many years ago and was cold-hearted and self-absorbed. There are various versions as to why the unfortunate woman became a rock. The most widespread is that she is said to have given a beggar woman a piece of stone to eat instead of bread. The beggar's curse in response to her act is said to have turned the queen and her horse into a stone for all eternity.
A long time ago, the giant Serles is said to have existed in the Stubai Valley. His passion was hunting, but in a very cruel way. He had dogs that not only hunted game, but also defenceless sheep. One day, a young shepherd shot one of the giant king's dogs after it had killed a pregnant sheep. The shepherd was sure to incur the giant's wrath. He set the dogs on the defenceless shepherd, who mauled him as well as his sheep. This was not without consequences: a violent storm hit the land and raged for hours. When the sun reappeared, the giant and his entourage had become a mountain. You can see King Serles in the centre, his wife to his right and his advisor to his left. On nights with heavy rainfall, the barking of dogs can still be heard today.
A poor farmer from Aldrans once wanted to build a mill, but lacked the necessary money. In his need, he made a pact with the devil, who promised to build the mill for him. In return, the devil would get the farmer's soul. The farmer made one condition. The mill had to be completed in one night before the cock crowed for the first time in the morning. The devil agreed and set to work eagerly. The mill was soon built. The devil had to fetch the millstone from the Inn Valley, which was very arduous and took longer than expected. When he arrived with the stone ready and waiting, the cock crowed for the first time. The farmer gave the stone a push. It rolled back down into the valley, the angry devil after it. The farmer laughed to himself and christened his new mill the "devil's mill".
A rich village is said to have stood where Lake Achensee is today. The inhabitants are said to have been proud and without pity for poor people. One day, when a strange, ancient man went from house to house to ask for food and shelter, he was mocked and chased away. The old man walked uphill towards Oberautal as far as the Fonsjoch and cursed the village. Heavy rain showers and torrents caused the village to sink into the floods forever. The old man lay down to sleep, where he still sleeps today. Every spring, he stretches and stretches in his sleep, which is sometimes said to cause avalanches. Sunday children with a pure heart are said to recognise the spire of the sunken village in the lake on a clear day.
High up on the mountain, deep in its interior, they are said to be at home, the "Salige Fräulein". They are said to have been sighted in various parts of Tyrol, especially in Reutte and Ötztal. They are magical creatures of delicate appearance who are well-disposed towards people as long as they follow their rules. One of these rules states that no chamois may be harmed. A rich hunter was unaware of this and one day pursued a herd of chamois to the Hintereis in the Ötztal. The animals disappeared into a crevice that had suddenly opened up with a loud roar. A beautiful female figure with golden hair appeared to the hunter. She introduced herself as one of the three Salige Fräulein. If the hunter kept his distance from this place and the chamois in future, he could continue to live happily in the valley. If not, the Salige Fräulein would take terrible revenge on him. The hunter adhered to this for a year, after which his hunting instinct made him forget the warning. He returned to the back ice to shoot a white chamois buck. A terrible crash signalled the release of huge floes, which crashed into the valley and devastated everything. Even today, piles of rubble can still be seen in the Ötztal, reminding us of the Salige Fräulein's revenge.
Emperor Maximlian I was a keen hunter and particularly enjoyed indulging his passion in the Tyrolean forests. At the Martinswand in Zirl, he is said to have pursued a chamois into rocky terrain until he could neither go forwards nor backwards. An angel in the form of a farmer suddenly appeared to him and guided him out of this precarious situation and into safe territory. When he went to say thank you, the chap had disappeared. Today, a cross in the Kaiser Max Grotto commemorates this special rescue.
A long time ago, Guckenbühl Castle stood near the Berglsteinersee lake between Kramsach and Breitenbach. The daughter of the lord of the castle, well protected and much loved by her father, one day fell in love with a young hunter from a poor family. As the hunter also returned the girl's love, he asked the lord of the castle for his daughter's hand in marriage. The lord was furious at the young man's audacity in wanting to marry his beloved daughter in his situation. He not only chased him away, but also set his dogs on him. To save himself from the fierce hounds, the hunter jumped into the Berglsteinersee, where he unfortunately hit a stone and drowned. From that day on, the lord of the castle's daughter was nothing but sad. One day, when she saw her beloved's face reflected on the surface of the Berglsteinersee, she went to him in the water. The two boulders protruding from the water are said to be a petrification of the lovers.
He was an immigrant from Switzerland and lived in the Inn Valley. One day, the giant Haymon killed the giant Tyrsus in a duel, which he immediately regretted. As atonement, he wanted to build a monastery at the entrance to the Sill Gorge in Innsbruck. He was initially unsuccessful, as his building was repeatedly destroyed in the evening after the work was done by a mighty dragon that lived in the Sill Gorge. Haymon defeated the dragon in a terrible battle and cut out the beast's tongue. Haymon completed the construction of the monastery and lived there until his death, pleasing to God. His remains, including the dragon's tongue, are said to be buried under the high altar of the collegiate church. The statue of the giant Haymon stands to the left of the entrance to Wilten Abbey Church and that of Tyrsus to the right.
