Türst () is a legendary folkloric figure from the agricultural communities of
Lucerne
Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...
, dating to the
pre-Christian era. He is described as a "dreadful huntsman", of whom people should be wary in stormy weather.
Türst blows his
hunting horn
A horn is any of a family of musical instruments made of a tube, usually made of metal and often curved in various ways, with one narrow end into which the musician blows, and a wide end from which sound emerges. In horns, unlike some other bras ...
through villages in the tempestuous months preceding
Epiphany
Epiphany may refer to:
Psychology
* Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight
Religion
* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
** Epiphany seaso ...
, accompanied by a baying pack of three-legged hunting dogs. Specific beliefs about him vary from region to region.
Characteristics
Türst's distinguishing features are his threat "drü Schritt rechts, gang uswägs", or, roughly, "step right; get out of my way" in which the careless pedestrian is turned into a member of the dog-pack if he should fail to get out of Türst's way in time. It is also said that barn doors should stay open at this time, enabling Türst to hunt through the barn unhindered. Sträggele, his wife, appears in some Türst legends.
Other legends say that Türst terrifies dairy cows, causing them to sicken and cease their milk production.
Regional variants
In
Horw
Horw (; Swiss German: ''Horb'') is a municipality in the district of Lucerne in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.
History
Horw is first mentioned in 1231 as ''Horwe''.
Geography
Horw has an area of . Of this area, 32.6% is used for agri ...
, Türst is accompanied by small hounds, a leading hound with only one eye, Türst's wife, Sträggele, a hideous witch, and the ''Pfaffenkellnerin'', the ghost of a deceased
parson
A parson is an ordained Christian person responsible for a small area, typically a parish. The term was formerly often used for some Anglican clergy and, more rarely, for ordained ministers in some other churches. It is no longer a formal term d ...
's mistress with glowing eyes.
He appears in a green hunting costume in
Rickenbach, accompanied by a pack of animals which are half dog and half pig.
In
Wolhusen
Wolhusen is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Entlebuch District, Entlebuch in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Lucerne (canton), Lucerne in Switzerland.
Geography
Wolhusen has an area of . Of this area, 58.1% ...
, to avoid Türst, the citizens erected crosses. If a cross were to fall, the farmers would have bad luck until the cross stood straight again.
The local people of
Pilatus say that Türst is a ghost and a "dreadful huntsman", who drives and bothers the cows such that, for a considerable time, the animals stop producing milk. Hounds accompany him; their tracks are easily identified, as they have only three legs.
Barn doors in
Ettiswil are kept open most of the time as the farmers fear they might be torn asunder by Türst's invisible forces.
See also
*
Krampus
The Krampus () is a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern Alpine folkloric tradition, is said to accompany Saint Nicholas on visits to children during the night of 5 December (''Krampusnacht''; "Krampus Night"), imme ...
*
Walpurgisnacht
References
Further reading
Grimm, Deutsche Sagen, Der Türst, das Posterli und die Sträggele
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turst
Swiss folklore
German ghosts