At the beginning of the 17th century, a ghost haunted Furrengasse in Lucerne. A tall, gaunt man with a large, crooked nose would climb the stairs to the town hall square and walk through Furrengasse. Suddenly, he would transform into a towering ghost, as tall as a house, dragging a long tail behind him. The ghost never harmed anyone and disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
At the same time, demons of the night—so-called Toggelis—would slip through open windows into the chambers of sleeping people. A Toggeli would sit on the chest of a sleeper, pressing down so heavily that they struggled to breathe.
But a Toggeli could also creep into a woman's dreams, exploring the depths of her mind. It would then deceive the helpless sleeper, making her believe it was the man of her dreams. The dreaming woman would imagine herself in the arms of her beloved, spending a passionate night together. By morning, the Toggeli would vanish, leaving the woman unsure whether she had merely dreamed or if it had truly happened.
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| The Nightmare- Johann Heinrich Füssli (aka Henry Fuseli, 1741 Zurich – 1825 London) |
The maids whispered this story in hushed voices, but no one dared to write it down.
Night Watchman Ralf says: The Toggeli corresponds to the Latin "Incubus." Various sources confirm that this is a common translation.
Related Tours: Nightwatchman Ralf Walk (Public or Private)
