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| The Holy Beech near Seeburg, Meggen |
On the old Megger Road, which is today's Kreuzbuchstrasse, not far from Seeburg, stands the Kreuzbuche, also called the Holy Beech. Whenever a tree there died, a new beech was planted in its place and decorated with a Shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
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| Virgin Mary Shrine next the Holy Beech in Meggen |
Two stories are told about the origin of this tradition:
Pilgrim's Story
One story says:
A pilgrim, who was on his way to Einsiedeln, got lost for a long time at this spot. He made a vow to dedicate a plaque to the Virgin Mary if she helped him find his way again. And so it happened.
He then set up a Virgin Mary Shrine and also donated a mass at the Hofkirche (St. Leodegar Church) in Lucerne.
The Story of the Lady of Neuhabsburg
Another story is linked to the conquest of Neuhabsburg Castle in 1352, fourteen years before the Battle of Sempach.
Back then, the people of Lucerne, together with the original cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden, conquered Neuhabsburg Castle. They told the lady of the castle:
"Listen, we will do you no harm. Whatever you can carry on your back — whatever is dearest to you — you may take with you and leave freely."
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| Conquest of Neuhabsburg 1352 (Lucerne Chronicle, Folio 8v) |
The clever lady did something unexpected: she carried her husband on her back out of the castle, past the Confederates, and into freedom.
However, the proud knight was ashamed that his life had been saved by a woman's trick. In a fit of rage, he stabbed his savior on the Meggen common land, near the Kreuzbuche.
No sooner had he committed the murder than he was filled with terrible remorse. He wandered around aimlessly, tormented by his guilty conscience. No matter where he went, his steps always led him back to the scene of his crime.
There, at the very spot where he had committed the murder, he took his own life.
Source: Luzerner Sagen by Kuno Müller.
