THE GNOMES OF THE UNTERSBERG MOUNTAIN by Franz Hartmann

« I have for eight years been living at Hallein near Salzburg in Austria, in the vicinity of the Untersberg, which has a great reputation on account of the stories that circulate about its being inhabited by the gnomes.

Although within the last few years these spirits seem to have retired on account of the turmoil caused by the advance of modern civilization; for in those places where formerly was reigning solitude and peace there are now fashionable hotels and inns where the revels of tourists break the stillness of the night; the beautiful alpine flowers are exterminated by greedy hands, the engine of the railway renders the air smoky and impure, and the ideality of the scenery is evermore giving way to an aspect of materiality caused by business enterprises, breweries, stone quarries, etc.

What wonder if the peace-loving spirits flee or hide themselves away!

A great many interesting stories about the doings of the gnomes might be gathered among the peasants of that country, but one would have first to gain their confidence, because they are very reticent to speak of such things to strangers, whom, they suppose, inquire only for the purpose of gratifying an idle curiosity and afterwards throw ridicule upon the subject.

The gnomes seem to be a pious people, because they have often been seen, especially on certain nights in the year, passing in procession into some solitary church and chapel and holding service there. Persons coming on such occasions near the building would find the windows illuminated by a light coming from the interior and they would hear chorals sung within; but when they went for the parson to get the keys to the place and entered, everything became at once dark and still and the gnomes disappeared.

What seems to me most incredible is that human children have suddenly disappeared in a mysterious way and after some days been brought back sound and well and smiling to their homes, claiming that they had been taken care of by a beautiful little lady. There is also a story of a boy who was taken by the gnomes into the Untersberg and remained there for some time.  After his return he gave an account of his experiences to the priest in the confessional, and the priest published as much of it as he was permitted to reveal. »

(Occult Review, January 1908, p.34-35)

« This mountain, called “Untersberg,” situated near Salzburg in Austria, is celebrated for being inhabited by Gnomes, and I have myself on certain nights seen their lights wandering about in inaccessible places and precipitous walls of rocks, where not even a bird would have found a foothold. Rocks seem to be as penetrable to them as the air is to us.

Moreover there are many of the peasant-folks that live near the Untersberg who have seen such dwarfs, not only solitary ones, but whole processions of them; for they seem to have a religious sentiment, and at certain times they go in procession to churches and chapels in the neighborhood to hold their services. On such occasions the windows of the church are brilliantly illumined and music may be heard within; but when one opens the door, the music ceases and the lights disappear.

The peasants in that country are very reticent in speaking about such matters to strangers for fear of scepticism and ridicule, but if a sincere inquirer once gains their confidence, he may be told some very interesting tales. At all events these phenomena would be worthy of investigation, as this may bring the realm of “elementary spirits of nature” within the reach of natural history. »

(Occult Review, April 1907, p.201-202)

« Whoever has visited the city of Salzburg in Austria knows the renowned Untersberg, of which mention is made in the books of Theophrastus Paracelsus and other writings. This mountain is known to every occultist in Germany, and as late as the year 1848 a certain society of Rosicrucians met once a year within its mysterious recesses, to celebrate their anniversary, presumably in their astral forms.

I well remember having been acquainted in my youth with one of the members of that Society, who told me some wonderful stories about his experiences on such solemn occasions. He was a poor man, having no means to travel so far in his physical body, and there were no railways at that time. Nevertheless he showed me his picture in which he was represented as wearing the habit of his order together with its emblems and regalia, and this picture is still in the possession of one of my friends.

In my book Among the Gnomes in the Untersberg, I gave a detailed description of that mountain, from which I extract the following:

"Like a gigantic outpost of the Austrian Alps the “Untersberg” stands on the frontier of Germany, overlooking the Bavarian plains which are dotted with hills, forests and lakes. Its summit dominates the valley, through which the Salzach river winds its way to the Danube.

Seen from the north side, where the city of Salzburg is nestled among the hills, the mountain looks tame enough, as it rises in undulating, forest-covered lines up to a height of some 7,000 feet; but on the south side it exhibits an almost endless variety of perpendicular walls, formed of many coloured marble rocks, thousands of feet high and interrupted by deep ravines and chasms, craggy cliffs, spurs and precipices, over which in the spring time, when the snow begins to melt, great avalanches come thundering down, and a sharp eye may detect in many inaccessible spots mysterious caves that seem to penetrate into the bowels of the mountain.

There is no end of cataracts and labyrinths of boulders, where the inexperienced wanderer may lose his way, especially if he is misled by the gnomes. This may occur if his intentions are not pure.”

Here I may add that these actually inaccessible caves in the midst of some perpendicular wall are on certain nights of the year often seen illumined by strange floating lights wandering about in a manner unaccountable by any known scientific theory.

These nights are usually such as precede some Catholic holidays. But this is not all. On certain nights processions of gnomes have been seen going to a solitary chapel. Presently the interior of the chapel becomes illumined, pious songs and hymns are heard; but when one opens the door and enters the building everything appears silent and dark.

If you are on friendly terms with the human inhabitants of the surroundings, they will tell you plenty of stories of things they have experienced themselves or their parents; but to the curious reporter or sceptical investigator they have nothing to say, and he will extract nothing from them; for they are very averse to having ridicule thrown on their belief or their “superstitions” noised about.

One such story resembles to a certain extent that mentioned in the Occult Review concerning the adventure of two English ladies visiting Le Petit Trianon at Versailles and seeing the Queen Marie Antoinette and her court.

In the year 1529 a peasant by the name of Lazarus Gitschner disappeared in some mysterious manner within the Untersberg, where he spent ten days as a guest of the gnomes.

What he saw there he would never reveal to anybody except to the priest in the confessional; but he came out of the Untersberg entirely changed from what he was before he went in. He henceforth lived a sober life and absolutely refused to drink, and even the priest to whom he had confessed became sober and pious, and died not long afterwards in the odour of sanctity.

It seems, however, to have leaked out that the gnomes showed to Lazarus Gitschner gorgeous marble halls and rich treasures of gold and silver and precious stones, and that he there saw the great German Emperor Barbarossa, who sleeps an enchanted sleep within these rocks, waiting for the liberation of his country.

The time of his awakening will come when "the black ravens cease to fly about his head.” This, however, is probably to be taken as an allegory and the “black ravens” may represent the ecclesiastical dominion of certain black-robed gentlemen.

Moreover, there are many tales about gnomes having in olden times appeared among the inhabitants, taking part in their festivals and amusements. It is also said that they sometimes took peasant children with them into the Untersberg, treated them well, and after a certain time returned them to their parents, and incredible as it may appear, it is asserted that even marriages have taken place between certain inhabitants of our plane of existence and the gnomes; but I am not prepared to vouch for the veracity of such reports.

Some of these tales are evidently not intended to be taken literally; but are intended to illustrate certain truths and to convey a moral teaching. »

(Occult Review, December 1911, p.318-320)

(Note: the complete title of Franz Hartmann’s book is “Among the Gnomes. An Occult Tale of Adventure in the Untersberg”, originally published by T. Fisher Unwin, London, in 1895, and you can read it online here.)