The Lament Tree

Vienna · Austria · Natural site

Wailing tones came from the lime tree by the leper house at night. The priest who went with a cross was seized by the shadow and vanished with it.

In 1267 Gerhard, parish priest of St Stephen's, founded a hospice for lepers outside the walls on what is now the Wieden, with a chapel dedicated to good St Job. In front of the chapel stood a great lime tree, and at night strange laments were heard coming out of it. The neighbourhood fell into such ill repute that nobody dared pass after dark. At last the residents, led by the judge, asked the priest to banish the wailing. He took cross and holy-water sprinkler and went out into the night. The tones grew louder, oddly alien and yet human. A moonbeam broke through the cloud and showed a shadowy figure swaying back and forth under the tree. The priest raised his cross — the lament fell silent, the figure seized him and vanished with him behind the chapel. He returned only the next morning.

FAQ

Where is The Lament Tree located?

The Lament Tree is in Wien, Austria.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.