Lake Hertha (Jasmund)

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern · Tyskland · Natural site

Deep in the beech forests of Jasmund on Rügen lies the Herthasee, a dark, almost black woodland lake beside the ancient rampart known as the Herthaburg. According to legend, which traces back to Tacitus's account of the goddess Nerthus, the goddess Hertha bathed in the lake after travelling among mortals – and the slaves who had served her were drowned in its waters so that no witnesses remained. Under the full moon, a white female figure is said to descend from the Herthaburg to bathe, accompanied by the shadows of her maidservants. Anyone swimming in the lake at night risks being pulled into the deep by unseen hands. The lake was long considered so ill-omened that fishermen avoided it after dark.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Lake Hertha (Jasmund)?

Lake Hertha (Jasmund) ligger i Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Tyskland.

Opplysningene bygger på lokal folketro og vitneskildringer.

Image: Ule Rolff · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons