Chasing Legends up Lucerne's Home Mountain

This series explores threads of German heritage beyond the Capital Region of New York. Click here for a full list of all articles in the series.

Mt. Pilatus - Lucerne's Home Mountain

After swimming in the Reuss River together, my friend Ben pointed to a large mountain in the distance and said, “That’s Mt. Pilatus. It’s Lucerne’s Hausberg.”

I love German words because their literal meanings are often packed with cultural insight. A Hausberg is a mountain (Berg) that belongs to a specific house or home. In other words, it is the specific mountain that belongs to and represents the city of Lucerne and its residents. Because this word exists, it implies that other Swiss cities also have their own Hausberge, thus helping to create a sense of local identity and pride. 

Ben continued, “It’s 2,000 meters high. We’re running up it tomorrow.” The only thing I enjoy more than running up a mountain is learning about the legends that swirl around it, especially when they've been shaped by centuries of folklore.

Mt. Pilatus towers at over 2,000 meters. Although the day's high humidity slightly distorted the clarity, it's still a beautiful sight.

Legend #1 - The Dragon Stone of Lucerne

In the Lucerne Natural History Museum sits the "Dragon Stone." According to local legends, sometime in the early 1500's a farmer named Stämpflis saw a dragon fly from nearby Rigi Mountain toward Mt. Pilatus, and it dropped something along the way. Curious, he investigated and found a round stone he believed had magical healing powers.

Over the centuries, the stone changed hands many times. Its reputation grew so much that in 1929 the Canton of Lucerne bought it for 400 francs. In the 1950's, it was loaned to the Pharmaceutical Museum in Basel on nothing more than a handshake between directors — no paperwork. When both directors died within a short time of each other, the stone’s whereabouts became a mystery. Years later, a Lucerne museum employee visiting Basel on a school trip recognized it and had it returned, where it remains on display today.

Although the whereabouts of the stone had been solved, another mystery remained - just what was this stone actually made of? For decades, many thought the Dragon Stone was a meteorite, fitting neatly with the idea that Stämpflis had seen something streaking through the sky rather than a dragon. But a 2006 study revealed that the stone was actually - drumroll please! - burned clay [1].

Even so, farmer Stämpflis can still have a chuckle, because whatever he saw over Mt. Pilatus that day hasn’t dampened the fascination or love that the people of Lucerne have for their Dragon Stone. 

Neither meteorite nor mythical object, the Dragon Stone is simply burned clay.

Legend #2 - The Burial Site of Pontius Pilate

What became of Pontius Pilate after he ordered the crucifixion of Jesus is unknown, but in Lucerne, some say he’s buried on Mt. Pilatus itself.

According to the medieval text Cura sanitatis Tiberii, Pilate committed suicide, but even in death he continued causing trouble. First buried in the Tiber River in Rome, his spirit allegedly stirred violent storms, so he was reburied in Vienna, where the same thing happened. Having had enough of this, he was moved far away to Switzerland and sunk into “a pit surrounded by mountains, where to this day… certain diabolical machinations are said to bubble up” [2].

Local legends generally agree that Pilate’s body ended up on Lucerne’s Hausberg, cursing it with storms and giving Mt. Pilatus its name. More likely, the name comes from the Latin pileatus, meaning “capped” or “hooded,” possibly referring to the clouds that often shroud its summit [3].

Running Toward the Legends

Whatever the truth behind the Dragon Stone and Pontius Pilate, no one can deny the stunning beauty of Lucerne’s Hausberg, best appreciated while running up it with a friend.

It’s moments like these, trail running up 1,800 meters over 14 miles in the Swiss Alps, then plunging into icy Alpine streams, that make projects like The German Tapestry possible. On this day, my buddy Ben became the most legendary figure on Mt. Pilatus, and chasing him (because he's much faster than me) was a true joy. Danke, Ben.

Crazy Ben testing the Alpine water temperature.

There was only one legend on Mt. Pilatus today. Thanks for being you Ben!

Sources

[1] Lucerne Museum Website

[2] Grüll, Tibor (2010). "The Legendary Fate of Pontius Pilate". Classica et Mediaevalia. 164.

[3] American Alpine Club