True Basel: The saga of the Spalentier

Spalenvorstadt in the 20th century

The son of a good citizen of Basel went abroad to learn a trade at the beginning of the 17th century. He soon fell on hard times and asked his father to help him in order not to die of hunger. His father, enraged about this beggary, replied that he didn't have him learn a profession just to be the one supporting him. He wanted his son to be hardworking and independent. He sent him only one kreutzer and added that if this wasn't enough, he shall buy a rope and hang himself.

The son was hit hard by his father's reaction and hung himself. When the father learned about his son's suicide, he felt so bad that he hung himself, too.

This tragic story was believed to be the work of the devil, as was usual at that time. According to the saga, evil spirits settled down in the father and son's house at Spalenvorstadt. People were afraid to enter the house due to noises that came from it. One day, a brave citizen tried to end the evil spirits' rumbling and noisiness and entered the house. However, the man fell into a rage; he started wrenching his limbs like an animal and cursed terribly. The citizens of Basel were terrified, because he sometimes turned invisible and placed himself on the streets, making pedestrians fall and hurt themselves.

This monster was called "Spalentier" (Spalen- from the place where he fell into a rage, -tier meaning 'animal' in German). He often appeared accompanied by a warm Foehn wind, and the weather often was an indicator for mischief. Furthermore, this monster always appeared in different shapes: sometimes as a dog, a pig, a calf, a hippopotamus, a dragon, or a lindworm (often even in that sequence). He also sometimes appeared looking like a tall, white column with a long tail (anyone else wondering what this must have looked like?).

Spalentier

The Spalentier committed his monstrous deeds up until the 19th century. People were especially afraid when they were a bit short of domestic bliss, as is described in Philipp Hindermann's (1796-1884) poem:

Basel het e Spaledier,

Das zaigt sich no ze Zyte,

Wenn an dr Spale Ma und Frau

In Zangg und Hader strytte.