St. Magnus
St. Magnus war a monk of the monastery St. Gallen (Switzerland). About
his life we know only few reliable data. Too much has been distorted
in later legends. Some say that he was born around 700 AD and died on
September, 6th 772. According to others 750 was the year of his death.
Neither do we know anything about his nationality. The "official" Vita
St. Magni claims that he was Irish, but several historical facts
oppose that oppinion. He could have been Alemannian, but most probable
he was of Romanic descent. Neglecting the miracolous accessories of
his Vita we may recognize some historical roots.
Together with his companions Tozzo and Theodor, Magnus left St. Gallen
Bregenz, at the eastern shore of Lake Bodan (= the Lake of Constance),
he reached first. During his short stay he healed a blind man who
accompanied him on his further travels. Later he went to Kempten, then
a nearly deserted and (neo-) pagan town. Magnus there restored
Christianity and (re-) built a church. Theodor was left there as a
priest while Magnus and Tozzo travelled on and soon reached the
where he died after a long life of worship.
During his peregrinatio Magnus worked many miracles. He had to fight
serpents and dragons both in Kempten and at Rosshaupten near
Waltenhofen.
Kempten was deserted when Magnus arrived there. No one dared to stay
even for one night, for this place was haunted by all kinds of
up his abode right outside the town. Not for long they had kneeled
down for prayer when a huge serpent - named Boas - rushed towards
them. Tozzo and the formerly blind man climbed a nearby tree to get
out of this peril. But Magnus and Theodor awaited the beast making the
sign of the cross. Magnus grasped a cross and the holy staff of St.
Gallus (who according to the Vita was his teacher).
Facing the worm he ordered his foe to lie still. And he commanded the
devil, who hided inside the brute, to kill Boas. With these words he
their leader all foul breed flied from the town, so that it could be
inhabited by Christians once more. Magnus and his companions built a
small church and re-errected the parish. Peasants from the
surroundings were baptized by Tozzo. He and Magnus also banished a
tribe of demons.
Kempten is one of the oldest settlement in that area. It was founded
by the Romans in the first half of the first century AD. At the
beginning of the 4th century it allready housed a small christian
parish (whose church had been excavated in 1939). This changed when
the roman province Rhaetia was conquered by the Alemannians: Kempten
became pagan again. The ensuing centuries saw a struggle for
prevalence between Alemannians and Franconians which escalated during
the first half of the 8th century. Surely Kempten suffered from these
fights and was at least partly destroyed. In 746 the Frankonians
invited their enemies to hold peace negotiations in Cannstatt near
Stuttgart. The Alemannians trusted them and arrived unarmed. Too late
they realized the ambush. Nearly their whole nobility was killed.
Southern Germany was soon conquered by the Frankonians. With the new
rulers christianity reestablished itself. But still paganism prevailed
arrival no one dared to expell or kill a snake. They were regarded as
guises of benevolent spirits or (as in the case of Boas) of gods.
Christianity cursed them as demons and devils. Thus killing Boas was a
oak!: Even a pagan god (or the devil in christian terminology) had to
subjugate himself under St. Magnus and the powers of the cross.
kilometers across the Tyrolian border). He met his second dragon in a
narrow valley called Rosshaupten. That beast allowed no one to pass.
Magnus decided to stay there for the night, hoping that the Lord would
hear his prayers and sooth the brute. Although Tozzo was frightened,
he did not dare to leave his master. Magnus put a piece of holy bread
into his pocked, took resin and pitch in his hand and hung a chain
with a cross around neck. In his other hand he held the magical staff
of St. Gallus. Near the lair of the dragon he ate a small piece of the
holy bread and made the sign of the cross. As soon as the dragon
noticed the invador he rushed forth to devour him. But Magnus -
The dragon was burnt to death from inside.
A local legend reports that Magnus and Tozzo afterwards had a look at
apples. Around this tree (the only living thing in the desolation of
the dragon) Magnus built a monastery. According to the official Vita,
however, that apple tree grew some kilometers apart in a place today
known as Waltenhofen. There Magnus errected a church (which Tozzo
attended as a priest). Soon afterwards he founded the (today
It is worth pondering over the name Rosshaupten. Etymologically it is
derived from the German words Ross = horse and Haupt = head or skull.
A common explanation was that from this point onward the use of horses
was impossible. Riders had to leave them behind and proceede on foot.
However, it is more probable that the name refers to a pagan sanctuary
where horses were offered to the old German god Wodan. A local myth
mentions a headless horse rushing down a hill. Halfways it met a
beheaded bull running in the opposite direction. After a short fight
they trampled each other into the ground, but then suddenly forgot
their struggle and ran off where they had come from. Around 1800
peasants gave the following explanation (which is not included in the
official Vita of the saint): Magnus once came upon a pagan ceremony in
which horses and bulls were offered. He ordered the allready beheaded
animals to run off. Thus he convinced the heathens of the powers of
the cross. This implies that at the end of the 18th century the
sacrification of horses was still part of public perception. During
the first half of the ensuing century peasants made other use of dried
skulls of horses and bulls. They kept them in the stables to prevent
thunderstokes and banish pestilence.
Magnus became a very popular saint. Besides Rosshaupten 14 other
villages claim to be the location of a dragon fight. In most cases
these legends are just plagiarisms of the "official" version.
Ronsberg is one of these villages. Its dark woods were terrorized by
three atroceous dragons, remnants of a godless, pagan time. Neither
man nor cattle they spared. At last a daring man was found who
promised to negotiate with the beasts. Using some magic powers he
succeeded in making a bargain. The dragons should spare the village
and seek their prey elsewhere in the adjacent districts. For a while
all went well. But one day the assigned boroughs had been deprived of
every living creature, and the dragons turned towards Ronsberg once
more. This time the sorcerer had no opportunity to negotiate: He was
devoured at once. The next day the peasants offered an old cow.
Although it is hard to imagine that only one cow could satiate three
dragons, the trick worked: The beasts got tired and fell asleep. A
brave messenger was sent out for St. Mang. The holy man had just tamed
a tribe of bears (another motive derived from his vita) and tought
them to hunt demons. With those strange companions he approached
Ronsberg. The bears killed the dragons, Magnus lit the forest and
their lairs went ablast.
In another, very strange legend Magnus had killed several worms but
spared one hatchling because of his innocence. This young dragon was
educated at Kierwang and helped the peasants to clear the woodland. He
not only cut down the trees but also sawed them into pieces. He
carried wood and stone, cleared off the snow and even helped in the
construction of new roads. He had just one fault: Hay and straw he
despised and never he got satiated by mice and rats alone. So now and
then he stole a calf from the pastures. This was too much for the
avaricious peasants. They decided to chop him into pieces while he lay
asleep. But when the first stroke hit his breast a strong jet of milk
issued from the wound. It was the best milk you could think of! The
peasants realized that this dragon was gold worth: He gave more milk
than all cows of the village together. They begged his pardon - in
vain. The dragon felt insulted. He left and was seen never again.
Lil Stinker
"just havin' fun!"
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