Twice ToldJohann Leopold Cysat, Beschreibung des Vierwaldstättersees (1661): the dragon stone and the deeds of 1509 and 1523, pp. 176-181
- Language
- German
- Reading
- transcribed from the page image
- Translation
- ours
- Retrieved
- 5 October 2026
Johann Leopold Cysat’s book on the Lake of Lucerne, written in 1645 and printed in Lucerne by David Hautt in 1661. In the chapter on stones he prints “von wort zu wort” (word for word) two deeds that were kept with the stone: a judgment of the bailiff of Rothenburg of 1509 and a charter of the Lucerne council of 1523. Only the passages the article uses are transcribed here, with […] for what is left out. Blackletter, spelling as printed; u/v and the abbreviation marks are as the page shows them, and the printed ” / ” (virgule) is kept. [word?] marks a reading we are not sure of.
[p. 176] Nun kom ich wider auff die Materj deß Drachen-Steins / sonderlich aber darumben / weilen in der löblichen Statt Lucern / auch ein sollich kleynod / dessen hohe Tugent vilfeltig bekannt / probiert vnd erfahren / auffbehalten wirdt. Denselbigen hat ein Drach Sommerszeit / als er von dem Berg Rige / an den anderen Berg Fräckmont / das ist der Pilatus Berg / vber See geflogen / nechst bey einem Bawrsmann / so in der Matten Graß gemeyet / auff die Matten fallen lassen / wie solches alles / auß hernach folgenden Copien, der zwenen Authentischen Instrumenten, welche bey disem Stein / jederzeit / auffbehalten werden / klärlich zuverstehen ist. Diser Stein ist groß vnnd bey nahend gantz rund / wie ein Kugel / von vnderscheidenlichen Farben / weyß / schwartz / blutfarb / seltzam durch ein anderen getheilt / wie die Figuren im Kupffer litt. D. vnd E. anzeigen. Der Stein wigt neun Vntzen.
Draconites oder Drachen-Stein.
Er ist treffenlich gut contra pestem, den Schaden / mit dem Stein bestrichen oder vmbfahren / vnd dann 24. Stund darüber gebunden / […] so bind den Stein / mit einer Zwehel in die rechte Hand / so ziechts von stundan das Gifft auß / […] diser Stein / ist bey 60. Jahren an vilen Menschen der Statt Lucern eigentlich vnnd gewüß erfahren worden.
[p. 177] Folgen die beyde Copien. Wie sie von wort zu wort in alt hielandischem Stylo vnnd Sprach lautendt.
Ich Peter zu Käß / deß Raths zu Lucern vnnd der Zeit Vogt zu Rotenburg / Beken offentlich mit disem / daß auff Heüt seiner Dato / als ich zu Rotenburg gericht hab / vor mir erschinen sindt / die Ehrsamen Martin Schryber der Wundartzet / Burger zu Lucern an einem : Vnd Rudj Stempfflin von Rotenburg anders theils / vnnd offnet gemelter Martin Schryber / wie daß jhme / gemelter Rudj Stempfflin / ein Pfand versetzt hab / namblich ein Stein / so von einem Drachen syn solle / vmb ein Summa Gelts / welche Sum er begehrte / jhn der Stempfflin / darumb außrichte vnd bezahlte / vnd sollich sein Pfand löste / dieweil doch gemelt Pfand lengest / vor Jahren vnd Tagen / verstanden vnd vergangen sye / nach formb deß Rechten / vnd dargegen vnnd wider / Rudj Stempfflin antwurt / es sye wahr / er hab gemeltem Martin Schryber / solchen Stein versetzt / vnnd sölte den vor lengst gelößt haben / vnd sye Zihl vnd Tag / vnd alle Recht vbergangen / aber es sye an seinem Vermögen nicht gewesen vnnd noch nicht / wo es aber an seinem Vermögen wäre / so wolt er disen Stein lösen / dann derselbe Stein / habe hievor seinen Vorderen / ein groß Gelt wöllen gelten / vnnd in sinem Geschlecht gsin / als er ghört hab / vor 30. Jahren / […] Er habe auch von sinen Vorderen gehört / daß sein Aeni selig disen Stein funden hab / in einer Matten / als er gehewet hab / sye ein grausammer Drach komen / in dem Lufft schiessen / zu nechst bey jhme hin / von einem Berg genañt Rigi / in den anderen Berg Fräckmont / vnd jhm so nahend / von der Höhi herab komē / daß jhm geschwunden vnd in Ohnmacht gelegen. (Besihe die Figur im kleinen Kupffer litt. E.) als er auffstunde / funde er
[p. 178] ein Schwäre Bluts / so von dem Drachen gesprützt war / dasselbig Blut wäre / zustundan gestanden / als ein Sultz / in demselbigen Blut / sye diser Stein gelegen vnnd funden worden / also sye der Stein / je[tz?]idt [word?] in sinem Geschlecht gebliben / vnd sither / etlich Herren vnnd Stätt / disen Stein wollen kauffen / aber sine Vorderen / haben jhn nie wöllen verkauffen / […] Vff solches die obgenañten Par[t]chyen [word?] / von mir obgedachtem Vogt / allerding / ein anderen gichtig vnnd bekantlich waren / vnd Rudj Stempfflin gutwillig was / auch Zihl vnnd Tag vergangen / nach Ordnung deß Rechten / ist zu recht gesprochen / vnd mir / als einem Obervogt auch erkennt / daß gemelter Martin Schryber vnd seine Erben / fürohin disen Stein haben sollen / damit schalten vnd walten / als mit jhrem eignen Gut / […] auff Montag nach St. Martins Tag / 1509.
Die andere Copia.
Wir Schultheiß vnd Rath der Statt Lucern / thundt kundt allermänigklichen vnd bekennend offentlich / mit disem Brieff / daß auff hüt siner Date / als wir in Raths-wyse / by einanderen versampt gewesen / vor vns erschinen ist / der From / Ehrsamb / vnser besonders lieber vnnd getrüwer Geschworner Diener / Martin Schryber vnser Burger vnd Grichtschryber / vnd Wundartzet / hat vns erzehlt / wie wir wol bericht / deß wunderbarlichen Kleynods / so jhm von Göttlichem Glück / vor etlichen vergangnen Jahren / zuhanden worden sye / ein Stein / so von einem grossen / vngehüwren Drachen kommen / vnnd vor langen Jahren / in vnser Herrschafften vnnd Gebieten funden vnd doch [word?] bey den achtzig Jahren oder mehr / in Heimblikeit behalten vnnd nicht vil erzeigt / anderst dann groß mercklich / vngeleublich Schäden / damit ernehrt / […]
[p. 179] […] so haben wir vnsern geschwornen Rathsrichter / vnd etlich vnserer Räthen / sampt dem Geschwornen Schryber / hierzu verordnet / die Hand nach gemeltem Gezeügen geschickt / vnnd sye liblich / zu Gott an die Heyligen schweren lassen / was jhnen / von disem Stein zuwüssen sye / ein Warheit zusagen / […]
[p. 181] […] Welcher Kundschafft der offt gemelt Martin Schryber / vnser Burger / begehrte eines Vrkundts / daß wir jhme mit vnser Statt Secret angehencktem Insigel besiglet geben haben / vff Donstag nach S. Martins Tag Anno 1523.
Translation
Ours. The old Swiss German is rendered in plain English; the original has no paragraphing of this kind.
[p. 176] Now I come back to the matter of the dragon stone, above all because the praiseworthy city of Lucerne also keeps such a jewel, whose great virtue is widely known, tried and proved. In summertime a dragon, flying across the lake from the mountain Rigi to the other mountain, Fräckmont, which is Mount Pilatus, let it fall on the meadow right beside a farmer who was mowing grass. All this can be clearly understood from the copies that follow here, of two authentic instruments that are always kept with this stone. This stone is large and nearly perfectly round, like a ball, of different colours, white, black, blood-coloured, divided oddly among one another, as the figures in the copperplate marked D and E show. The stone weighs nine ounces.
Draconites, or dragon stone. It is excellent against plague: rub or go round the sore with the stone and then bind it on for 24 hours […] bind the stone to the right hand with a cloth, and it draws the poison out at once […] this stone has been properly and surely proved on many people in the city of Lucerne for about 60 years.
[p. 177] Here follow the two copies, as they read word for word in the old style and language of this country.
I, Peter zu Käß, of the council of Lucerne and at this time bailiff at Rothenburg, declare publicly with this document that today, the date of this, when I held court at Rothenburg, there appeared before me the honourable Martin Schryber, surgeon, citizen of Lucerne, on one side, and Rudj Stempfflin of Rothenburg on the other. Schryber explained that Stempfflin had pledged to him a pledge, namely a stone that is said to come from a dragon, for a sum of money; he asked that Stempfflin pay him that sum and redeem his pledge, since the pledge had long since lapsed, by years and days, under the form of the law. Stempfflin answered in return that it was true: he had pledged this stone to Schryber and should have redeemed it long ago, and the term and day and all rights had passed, but he had not had the means and still did not; if he did, he would redeem the stone. For this stone would have been worth a great sum to his forebears, and had been in his family, as he had heard, 30 years before […] He had also heard from his forebears that his grandfather, God rest him, had found this stone in a meadow while haymaking: a terrible dragon came shooting through the air right past him, from a mountain called Rigi to the other mountain, Fräckmont, and came so close down from the height that he lost his senses and lay unconscious. (See the figure in the small copperplate marked E.) When he got up, he found
[p. 178] a mass of blood that the dragon had spattered; that blood had at once set like a jelly, and in that blood the stone lay and was found. So the stone had stayed in his family until now, and since then several lords and cities had wanted to buy it, but his forebears never wanted to sell it […] On this, the parties named, being in full agreement before me, the bailiff, and Rudj Stempfflin being willing, and the term and day having passed, it was judged by law, and I, as bailiff, also ruled, that Martin Schryber and his heirs shall from now on have this stone, to do with as with their own property […] on the Monday after St Martin’s Day, 1509.
The other copy. We, Schultheiss and council of the city of Lucerne, make known to all and declare publicly with this letter that today, its date, when we sat together as a council, there appeared before us the honourable Martin Schryber, our especially dear and loyal sworn servant, our citizen, court clerk and surgeon. He told us, as we are well informed, of the wonderful jewel that came into his hands by divine fortune some years ago, a stone that came from a great, monstrous dragon and was found long ago in our lordship and territory, but was kept in secret for about eighty years or more and not shown much, other than that with it great, remarkable, almost unbelievable injuries were [ernehrt: helped or kept alive] […]
[p. 179] […] so we have appointed our sworn council judge and several of our councillors, with the sworn clerk, to this; they have sent for the named witnesses and had them swear a bodily oath to God and the saints to tell the truth about what they know of this stone […]
[p. 181] […] For this testimony Martin Schryber, our citizen, often named, asked for a document, and we have given it to him, sealed with our city’s secret seal hung on it, on Thursday after St Martin’s Day, in the year 1523.
Notes
Cysat writes in 1645 and the book is printed in 1661. He says the two deeds were kept with the stone and prints “copies”, so what we have is his copy, not the parchments. Feierabend (1862) says he had the parchment deeds before him and gives the same dates and parties.
The 1509 deed is a judgment in a pledge dispute. Stempflin does not claim to have seen the dragon: he reports a story from his forebears about his grandfather (“Aeni”). The stone is “said to come from a dragon” (“so von einem Drachen syn solle”), which is the lawyer’s hedge. The 1523 charter drops the hedge: it says the stone “came from a great, monstrous dragon”.
St Martin’s Day is 11 November. By our count (Julian calendar, which Lucerne used then) it fell on a Sunday in 1509 and a Wednesday in 1523, so the Monday after is 12 November 1509 and the Thursday after is 12 November 1523. This is our calculation, not in the sources.
“ernehrt” in the charter is an odd verb for curing (it can mean to feed or keep alive); the translation leaves it in brackets. Peter zu Käß is “Zurkes” in Hotz (2007) and “Zuckäs” in Feierabend (1862); Scheuchzer’s Latin has “Petrus ad Caseum”.
The remaining pages of the charter (pp. 179 to 181) list the witnesses and their cures and are not transcribed in full.