Twice ToldHans Wilhelm Kirchhof, Wendunmuth, Book IV no. 283: Hakelberg jagt am Solling (printed 1602)
- Language
- German
- Reading
- transcribed from the page image
- Translation
- ours
- Retrieved
- 10 October 2026
Spelling and wording as printed in Oesterley’s edition, which regularises spelling and punctuation but leaves the text untouched (his introduction, p. 15). The first printing of Book IV is of 1602. Page and line breaks are not kept; the figures in square brackets are the page breaks of the 1602 print that Oesterley marks. “entroprinß” in the verse is printed so and left as is.
Hakelberg jagt am Sölling.
Hakelberg genennet sol vorzeiten ein jägermeister im Braunschweiger land sein gewesen, welcher zum waidwerck und jagen solchen großen lust getragen, daß, da er ietzt an seinem todbett gelegen, vom jagen so ungern abgescheiden, er von gott solt begert und gebeten haben (ohnzweiffentlich auß ursach seines christlichen und gottseligen lebens halber, so er bißher geführet), daß er für sein theil himmelreich biß zum jüngsten tag am Sölling möcht jagen, auch derwegen in ermelte wildnuß und wald sich zu begraben befohlen, wie geschehen. Und wird ihm sein gottloß, ja teuffelischer wunsch verhengt, daß vielmal wird ein grewlich und erschrecklich hornblasen und hundsgebell die nacht gehöret, ietzt hie, ein ander mal anders wo, in solcher wildnuß, auch wol umb die schlößer und dörffer, da herumb gelegen, [343] wie mich diejenigen, so solch gefehrd auch selbs angehöret, berichtet. Zu dem sol es gewiß sein, da solch jagen vorher vermerckt, daß denn, da sie volgenden tags jagen, einer ein bein, arm, wo nicht den halß gar bricht, oder sonst ein unglück sich zutregt. Ich bin selbst in der person (ist mir recht, anno 1558), wie ich von Einbeck übern Sölling nach Ußlar geritten, mich verirret, auff des Hakelbergs grab ungefehr gestoßen; war ein platz wie eine wiesen, doch von unartigem gewächs und schilff, in der wildnuß, etwas länger denn breit, mehr denn ein acker zu achten, darauff kein baum sonst stunde, wie umb die ende. Der platz kehret sich mit der leng nach auffgang der sonnen, unten am end dieses platzes lag die zwerch ein erhabener, rother (ich halt wacken) stein, bey acht oder neun schuhen lang, in die breite fünff schuh, wie mich deucht, haltend, war aber nit wie ein ander grabstein gegen osten, sondern mit dem einen vorhaubt gegen suden, mit dem andern gegen norden gekehret. Man sagt mir, es vermöchte genennet grab auß fürwitz oder mit fleiß, wie hoch sich einer des unterstünde, niemand finden; käme aber iemand ungefehr darzu, legen etliche grewliche schwartze hunde darneben. Solches gespensts und wusts ward ich aber im geringsten nicht gewar, sonst hette ich wenig haar meines haupts, die nicht emporstiegen.
Das jüngst gericht nahet herzu Und eilt schnell kommend in eim nuh. Wo bleibt denn deine entroprinß? Was hastu armer für gewinnß? [344] Wer ist alßdenn ärmer, denn du? Ietzt geth erst an dein gröst unruh, Die ewig höllisch flamm darzu.
Translation
Ours.
- Hakelberg hunts in the Solling
A man called Hakelberg is said to have been a master of the hunt in the Brunswick country in earlier times. He took such great pleasure in hunting and chasing that, lying on his deathbed and loath to leave the hunt, he is said to have asked and begged God (no doubt on account of the Christian and godly life he had led until then) that, in place of his share of heaven, he might hunt in the Solling until Judgment Day, and for that reason he ordered himself to be buried in that wilderness and forest, which was done. And his godless, indeed devilish wish is granted him, so that many a time a dreadful and frightening blowing of horns and barking of hounds is heard at night, now here, another time somewhere else in that wilderness, and sometimes also around the castles and villages that lie nearby, as those who have heard such goings-on themselves have told me. On top of that it is said to be certain that when such hunting has been noticed beforehand, then on the following day, when they go hunting, one of them breaks a leg, an arm, or even his neck, or some other misfortune befalls. I myself (if I remember right, in the year 1558), riding from Einbeck over the Solling to Uslar, lost my way and came by chance upon Hakelberg’s grave. It was a place like a meadow, but with rough growth and reeds, in the wilderness, somewhat longer than wide, to be reckoned at more than one Acker (a field measure), with no tree standing on it, unlike round about. The place lay lengthwise toward the rising of the sun. At its lower end, lying crosswise, was a raised red stone (I take it to be a boulder), about eight or nine feet long and, as it seemed to me, five feet wide. But it was not set toward the east like other gravestones; one end pointed south and the other north. I was told that nobody could find the grave on purpose or out of curiosity, however hard he tried; but if someone came on it by chance, several grisly black hounds would lie beside it. I did not notice the slightest trace of such ghostly stuff and mess, or else I would have had few hairs on my head that did not stand on end.
Judgment Day is drawing near And rushes on in the blink of an eye. Where then is your [entroprinß?]? What gain have you now, poor man? Who will be poorer then than you? Only then does your greatest torment begin, And the eternal flame of hell besides.
Notes
What it is. A short entry in the fourth book of Hans Wilhelm Kirchhof’s Wendunmuth, a collection of anecdotes and exempla. Oesterley’s introduction (p. 15) says Books 2 to 5 appeared in 1602 and that he had only a single print of the continuation. The entry gives no date for the writing, and the 1558 ride is Kirchhof’s own recollection (“ist mir recht”, “if I remember right”), printed 44 years later.
What it says and does not say. A hunter named Hakelberg, a master of the hunt in the Brunswick country, “vorzeiten” (earlier, once). A deathbed wish to hunt in the Solling until Judgment Day, burial in the wilderness there, horns and hounds at night. Kirchhof’s own visit to a grave in a clearing. No boar, no dream, no hospital, no Wulperode, no date of death, no inscription, no family name, no ducal service. The hounds beside the grave and the omen of a broken limb the next day are things Kirchhof was told, and he says he saw nothing.
The Brothers Grimm printed this text in 1816 as Deutsche Sagen no. 171 in modernised spelling (“Hackelberg”, “des Hackelbergers Grab”).
“Schuh” is the foot; “acker” is a field measure of area (Acker); “wacken” is a boulder or fieldstone, as the Fruhneuhochdeutsches Worterbuch reads it, not necessarily the rock wacke. “entroprinß” is printed so and its meaning is unclear to us; the translation leaves it marked.