The Hound of Santamerta

"Santamerta" is the name used by locals to refer to the chapel of St. Mamerta in Triesen.

One evening a young man was praying in the small chapel of St. Mamerta. A ghost appeared to him and said, "You can become rich if you return here at midnight with two friends. A trunk of gold will appear, but it will be guarded by a hound. It is this hound that you must overcome."

The next day the man returned to the chapel with his friends and, sure enough, on the stroke of midnight a trunk full of gold appeared, with a hound sitting on it. Two of the friends tried to force the hound off the trunk, but the third friend was afraid and did not help them. Suddenly, there was a terrible scream and the trunk full of gold was gone. The ghost appeared immediately and complained that he would now have to wait another 1000 years, before disappearing. The three friends were not able to leave the chapel and had to remain there until sacristan arrived in the morning to ring the bell for the Angelus prayer.