#vispertal

Zeneggen, Vispertal, Gerstenhorn

Wooden butter churn in the yard in old days from wiki. *orally transmitted story from Upper Valais or Oberwallis. We know of an earthquake induced landslide in Visperthal in 1855 burying a vast area. But this story was available even in 18th century. We assume that same kind of disasters might have occurred prior to that, which remained unrecorded. Under a mountain in the Visperthal, not far from Alt-Tesch, locals believed that an entire village with a church and houses was buried under earth. They had a story to explain: The village was once prosperous. The farmers owned large pastures of land and livestock. Housewives used to leave chunks of frozen butter hung over the fire on their chimneys outside to melt. The village produced plentiful milk and butter and cheese. But some of the villagers were uncharitable.  One day, a farmer's wife stood at the hearth with a kettle of butter. The kettle was just half full of brew. An old man in tattered clothes looking like a farm worker came by and asked her if she would like to give him some butter from her kettle with his food. But the woman was unkind. Rudely she replied, “I need all for myself - cannot give a single drop of it away.” The man turned red in anger. He stood straight, looked at the woman and said, “Had you had given me a little, I would have made your kettle special. It could have always full to the brim and be never empty.” Telling this, he walked his way even before the farm wife blinked her eyes. Neither the woman, nor the villagers had slightest idea about the man. This man was our Lord himself. The village has been cursed since that day. Within a short while, the village was hit by a giant earthquake. Then it was completely covered by a terrible landslide. None of the area survived to be seen by anyone in the world.  Nothing but the head of the church altar, which previously stood high in the church was seen on the ground. A brook which previously flowed under the once mountain village began flowing over it. The small stream winds through the gorge of the rocks even today. #belief #folktale #earthquake #switzerland #vispertal #Oberwallis #sin #godsfury #naturaldisaster #justice #richfarmer https://www.instagram.com/p/Cffo-nmLQQI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=