The Giant Serles

On the Brennerstrasse, which leads out of Innsbruck, three huge scarped

mountains raise their lofty peaks above the road, and these peaks are

also plainly visible from the Inn valley, through which the railway to

Innsbruck now runs.

There once lived in the neighbouring valley of the Sin a “Wilder,” or

wild man of enormous stature, who was a dreaded King of the Mountains.

He was of a most extraordinarily savage nature, his wife as bad as

he was, and his secret counsellor still worse than both. The King

was passionately fond of hunting; and when on the track of a flying

stag, he cared so little about anything but his own pleasure that

he would dash, accompanied by all his followers and hounds, through

the flocks and herds pastured on the mountains, carrying death and

ruin wheresoever he went. Should the poor hunted animal by chance

seek refuge among a herd, the demoniacal monster would take delight

in urging on his bloodthirsty hounds to tear everything to pieces;

and did the unfortunate herdsmen only try to make any remonstrance,

they instantly shared the fate of their unfortunate animals, and

were dragged to pieces on the spot by the savage dogs. On these

occasions the giant, whose name was Serles, used to shout with joy,

“Lustig gejaid” (bravely on), and neither man nor beast were able to

defend themselves for a single moment against his fury. His wife and

counsellor always accompanied him upon these excursions, and urged him

on by their taunts to further excesses.

One day when they were out on one of their favourite expeditions, and

the dogs had not only torn to pieces a poor stag, which had taken

refuge among a herd of cows, but had also furiously attacked the

herd itself, the herdsmen tried to drive them off, and one of them

unslinging his cross-bow, in his anger, shot a dog dead upon the spot.

At this the infuriated giant, excited beyond measure by his wicked

wife and villainous counsellor, set the whole pack of hounds upon the

unhappy herdsmen, and laughed with savage delight as he saw them torn

limb from limb by the dogs. But in the midst of this terrible crime,

Heaven’s wrath fell heavily upon them. A terrific thunderstorm burst

over their heads, and when it had passed away no more was to be seen of

King Serles, his wife, or his counsellor, but, in their stead, three

huge glaciers rose into the clouds on the spot on which their iniquity

had taken place. The one in the middle is the wicked monster Serles,

and to his right and left stand his cruel wife and inhuman counsellor.

Teamsters who pass along the Brennerstrasse on stormy nights even

now often hear the howling of unearthly dogs, and, during storms,

thunderbolts are constantly seen striking the “Rock Giants.”