The Dark Spirit of Gschnaid | engelchanneling®
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◆ The Forest of Crosses ◆
In the Allgaeu (Gschnaidt), there is the "Forest of Crosses" with interesting traditions of miracles and, to this day, a macabre cult site. So, we set out on our way.
According to one legend, a monk once lived there as a hermit in the forest. When he died, he was buried in the woods, and much later, the small pilgrimage chapel was supposedly built over his grave.
The site was very difficult to find, so we had to stop repeatedly and ask locals for directions. The place is also not directly found on maps.
In front of the actual grounds is a restaurant. We decided to go to the "Forest of Crosses" first and then have a drink at the restaurant to cool down. After all, it was 88°F.
The short path leads to a breathtaking large chapel, next to which stands an older, smaller chapel. It was a beautiful sight.
A few yards further, the first grave crosses could already be seen, which are said to number over a thousand. And that seems believable once you walk around the entire place.
From a distance, it was very interesting, but the closer we got, the more negative the atmosphere became. The energy became more oppressive with every yard. We assumed this was likely due to the many grave crosses. After all, it makes everyone aware of death. Yet, even in large cemeteries, none of us had ever experienced it this way.
As soon as we walked through the aisles of crosses, we each—independently and without having discussed it—developed headaches, dizziness, and nausea. This lasted for several hours.
We made our rounds and then visited the chapels. In the small church hangs an interesting votive tablet, which tells of an event in March 1845:
◆ Mysterious Signs in the Snow ◆
"Here on the Gschnaidt, one afternoon in March 1845 from 1 to 3 o'clock, on 4 to 5 inches of deep snow, a farmer and a tradesman observed an immeasurable quantity of various writings and signs of all kinds, without any connection or context, imprinted where otherwise neither human footprints nor other traces of a living being could be discovered. The interpretation of this phenomenon will not be difficult for the observer of our time."
Unfortunately, despite all our research, it was not possible for us to find out which signs and writings these were supposed to have been. Should any reader among you know more about this, we would be grateful for any information.
According to residents, the name Gschnaidt presumably comes from this event. According to the votive tablet, there was talk of snow at the time of the occurrence. In the Bavarian dialect, the word "Gschnaidt" is also associated with snow.
◆ The Origin of the Pilgrimage and the Crosses ◆
How did this collection of crosses and the pilgrimage come about? The "Gschnaidt Pilgrimage" was first mentioned in 1665. Later, both chapels were built there. The small church is said to date from the 18th century, the larger one from the 19th century. Why the pilgrimage was already mentioned in 1665 remained inexplicable to us as well.
The grave crosses are set up by the bereaved. Why? We could not clarify this satisfactorily either. However, there is a comparison to the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, where stories of healings are told when crosses are placed there. However, those are exclusively for the living so that they may become healthy again—and supposedly, they were.
This leads to only one possible conclusion: that it is an attempt to hold onto the deceased or to let them rise again. And that is exactly how it feels there. The fact is, it is a very bizarre cult site.
◆ A Place of Silence ◆
An inscription on one cross says a great deal (see photo). Why is there not more to learn? That is also not quite clear to us; people simply remain silent. Answers are trivial and/or very incomplete. Perhaps there are simply too few traditions that could explain it. Yet the facts—the votive tablet, the monk, the crosses—suggest much more than what could be unraveled.
Our personal opinion: We would not visit this place again; it feels haunted and very eerie. Why? "Holy" feels different! We just wanted to get away, so we didn't even visit the local restaurant.
