The mischievous goblin

A funny legend about a mischievous goblin comes from the Saxon metropolis of Leipzig. There lived a citizen in a house on Matthäikirchhof who wanted to have his wall repainted white. Behind the wall, piles of sealed holes were found. Curious about what was hidden behind them, he decided to open the first hole. To his surprise, dozens of old knives flew out, some sharp and some worn. The discovery aroused great astonishment and curiosity, so he opened the other holes. One concealed many round pots filled with children’s bones. Since this gruesome discovery, a goblin had been wreaking havoc in the house. He had obviously been awakened by the disturbance and now began throwing things at the residents and playing his pranks incessantly. Despite his taunts, however, he did not seriously injure anyone. The homeowner was desperate and kept asking loudly, “What does the goblin want from him?” But the goblin’s answer was always the same. He threw something at the questioner. One day, someone loudly blasphemed against the goblin. The goblin would not tolerate this and slapped the blasphemer so hard with a slipper that half of his face swelled up. The goblin was particularly active at night in the dark, which is why the residents always left the lights on. But the light did not bother him much. He still pinched people’s ears or pulled their blankets away. After a few months, the people had become so accustomed to the pranks that they almost ignored them. Once, the goblin took a feather duster and threw it at the landlord, along with a pot full of bats. The landlord just sighed and said, “Ah, you must have stolen a feather duster from the neighborhood. Throw it here, I need it right now.” This equanimity enraged the goblin so much that he threw countless things at him. But in the end, the landlord had become so numb that the goblin’s pranks no longer bothered him, and he began to ignore the goblin completely. These eerie events took place at Matthäikirchhof, a place with a rich and varied history. Johann Sebastian Bach was in charge of church music at the nearby Matthäikirche, then called Neue Kirche, from 1723 to 1750. This church was a central point in city life before it was eventually demolished. Later, the infamous Stasi headquarters of the GDR was built on this site, whose dark history still echoes today. The goblin, as the legend tells, remained a central and feared phenomenon in the area. The residents believed that he was connected to the painful legacy of the bones that had been found. Children were told to stay away and not ask questions if they heard strange noises or saw unexplained shadows. Many tried to drive the goblin away. Priests were called to bless the house, and men from the village held nightly vigils to catch the troublemaker. But all these attempts failed. The goblin was not so easily driven away and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, only to reappear in another corner of the house or even the entire neighborhood. Interestingly, it was said that the goblin could also be helpful from time to time, albeit rarely. Sometimes he would return lost items or help protect food from mice. This unpredictable nature made it difficult to feel safe, but at the same time it prevented the residents from getting rid of the house goblin entirely. After many years of haunting and a slow return to normality, the house was sold one day. The new owner, a stranger businessman, did not believe in such superstitions. He undertook large-scale renovations and had all the old walls torn down. Many hoped that this would drive the goblin away forever, but it seemed as if he was actually connected to the deep secrets of the house. Over time, stories about the goblin disappeared from everyday conversation, and the modern world took its place. Yet to this day, there are neighbors who swear they hear footsteps at night or find small objects in unexpected places. They know that the goblin may never have completely left, but simply remains hidden, waiting for his legacy to be disturbed once again. In the dark corners of Matthäikirchhof, where past and present collide, the memory of the goblin lives on. And while most people go about their daily routines, there are always a few who still look into the shadows and wonder when the goblin will reappear.