South of the Church of St. Joseph in the "Breitholz" forest area is a burial ground consisting of 1.7 to 2.5 m high and up to 25 m wide mounds from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The burial mounds are evidence of Celtic-Noric settlement in this area. Although hidden in the forest, these hills stand out very clearly from the forest floor due to strong earth throws.
Three of the 17 tumuli in the "Breitholz" forest area.
When the burial mounds were opened in 1935 or before 1950, some vessels could be recovered from the 17 burial mounds. Based on the grave goods, the graves are dated to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The graves are located at the foot of the Schöckl, which is known as Graz's local mountain.
The Niederschöckl finds are kept in the archaeological collection of the Universalmuseum Joanneum in Graz. (Producer of the image material: Universalmuseum Joanneum GmbH)
The Mountain Schöckl
With a height of 1445 m, it is the southernmost significant peak in the Grazer Bergland and consists mainly of mica slate and limestone. The first mention by name as mons sekkel comes from a document of the Seckau monastery from the year 1147.
The limestone stands on a crystalline subsoil, the Radegunder crystalline. Therefore, in some places springs come to the surface, which form the water supply of the surrounding places. Caves and sinkholes can be found again and again in the limestone. The elongated and flattened plateau of the Schöckl is interesting.
From left to right: The Schöckl from the north side; mystical winter mood at the foot of the Schöckl; Autumn walk on the Schöckl with a view of the sea of fog.
Myths Around the Schöckl
For centuries, the mysterious mountain has been the source of countless myths and legends. People used to be horrified by Schöckl and afraid of the imposing mountain, which was associated with numerous eerie weather events. This and the many mysterious gorges and caves were the origin of countless legends and myths that are still entwined around the mountain today.
The weather-boiling Schöcklhexe
One of the most frequently told legends is that of the Schöckl witch. A skinny, gray female figure with shaggy hair and an ugly face is said to brew bad weather in caves on the Schöckl, which brought damaging storms down over Graz and destroyed the crops in the fields. At the first sign of a storm, people tried to drive the Schöckl witch away by throwing pitchforks, brooms, and other tools in front of the front door, cursing and scolding.
The giant Vasold also once lived on the Schöckl, he was the adversary of the Schöckl witches, whom he was ultimately able to drive out and from then on lived alone next to a goblin on the Schöckl. The Wild Hunt is also up to mischief on the Schöckl.
The Wild Hunt.
Treasures and Underground Lakes
Other myths revolve around the Schöckl treasure, which brave lads kept trying to find or lakes behind or even inside the Schöckl. The inhabitants at the foot of the mountain believed that the Andritz spring was the outlet of an underground lake. During heavy thunderstorms, water also comes out of the Frauenloch (cave) and Andreasloch (cave) at the foot of the old quarry nearby, and then black, blind trout appear.
Gold treasure
Weather Myths
So, it is not surprising that there are numerous weather myths surrounding the Schöckl. I am aware of the following:
"If Schöckl has a hat, it will rain the next day..."
That means, when the summit of the Schöckl at 1,445 meters is shrouded in clouds, it's supposed to rain soon. In winter, this also applies to snow.
It says: "If the Schöckl has been sugared three times, the snow comes into the valley."
There are also many weather forecasts about the Schöckl - mainly due to a cave called the Wetterloch. It is said that throwing a stone into the cave can trigger a thunderstorm.
Wetterloch on Schöckl (Foto: M. Strahlhofer)
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