Although the home of Frau Holle was originally located in Germany, in the northeastern part of Hesse and the adjacent area of Thuringia, she became well-known and active far beyond this region early on. The following tale unfolds at the Schellenberg, a large hill situated in Middle Franconia, which is part of the German state of Bavaria.

Atop the Schellenberg stood a castle, and in the castle courtyard grew a mighty lime tree. This tree was as ancient as the fortress itself, and it was said that as long as it remained standing and green, the castle would endure. However, if it were to wither, the castle would also fall into ruin, and its inhabitants would meet their demise.

The lord of the castle had two sons. The younger son had broken his leg as a child, and ever since he had limped, earning him the nickname ‘the crooked Jacob.’

When the father was on his deathbed, he entrusted the castle to the elder son, the firstborn, along with a large chest of money. ‘Keep Jacob with you for life,’ the father urged, ‘and treat him well, as one should treat a brother.’ The elder brother promised to do so. Yet, after taking over the castle following their father’s death, he immediately began to mistreat his brother. Jacob was no longer allowed to eat at the same table as him and could no longer reside in the castle; instead, he had to sleep in the stable with the horses and eat from the dog’s bowl. For a time, Jacob endured this treatment, but eventually, he demanded his inheritance and wished to leave to seek his fortune elsewhere.

But the lord of the castle did not gave him anything; in fact, he even struck him and had him thrown out of the castle. Sad, Jakob continued his way departing from the castle, through the dense forest, up and down the hills, until he reached a valley by evening, where the charterhouse now stands. He sat down under a tree, rested his head in his hands, and wept bitterly. When he was ready to stand up again, he noticed an old woman sitting across from him on a stone, spinning yarn and nodding her head in rhythm as she turned the wheel. This was Frau Holle. She asked him why he was so sorrowful. He replied, “You cannot help me!” and tried to move on. “You are the crooked Jakob from the castle,” she said, “and I can and will help you if you place your trust in me.” At that, Jakob’s heart lifted, and he shared his troubles with Frau Holle. The old woman then said, “Come with me, Jakob; in three years, we will return to your brother. Perhaps by then he will have a change of heart and return your belongings to you.” She took him to her little house, where he had to water her rosemary plant, feed her cat, and tend to her flax field.

In winter, he had to cut stake poles for the winemakers and ship rods for the Main river boatmen, and in spring, he carried them down to the Main valley to sell. Mother Holle took her spinning wheel in hand like a walking stick, slung her bundles on her back, packed her yarn inside to sell it too, and set off with it. If Jakob found the load too heavy due to his stiff leg, the old woman would relieve him of it, placing the wood on her frail arms as if it were straw. Jakob had a good life with Mother Holle. She taught him the farmers’ work, so that in the end, he understood it better than a born farmer.

After three years, the old woman said, “Now we shall go to your brother!” and she took her spinning wheel in hand, and Jakob followed along. When they arrived at the castle, his brother was sitting in the courtyard under the linden tree; it was very muggy, the linden was in bloom, providing a wide, cool shade, and the birds were singing in its branches.

The lord of the castle inquired about their desires, and Mother Holle spoke on behalf of the crooked Jacob, stating that his brother is present and demands what rightfully belongs to him. The castle lord responded that if they do not leave immediately, he will tear off her old, wobbly head and break the other leg of the crooked one as well. This infuriated the old woman; she seized her spinning wheel and hurled it into the linden tree. As this occurred, the birds took flight, and the tree began to tremble from its roots to its crown. Sap flowed from the trunk and branches, dripping onto the ground, while the leaves turned yellow and fell away. Mother Holle exclaimed, “Oh, you scoundrel, you shall suffer as the linden tree does. You will wither and perish, meeting a miserable end.” – With that, she departed with Jacob.

It happened just as Frau Holle had foretold. Once the linden tree had died, the castle could no longer stand. With every fierce storm, a wall or a tower collapsed, and the rain washed away the stones, making it impossible to rebuild. No one wanted to stay in the castle anymore, and the lord of the castle lived alone in the cellar. There, the treasure chest stood, and he refused to part with it, guarding it day and night. Eventually, nothing remained of the castle except for the cellar and the withered linden tree that stood in front of it. One November night, a great storm came and uprooted the decayed linden. It fell right in front of the cellar door, blocking the exit. The lord could no longer open the door, no matter how hard he slammed against it, and he was left to starve miserably on his treasure chest. Frau Holle was well aware of all this, and a day after his death, she came, removed the linden tree, opened the chest, and divided the money into two equal parts. She left one half behind and took the other with her. As soon as she exited the cellar, it collapsed as well. At home, she gave Jakob the money and said, “Now everyone has what is rightfully theirs – he and you! – just as the father commanded.

Take what is yours, but forget about being a nobleman and become a farmer. This way, you might certainly find happiness. Farewell, you will not see me again!”

With that, Jakob bid farewell and used the money to build a large farm in the neighborhood, married a wife, and hired many laborers and maidens, becoming a prosperous farmer. No plague entered his barn, no pests troubled his fruit trees, and no hail struck his fields. During harvest time, when the workers were busy, it often happened that by morning, the fieldwork was already completed, with all the sheaves cut, bound, and stacked, ready to be loaded and taken home. The people were astonished, but Jakob knew very well who was responsible for that. When his first son was born and he shared the news with the neighbors, he felt so joyful that he thought he should also tell Frau Holle, and set off to find her. However, he searched in vain and could not find either the little house or the valley where it had stood, and after wandering in the forest all day, he suddenly found himself back in front of his farm in the evening. He never saw the good Frau Holle again, and he passed away at the blessed age of ninety. His farm still exists until today.

Retold from the book “Goddess Holle” by Gunivortus Goos, Norderstedt, 2019, pp. 112-114.