Teufelsloch (Teufelsbäder)
Encyclopedia
The Teufelsloch is a karst spring
near Osterode am Harz
in the German state of Lower Saxony
.
with lustrous blue-green water. The stream that drains it feeds the Teufelsbäder
moor to the west and then flows through the Apenke
to the River Söse. After heavy rain
other springs rise in the area around its banks that give the karst water in the Teufelsloch a brownish colour. The Teufelsloch lies within the Nature Reserve.
s of human size, who would lure wanderers at night over a bent tree into the Teufelsloch. Others believed that the devil
in the form of a giant one-eyed fish with a needle-sharp bite, lurked in the water.
Karst spring
A karst spring is a spring that is part of a karst system. That includes the underground drainage of a much larger area, which means that karst springs often have a very large discharge...
near Osterode am Harz
Osterode am Harz
For the town in East Prussia formerly called Osterode, see Ostróda.Osterode am Harz often simply called Osterode, is a town in south-eastern Niedersachsen on the south-western edge of the Harz mountains. It is the seat of government of the district of Osterode. The town is twinned with Scarborough,...
in the German state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
.
Description
The Teufelsloch is located southeast of Augustental in mature forest near the Karst Trail. It is a circular sinkholeSinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
with lustrous blue-green water. The stream that drains it feeds the Teufelsbäder
Teufelsbäder
The Teufelsbäder is the name of a moor landscape near Osterode am Harz in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. It lies within the nature reserve of the same name southeast of Augustental on the B 243 federal road.- Description :...
moor to the west and then flows through the Apenke
Apenke
The Apenke is a left tributary of the Söse in Osterode in the Harz Mountains in the German state of Lower Saxony.- Course :The Apenke rises south of the Feenhöhe heights in the Bärengarten. It flows initially parallel to the Eipenke stream in a southwesterly direction. Near Augustental it is joined...
to the River Söse. After heavy rain
Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage....
other springs rise in the area around its banks that give the karst water in the Teufelsloch a brownish colour. The Teufelsloch lies within the Nature Reserve.
Folk stories
In earlier times the Teufelsloch was perceived as something rather threatening. The origin of its shimmering blue waters rising from eerie depths could not be explained by the people. They talked of will o' the wispWill o' the wisp
A will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus , also called a "will-o'-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern" , "hinkypunk", "corpse candle", "ghost-light", "spook-light", "fairy light", "friar's lantern", "hobby lantern", "ghost orb", or simply "wisp", is a ghostly light or lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over...
s of human size, who would lure wanderers at night over a bent tree into the Teufelsloch. Others believed that the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
in the form of a giant one-eyed fish with a needle-sharp bite, lurked in the water.
External links
- Legend about the Teufelsloch at karstwanderweg.de
- Naturschutzgebiet Teufelsbäder on the pages of the Lower Saxon State Department for Waterway, Coastal and Nature ConservationLower Saxon State Department for Waterway, Coastal and Nature ConservationThe Lower Saxon Department for Water, Coastal and Nature Conservation or NLWKN is a department of the state of Lower Saxony, with its headquarters in Norden and is responsible to the Minister for the Environment and Climate Protection....
(NLWKN)