The sunken city in the Mattsee: secrets and legends of the past

The sunken city in the Mattsee: secrets and legends of the past

in the deep Mattsee, one of the magnificent waters of the flachgau, is hidden a mysterious story. One tells of a large city that once flourished and then sank into the depths of the lake, only their edges remained visible. These traditions, which are inspired by both older legends and modern stories, fascinated numerous people and created a connection to the rich history of the region.

The remains of this city, which sometimes become visible in the low water, keep the imagination of the residents revived again and again. Reports of a staircase that leads to a large stone near the village of Stein are particularly remarkable. There are said to have been women here who cooked for those in need in times of need and hunger. These stories are documented in Adalbert Depiny's "Upper Austrian Sagenbuch", which dates from 1932.

lively legends and their origins

Nowadays, with a new collection of stories about the region, Herbert Handlechner publishes a different retention in his book "Old Stories and Sagits from the area around the Tannberg, Buchberg and Haunsberg". This states that on the northeastern bank of the Mattsees, at the town of Stein, large boulders can be seen in the water that act like huge cuboids. Legend says that when the weather is quiet, the bells of the sunken city can sound when someone bends over the water.

The stories vary and yet have a common root: the conviction that the Mattsee harbors the ruins of a once flowering city. Fischer report that when the weather is clear they discovered towers and alleys in the lake. These reports, which are also captured in the "Salzburg Volksstagen" by Rudolf von Freisstauf from 1880, testify to the deeply rooted mythology of the region.

The city's history remains unclear. While the roots of human life on the Mattsee go back to the Neolithic period, there is no reliable information about the identity of the city and its residents. The former state archaeologist Moosleitner confirmed that Mattsee with his “Schlossberg” is an important place of foundation from this time.

spiritual connections and cultural heritage

The mythology around the Mattsee and its sunken city can be interpreted as a mirror of the early, matriarchal societies that believed that the earth should be worshiped as a "great mother". In the traditions, the lake is a "water shot" in which the souls of the deceased return to wait for their rebirth. These deep religious and spiritual beliefs are a central motive in almost all traditional stories that rose around the sunken city.

The influence of patriarchal cultures, however, led to the once flowering matriarchal society increasingly being forgotten. The “pitying women of Gebertsham” symbolically stand for the remaining elements of this old culture, whose knowledge of the cycle of life and nature lives on in the traditional stories.

The question of the name of the sunken city is repeatedly taken up by historians and mythologists. In her blog "Ana", Brunhild Griesner points out that many goddesses begin with the syllable "Ma" or "Courage". The landscape around the Mattsee could once have been called "Mata", which indicates the veneration of the mother goddess in this region. People moved the name of the lake from her, which reflects the cultural heritage and the spiritual practices of the early civilizations of the region.

In the context of these fascinating traditions and the historically well -founded reports, the Mattsee remains a place of curiosity and amazement, which invites both the local population and visitors to immerse themselves in the depths of its history. These legends are not only part of the cultural heritage, but they also encourage reflection on the relationship between people and nature. More about the legends and the important water woman around the Mattsee are to be discussed in future reports, which should further strengthen the fascination and wealth of this region.