Ghost stories in Central Switzerland

Ghost stories are part of the living oral heritage of Central Switzerland. Their setting is always a real place in everyday surroundings. Hauntings are witnessed by real people, either living or deceased (in contrast to the protagonists of most legends, whose historical authenticity is doubted). At the heart of the stories is the description of a supernatural phenomenon that manifests itself in the form of sounds, movements or visual apparitions which cannot be explained in rational terms. The phenomena are said to be caused by the 'unfortunate souls' of deceased, frequently unidentifiable people. Since it is taboo to speak about ghosts and hauntings in public, stories are usually told amongst friends and family only.