The Wild Hunt (part 1): The Haunted Stones of Charlemagne

Today Friday night we have planned with a small group of friends to explore a little place called Karlsteine or Charlemagne's Stones in Osnabrück. According to legend, the place is haunted by dead spirits of the ancient times and it has been many times listed as one of the most haunted places in Germany. We are going to stay up the night with a small tent and record any paranormal activity we might encounter. As crazy as it may sound, we are going for a real ghost hunt!

The narrative of this place is quite interesting. In the early Middle Ages, Charles the Great or Charlemagne was King of the Franks who conquered most of western and central Europe from the pagans and turned the regions under a Christian rule. It is said that one of these bloody battles took place in Osnabrück-Haste where the Karlsteine is located. Until the appearence of Charlemagne's army, the monolithic structure was apparently used for many blood rituals and sacrifices among the pagan worshippers. According to legend, the altar stone was then "single-handedly" destroyed by King Charlemagne, in order to show the superiority of Christianity over the pagan gods. Hence the monolithic structure today is known as Charlemagne's Stones.

Karlsteine. The assumed remains of an ancient pagan worship structure, destroyed by King Charlemagne and his army in the Early Middle Ages.

The site is believed to be haunted by the dead spirits of the many pagans and Christians alike. Screams in the darkness, fresh blood stains on the altar and strange light orbs in the night sky have been reported. "The Wild Hunt", where the spirits of King Charlemagne and his ghost army are said to appear at midnight, has been said to take place especially during the winter and summer solstices. If anyone would hear King Charlemagne's ghost army coming, he should turn aside and cover his eyes immediately as a sign humility. Otherwise a terrifying fate would meet those who dare to keep their eyes open during the Wild Hunt and face the undead army of King Charlemagne, the same fate, that once faced the pagan worshippers at the same site hundreds of years ago.

I find it quite ironic that the story, in which Charlemagne's aim was to destroy the pagan site of worship, gave rise to a pagan belief itself. To me "The Wild Hunt" sounds nothing more than a urban myth that has little to no touch with the reality.

But in that case, why are we doing this then?

The reason we are doing this is probably because it makes good stories. Personally, I've always had an interest in urban legends and real-life paranormal phenomenas. Despite this, I still remain as a big sceptic towards any claims of paranormal activity: that creatures from the spiritual realm could manifest themselves in our real physical realm. I don't deny the possibility, but primarily I would always look for a natural explanation to any cause and effect that might at first appear to us as somewhat haunted or paranormal.

However, we have to acknowlegde that the Bible actually affirms the existence of the spiritual realm and its separation from the physical world we live in. For example, Jesus drove out many evil spirits and demons from the people according to the gospel narratives. Although these spirits never manifested themselves as ghosts or specters outside of the actual physical entities, like humans, it does not rule out the possibility that they might also appear without a distinct physical appearance.

In this sense, we are dealing with something that has to be taken very seriously and this journey is definitely not for the faint of heart. If ghosts and evil spirits are real and they can possess human beings, they are nothing to be joked about. Even though we are taking this journey with a jolly and a lot of excitement, we want to keep these facts always in the back of our heads.

Nevertheless, we are soon about to find out what is the true nature of this site, that is renowned as one of the most haunted places in Germany. Let's see how it lives up to its reputation!

Wish us luck in the forest!

Part Two →