Legend · České Budějovice
The mysterious barrel
In a house on Česká street in České Budějovice every night at eleven the same sound came from the corridor: as if someone were rolling a barrel down the stairs into the cellar and pouring money out of it. No one ever saw the barrel.
In a house on Česká street lived a rich burgher. At night the whole household heard a strange rumble. It sounded as if someone were rolling a barrel down the stairs into the cellar and pouring out money.
The owner carefully locked the house gate and searched the whole house to find the cause. He found nothing that would explain the strange sounds.
So he invited several neighbours. They stationed themselves in different rooms and waited for the noise. Around eleven the familiar racket again filled the house. The men listened but could not tell who or what caused it.
The next night they prepared lanterns. When around eleven the familiar rumble began, they left their hiding places and shone light straight onto the cellar stairs. The racket continued, but on the lit stairs they saw nothing. Not the slightest trace of its origin.
The noise returned on following nights too. At last the owner called a priest. He sprinkled the house with holy water and prayed. From that time the mysterious din in the house never returned.
How it really was
The legend of the mysterious barrel is set on Česká street in České Budějovice; it gives no concrete year, house or name.
Česká street is real and old. Its individual stretches have medieval origins; today’s unified street was formed in 1875.
And that is everything in this legend that can be verified. No concrete year, house or name appears in it. The oldest written source of exactly this version could not be found.
It is a curious case: a short telling that clings to a single sound. It is not explained, not dated and names no one. Perhaps that is why it survived.
Where to follow the legend
Česká street, České Budějovice, between Přemysl Otakar II Square and the northern edge of the historic core.
Where we know it from
- Encyklopedie Českých Budějovic, hesla Česká ulice, pověsti
- AMBROŽ, Václav. Ze starých Českých Budějovic. České Budějovice: Stráž lidu, 1921