rundblick tisental tisenberg bis finailkoepfe und niederjoch fr
rundblick tisental tisenberg bis finailkoepfe und niederjoch fr

Legend: The Dwarf of the Giogo Basso

Once, a young shepherd named Fridolin wanted to come to Austria from the Val Senales valley via the Giogo Basso Glacier

A terrible blizzard ruined his plans and put his life in great danger, when suddenly an "Eismandl" - an ice dwarf - stepped up to him and promised salvation. Fridolin had to give him his word, not to forget his faith and promises for all his life. After the oath, his life was saved and for a while he conformed to his oath. Time passed and Fridolin planned his future together with the young maid Martha. But finally, Paula, daughter of a rich farmer, won his heart, also due to the prospect of a secure future. Martha admonished Fridolin to think of his promise of faithfulness and cursed him.

For a long time, Fridolin led a rich and happy life at the farm of his father-in-law and the ice dwarf as well as the oath were forgotten. One day, the couple decided to visit a relative in Austria and started on the demanding way across the Giogo Basso Glacier (Niederjochferner).

All of a sudden an awful blizzard broke out exactly at the same spot, where Fridolin was rescued by the ice dwarf many years ago and Martha appeared in front of them: The ice dwarf had visited her in her dreams and told about the broken oath. Fridolin and Paula clung to each other and died a lonely death. After the storm, the "Eismandl" found the congealed Martha at the same spot and buried her at the cemetery of Madonna di Senales (Unser Frau im Schnalstal), just opposite of the glacier where she had found her doom.

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