Dragons and Serpents of Stone

Before Christianity tamed them into mere symbols, dragons ruled the Alps. Unlike the fire-breathing monsters of lowland tales, Alpine dragons embody the mountains' own forces—avalanche, rockfall, and the terrible föhn wind that brings madness and suicide.

The Dragon of Mont Aiguille

Mont Aiguille, the "Inaccessible Mountain," remained unclimbed until 1492 when King Charles VIII ordered its ascent. The climbers found a meadow paradise at the summit—and evidence of previous inhabitants. But local tradition knew the truth: a dragon guarded the summit, allowing access only to those who approached with proper humility.

The dragon still dwells there, say locals, visible as a cloud formation that clings to the peak when all other summits stand clear. Its breath becomes the föhn—that warm, dry wind that descends from the mountains bringing headaches, madness, and inexplicable violence. Swiss courts still accept the föhn as a mitigating circumstance in crimes of passion.

When the dragon wakes: - Avalanches fall without cause - Experienced climbers make fatal errors - The föhn blows out of season - Animals flee the high pastures

Appeasement requires returning to old ways: leaving offerings at mountain shrines, respecting closure of certain routes, acknowledging that some places belong to older powers than man.

The Serpent's Needles

The Aiguilles (Needles) throughout the Alps take their name from their sharp, pointed summits, but folklore provides another etymology. These are the shed teeth of the Great Serpent that gnawed at the world's foundations until Saint Bernard (of the famous pass) bound it with prayer.

The serpent sleeps now, coiled through the mountains' roots, but its sleep is restless: - Earthquakes mark its stirring - Hot springs show where its breath escapes - Certain passes follow the curves of its body - The most difficult climbing routes trace the scars of its binding

Climbers who bivouac near the Aiguilles report similar dreams: a voice from below the stone promising easier routes, shortcuts to glory, paths requiring no effort. Those who follow these dream-paths invariably fall. The serpent, bound but not powerless, still hunts.