The Dwarves of the Vosges

The mountains harbor their own population of Zwerge (dwarves) or nains (dwarves), distinct from the forest spirits. These beings predate human settlement and consider themselves the mountains' true owners.

The Mining Mysteries

Alsace-Lorraine's mining history intertwines with dwarf legends. Miners knew rules for underground coexistence:

- Never whistle in tunnels (it insults the dwarves' ancestors) - Leave the first ore from each vein at the spot where found - Share food with any small miners who appear (they might be disguised dwarves) - Never work on Fridays in certain shafts (reserved for dwarf use)

The dwarves rewarded respectful miners by: - Knocking to warn of cave-ins - Leading to rich veins through mysterious lights - Strengthening timber supports overnight - Sometimes leaving perfectly cut gems in lunch pails

The mines at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines reportedly still echo with dwarf hammers, though the mines closed decades ago. Modern spelunkers report finding recent tool marks in areas no human has accessed in living memory.

The Changeling Tradition

Alsace-Lorraine's changeling beliefs blend Germanic and French traditions. Dwarves, fairies, and Aufhocker (nightmare spirits) all supposedly steal children, leaving substitutes. The regional variation includes specific tests:

- Float bread baked with water from three churches—changelings can't eat it - Place scissors open under the cradle—iron repels fairy folk - Speak only in rhyme around the baby for three days—changelings respond in prose - Most drastically, threaten to brew beer in eggshells—the absurdity makes changelings laugh and reveal themselves

But Alsatian tradition includes mercy lacking elsewhere. Changelings treated kindly sometimes choose to stay, becoming valuable family members with gifts for music, crafts, or second sight. Several regional families claim descent from changelings who chose human life over return to fairy realm.