wording, defends preserving regional variety, explains the loose, natural arrangement, cites principal sources and informants, and invites further contributions. A long contents list signals the breadth of material. The first legends then showcase the range: miners miraculously sustained underground; a formidable Berggeist who helps, warns, and punishes; multiple Meißner tales of Frau Holle as dispenser of order, fertility, and just rewards, aided by the treue Eckart; the Springwurzel that opens hidden passages; noble or spectral maidens guarding treasure (Boyneburg, Pielberg, Schloß-Jungfrau, the serpent-maiden awaiting release); ominous portents like the “heavy child”; a haunted wine cellar whose gifts prove fatal; and giant lore—from playful boulder games and the Nideck maiden’s lesson about peasant toil to the warrior Einheer, ancient stone “columns,” and the treasure-filled Köterberg. Together these early pieces establish the collection’s blend of local setting, moral tenor, supernatural intervention, and antiquarian framing. (This is an automatically generated summary.)