The Brocken Spectre
On a misty German mountain, climbers saw a giant shadowy figure in the clouds, crowned with a rainbow halo, that moved when they moved.
What was reported
The Brocken is the highest peak in northern Germany, often wrapped in mist and long linked with legends of witches. In 1780, the scientist Johann Silberschlag described a strange sight there: a huge, dark human figure standing in the clouds, surrounded by rings of coloured light.
Climbers on many mountains have since reported the same thing, and some found it frightening until they noticed that the giant copied their own movements.
Explanations offered
The 'spectre' is the observer's own shadow, cast by the low sun onto mist or cloud below, which makes it look enormous and far away. The coloured rings, called a glory, are caused by light bending around tiny water droplets. It is now known simply as a Brocken spectre wherever it appears.
- When
- Described since 1780
- Where
- The Brocken, Harz Mountains, Germany
- Witnesses
- Hikers and climbers
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.