The demon of Ensex

In days of yore, a very serious disease caused considerable devastation of the livestock on this mountain. The destruction had reached such a degree that at the end of the summer some owners had only the mortal remains of their livestock to bring down from the mountains. Under these circumstances, the peasants of the area engaged the services of a renowned wizard who lived in Blonay-sur-Vevey.

The wizard ordered that livestock must never be taken up to Ensex on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This advice was followed scrupulously, except in 1816 when animals were taken up to the mountain on a Saturday.

Unfortunately, that year a terrible disease created appalling devastation. It was swine scarlet fever. It is easy to understand the endless recriminations that fell upon those who had not heeded the advice of the wizard.

But what did the wizard do to calm the worries of those concerned? He had recourse to a spell that had often been used in the past. He took an iron mule shoe, and then with great force and incantations, he attached the bewitched shoe firmly to the corner of the community chalet with express instructions that it never be removed.

As proof of the truth of this story, it is to be noted that at the end of the century, the chalet in question was destroyed by fire. During the reconstruction work, the mule shoe was found in the midst of the rubble. As for the demon of Ensex, it is presumed that he died in the flames. He has never been heard of again.