A painting on the Chapel Bridge (panel Nr. 25) once showed a famous Lucerne legend: The Emperor Charlemagne giving special "Harsthörner" (war horns) to warriors from Lucerne to honor them. (Please note: This original painting was unfortunately destroyed in the 1993 Chapel Bridge fire and is no longer on the bridge.)

The legend says that in 778, warriors from Lucerne joined Charlemagne’s army in Spain. They bravely saved his nephew, Roland, in a battle. As a "thank you" for their loyalty and courage, the emperor gave them the special war horns, a great privilege.

It was a signal horn made from the horn of an auroch (a big, wild bull). Its deep sound was a psychological weapon in battle. It was used to motivate the own troops and frighten the enemies. It was an important symbol of honor, like a flag. The man who carried it had to be one of the strongest and would protect it with his life.

Legend vs. Reality

The paintings on the Chapel Bridge were made in the 17th century, a time when people often mixed history and legends.

The reality of this story is different. The famous battle, known as the Battle of Roncevaux Pass (Wiki), was in 811, not 778. It was against the Basques, not the Saracens. And it was a terrible defeat for Charlemagne; his nephew Roland actually died there.

At that time, Lucerne was just a small fishing village. It was not a city and did not have an army to send to Spain.



So, why does this painting exist? Myths like this were important. They gave the city prestige and connected Lucerne to famous historical figures like Charlemagne. It made the city's history seem older and more important.

But the horns were real symbols of Lucerne's military. You can see them pictured in the famous Diebold Schilling Chronicle, an illustrated history book from the Middle Ages.

The Lucerne war horns and the Uri Bull, Lucerne Schilling Folio 99v, p. 200, detail

What happened to the real horns?

The story of the horns is also turbulent. Troops from Bern captured two of Lucerne's war horns in 1712. These horns were later lost in Bern during the French invasion (the time of Napoleon) in 1798.

But other original horns are safe. The Historical Museum (Historisches Museum) in Lucerne keeps them, and you can see one of them on display.



Perhaps the most heroic figure of a horn blower is the "Uristier" (the Uri Bull) from the canton of Uri. 

You can find the sources for this post on the German version.