Legends
Facts and Fiction - Legends about Luther
Foto: Wikimedia CommonsThe Luther Chamber on the Wartburg.
Good stories are told about the dramatic moments in Luther's life: However, historical evidence for them tends to be sparse. Did the Reformer, during his stay on the Wartburg, really throw his ink well at the devil, because he was disturbed by him during his concentrated work of translating the Bible? And did the famous nailing of the theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg ever happen as it was described – with hammer and nails? The legends about Martin Luther are as famous as his teachings. They have entered the collective memory as exciting scenes or catchy quotes.
The throwing of the ink pot
According to legend, the devil is said to have molested Martin Luther in his room. When the monk, who was totally absorbed by his work, heard a scratching and chafing, he valiantly grasped the ink pot and threw it at the devil's grimacing face, in order to chase away the perpetrator.
Luther and the apple tree
"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant an apple tree today", Martin Luther is said to have proclaimed.
On the doors of the Wittenberg churches
Has the nailing of Luther's 95 theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg really happened? News from the debate about the posting of the theses.
The lightning stroke near Stotternheim
In mortal fear during a thunderstorm near Stotternheim, Martin Luther vows: "I will become a monk!"
The latrine as a place of discovery about the Reformation
Did Martin Luther really gain his central insights for the Reformation on the toilet? There is a lot of speculation about the exact place where Martin Luther learned to understand that people experience divine grace not through good works, but through faith alone.
The Luther Oak in Wittenberg
According to a legend, the Luther Oak in Wittenberg was planted by a student in love, one day after December 10th, 1520, at exactly the place where the Reformer had burned the papal bull of excommunication, as well as books of his enemies.
