In the woods near the city of Nykøbing Falster in southern Denmark lies a big pile of broken branches. At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a pile of discarded garden waste. But tradition holds that every time someone passes it they must throw a branch on top of the mound. Those who fail to do so risk being pursued by the ghost of an evil forest ranger.
This eerie landmark, known as Stikhokken (literally “the pile of sticks”), was first mentioned about 150 years ago, though the tradition itself is said to be around 400 years old. Its origins trace back to the mid-1600s, when a forest ranger was murdered by a poacher at this very spot. The man, however, was despised by the villagers, who refused to give him a proper burial. Instead, his body was left to decay on the forest floor—a choice that would have lasting consequences.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Not long after, the ranger’s ghost was said to haunt the woods. To contain his restless spirit, the villagers began piling branches over his corpse, believing this would keep him from rising. According to legend, the same pile exists today, added to by generations of passersby.
Could there truly be a skeleton at the bottom of the mound? No one knows for sure. “The ground beneath has never been archaeologically investigated,” says Marie Brinch, archaeologist and museum inspector at the Museum Lolland-Falster.
Stikhokken is about three meters tall. Over time, the branches at the bottom slowly rot and sink into the soil, yet the mound never shrinks, because new sticks are constantly being added to it.
The tradition hints at a much older folklore, about beliefs rooted in magic and the supernatural. That with a simple action, such as throwing a stick, you can protect yourself from evil spirits. This notion suggests that Stikhokken originates from the Middle Ages, or perhaps even earlier, when offerings and sacrifices were made to protect homes, fields, or entire communities from unseen forces.
Credit: historiskatlas.dk
Similar customs are found elsewhere in Denmark and other places in the Nordic countries. For example, there is a so-called ‘branch throw’ in Vendsyssel in West Jutland, and in Sweden there is a ‘riskast’. These are places where sticks are thrown into piles.
What these stories have in common is that they are places where murders or suicides have been committed. In Sweden, the piles were also believed to guard against ghosts and wandering spirits. One tale even claimed that they kept away the restless souls of children, whose hauntings were feared most of all.
Stikhokken is located in the privately owned Hyde Forest, directly beside a well-trodden path. Hikers continue to pass, and many still honour the centuries-old ritual by throwing on a stick.
References:
# “I århundreder har skovgæster smidt pinde i en mystisk bunke - her er forklaringen”, TV2 East
# “Stikhokken i Hydeskov”. Wikipedia
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