Michael Zittle Jr. (October 5, 1798 – July 5, 1877) or The Wizard of South Mountain was an American occultist, ceremonial magician, author, and mountaineer.[1][2] He was born to a German father, American mother, and was one of nine children. Zittle became popular in the area as healer, he would offer his services to alleviate a wide array of difficulties, such as compelling a thief to return stolen property, providing a “sure cure for fever," closing a wound from firearms, curing the bite of a mad dog and “dispelling the fear of the darkness of night.”[3][4]
Michael Zittle, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 The Zittle family of South Mountain | |
| Born | October 5, 1798 |
| Died | July 5, 1877 |
| Resting place | Boonsboro Cemetery |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
Catherine Koogle
(m. 1825; died 1872) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Michael Zittle Sr. and Mary Magdalena Hiestand Zittle |
A Friend In Need
editA Friend in Need; Or, Secret Science was a handbook written by Zittle in 1845 on how to perform magic spells. It was based on a German book of magic, referred to by Zittle's neighbors as his "black book" or "conjuring book"[5]. According to legend, after publication of the book, Zittle lost his powers as a result of trying to commodify his supernatural powers. In 1975, a copy of the published English book was found by Boonsboro resident Pauline Routzahn.[6] Today, a copy of both the English and original German can be viewed at the Boonsbourough Museum of History.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ Dahlgren, Madeleine (1882). South Mountain Magic. James R. Osgood & Co. p. 161-163.
- ^ "Tales of Early Residents with Strange Powers". The Daily Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. February 26, 1974.
- ^ "Boonsboro Reflections: The Wizard of Zittlestown". Boonsboro Historical Society. December 14, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ Barry, Joseph (1903). The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry - With Legends of the Surrounding Country. Martinsburg W. VA: Thompson Brothers. p. 189-191.
- ^ Dahlgren, Madeleine (1882). South Mountain Magic. James R. Osgood & Co. p. 214.
- ^ "Haunted History: The Wizard of South Mountain – Michael Zittle". Preservation Maryland. October 30, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ Fair, Susan (2013). Mysteries and Lore of Western Maryland: Snallygasters, Dogmen and Other Mountain Tales. The History Press. p. 85.
- ^ "Haunted History: The Wizard of South Mountain – Michael Zittle". Preservation Maryland. Baltimore, Maryland. October 30, 2020.