February 04, 2026

The Thing That Watches From the Snowline

28 minutes

The Devil Within
Tatzelwurm —The Thing That Watches From the Snowline

High above the tree line, where oxygen thins and old superstitions thicken, something has been slithering through European folklore for centuries.

This week on The Devil Within, we journey into the jagged spine of the Alps — a place of avalanches, isolation… and sightings of a creature that by all rights should not exist.

It has the body of a serpent.

The face of a cat.

The temper of something ancient and territorial.

They call it The Tatzelwurm.

🐍 Episode Overview

Long before modern mountaineering turned the Alps into a playground for climbers and skiers, shepherds and hunters told darker stories — of livestock found mutilated, of travelers collapsing after encounters with a “poison-breathing” beast, and of clawed tracks appearing in fresh snow where no animal should be.

In this episode, we explore:

The earliest documented Tatzelwurm sightings in the 18th and 19th centuries

Why so many encounters happen at high elevations near remote caves

Theories ranging from misidentified wildlife… to a surviving Ice Age predator

The strange pattern of witnesses becoming violently ill after close encounters

The unsettling consistency in descriptions across centuries and countries

Is the Tatzelwurm just folklore born from altitude sickness and fear?

Or is it one more example of something real hiding in the blind spots of modern science?

🏔️ Why This Story Still Matters

With global attention turning back to the Alps for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, millions will soon be watching — and traveling into — these very mountains.

But while cameras focus on ski slopes and stadiums, vast stretches of alpine wilderness remain untouched… and largely unexplored.

Legends don’t survive for centuries without a reason.

And in the Alps, the line between myth and memory has always been dangerously thin.

🧭 Themes in This Episode

Mountain isolation and the psychology of fear

Cryptids rooted in regional history, not modern invention

How folklore can preserve eyewitness accounts long before science catches up

The uneasy relationship between wilderness and human certainty

🎧 LISTEN & FOLLOW

If you’re enjoying the show, make sure you’re following the entire Evio Creative lineup wherever you get your podcasts — The Devil Within, The Ides of April, Criminal Mischief, Taboo Treasures, Finding Me with Josh Wolf, and more — so you never miss a new episode.

📺 WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

You can now watch full video episodes, clips, and exclusives from all Evio Creative shows on YouTube.

👉 Subscribe to Evio Creative on YouTube and turn on notifications so you don’t miss new drops across the network.

📲 FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

Follow for updates, visuals, and behind-the-scenes content:

• @thedevilwithinpod

• @idesofaprilpod

• @eviocreative

• @findingmewithjoshwolf (Instagram, TikTok & Facebook)

💼 SPONSORS

🧥 QUINCE

Luxury essentials at affordable prices.

Free shipping + 365-day returns:

👉 ⁠http://www.quince.com/MISCHIEF⁠

📱 MINT MOBILE

Premium wireless for just $15/month.

Switch and get free shipping:

👉 ⁠www.mintmobile.com/DEVILWITHIN⁠

🛰️ EXPRESSVPN

Protect your data anywhere.

Get up to 4 months free:

👉 ⁠http://www.expressvpn.com/DEVILWITHIN⁠

🌿 MOOD

CBD and THC gummies shipped nationwide.

20% off with code DEVILWITHIN:

👉 ⁠http://www.mood.com/DEVILWITHIN⁠

🐶 OLLIE DOG FOOD

Real, fresh, human-grade meals for your dog.

60% off your first box:

👉 ⁠http://www.ollie.com/IDES⁠

💰 MONARCH

The only finance app you’ll ever need.

50% off your first year:

👉 ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/IDES

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more

View all episodes

By EVIO Creative

3.3

27372,737 ratings