Did you know that the Pied Piper fairytale was likely based on a true story? When I asked my own family members if they had heard about the Pied Piper, they each shared that it was a fairytale about a man dressed in “pied clothing” that went to the village of Hamelin, Germany to rid the town of rats by luring them into a lake to drown. They were lured with music played on a magical pipe. After the town refused to pay him, he led the children to a cave and they were never seen again. Each story varies a little, but it’s basically the same. My family members were as surprised as I was to learn that this story was more than likely based off a true story. Even my husband who is very knowledgeable had not heard this.

The evidence that this really happened is written on a plaque at what is believed to be the Pied Piper house dating to 1602 and it says “A.D. 1284 – on the 26th of June – the day of St John and St Paul – 130 children – born in Hamelin – were led out of the town by a piper wearing multicoloured clothes. After passing the Calvary near the Koppenberg they disappeared forever.”

There is also an entry in Hamelin’s town records that is dated 1384. It states that “It is 100 years since our children left.” According to the BBC Travel website, “The stained-glass window in the town’s St Nicolai church, destroyed in the 17th Century but described in earlier accounts, reportedly illustrated the figure of the Pied Piper leading several ghostly white children. And the 15th Century Luneburg manuscript, an early German account of the event, along with five historical memory verses, some in Latin and others in Middle Low German, all refer to a similar story of 130 children or young people vanishing on the 26 June 1284, following a pied piper to a place called Calvary or Koppen.”

After hearing this story on a podcast last week, my immediate thoughts were, “What are the Pied Pipers in our life that are trying to lead us astray?” Some people have elevated the pied piper to a superhero status, but I got chills and felt deep grief as I heard this story. Even if I only believed it was a fairytale, that is certainly not my idea of a hero. It is highly unlikely that we will ever know for sure what happened, but there is always wisdom to be gained from a story. It was a good reminder to me of the distractions and flashy things in this modern world trying to pull us down a path that could ultimately lead to our destruction. We realize that we are weak and vulnerable to the things of this world, and have found that being in the Word of God daily, praying as we go throughout our day, teaching and training our children, and guarding our hearts by being careful what we watch and listen to are critical in the battle of the Pied Pipers of this world. Are there Pied Pipers in your life? How are you dealing with them? We love to hear from you!