According to urban legends, this mythical creature lived in a cave near Aachen, in the historical region of Rhineland. Descriptions of its appearance vary, but Bahkauv was said to emerge only at night. It was often depicted as a stretched-out, grotesque calf, a boar, a lizard, or a lion, covered either in thick fur or scales. However, it always had glowing, fiery eyes, sharp fangs, enormous claws, and a long, snake-like tail tipped with a poisonous stinger. Like a proper spawn of hell, Bahkauv also reeked of sulfur.

The monster exclusively hunted drunkards, showing no interest in women or children. It lay in wait near fountains and Aachen’s numerous thermal springs, hiding in streams and drainage ditches. Bahkauv would strike as soon as an intoxicated victim made their way home from a tavern. Leaping onto their shoulders, it would completely paralyze their already exhausted body. If the drunkard collapsed in helplessness, the creature would devour them. Otherwise, it would retreat as soon as the victim reached their doorstep. Some claimed that Bahkauv could be bribed with money, though women insisted that this was merely an excuse invented by men to explain their bar expenses.

Nevertheless, thanks to the monster, many of Aachen’s drinkers became abstinent — whether out of fear of Bahkauv, concern over their wives' wrath, or simply because they had run out of money. However, this continued only until the creature made the mistake of attacking none other than the Frankish King Pepin the Short, father of the legendary Charlemagne. The conqueror of Europe effortlessly dispatched Bahkauv with a single sword strike, then cut off its tail and threw it into the water. According to legend, this event explains why Aachen’s hot springs have bubbled and reeked of sulfur ever since, as if thousands of eggs had suddenly gone rotten.

No one disturbed Aachen’s drinking population again — until 1605, when rumors of the monster resurfaced. The resurrected Bahkauv once more began preying on drunkards, robbing them of their last coins. This crime spree might have continued indefinitely had the creature not made a fatal mistake: it attacked a blacksmith known for his incredible strength. Easily overpowering the beast, the blacksmith discovered that beneath its monstrous hide lurked a city guardsman. The scandalous revelation was even recorded in the annals of history:

After this exposure, Aachen’s drunks gleefully resumed their revelries.

Unfortunately, over time, many of Aachen’s fragrant streams and thermal springs were built over, paved, and redirected underground. The story of Bahkauv began to fade into obscurity. Whether to preserve the legend or simply to keep the local drunkards on edge as they wandered the dark streets, the city council decided on April 18, 1902, to renovate an old 17th-century fountain built over the well where the monster was most often seen. A new fountain, crowned with a statue of the legendary Bahkauv, was sculpted by Karl Krauss and ceremoniously unveiled on November 18, 1904. However, during World War II, the fountain’s metal figures — like most of Germany’s monuments — were melted down for the war effort. The remaining stone structure was ultimately destroyed by American bombing raids.

On September 27, 1967, a new statue of Bahkauv, created by Kurt-Wolf von Borries, was installed at the site of the lost fountain. To this day, it stands in the center of the city, much to the annoyance of locals — who are particularly irked by the fact that it spews water not from its mouth, but from its tail.