After his death, Stilzel turned to be much more wild and evil than before. He liked to ride lone wanderers until they ran to a village and irritated local people by harsh jokes. Sometimes he helped local people, not because of philantrophy, but because it was fun. One time, he punished two murderers. He was also very popular among smugglers, because he lured the custom officers patroling the forests away from where the smugglers where by making strange sounds.
Stilzel was defeated by a strong local farmer, who, when Stilzel jumped on his back, carried him to a church and bathed him in holy water. Others believe that Stilzel was cursed to inhabit a small glass bottle in the property of the Bishop of Regensburg or that he has been banished to Tyrols.
Stilzel may return if all the horses of Sumava will run around Schwarzau, the forest where he was herding horses, for three times in a row.