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//.ZB:o(i 


^^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  Zfi^ 


/)mx/.;;.E>..L.6G0 


NOETHERN  MYTHOLOGY, 


COMPRISING    THE  PRINCIPAL 


POPULAR  TRADITIONS   AND   SUPERSTITIONS 

OF 

SCANDINAVIA,  NORTH  GERMANY, 

AND 

THE  NETHERLANDS. 

COMPILED  FROM  ORIGINAL  AND  OTHER  SOURCES, 
BY    ^ 

BENJAMIN  THORPE, 

MEMBER    OF    TUE    ROYAL    ACADEMY    OF    SCIENCES    AT    MUNICH. 

IN  THREE  VOLUMES. 

VOL.  II. 

SCANDINAVIAN  POPULAR  TRADITIONS   AND 
SUPERSTITIONS. 


LONDON : 
EDWARD    LUMLEY, 

SOUTHAMPTON  STREET,  BLOOM SBURY  SQUARE. 
MDCCCLI. 


PRINTED  BY  RICHARD  TAYLOR, 
RED  LION  COURT,  FLEET  STREET. 


CONTENTS. 


SCANDINAVIAN  POPULAR  TRADITIONS. 

I.  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

Page 

Introduction    xi  to  xxviii 

Tlmrser,  Vaetter,  Dwarfs,  etc 1 

Huldra  or  HuUa 2 

Jutuls  and  Mountain- Giants  4 

The  Jutul  on  Hestmandoe      5 

The  Jutul's  Bridge ib. 

The  Girl  at  the  Sseter (i 

Gurri  Kunnan 7 

The  Bridal  Crown    9 

The  Bishop's  Cattle    o 10 

The  Midwife    11 

The  Oiestad  Horn   14 

Huldre  Marriage 15 

The  Nisse  or  Niss    16 

The  Werwolf   18 

The  Mara  (Qvaeldi-ytterinde)   ih. 

Ghosts  19 

The  Nok  20 

The  Grim,  or  Fossegrim 23 

a2 


IV  CONTENTS. 

Page 

The  ilore-Trold  23 

The  Brunmigi      ib. 

The  Qvaernknurre    ib. 

The  Fmngalkn     24 

Gertrud's  Bud 25 

Aasgaardsreia  (Wihl  Hunt)     ib. 

The  Merman  (Marmennill)  and  ]\Iermaid  ( Margygr)   27 

The  Sea-Snake    28 

Dragons    31 

The  Severed  Hand  32 

Of  St.  Olaf  34 

Of  St.  Olaf  and  the  first  Church  in  Norway 39 

St.  Olaf  at  Vaaler    40 

St.  Olaf  at  Ringerige  42 

Axel  Thordsen  and  Fan*  Valdborg 43 

The  Signe-Kjaerring,  or  Witch  47 

II.  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

Christmas  or  Yule  Pastimes  49 

Modern  Traditions  of  Odin    50 

Modern  Traditions  of  Thor  51 

Of  Rocking  Stones  and  Thundering  Stones 54 

Superstitious  Usage  in  Case  of  Theft  ib. 

Furnish  Superstition    , 55 

Of  Giants  and  Dwarfs 5G 

King  Eric's  Dream 58 

Of  Biorn  the  Swede,  Ulf  Jarl,  and  Cnut  the  Great 59 

Christian-Heathen  Traditions  of  Trolls,  etc 61 

Of  Elves    62 

Of  the  Mount-Folk 63 

Elfin  Gardens  C)7 

Of  Bergtagning  (Mount-taking)    ib. 

The  Flvmg  Elves     68 

Lofjerskor    71 

The  Skogsrii. — The  Siorti 7'^ 


CONTENTS.  V 

Page 
Of  Water  Elves. 

I.  The  Mermaid 76 

II.  Fountain  Maidens  77 

III.  The  Neck  and  the  Stromkarl 78 

The  Wild  Hunt   83 

Mystic  Animals   lb. 

The  Mountain  Troll    1 85 

II.  Sten  of  Fogelkarr  86 

Ill 87 

IV 88 

The  Trolls  celebrate  Christmas 89 

Origin  of  the  Noble  Name  of  Trolle f>l 

The  Giant's  Path ib. 

The  Tomte  or  Swedish  Niss  ib. 

Ravens. — Py slingar  and  Mylingar. — Skrat  , 94 

The  Werwolf   96 

Jack  o'  Lantern  97 

The  Ram  in  the  Getaberg  ib. 

The  Dragon,  or  White  Serpent 98 

The  Uninvited  Wedding  Guests 100 

Of  Lund  Cathedral 101 

The  Chm-ch-grim  and  the  Church-lamb   102 

Hehge  Thor's  Kalla  (Well)    103 

Of  the  Virgin  Mary    ib. 

Yule-Straw  104 

The  Biai-aan,  or  Bare 105 

Midsummer  Eve 106 

Christmas  107 

The  Cuckoo     ib. 

Swedish  Popular  BeUef  108 

III.  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 
Trolls  —  Barrow-   or   Mount-Folk,   Elf-Folk,    and 

Dwarfs. 

Origin  of  Trolls   115 


VI  CONTENTS. 

Page 

Elf-Folk   116 

The  Klint-King  on  the  Isle  of  Moen    124 

The  UndcrgTound  Folk  in  Bornholm    125 

The  Mount-Folk  borrow  Beer  126 

The  Elf-Folk  under  the  Hearth 127 

Fru  Mette    ib. 

The  Underground  Folk  fetch  a  Midwife    128 

Trolls  at  Uglerup    130 

The  Midwife  of  Fuur 131 

Skotte  132 

King  Pippe  is  dead ib. 

The  Troll  at  Michred 133 

The  Man  in  the  Oxnebierg     134 

The  Unbidden  Guests ib. 

Ellevilde,  or  Elf-crazed  136 

The  Brudehoi,  or  Bride  Mount ib. 

Hans  Puntlaeder 137 

The  Aged  Bride  138 

Bondevette  ib. 

The  Giant's  Daughter  and  the  Ploughman  140 

Svend  Fselhng 141 

Altar-Cups  144 

Trolls  in  the  Red  Stone  148 

The  TrolFs  Glove    149 

The  Troll  outwitted    ib. 

Raginal     150 

Gillikop    151 

The  Trolls  desire  to  be  saved     ib. 

The  Trolls'  Fear  of  the  Cross    152 

The  Trolls'  Fear  of  Thunder ib. 

The  Trolls'  Hatred  of  Bells    154 

The  Trolls  forsake  Vendsyssel   155 

The  Elf-folk  forsake  ^ro  156 

The  Trolls  cast  Stones  at  Churches  158 

The  Nisse  or  Niss    ib. 


CONTENTS.  Ml 

Page 

The  Kirkegrim  (Church-grim)   166 

The  Ku-kegrim  and  the  Strand-varsel    ib. 

Hyldemoer. — Elder 167 

The  Werwolf    168 

The  Mara 169 

Mermen  and  Merwives    170 

Changelmgs     174 

How  to  distinguish  a  Changeling  175 

The  Devil. 

Friar  Runs    177 

The  Devil  at  Cards 179 

A  Scholar  assigns  himself  to  the  Devil 180 

The  Devil's  Footstep  ib. 

Jens  Plovgaard    181 

How  the  Devil  allowed  himself  to  be  outwitted    182 

The  Lady  of  Kiolbygaard  183 

A  Feast  with  the  De\dl    184 

The  Book  of  Cyprianus  186 

Of  Witches  188 

The  Shipmaster  of  Aarhuus  and  the  Finlap 193 

Of  Frit  Skud    194 

Traditions  of  Spectres. 

The  Flying  Huntsman    195 

Gron- Jette    ib. 

Palne-Jseger,  or  Paine  the  Hunter     196 

Horns  Jaeger    197 

Jons  Jseger  198 

King  Abel's  Hunt    ib. 

King  Valdemar's  Hunt   199 

Punishment  for  removing  Land-marks 202 

A  Sunday's  Child    203 

Spectres  in  St.  Knud's  Church  at  Odense    204 

Hans  Naeb    ib. 

A  Sagacious  Woman   205 

Master  Mads  and  Herr  Anders  206 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

Page 
Of  Dragons  207 

The  Dam-Horse  ,, 208 

The  Ilel-IIorse    209 

The  Church-Lamb  210 

The  Grave-Sow    ^-^ 

The  Night-Raven    ^7, 

The  Jack  o'  Lantern    211 

The  Basilisk 212 

The  Jerusalem  Shoemaker,  or  Wandering  Jew,  in  Jutland ib. 

Of  Lakes,  Bottomless  Pools,  etc. 

Tiis  Lake 213 

The  Sunken  Mansion 214 

Traditions  of  Wells. 

Helen's  Well    215 

St.  Knud's  Well 217 

Snogskilde  (Snake's  Well) j^_ 

The  Sand-Hills  at  Nestved 218 

Of  Trees    j^ 

The  Lonely  Thorn  219 

Of  the  Pestilence  in  Jutland  H) 

The  Rat-hunter    jj 

Historical. 

Habor  and  Signelil  2l20 

Feggeklit  22 1 

Jellinge  Barrows j^ 

Holger  the  Dane  under  Kronborg     222 

Bishop  William's  Foot-mark 223 

Bishoj)  William's  Death  and  Burial  / j . 

The  Punishment  of  Inhumanity     225 

Sveud  Grathe's  Military  Chest  226 

The  Two  Church  Towers    27>. 

Archbishop  Absalon's  Death  22/ 

Dannebrog    /^ 

Dam lebrog  Ships 228 

St.  Niels  (Nicholas),  the  Patron  of  Aarhuus     Hj, 


CONTENTS.  IX 

Page 

Little  Kirsten's  (Christine's)  Grave  232 

Marsk  Stig   ib. 

King  Valdemar  and  Queen  Helvig    233 

Queen  Helvig  and  Talk  Lohman   236 

Queen  Margaret  when  a  Child  ib. 

Prophecy  of  King  Frederic  the  First's  Accession  to  the  Throne  23/ 

Spectacles  Ducats    ib. 

Of  Historical  Persons,  Family  Traditions,  etc. 

The  Ai-ms  of  the  Bille  Family    238 

Herr  Eske  Brok  ib. 

The  Half-full  Bottle    239 

Herr  Erlaud  Limbek  240 

The  Family  of  Monrad    241 

The  Name  and  Arms  of  the  Rosenkrandses ib. 

The  Arms  of  theTrolle  Family 243 

Major  General  Svanwedel  ib. 

Traditions  of  Towns  and  other  Places. 

The  Ramparts  of  Copenhagen    244 

The  Image  of  St.  Oluf    ib. 

Secret  Passages  under  Aalborg  245 

Of  Churches  and  Convents. 

Of  Chm-ches     246 

The  Tower  of  St.  Mary's  in  Copenhagen ib. 

The  Chimes  in  the  Tower  of  St.  Nicholas     24  7 

The  Sea-Troll  in  the  Issefiord    ib. 

Roeskilde  Cathedral    248 

Veiby  Church  ib. 

Kallundborg  Church  ib. 

Rachlov  Church  24.9 

The  Altar-piece  in  Soro  Church     250 

Blood  Spots  on  the  Wall  of  Karise  Church ib. 

The  Church  at  Falster     251 

Maribo  Church    252 

Aarhuus  Cathech-al  ib. 

Ribe  Cathecbal    i^- 

A  5 


X  CONTENTS. 

Page 

The  Church  at  Erritso    , 253 

The  Altar-piece  in  Sleswig  Cathedral    255 

Traditions  relating  to  Mansions. 

Herlufsholm     255 

Vaargaard     256 

Traditions  of  Priests  and  Wise  Men. 

St.  Andrew  of  Slagelse    258 

Master  Laui-ids    260 

The  Priest  of  Norre-Vilstrup 261 

St.  Kield  of  Yiborg     262 

Treasures  and  Treasure-Diggers. 

The  Treasure  in  Hvin  el  Bakke      263 

The  Treasure  in  Daugbierg-Daus  ib. 

The  Treasure  on  Fuur     264 

The  Treasure  in  Lodal    , ib. 

Traditions  of  Robbers. 

Thyre  Boloxe  and  her  Sons    265 

Stjcrk  Olger     266 

Voldborg's  Day    ib. 

Friar  Ruus   267 

Danish  Popular  Belief    2/0 


INTRODUCTIONv 


Amid  the  lofty  Fields'^  of  Norway  tlie  gigantic  Jutul  has 
fixed  his  home,  of  whose  fingers  and  feet  traces  may  be 
seen  in  the  hard  stone,  and  whom  fragments  of  rock  and 
ponderous  grave-stones  serve  for  weapons ;  in  the  lower 
ridges  the  wily  Troll  and  the  beautiful  Huldra  have  their 
dweUing  ;  in  mounds  and  by  lofty  trees  the  countless 
swarms  of  Elves  have  their  haunt,  while  beneatli  the 
earth  the  small  but  long-armed  and  skilful  dwarfs  exercise 
their  handicrafts.  In  the  evening  twilight  Thusser  and 
Vsettir  still  wander  about,  and  the  merry,  wanton  Nisser 
frisk  and  dance  by  moonlight.  In  the  rivers  and  lakes 
lurks  the  fell  Nok,  and  through  the  air  flies  tlie  Aasgaards- 
reia^s  frantic  crew^,  announcing  bloodshed  and  war,  while 
a  guardian,  warning  Folgie  attends  each  mortal  on  his 
earthly  career.  Thus  speaks  tradition,  and  that  this  be- 
lief is  of  long  standing  in  the  North  may  be  concluded 


1  From  Faye's  Norske  Folke-Sagu.     Christiania,  1844. 

2  I  have  preserved  the  native  orthography  of  this  word  (signifying  a  far 
outstretched  stony  mountain),  to  prevent  confusion  with  the  English  word 
field.     It  is  our  north  of  England /e//.  ^  See  p.  25. 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

from  the  testimony  of  Procopius  : — ''  The  Thulites  worship 
many  gods  and  spirits,  in  heaven,  in  air,  on  earth,  in  the 
sea,  and  some  even  that  are  said  to  inhabit  the  waters  of 
springs  and  rivers.  They  constantly  make  to  them  all 
kinds  of  offerings  ^.'^ 

The  question  that  naturally  first  presents  itself  to  us,  on 
hearing  these  wondrous  stories,  is :  AVhat  can  have  given 
birth  to,  and  indelibly  imprinted  and  quickened  in  the 
imagination  of  the  people  a  superstition,  which  is  the  more 
remarkable,  as  similar  opinions  are  found  among  the 
majority  of  the  people  in  the  north  of  Europe  ? 

It  is  probable  that  unacquaintance  with  nature  and  her 
powers,  combined  with  the  innate  desire  of  finding  a  reason 
for  and  explaining  the  various  natural  phenomena,  that 
must  daily  and  hourly  attract  the  attention  of  mankind, 
has  led  them  to  see  the  causes  of  these  phenomena  in  the 
power  of  the  beings  who,  as  they  supposed,  had  produced 
them,  and  afterwards  frequented  and  busied  themselves 
with  and  in  their  own  productions.  These  phenomena 
were  too  numerous  and  various  to  allow  the  ascribing  of 
them  to  a  single  being,  and  therefore  a  number  of  super- 
natural beings  were  imagined,  whose  dangerous  influence 
and  pernicious  wrath  it  was  sought  to  avert  by  sacrifices 
and  other  means. 

The  hollow  thundering  that  is  at  times  heard  among 
the  mountains,  the  smoke  and  fire  that  ascend  from  some 
of  them,  the  destruction  often  caused  by  a  sudden  earth-slip 
or  earthquake,  all  of  which  in  our  times  are  easily  explained 
from  natural  causes,  might  to  the  rugged  peasant,  wholly 
unacquainted  with  nature  and  her  hidden  powers,  appear 

^  Geijer,  Svea  Rikes  Hafder,  p.  87. 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

as  supernatural,  and  as  the  operations  of  Jutuls,  Giants, 
and  similar  mighty,  evil  beings,  that  were  supposed  to 
dwell  in  the  mountains,  and  of  whose  huge  feet  and  fingers 
a  lively  imagination  easily  found  marks  in  the  hard  rocks. 
Fear  and  superstition  gradually  invested  these  imaginary 
beings  with  all  sorts  of  terrific  forms  ^,  and  people  fancied 
they  saw  these  direst  foes  of  man  transformed  into  stone 
all  over  the  country. 

Crystals   and  other  natural   productions   were   found, 

which  could  not  have  been  made   by  human  hands ;    a 

voice,  a  sound,  was  sometimes  heard  where  least  expected, 

either  an  echo,  or  arising  from  other  natural  causes,  and 

which  could  now  be  easily  accounted  for ;  footsteps  of  men 

were  seen  where  no  one  had  ever  chanced  to  meet  a  human 

being ;  among  many  comely  children  there  was  a  deformed 

one,  which  either  by  its  ugliness  or  its  excessive  stupidity 

was  distinguished  from  the  others.     All  these  things,  it 

was  said,  must  have  a  cause,  and  from  ignorance  of  nature, 

joined  to  superstition  and  a  lively  imagination,  the  idea 

suggested  itself  of  conjuring  up  beings,  to  whom  all  these 

phenomena  might  be  ascribed,  and  who,  according  to  the 

places  of  sojourn  assigned  them,  were  called  Forest-trolls, 

Huldres,  Mountain-trolls,  Vcettir,  Elves,  Dwarfs,  Nisser, 

Mares,  etc. 

The  sea^s  smooth  surface,  its  hidden,  unfathomable 
depth,  the  raging  of  the  storm,  and  the  foamy  billows  of 
the  troubled  ocean,  make  a  deep  and  often  a  wonderful 
impression  on  the  human  mind.     This  state  of  feeling, 

1  In  Orvarodd's  Saga,  c.  15,  a  giant  is  thus  described:  He  was  quite 
black  except  his  eyes  and  teeth,  which  were  white ;  his  nose  was  large 
and  hooked ;  his  hair,  which  hung  down  over  all  his  breast,  was  as  coarse 
as  fish's  gills,  and  his  eyes  were  like  two  pools  of  water. 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

together  with  the  extraordinary  creatures  of  the  ocean  that 
are  sometimes  caught,  and  the  terrific  marine  monsters  that 
are  sometimes  seen,  must  supply  the  ignorant  fisherman, 
in  his  sequestered  home,  with  such  abundant  food  for  his 
invention  or  fancy,  that  it  is  almost  a  wonder  there  are  not 
even  more  stories  of  mermen,  mermaids,  and  other  crea- 
tions of  the  deep. 

The  monotonous  roar  of  the  waterfalls,  the  squalls  and 
whirlpools  that  render  our  fiords  and  rivers  so  dangerous, 
and  in  which  many  persons  annually  perish,  together  with 
the  circumstance,  that  in  several  fresh  waters,  when  a  thaw 
is  at  hand,  the  ice  splits  through  the  middle  with  a  fearful 
crash,  leaving  an  open  strip,  have  given  occasion  to  super- 
stition to  imagine  the  depths  of  the  water  inhabited  by 
malignant  sprites,  that  yearly  at  least  require  a  human 
being  for  a  sacrifice,  and  which,  under  the  names  of  Noks, 
Grims  and  Qusernknurrer,  are  sufficiently  known. 

When  it  suggested  itself  to  the  imagination  to  peo- 
ple the  mountains,  the  earth  and  the  water  with  super- 
natural beings,  it  could  not  be  long  before  it  must  also 
give  inhabitants  to  the  boundless  space  above  our  heads. 
In  the  countless  stars,  in  the  extraordinary  figures  often 
assumed  by  the  clouds  and  the  mist,  in  the  balls  of  fire 
and  the  blazing  northern  lights,  in  the  pealing  thunder 
and  the  wind  howling  through  the  narrow  mountain-val- 
leys, the  uninstructed  might  easily  see  and  hear  the  pass- 
ing of  the  gods,  the  Aasgaardreia's  wild  course,  the  Troll- 
wives^  ride,  and  thence  draw  omens  of  impending  misfor- 
tune. The  liglitnins;  oftenest  strikes  downward  anions: 
the  high  mountains,  what  then  can  be  more  reasonable 
than  the  belief  that  the  trod  who  reveals  himself  in  thunder 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

and  lightning,  the  mighty  Thor,  is  chastising  the  demons 
of  earth,  who  dwell  in  the  places  that  have  been  struck  by 
the  lightning  ? 

Wicked,  and  injurious  to  man  were  the  greater  number 
of  these  supernatural  beings,  who  may  strictly  be  regarded 
as  personified  powers  of  nature,  and  as  there  hangs  a  de- 
gree of  obscurity  over  their  whole  being,  the  night  was 
supposed  to  be  the  season  of  their  activity,  when  imagina- 
tion and  fear  are  most  disposed  to  create  all  kinds  of 
terrific  images. 

Although  personified  powers  of  nature  are  to  be  regarded 
as  the  primary  elements  of  mythic  tradition,  it  would,  ne- 
vertheless, be  a  great  error  to  suppose  that  every  individual 
myth  or  tradition  of  supernatural  beings  can  be  explained 
on  that  principle.  The  explanation  would  in  such  case 
often  be  not  only  far-fetched  but  false ;  for,  in  the  first 
place,  many  a  myth,  or  some  particular  part  of  it,  is  mere 
poetic  embellishment,  and,  secondly,  it  often  contains  an 
obscure  tradition  of  the  country^s  earliest  history.  An 
almost  inscrutable  blending  of  various  traditions  is  a  pe- 
culiar characteristic  of  a  myth.  In  the  representations  of 
the  gods  and  other  beings,  their  wars  and  other  relations, 
lies  the  oldest  history  of  a  people  in  the  guise  of  a  myth. 
That  it  must  be  dark  and  fabulous  is  a  consequence  both 
of  its  antiquity  and  the  rudeness  in  which  most  nations 
live  in  their  earliest  infancy,  when  it  never  occurs  to  them^ 
nor  in  fact  have  they  the  means,  to  transmit  to  after-ages 
accounts  of  their  transactions.  Consequently  the  earliest 
history  of  every  people  consists  of  traditions,  which  in  the 
course  of  time  may  have  been  subjected  to  various  changes. 
Through  the  mist  that  envelops  the  primitive  history  of 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

the  North,  the  historic  inquirer  thinks  that  he  discerns  a 
struggle  between  the  primitive  inhabitants  and  a  more 
civihzed  invading  people ;  and  in  our  popular  traditions 
of  Jutuls,  Trolls,  Elves  and  Dwarfs,  are  sought  traces  of 
these  elder  and  more  rugged  people,  the  conquest  and 
expulsion  of  whom,  as  dark  monuments  of  times  long 
gone  by,  is  alluded  to  and  eternized  in  the  old  skaldic 
songs  and  sagas  ^ 

That  these  primitive  inhabitants  consisted  of  one  and 
the  same  people  it  is  not  necessary  to  assume.  On  the 
contrary,  the  great  difference  found  in  the  sagas  between 
the  huge  Jutul,  who  plays  with  fragments  of  rock,  and  the 
little  wily  dwarfs,  who  conceal  themselves  in  the  earth  and 
its  caverns,  seems  to  indicate  that  they  were  as  dififerent  as 
could  well  be,  although  in  particular  places  they  may  have 
lived  together,  and  combined  in  opposition  to  and  as  com- 
mon enemies  of  the  invading  Goths.  In  some  places  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  intruding  conquerors  had  mingled 
with  the  older  inhabitants,  settled  among  them  and  formed 
intermarriages  with  them.  "  In  ancient  times,^^  a  Thelle- 
mark  saga  relates,  "  the  Thusser  were  so  numerous  that 
Christians  could  not  inhabit  Norway,  nor  Norway  be  co- 
lonized, before  they  formed  intermarriages.^^  And  in  our 
old  sagas  mention  frequently  occurs  of  historic  personages, 
who,  on  the  father's  or  mother's  side,  descended  from 
giants,  or  were  '  half-trolls.' 

In  other  places  it  would  appear  that  it  was  only  after 

^  Thor  liimself  is  made  to  relate  that  Norway  in  ancient  times  was 
inhabited  by  giants,  who  all  ])erishcd  suddenly  except  two  women;  but 
that  after  the  people  from  the  east  countries  began  to  inliabit  the  country, 
these  women  were  a  great  annoyance,  until  Thor  slew  them.  See  the 
story  in  vol.  i.  p.  17G. 


INTRODUCTION.  XVll 

an  obstinate  struggle  that  the  original  inhabitants  were 
driven  from  the  plains  and  valleys  to  the  wooded  and 
mountainous  regions,  where  caves  were  their  dwelling- 
placeSj  the  chase  afforded  them  sustenance,  and  the  skins 
of  beasts  covering.  That  they  continued  to  stand  in  a 
hostile  relation  to  their  conquerors,  and  that,  whenever  an 
opportunity  presented  itself,  they  attacked,  plundered  and 
murdered  the  intruders,  in  the  tracts  nearest  to  their 
hiding-places,  and  then  disappeared  with  their  booty,  is  in 
the  highest  degree  probable.  Their  sudden  attacks  and 
disappearance,  the  bloody  traces  they  left  behind  them, 
their  vast  strength,  savage  aspect  and  garb,  together  with 
the  darkness,  under  cover  of  which  they  chose  to  visit  their 
enemies^  stores  or  to  attack  them,  must  give  to  these 
people  a  terrific,  demonlike  colouring  in  the  eyes  of  the 
peaceful  inhabitants  of  the  valley.  The  less  often  they 
showed  themselves  the  more  wonderful  were  the  stories 
told  of  them ;  and  so  formidable  did  they  at  length  appear, 
dressed  out  in  all  the  terrors  of  imagination  and  super- 
stition, that,  according  to  the  general  opinion,  it  required 
powers  greater  than  human  to  contend  with  them.  It 
was,  therefore,  a  fitting  task  for  the  Thunder-god  himself, 
who  sometimes  crushed  them  with  his  bolt,  or  for  his 
earthly  representative,  who  in  the  old  skaldic  poem  is  de- 
scribed as  the  overthrower  of  the  altars  of  the  Forniotish 
gods,  the  mountain  folk's,  the  fj eld-wolves',  the  sons  of  the 
rock's  and  the  giants'  terror  and  destroyer  ^ 

In  the  Norse  Sagas  we  read  not  only  of  the  mighty 
Jutuls,  Giants  (Riser)  and  Mountain-trolls,  but  also,  and 

^  Couip.  Thorsdrapa,  pp.  lG-22,  and  Thiodolf  hiu  Hvinerske's  poem 
Hostlauga,  also  Geijer's  Svea  Rikes  Iliifder,  p.  276. 


XVIU  INTRODUCTION. 

even  more  frequently^  of  Thusser  and  Dwarfs.  The  tra- 
dition of  a  former  dwarf-race  may  probably  in  part  be 
ascribed  to  an  obscure  reminiscence  that  the  Lapps  once, 
during  Norway's  savage  state,  inhabited  tracts  whence 
they  have  been  driven  away.  If  the  diminutive  Lapps 
were  not  formidable  to  the  invading  Goths  in  battle,  they 
might,  nevertheless,  through  their  acquaintance  with  the 
secrets  of  nature,  their  cunning  and  their  dexterity,  be 
dangerous  neighbours,  who  could  drive  off  the  cattle, 
change  children  (whence  probably  the  numerous  stories 
about  changelings),  steal  household  utensils  and  provisions, 
give  persons  stupefying  drinks,  entice  them  into  their 
caves  with  songs,  presents,  etc.,  traits  which  supply  us  with 
the  key  to  many  a  tradition  of  the  subterraneans. 

These  views  are  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  histoiy. 
Adam  of  Bremen,  who  lived  in  the  eleventh  century,  re- 
lates from  oral  information  given  him  by  the  Danish  king 
Svend  Estrithson,  that  in  Sweden  '^  there  was  a  people 
w4io  were  in  the  habit  of  suddenly  descending  from  the 
mountains  in  sledges,  laying  all  around  waste,  unless  most 
vigorously  opposed,  and  then  retiring.^'  "  In  Nonvay,'' 
he  says  in  another  place,  "  I  have  heard  there  are  wild 
women  and  men,  who  dwell  in  the  forests,  and  seldom 
make  their  appearance ;  they  use  the  skins  of  wild  beasts 
for  clothing,  and  their  sjieech  is  more  like  the  growling  of 
animals  than  the  talk  of  human  beings,  so  that  they  are 
hardly  intelligible  to  1;heir  neighbours." 

At  the  first  glance  it  must  appear  wonderful,  that  after 
Christianity  has  been  established  in  the  North  for  eight 
hundred  years,  there  should  still  be  so  many  remains  of 
heathen    superstitions   there.      On    closer    consideration. 


INTRODUCTION.  XIX 

however,  the  enigma  may  be  solved.  The  first  Christian 
teachers,  finding  the  old  ideas  too  deep-rooted,  and,  as  it 
were,  too  fast  interwoven  with  the  physical  condition  of 
the  country,  its  ancient  history  and  poetry,  to  be  imme- 
diately eradicated,  strove  to  render  the  heathen  supersti- 
tion less  ofi'ensive  by  giving  it  a  Christian  colouring.  The 
heathen  festivals,  which  had  formerly  been  held  in  honour  of 
the  gods  of  Valhall,were  now  transferred  to  Christian  saints, 
and  in  St,  Olaf  the  Norse  clergy  were  so  fortunate  as  to 
get  a  saint  of  such  high  repute  for  his  wonderful  strength, 
that  they  could  well  place  to  his  account  the  marvellous 
deeds  that  had  been  previously  ascribed  to  the  mighty 
Thor  and  the  gods  of  Valhall.  These  latter,  who  were 
sometimes  regarded  by  the  Christians  as  mere  human 
beings,  and  at  others  as  evil  spirits,  were  at  length  almost 
totally  forgotten  by  the  people,  as  it  was  but  seldom  that 
any  visible  sign  appeared  before  them  which  could  tend  to 
retain  them  in  remembrance;  while  belief  in  the  other 
supernatural  beings,  that  were  attached  to  the  surround- 
ing nature,  could  not  be  so  easily  eradicated.  As  giants 
and  other  beings  of  that  class  had  never  been  objects  of 
adoration,  but  of  hatred  and  aversion,  they  were  allowed 
to  retain  their  old  denominations  and  character,  and  even 
served  to  confirm  the  Christian  doctrine  of  the  devil  and 
his  angels,  among  whom  the  giants  and  other  supernatural 
beings  were  reckoned. 

The  Lutheran  reformation,  instead  of  checking  this 
superstition  as  it  had  done  many  other  errors,  let  it  re- 
main unheeded;  the  belief  in  the  devil  and  his  angels 
(the  common  name  for  the  supernatural  beings),  together 
with   their  influence,   both   on   mankind  and  all  nature, 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

seems  rather  to  have  acquired  new  life.  Persecutions  for 
witchcraft,  and  assignments  to -the  fiend  belonged  to  the 
order  of  the  day. 

It  was,  it  is  true,  considered  an  impiety  to  have  any 
concern  with  the  subterraneans  and  other  such  '^  petty 
devils;^'  but  to  the  untutored  and  superstitious  people  it 
was  a  necessity  to  have  some  beings  of  whom  they  could 
ask  counsel ;  and  as  the  reformed  clergy  had  made  an  end 
of  the  Catholic  saints  and  relics,  superstition  was  di'iven 
to  betake  itself  secretly  to  its  old  heathen  friends,  the  sub- 
terraneans, the  Nisser,  and  the  like,  whose  favour  it  was 
sought  to  gain,  or  whose  enmity  it  was  hoped  to  avert 
by  offerings  at  hollow  trees,  in  woods,  or  under  vast, 
venerable  stones,  on  a  Thursday  evening,  or  the  eve  of  a 
holy  day. 

The  more  expanded  ideas  which  began  to  prevail  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  last  century,  and  the  increase  of 
knowledge,  which  has  manifested  itself  in  so  many  ways 
in  these  latter  times,  have  greatly  contributed  to  diminish 
the  belief  in  these  supernatural  beings.  In  many  parts 
such  traditions  are  already  sunk  into  oblivion,  in  some 
they  are  regarded  as  pleasant  stories,  or  are  related  merely 
to  frighten  children;  while  in  other  places,  among  the 
less  enlightened  and  more  superstitious  peasantry,  many 
are  still  to  be  found  who  are  convinced  of  the  existence  of 
these  mythic  beings,  who  played  so  important  a  part  in 
the  imagination  of  their  fathers.  They  themselves  or, 
more  usually,  an  aunt,  a  father  or  mother,  have  seen  the 
underground  folk  and  their  dogs  and  cattle,  heard  their 
sweet  music,  known  ])crs()ns  that  have  been  taken  into  the 
fjelds,  or  had  their  infants  changed  for  those  of  tlie  subter- 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

raneans^     The  places  where  such  beings  were  supposed 
to  have  their  resort  are  in  some  parts  still  looked  upon 

1  We  ought  not  in  fact  greatly  to  wonrler  that  the  belief  in  the  subter- 
ranean people  still  finds  followers  among  the  uninstructed  peasantry,  when 
we  read,  that  it  is  scarcely  a  hundred  years  since  learned  men  disputed 
whether  the  subterraneans  were  created  by  God,  whether  they  were  pre- 
adamites,  whether  they  can  hold  intercourse  with  mankind,  etc.  Herman 
Ruge,  clergyman  of  SUdre  in  1754,  in  his  'Rational  Thoughts  on  various 
curious  matters,'  was  of  opinion  "  that  the  subterraneans  formed,  as  it 
were,  the  boundary  between  brutes  and  human  beings !"  The  said  clergy- 
man, Ruge,  w^ho  has  dedicated  a  wiiole  chapter  of  his  book  to  the  subject 
of  changehngs,  informs  us  (as  an  ancient  method  to  be  apphed  with  regard 
to  such  children),  that  if  a  mother  has  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  her 
child  changed,  she  must  take  the  changeling  on  three  successive  Thursday 
evenings  and  whip  it  unmercifully  with  rods  on  a  heap  of  sweepings  ;  for 
then  the  sul^terranean  mother,  taking  pity  on  her  infant,  will  come  and 
restore  the  genuine  child  and  take  back  her  own.  The  belief  in  change- 
hngs is  universal  also  out  of  Norway.  As  many  persons  will,  no  doubt, 
be  gratified  to  know  what  the  great  German  reformer,  Martin  Luther, 
thought  and  said  with  regard  to  changelings,  we  will  give  an  extract  or 
two  from  his  Table  Talk :  "  Changelings  (Wechselbiilge)  and  Kielkropfs 
Satan  lays  in  the  place  of  the  genuine  chilch-en,  that  people  may  be  tor- 
mented with  them.  He  often  carries  off  young  maidens  into  the  water, 
has  intercourse  with  them,  and  keeps  them  with  him  until  they  have  been 
dehvered ;  then  lays  such  childi-en  in  cradles,  takes  the  genuine  children 
out,  and  carries  them  away.  But  such  changelings,  it  is  said,  do  not  hve 
more  than  eighteen  or  twenty  years." 

"  In  the  year  1541  Dr.  Luther  mentioned  this  subject  at  table,  adding, 
that  he  had  told  the  Prince  of  Anhalt  that  such  changelings  should  be 
drowned.  On  being  asked  why  he  had  so  advised?  he  answered,  that  it 
was  his  firm  behef  that  such  changelings  were  only  a  lump  of  flesh,  a 
massa  carnis,  as  there  was  no  soul  in  them,  for  such  the  devil  could  easily 
make,  as  well  as  he  can  destroy  men,  who  have  body,  reason  and  soul, 
when  he  possesses  them  bodily,  so  that  they  neither  hear  nor  see  nor  feel 
anything;  he  makes  them  dumb,  deaf  and  blind ;  the  devil  is  therefore  in 
such  changehngs  as  their  soul." 

"  Eight  years  ago  there  was  a  changeling  in  Dessau,  which  I,  Dr.  Martin 
Luther,  have  both  seen  and  touched ;  it  was  twelve  years  old  and  had  all 
its  senses,  so  that  people  thought  it  was  a  proper  child ;  but  that  mattered 
httle ;  for  it  only  ate,  and  that  as  much  as  any  four  ploughmen  or  tlirashers, 
and  when  any  one  touched  it  it  screamed  ;  when  things  in  the  house  went 
wrong,  so  that  any  damage  took  place,  it  laughed  and  was  merry ;  but  if 
things  went  well,  it  cried.     Thereupon  I  said  to  the  Prince  of  Anhalt  : 


XXll  INTRODUCTION. 

as  sacred.  No  superstitious  peasant^  who  has  a  regard 
for  his  health  and  property,  dares  venture  to  meddle  with 
a  Vsettir-mound,  a  Butree  or  Thunbede,  which  is  fre- 
quented by  the  invisible  folk ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  that 
they  may  not,  in  their  anger,  pass  their  dwelling  and 
take  the  luck  of  the  house  with  them,  the  people  wait 
upon  them  on  holyday  eves  with  cakes,  sweet  porridge 
and  other  offerings  ^ 

An  example  or  two  will  serve  to  show  how  deeply  im- 
printed is  the  belief  in  the  subterraneans,  in  many  places, 
even  at  the  present  day.  '^  At  Luro  in  the  Northlands," 
the  Rev.  G.  Faye  writes  to  me,  "  an  incredible  degree  of 
superstition  prevails,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  sub- 
terraneans, who  have  their  sojourn  in  certain  places,  how 
they  take  in  persons  and  make  away  with  them ;  they  are 
even  said  to  have  a  church  somewhere  here  in  the  parish, 
of  which  one  of  my  parishioners,  a  great  ghost-seer,  is,  as 
I  am  told,  the  priest.  It  is,  moreover,  said  that  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  parsonage  there  dwelt  a  subterranean, 

*  If  I  were  prince  or  ruler  here,  I  would  have  this  child  thrown  into  the 
water,  into  the  Moldau  that  flows  by  Dessau,  and  would  run  the  risk  of 
being  a  homicide.'  But  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  who  was  then  at  Dessau, 
and  the  Prince  of  Anhalt  would  not  follow  my  advice.  I  then  said: 
'  They  ought  to  cause  a  Pater  noster  to  be  said  in  the  church,  that  God 
would  take  the  devil  away  from  them.'  That  was  done  daily  at  Dessau, 
and  the  said  changeling  died  two  years  after."     See  Dobeneck,  i.  p.  168. 

Then  follows  a  stoiy  almost  identical  with  '  The  Kielkropp  '  in  vol.  iii. 
p.  46. 

1  "  In  Moland,  in  the  Upper  Thellemark,"  writes  Pastor  Buch,  "  they 
paid  adoration  to  the  Thusser,  under  the  name  of  Vetir,  by  otfering  to 
them  some  of  their  best  meat  and  drink,  upon  up-raised  mounds,  particu- 
larly buttermilk,  or  wort  when  they  brewed.  Such  a  libation  was  called 
a  saup,  i.  e.  a  sup  or  gulp.  Those  who  had  not  such  Vetir-mounds  poured 
out  a  little  cup  of  drink  on  the  hearth.  The  friendship  of  these  beings 
was  very  useful  to  the  peasant  both  for  his  cattle  and  general  welfare." 


INTRODUCTION.  XXlll 

who  had  a  pleasure-boat,  whom  people  that  were  sijnsk 
often  saw  sailing  on  the  lake.  I  have  repeatedly  endea- 
voured to  talk  them  out  of  this  superstition;  but  before 
me  they  will  never  confess  that  they  entertain  such  belief; 
because,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  they  think  it  is  to  the 
priest^s  advantage  to  suppress  all  belief  in  the  subterra- 
neans :  ^  For/  say  they,  '  he  is  as  sensible  of  it  as  we  are ; 
he  has  read  it  in  the  sixth  book  of  Moses,  which  does  not, 
it  is  true,  stand  in  the  Bible,  but  which  the  priests  keep 
to  themselves.^ ''  That  the  Sonderfjeld  Norwegians  stand 
on  about  the  same  level  with  regard  to  belief  in  the  sub- 
terraneans will  appear  from  the  following  traditions,  but 
to  which  I  will  add  a  passage  from  my  college  days. 

In  company  with  some  University  friends,  I  undertook, 
in  the  summer  of  1824,  a  foot-journey  to  the  Riukanfoss 
and  Gaustafjeld.  As  a  guide  on  the  Gausta,  we  took  an 
active  peasant  from  Vestfiorddal,  a  man  singularly  well- 
informed  for  his  station,  but  who  was,  nevertheless, 
thoroughly  convinced  of  the  existence  of  the  subterraneans. 
"  I  once  myself,^^  said  he,  "  saw  in  the  fjeld  a  man  who 
suddenly  sank  down  in  the  earth  before  my  eyes,  and  it  is 
well  known,''  added  he,  "  that  one  of  the  subterraneans, 
who  in  outward  appearance  perfectly  resembled  one  of  us, 
courted  a  girl  who  rejected  him,  although  he  promised  her 
a  house,  chattels  and  as  much  silver  plate  as  she  desired.'' 
On  our  objecting  that  either  his  imagination  must  have 
played  him  a  trick,  and  the  courtship  have  been  a  mere 
idle  invention  on  the  part  of  the  girl ;  or  that  some  per- 
son for  a  joke  had  imposed  upon  her,  by  giving  him- 
self out  for  a  subterranean,  he  continued:  ^' But  it  is 
known  for  certain,  that  a  man,  who  one  day  went  into  the 


XXIV  INTRODUCTION. 

forest,  came  suddenly  upon  a  mansion  with  its  appurte- 
nances, the  inmates  of  which,  on  his  coming,  instantly 
abandoned  it.  The  man,  who  from  fear  of  troll-craft  did 
not  venture  to  take  up  his  abode  in  the  mansion,  an- 
nounced the  incident  to  the  authorities,  who  took  posses- 
sion of  the  place  in  the  king^s  name,  which  to  this  day, 
in  remembrance  of  the  event,  bears  the  name  of  Findland" 
As  we  still  continued  incredulous,  and  suggested  that  the 
persons  mentioned  might  have  been  culprits,  who  on  the 
man's  coming  betook  themselves  to  flight,  through  fear  of 
being  discovered,  our  guide  came  forth  with  his  last  and 
weightiest  argument :  "  But  it  stands  in  the  Bible,  that 
every  knee,  both  of  those  w^ho  are  in  heaven  and  on  earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  shall  bow  before  the  Lord.  And  who 
then  are  those  under  the  earth,  if  they  are  not  the  sub- 
terraneans?" Thus  may  even  passages  in  the  Bible  itself, 
w^hen  misunderstood,  serve  to  confirm  superstition  ! 

Having  thus  endeavoured  to  explain  how  the  belief  in 
these  supernatural  beings  originated,  and  by  some  exam- 
ples shown  that  in  certain  parts  of  the  country  it  is  still 
the  popular  belief,  it  only  remains  to  lay  before  the  reader 
a  slight  sketch  of  the  similar  ideas  and  kindred  supersti- 
tions existing  in  the  other  Northern  countries.  In  this 
sketch  we  shall  confine  ourselves  chiefly  to  the  subter- 
raneans, w^ho,  according  to  both  the  old  mythology  and 
the  popular  traditions,  are  divided  into  several  classes,  as 
Thusser,  Vsettir,  Dwarfs,  Elves,  etc.  In  the  old  mythology 
the  dwarfs — under  which  denomination  seem  to  be  com- 
prised several  of  the  species  which  now  constitute  the  sub- 
terraneans— play  an  important  part.  They  came  forth,  as 
we  have  already  seen,  as  maggots  in  the  rotten  carcase  of 


INTRODUCTION.  XXV 

the  giant  Ymir,  and  at  the  behest  of  the  gods  received 
human  form  and  understanding,  and  had  habitations 
assigned  them  in  the  earth  and  in  stones  ^ 

From  these  we  may  consider  the  subterraneans  in  all 
the  Northern  countries  to  derive  their  origin.  We  will 
first  direct  our  attention  to  Iceland.  As  in  Norway,  the 
subterraneans  here  also  dwell  in  hills  and  mounds,  they 
are  neat  and  cleanly,  comely  and  flighty,  readily  hold  con- 
verse with  Christians,  by  whom  they  formerly  had  chil- 
dren. These  they  strove  to  exchange  for  the  children  of 
Christians  before  they  were  baptized,  that  their  own  might 
enjoy  the  benefit  of  baptism.  Such  substituted  children 
were  called  Umskiptingar,  and  are  usually  stupid  and 
weakly.  The  subterraneans  have  beautiful  cattle,  whicli, 
like  themselves,  are  invisible,  though  they  sometimes  let 
themselves  be  seen  in  the  bright  sunshine,  which  they 
lack  in  their  dwellings,  and  in  which  they  therefore  from 
time  to  time  recreate  themselves.  On  New  Yearns  night 
they  sometimes  change  their  habitations,  at  which  time  it 
was  formerly  a  custom  in  Iceland  to  leave  well-provided 
tables  standing,  and  the  doors  open,  in  order  to  gain  the 
good  wdll  both  of  the  comers  and  goers.  According  to 
old  traditions,  the  subterraneans  of  Iceland  were  governed 
by  two  chieftains,  who  are  changeable  every  second  year, 
when,  accompanied  by  some  of  their  subjects,  they  sailed 
to  Norway,  to  appear  before  the  king  of  the  whole  race, 
who  had  his  residence  there,  to  renew  their  oath  of  fealty, 

1  See  vol.  i.  p.  9.  According  to  one  tradition,  the  subterraneans  de- 
scend from  Adam's  children  by  his  first  wife  Lileth.  Goethe  alludes  to 
her  in  Faust. 


XXvi  INTRODUCTION. 

and  render  an  account  of  their  administration,  wliicli,  if 
found  good  and  just,  was  continued  to  them;  but  in  the 
contrary  case  they  were  instantly  deposed;  justice  and 
equity  being  in  high  estimation  among  these  elves  ^ 

In  the  Faro  isles  the  subterraneans  are,  as  in  some 
parts  of  Norway,  called  Huldefolk,  and  resemble  the  Norse 
Vsettir,  being  described  as  full-grown,  clad  in  grey,  with 
black  hats.  Their  large,  fat  cattle  graze,  though  invisible, 
among  those  of  the  inhabitants  ;  a  sight  of  them  is,  how- 
ever, sometimes  obtained,  as  also  of  their  dogs.  They  are 
fond  of  Christian  females  and  of  their  children,  which  they 
exchange  for  their  ow^n. 

In  Sweden  the  people  have  nearly  the  same  ideas  with 
regard  to  the  subterraneans.  Of  their  origin  they  have  a 
singular  tradition,  viz.  that  they  are  fallen  angels,  and  that 
when  God  cast  down  from  heaven  the  adherents  of  Lucifer, 
they  did  not  all  fall  into  hell,  but  that  some  fell  on  the 
earth,  others  into  the  sea.  Those  that  fell  in  the  woods 
and  forests  became  Wood-trolls  (Skovtroll,  Skogsnufvor) ; 
those  that  fell  in  the  green  fields  and  groves,  Vattir  or 
Lysguhhar;  those  that  were  cast  into  the  sea  or  waters 
became  Ncicher;  those  that  fell  among  houses,  Tomte- 
guhhaVy  and  those  in  trees,  Elfvar. 

In  Denmark  we  meet  with  the  same  ideas  as  in  the  rest 
of  Scandinavia,  though,  in  consequence  of  the  nature 
of  the  country,  somewhat  modified.  The  subterraneans 
there  dwell  in  mounds,  in  which  they  often  have  merry- 
makings ;  they  brew,  bake,  steal  beer  from  the  peasants, 

1  Finni  Johaniuxi  Hist.  Ecclcs.  Islandia?,  ii.  ]).  308  ;  Pref.  to  Hist.  Ilrolfi 
Krakii ;  F.  Magnusen  ;  EddaUcre,  iii.  p.  308. 


INTRODUCTION.  XXVll 

if  they  neglect  to  mark  the  casks  with  a  cross,  punish 
tattlers  with  blindness,  cannot  endure  the  sound  of  bells, 
thunder,  drums  or  water,  are  jealous,  and  can  transform 
themselves  into  cats.  Steel,  as  needles,  keys,  scissors 
and  the  like,  either  laid  in  the  cradle  or  crosswise  over 
the  door,  will,  as  in  Sweden,  prevent  them  from  ex- 
changing children;  but  if  such  an  exchange  is  accom- 
plished, there  is  no  other  remedy  than  to  ill-treat  the 
changeling. 

The  subterraneans  or  dwarfs  of  Germany  resemble  their 
Scandinavian  brethren,  and  are  officious,  good-humoured 
and  patient ;  they  wear  a  mist-mantle  or  cap  (Nebelkappe), 
which  renders  them  invisible.     They  also  exchange  chil- 
dren;   and  if  the  changeling  is  ill-treated,   its   mother 
brings  back  the  stolen  child.     The  black  dwarfs  of  Riigen 
bear  a  near  resemblance  to  the  Norwegian  dwarfs ;  they 
are  ugly  of  aspect,  but  are  able  smiths,  particularly  in  steel, 
are  unsocial,  seldom  leave  their  hills  and  mounds,  and  are 
no  lovers  of  masic.     The  white  dwarfs,  on  the  contrary, 
who  in  summer  sport  among  the  trees  and  dance  on  the 
grass,  resemble  the  Danish,  Swedish  and  Norwegian  elves. 
With  the  brown  dwarfs  of  Riigen,  who  are  eighteen  inches 
high,  wear  glass  shoes,  have  delicate  hands  and  feet,  are 
skilful  smiths,  but  roguish,  there  are  none  to  be  compared. 
In  Pomerania  there  was  formerly  a  number  of  earth- 
sprites  or  dwarfs,  who  eagerly  exchanged  their  own  ugly 
offspring  for  comely,  human  children.     They  also  fell  in 
love  with  handsome  girls  and  courted  them.    By  day  they 
crawled  about  in  the  form  of  toads  and  other  reptiles,  but 
at  night  they  appeared  in  their  own  form,  and  danced 


XXVlll  INTRODUCTION. 

mernly  by  moonlight.  The  people  called  them  Uellerkens. 
Like  the  Nisser,  they  often  lived  in  cellars.  The  German 
subten-aneans  differ  from  those  of  Scandinavia,  in  having 
adopted  the  true  faith,  and  in  sometimes  wandering 
abroad. 


SCANDINAVIAN  POPULAR  TRADITIONS, 


I. 

NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

THURSER,  V^TTER,  DWARFS,  ETC. 

In  Norway  the  subteiTanean  people — under  which  deno- 
mination are  comprised  Thurser  (Thusser)^  Vsetter  and 
Dwarfs,  and  sometimes  Huldres,  Nisser  and  Elves  — are 
exceedingly  numerous.  The  Thusser  or  Trolls,  who  are 
as  large  as  men,  inhabit  the  mountain-ridges  and  hills. 
In  former  days  they  were  in  such  multitudes  that  no 
Christians  could  dwell  in  Norway,  until  they  formed  mar- 
riages with  them.  Like  ourselves,  they  have  houses, 
churches,  chattels,  and  beautiful  cattle,  which  graze  in  the 
night,  and  are  watched  by  female  keepers  and  black  dogs. 
The  Thusser  are  well  formed,  but  of  a  pale  or  blue  colour. 
When  the  sun  is  set  and  the  twilight  (Thus-mork)  begins, 
they  are  in  full  activity ;  then  it  is  dangerous  for  persons, 
more  particularly  young  females,  for  whom  they  have  an 
especial  liking,  to  pass  by  the  places  where  they  resort, 
where  most  delightful  music  is  to  be  heard ;  and  many  are 
the  instances,  particularly  in  former  days,  of  young  maidens 


2  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

having  been  conveyed  by  them  into  the  mountains  and 
hills.  They  are  also  partial  to  little  children,  and  formerly 
would  often  exchange  them  for  their  own,  which  were 
neither  so  handsome  nor  so  thriving.  But  a  cross  made 
on  the  child,  or  steel  in  any  shape  laid  in  its  cradle,  is  an 
effectual  preventive  of  all  such  exchanges  ^ 

With  respect  to  these  supernatural  beings,  the  belief 
current  in  the  North  is,  that  when  our  Lord  cast  down  the 
fallen  angels,  some  fell  to  hell,  while  those  who  had  not 
sinned  so  deeply  were  dispersed  in  the  air,  and  under  the 
earth,  and  in  the  waters  ^. 

A  similar  belief  with  regard  to  fairies  prevails  in  Ireland.  Keightley, 
F.  M.  p.  363. 

HULDRA  OR  HULLA. 
Over  the  whole  of  Norway  the  tradition  is  current  of  a 
supernatural  being  that  dwells  in  the  forests  and  moun- 
tains, called  Huldra  or  Hulla.  She  appears  like  a  beautiful 
woman,  and  is  usually  clad  in  a  blue  petticoat  and  a  white 
snood ;  but  unfortunately  has  a  long  tail,  like  a  cow's, 
which  she  anxiously  strives  to  conceal,  when  she  is  among 
people.  She  is  fond  of  cattle,  particularly  brindled  ^  of 
which  she  possesses  a  beautiful  and  thriving  stock.  They 
are  without  horns.  She  was  once  at  a  merry-making, 
where  every  one  was  desirous  of  dancing  with  the  hand- 
some, strange  damsel ;  but  in  the  midst  of  the  mirth,  a 
young  man,  who  had  just  begun  a  dance  with  her,  hap- 
])ened  to  cast  his  eye  on  her  tail.  Immediately  guessing 
whom  he  had  got  for  a  partner,  he  was  not  a  little 
terrified  ;  but  collecting  himself,  and  unwilling  to  be- 
tray her,  he  merely  said  to  her,  when  the  dance  was  over, 
''Fair  maid,  you  will  lose  your  garter."  She  instantly 
vanished,  but  afterwards  rewarded   the  silent  and  consi- 

1  Vayc,  p.  20.  -  Asbjornsen,  Iluldi-eeventyr,  i.  29. 

3  In  the  original  brandede,  the  meaning  of  which  is  doubtful. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  3 

derate  youth  with  beautiful  presents  and  a  good  breed  of 
cattle  ^ 

The  idea  entertained  of  this  being  is  not  everywhere  the 
same,  but  varies  considerably  in  different  parts  of  Norway. 
In  some  places  she  is  described  as  a  handsome  female, 
when  seen  in  front,  but  is  hollow  behind,  or  else  blue  ^ ; 
while  in  others  she  is  known  by  the  name  of  Skogsnerte, 
and  is  said  to  be  blue,  but  clad  in  a  green  petticoat,  and 
probably  corresponds  to  the  Swedish  >S'/:o^r/zz//?;or^.  Her  song 
— a  sound  often  heard  among  the  mountains — is  said  to  be 
hollow  and  mournful  ^,  differing  therein  from  the  music  of 
the  subterranean  beings, which  is  described  by  ear- witnesses 
as  cheerful  and  fascinating.  But  she  is  not  everywhere 
regarded  as  a  solitary  wood-nymph  :  Huldre-men  and 
Huldre-folk  are  also  spoken  of,  who  live  together  in  the 
mountains,  and  are  almost  identical  with  the  subterra- 
nean people.  In  Hardanger  the  Huldre-people  are  always 
clad  in  green,  but  their  cattle  are  blue,  and  may  be  taken 
when  a  grown-up  person  casts  his  belt  over  them.  They 
give  abundance  of  milk.  The  Huldi-es  take  possession  of 
the  forsaken  pasture-spots  in  the  mountains,  and  invite 
people  into  their  mounds,  where  delightful  music  is  to  be 
heard  ^. 

The  belief  in  Huldra  is  very  ancient.  We  read  that  as  far  back  as  the 
year  1205,  the  queen  of  Magnus  Lagabaeter,  when  detained  by  an  ad- 
verse wind  at  Bergen,  having  heard  that  the  Icelander  Sturli  Thordsen 
was  an  excellent  story-teller,  desired  him  to  relate  to  her  the  Saga  of  the 
giantess  Huldra.  Her  name  appears  to  be  derived  from  the  Old  Norsk 
\io\\x,  fidus,  prqpitius''. 

1  Faye,  p.  39.  "  Hallager,  Norsk  Ordsamling,  p.  48,  voce  Huldre. 

3  Linnaei  Gotlandske  Resa,  p.  312. 

''  "  Huldre  dwells  in  the  mountains  and  in  the  valley  ;  hers  are  all  the 
riches,  splendour  and  beauty  of  the  North ;  but  hers  is  also  its  deep  me- 
lancholy ;  to  this  her  music  and  her  song  bear  witness,  which  cannot  be 
heard  without  a  feehng  of  sadness  and  tears."  Norske  Huldreeventyr,  i. 
p,  iv. 

5  Faye,  p.  42.  e  Sagabibl.  i.  367.     Grimm,  D.  M.  p.  249. 

B  2 


4  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

JUTULS  AxND  MOUNTAIN-GIANTS. 
The  Jutul  is  large  and  strong,  and  has  his  dwelhng  in 
the  highest  mountains,  where  riches  and  costly  treasures 
are  to  be  found  in  abundance.  He  is  of  evil  disposition, 
hates  churches  and  the  sound  of  bells,  and  is  greedy  after 
Christian  blood.  When  a  storm  is  at  hand,  or  a  whirlwind 
howls  among  the  rocks,  he  shakes  himself  in  the  moun- 
tain, so  that  the  pots  and  kettles  resound,  in  which  his 
wife  Gyvri  or  Giogra  prepares  their  food.  All  over  the 
country  traditions  and  traces  of  these  monstrous  beings 
are  to  be  found.  Marks  of  their  footsteps  are  often  to  be 
seen  in  the  mountains. 

Of  all  the  supernatural  beings  of  the  North,  none  bear 
so  evident  a  mark  of  high  antiquity  as  the  gigantic  Jutuls. 
The  traditions  concerning  them  rise  always  to  the  mon- 
strous, and  harmonize  with  the  cloud-capt  mountains 
among  which  they  dwell. 

On  comparing  the  traditions  of  the  vulgar  with  the  old 
mythology,  we  find  a  great  accordance  between  them,  and 
at  once  recognise  in  the  Jutuls  and  Roser  (giants)  the 
Jotuns  and  Risar,  the  foes  of  gods  and  men,  who  in  Thor, 
the  mighty  god  of  thunder,  found  a  dangerous  enemy. 
The  Jotuns  in  the  Northern  mythology  are  considered  as 
chaotic  beings,  ruling  over  the  dark  and  cold  regions  of 
the  earth,  shimning  the  light  of  day,  and  by  the  sun's  rays 
(as  we  have  already  seen)  '  becoming  changed  to  stone  ^. 

In  Old  Norse  a  giantess  was  called  gyfr  or  gygr,  a  word 
to  l)e  recognised  in  the  Gyvri  and  Giogra  of  the  vulgar. 

Besides  Jutuls  or  Jotuns,  we  meet  with  Riser  and  Bierg- 
riser  (giants  and  mountain-giants),  who  dwelt  in  moun- 
tain-caves, and  are  supi)Oscd  to  be  the  earliest  inhabi- 
tants of  the  North.  In  the  Sagas  they  are  often  called 
Trolls,  which  may  be  considered  a  common  denomination 
for  all  noxious,  supernatural  beings. 

'  See  vol.  i.  p.  8,  note'^.  -  Fayc,  p.  7. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  5 

THE  JUTUL  ON  HESTMANDOE  K 
On  Hestmandoe  in  the  Nordlands  there  is  a  mountain, 
which  at  a  distance  resembles  a  horseman  with  a  large 
cloak  over  him.  This  mountain  was  once  a  Jutul,  who 
dwelt  on  the  spot.  Twelve  miles  to  the  south,  on  Lekoe 
in  Nummedal,  there  lived  at  the  same  time  a  maiden  to 
whom  he  made  love ;  but  the  haughty  damsel,  who  was 
skilled  in  all  kinds  of  magic,  not  only  rejected  him,  but 
turned  all  his  messengers  to  stone,  who  are  still  to  be  seen 
as  rocks  round  the  northern  part  of  the  isle.  Exasperated 
at  such  conduct,  the  Jutul  bent  his  bow,  to  take  instan- 
taneous vengeance.  The  mighty  arrow  flew  and  passed 
clean  through  the  lofty  mountain  called  Torgehat,  where  is 
still  to  be  seen  the  large  hole  made  by  the  arrow  through 
the  hard  rock  ^.  "  That  straw  stands  in  the  way,"  ex- 
claimed the  Jutul.  Being  somewhat  checked  in  its  flight, 
by  forcing  its  way  through  the  Torgehat,  the  arrow  did 
not  quite  reach  its  destination,  but  fell  at  the  feet  of  the 
maiden  on  the  north  side  of  Lekoe,  where  it  yet  lies  in 
the  form  of  a  huge,  long  stone.  By  their  mutual  magic 
they  were  both  changed  to  stone,  and  shall  so  remain, 
looking  on  each  other  until  doomsday. 

Even  at  the  present  time  a  Nordlander  seldom  sails  by 
without  taking  his  hat  off  to  the  maid  of  Lekoe^^ 

THE  JUTUL'S  BRIDGE. 

In  Spirillen,  at  low  water,  a  sort  of  stone  bridge  is  to 
be  seen,  about  the  eighth  of  a  mile  in  length.  It  owes  its 
origin  to  a  Jutul  that  dwelt  on  the  Elsrudkolle.  This 
Jutul  courted  a  Huldra  on  the  Engerkolle,  which  lies  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  water.     That  he  might  visit  her 

^  Horseman's  isle. 

2  That  the  size  of  the  bole  is  considerable,  may  be  inferred  from  its 
height,  which  is  estimated  at  600  feet.  3  Faye,  p.  13. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 


without  getting  wet,  which  sorely  grieved  his  beloved,  he 
resolved  to  construct  a  bridge,  but  burst  in  pieces,  when 
the  sun  rose  and  surprised  him  at  his  work  ^ 


THE  GIRL  AT  THE  S.ETER  2. 

A  land  proprietor  in  Norway  was  betrothed  to  a  veiT 
pretty  young  woman,  who,  although  a  farmer^s  daughter, 
went  out  with  the  cattle  to  their  summer  pasture,  where 
she  employed  herself  in  weaving  a  piece  of  di-ill.  Being, 
however,  unable  to  finish  her  work  by  the  time  when  the 
cattle  should  return  home,  she  resolved  to  stay  behind  till 
she  had  accomplished  her  task :  but  no  sooner  had  her 
lover  received  intelligence  of  her  design,  than  he  set  out 
for  the  pasture,  justly  thinking  it  hazardous  to  leave  the 
damsel  alone  exposed  to  the  attempts  of  Huldi-es  and  other 
subterranean  beings.  He  reached  the  spot  in  the  nick  of 
time,  for  he  found  the  cattle-house  smTounded  by  black 
horses  ready  saddled.  Suspecting,  therefore,  that  there 
was  something  wrong  in  the  wind,  he  stole  into  the  pas- 
ture, and  peeping  through  a  little  window  in  the  hut,  saw 
his  intended  sitting  in  a  bridal  dress  with  a  golden  crown 
on  her  head,  and  by  her  side  an  old  red-eyed  Huldreman. 
Seizing  his  pistol,  which  he  had  wisely  loaded  with  a  silver 
bullet^,  he  fired  over  the  head  of  the  girl,  before  the 
witchery  could  he  dissolved,  rushed  into  the  hut,  seized  her, 
placed  her  behind  him  on  his  horse,  and  rode  off,  followed 
by  the  whole  company  of  Trolls.  One  of  these  held  out  to 
him  a  well-filled  golden  horn,  to  retard  hisfiight  :  he  took 

'  Fayc,  p.  15,  niul  vol.  i.  p.  8,  note'-K 

■'  The  S.xtcrc  are  grassy  spots  among  the  mountains  of  Norway,  to 
which  the  cattle  are  sent  for  summer  pasture.  They  are  frequently  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  dwelling. 

•'*  Great  in  the  good  days  of  yore  was  the  efficacy  of  a  silver  bullet,  or  a 
silver  button,  when  fired  at  a  witch,  or  wizard,  or  the  like.  See  Anecdotes 
and  Traditions,  by  Thorns  (Camd.  Tubl.)  pp.  Ill,  112,  and  the  note. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  7 

the  horn,  but  cast  the  Kqiior  it  contained  behind  his  horse, 
and  galloped  off  with  both  horn  and  girl.  At  length  he 
reached  a  steep  mountain  near  his  dwelling,  in  which  some 
subterranean  folk  had  their  abode,  who  were  on  terms  of 
hostility  with  his  pursuers,  and  who  cried  to  him,  "  Ride 
on  the  rough,  and  not  on  the  smooth/^  He  followed  their 
advice,  and  rode  through  a  rye-field,  where  the  Trolls 
were  unable  to  follow  him,  but  in  their  exasperation  cried 
after  him,  ^^The  red  cock  shall  crow  over  thy  dwelling  ^.'' 
And  behold  !  his  house  stood  in  a  blaze  ^. 

GURRI  KUNNAN3. 
At  Osterraad  there  dwelt  formerly  a  rich  and  powerful 
man,  who  had  a  daughter  named  Aslaug,  the  fairest  dam- 
sel far  and  near.  She  had,  as  may  be  easily  imagined, 
many  a  gallant  suitor,  but  she  preferred  to  every  other  a 
young  man  who  had  been  fostered  with  her  in  her  father^s 
mansion,  notwithstanding  that  he  was  of  low  extraction. 
As  they  could  not  hope  that  the  proud  father  would 
consent  to  their  union,  they  fled  secretly,  and  sought  con- 
cealment and  shelter  in  a  deep  cave,  which  is  to  be  seen 
at  this  day  not  far  from  Osterraad.  By  chance  the  en- 
raged father,  in  the  following  spring,  got  intelligence  of 
the  place  where  his  daughter  was  concealed,  and  instantly 
proceeded  thither,  for  the  purpose  of  punishing  the  auda- 
cious seducer ;  but  just  as  he  reached  the  cave  there  fell 
down  such  a  quantity  of  stones  and  rubbish,  that  the 
entrance  was  completely  closed,  so  that  the  fugitives  were 

1  The  symbol  of  a  red  cock  for  fire  is  of  remote  antiquity  (See  Voluspa, 
34,  35).  "  I  will  set  a  red  cock  on  your  roof,"  is  the  incendiary's  threat 
in  Germany,  where  fire  is  compared  to  a  cock  flying  from  house  to  house. 
Grimm,  D.  M.  p.  568.  2  faye,  p.  25. 

3  Mr.  Keightley  (F.  M.  p.  130)  gives  a  more  elaborate  version  of  this 
story  from  an  oral  tradition  communicated  to  Dr.  Grimm,  and  inserted  in 
Hauff' s  Mjirchenalmanach  for  1827.  The  simpler  form,  in  which  it  here 
appears,  1  take  to  be  the  older. 


O  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

not  to  be  taken.  When  the  first  danger  was  over,  the 
loving  pah'  succeeded,  though  with  difficulty,  in  working 
their  way  out  from  amid  the  fallen  stones.  They  then 
took  a  boat,  that  was  lying  near  the  shore,  and  through 
many  perils  succeeded  in  reaching  the  uninhabited  group 
of  islands  called  Tarven,  which  at  that  time  served  as  a 
retreat  for  Trolls.  The  chief  among  these,  the  Huldre, 
Gurri  Kunnan,  received  them  kindly,  and  allowed  them 
to  stay  in  her  habitation,  though  on  condition  that  they 
should  never  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  which  she  could 
not  endure.  One  Yule-eve,  when  Gurri,  w^ith  a  countless 
number  of  Trolls,  were  assembled  at  a  festivity,  the  wonder- 
struck  Aslaug  forgot  her  promise  and  crossed  herself,  at 
the  same  time  pronouncing  the  name  of  Jesus.  On  a 
sudden  all  the  witchery  vanished,  and  of  the  whole  parade 
a  huge  copper  kettle  alone  remained,  which  for  time  out 
of  mind  has  since  been  kept  in  the  largest  isle  of  the 
group,  the  now  inhabited  Hunsoe'. 

This  Gurri  was  the  daughter  of  a  giant,  who  dwelt  on 
the  isle  of  Kunnan  off  Helgeland.  Being  very  beautiful, 
she  had  many  suitors,  who  fought  for  the  possession  of  the 
fair  giantess,  and  round  about  Kunnan^  is  to  be  seen  a 
cluster  of  rocks  formed  of  the  stones  they  hurled  at  each 
other.  All  were,  however,  forced  to  cede  to  the  giant 
Anfind,  who  married  the  beautiful  Gurri,  and  lived  hap- 
pily with  her,  until  her  father  was  slain,  together  with  the 
powerful  '  Sout,'  by  the  mighty  '  Gout,'  who  came  from 
the  east,  when  the  whole  family  was  driven  from  Kunnan, 
and  Anfind  with  his  wife  sought  shelter  with  Frui,  who 
gave  them  Tarven  for  a  residence.     Here  they  lived  in 

'  The  other  isles  are  used  merely  for  tlie  grazing  of  cattle,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  superstition  that  no  one  can  inhabit  them,  on  account  of 
the  Trolls  and  other  devilish  l)eings.  The  copper  kettle,  as  I  have  been 
assured,  is  still  preserved  hy  the  inhabitants  of  the  isle. 

-  Kunnen  is  a  })romontory  on  the  north  side  of  lleli^cland. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  V 

peace  until  St.  Olaf  came  to  the  island,  who,  with  the 
sign  of  the  cross  and  the  name  of  Jesus,  not  only  quelled 
the  storm  that  the  giant  had  raised,  but  turned  the  giant 
himself  into  a  hard  block  of  stoned 

The  above  is  the  story  on  which  the  beautiful  poem  of  '  Gurri  Kunnan ' 
is  founded.  Its  author,  Professor  Steenblock,  kindly  communicated  the 
tradition  to  me,  as  he  had  heard  it  in  his  youth.  A  prose  paraphrase  of 
the  poem  is  given  in  the  '  Mythologie  der  Feen  vmd  Elfen,'  by  Prof.  Wolff, 
i.  234.  This  in  many  respects  interesting  story  seems  to  point  to  a  re- 
mote antiquity,  when  the  original  inhabitants  of  the  North  were  forced  to 
retire  before  the  invading  Goths  (the  '  Gout'  of  the  tradition),  who,  by 
means  of  their  greater  civilization  and  superior  skill,  destroyed  or  expelled 
their  adversaries  2. 

THE  BRIDAL  CROWN. 


In  Nummedal  there  once  lived  a  young  girl  so  beauti- 
ful that  a  Thuss  fell  in  love  with  her ;  but  notwithstanding 
that  he  promised  her  a  sumptuous  mansion,  abundance  of 
cattle,  and  in  short  whatever  she  could  desire,  if  she  would 
betroth  herself  to  him,  she  continued  faithful  to  her  old 
lover.  When  the  Thuss  found  that  nothing  was  to  be 
done  by  gentle  means,  he  carried  her  off.  Accompanied 
by  a  numerous  body  of  Thusser,  he  was  already  on  his 
road  with  his  prey  to  the  subterranean  people's  church, 
there  to  be  married  to  her,  when  her  lover  was  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  get  traces  of  their  route.  Having  overtaken  the 
bridal  party,  he  shot  with  steel  over  his  betrothed's  head, 
when  the  whole  witchery  vanished,  and  he  not  alone  re- 
covered the  maiden,  but  got  a  splendid  silver  crown,  which 
the  Thuss  had  placed  on  her  head.  The  crown  still  exists 
in  the  '  dal,'  and  as  it  is  supposed  to  bring  good  luck  to 
every  bride  that  wears  it,  it  is  let  out  at  almost  every  wed- 
ding of  the  better  class. 

1  See  vol.  i.  p.  8,  note  ^. 

2  Faye,  p.  10.     Henceforth  when  no  authority  is  given,  the  traditions 
are  generally  from  Faye. 

B  5 


10  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

II. 

It  is  not  long  beyond  the  memory  of  man  since  a  young 
man  in  Nummedal^  wlieji  passing  by  a  forsaken  sreter-hut, 
saw  in  it  a  gay  lluldre-wedding  party.  Through  a  win- 
dow he  was  witness  to  all  that  passed  among  the  moun- 
tain-folk ;  but  his  attention  was  chiefly  directed  to  the 
bride,  by  her  beauty  and  elegant  attire,  especially  by  a 
massive,  glittering  silver  crown  that  she  wore.  The  young 
man  continued  gazing  on  her  till  he  contracted  a  violent 
passion  for  her,  and  soon  resolved  on  depriving  the  wed- 
ding party  of  their  mirth,  and  the  bridegroom  of  his  rich 
and  lovely  bride.  Quickly  he  drew  forth  his  knife,  and  as 
quickly  flew  the  shining  steel  through  the  window  and 
over  the  head  of  the  bride.  The  company  vanished  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  maiden  alone  remaining  spell- 
bound by  the  steel.  The  pair  came  soon  to  an  under- 
standing ;  the  Huldre  bride  accompanied  him  to  the  vil- 
lage and  then  to  the  altar,  after  having  been  baptized. 
But  her  magniflcent  bridal  attire  was  insufficient  to  with- 
draw attention  from  an  ugly  cow^s  tail,  which,  however, 
after  a  time,  gradually  disappeared.  They  lived  long  and 
happy  together,  and  of  her  rich  wedding  ornaments,  the 
fame  of  which  is  yet  preserved,  there  is  still  to  be  seen  at 
Mserabru  the  costly  silver  crown. 

THE  BISHOP'S  CATTLE. 
One  summer,  a  long  time  ago,  the  bishop  of  Drontheim 
sent  his  cattle  to  the  mountains  to  graze.  They  were  the 
finest  cattle  in  all  Norway ;  and  the  bishop,  when  he  sent 
them  away,  strictly  enjoined  those  who  were  to  watch 
them,  not,  on  any  account,  to  suff*er  them,  for  one  mo- 
ment, to  be  out  of  sight,  as  the  mountains  thereabouts 
swarmed  with  subterranean  peoj)le,  who,  however,  had  no 
power  over  any  animal,  as  long  as  it  was  under  a  human 
eye.  The  cattle  were  then  sent  up  to  the  mountains.    One, 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  11 

day,  while  the  animals  were  grazing,  and  the  keepers  sit- 
ting in  various  places  with  their  eyes  directed  towards 
them,  there  appeared  suddenly,  on  the  highest  point  of 
the  mountain,  an  elk  of  an  extraordinary  size.  At  this 
apparition,  the  eyes  of  the  three  keepers  were  drawn  off 
from  the  cattle,  and  for  an  instant  fixed  on  the  elk ;  but 
when  they  again  looked  down  into  the  valley,  they  saw 
their  beautiful  large  cattle  transformed  to  a  set  of  dimi- 
nutive mice,  running  along  the  mountain's  side,  and  be- 
fore the  keepers  could  approach  them,  they  all  vanished 
through  a  crevice  in  the  earth.  Thus  did  the  bishop  of 
Drontheim  get  rid  of  his  three  hundred  head  of  cattle. 

Conway,  in  his  '  Journey  through  Norway,'  p.  240,  relates  this  story, 
and  adds:  "This  tradition  is  universally  credited  in  the  mountainous 
parts."  A  woman,  who  was  watching  cattle  on  a  hill,  was  more  fortunate ; 
she  saw  her  cattle  suddenly  vanish,  but  while  she  was  bewailing  her  loss, 
she  heard  a  voice  from  the  mountain,  desiring  her  to  hasten  home,  and 
lo !  there  she  found  not  only  her  own  cows,  but  also  a  new  one,  which, 
although  it  never  calved,  yet  had  a  greater  abundance  of  milk  than  the 
others. 

THE  MIDWIFE. 
There  was  once  a  man  and  his  wife  that  had  an  only 
daughter.  Suddenly  she  disappeared,  and  notwithstand> 
ing  that  her  parents — who  took  the  loss  of  their  dear 
child  sorely  to  heart — sought  for  her  in  every  direction, 
they  could  not  discover  the  faintest  trace  of  her.  A  con- 
siderable time  had  elapsed,  when  late  one  evening  there 
came  a  stranger  to  the  house  and  asked  the  woman,  who 
was  at  home  alone,  whether  she  would  visit  her  daughter, 
who  abode  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  was  in  labour,  and 
required  her  aid.  The  mother,  who  was  both  glad  and 
grieved  at  this  unexpected  intelligence,  instantly  made 
herself  ready,  and  by  means  of  a  thread,  which  the  stranger 
gave  her,  was  in  one  moment  with  her  daughter,  who  gave 
birth  to  a  lively,  well-formed  child.  Before  it  was  dressed, 
the  man  gave  her  a  liquid,  desiring  her  to  rub  it  over  the 


12  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

infantas  body,  at  the  same  time  cautioning  her  not  to  let 
any  of  it  come  in  contact  with  herself.  But  her  eye  be- 
ginning to  itch,  she  inadvertently  rubbed  it,  and  thus  got 
some  of  the  liquid  in  her  eye.  When  her  help  was  no 
longer  required,  the  man — who  was  her  daughter's  hus- 
band and  a  Troll — told  her  she  might  depart,  when  by 
means  of  the  thread  she  found  herself  in  a  few  seconds 
again  at  home.  The  following  day,  while  at  work  with 
her  husband  in  the  field,  she  on  a  sudden  saw  her  daugh- 
ter with  her  subterranean  spouse  walking  close  at  her 
side.  On  her  addressing  them,  her  son-in-law  asked  her 
with  astonishment,  whether  she  really  could  see  them  ? 
"  Yes,  surely,  I  can  see  you  with  my  right  eye,"  said  the 
woman  ;  but  at  the  same  instant  the  Troll  touched  her  eye, 
and  from  that  time  she  saw  no  more  with  it. 

The  superstition  of  anointing  the  eyes,  and  being  thereby  enabled  to 
see  wliat  would  else  be  invisible,  appears  to  have  been  generally  current 
among  the  inhabitants  of  western  Europe,  both  Keltic  and  Germanic. 
Instances  of  its  prevalence  in  Denmark  we  shall  see  hereafter ;  of  its  ex- 
istence in  other  countries,  our  own  included,  we  give  the  following  proofs. 

Mrs.  Bray  (Letters  to  Southey")  relates  a  story  of  the  sage  femme  of 
Tavistock,  who  was  one  night  summoned  to  a  fairy  labour,  and  who,  on 
receiving  an  ointment  to  rub  the  child's  eyes  with  (thinking,  no  doubt,  that 
what  was*good  for  the  baby  must  be  equally  so  for  herself),  applied  a  little 
of  it  to  one  of  her  own  eyes,  when  lo  !  all  things  around  her  suddenly  ap- 
peared in  their  true  form,  all  delusion  was  dissipated.  On  the  next  market 
day  she  saw  the  old  fellow  who  had  conveyed  her,  pilfering  from  the  stalls 
in  the  market,  and  accosted  him.  "  What,"  exclaimed  he,  "  do  you  see 
me  to-day  ?"  "  See  you  !  to  be  sure  I  do,  and  I  see  you  are  busy  too." 
"  And  pray  with  w^hich  eye  do  you  see  all  this  ?"  "  With  my  right.'' 
"  Take  that  for  meddling  with  what  did  not  belong  to  you  :  you  shall  see 
me  no  more."  He  then  struck  her  eye,  and  from  that  hour  till  the  day  of 
her  death  she  was  blind  of  that  eye'. 

A  similar  story  is  related  of  a  cottager  and  his  wife  at  Nether  Whitton. 

The  author  of  'Hound  about  our  Coal  fire'  (quoted  by  Brand,  Pop. 
Antiq.)  says,  "The  moment  any  one  saw  them  (the  fairies),  and  took  no- 
tice of  them,  they  were  struck  blind  of  an  eye-." 

Ritson  (Fairy  Tales)  relates  that  a  woman  who  had  been  in  their  (the 

»  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  301.  -  lb.  p.  298. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  13 

fairies')  society,  challenged  one  of  the  guests,  whom  she  espied  in  the 
market  selling  fairy-butter.  This  freedom  was  deeply  resented,  and  cost 
her  the  eye  she  first  saw  him  with^ 

In  a  Scottish  tradition  it  is  related  that  a  fairy  left  a  child  to  be  suckled 
with  a  young  woman  of  Nithsdale,  and  ru})bed  her  eyes  with  a  wonderful 
salve,  by  virtue  of  which  she  could  discern  the  otherwise  invisible  fairy 
folk.  Some  of  the  salve  she  contrived  to  secure.  Happening  one  day  to 
meet  the  fairy  lady,  she  attempted  to  shake  hands  with  her.  "What  ee 
d' ye  see  me  wi  ?  "  whispered  she.  "  Wi  ihem  baith,"  said  the  woman. 
The  fairy  breathed  on  her  eyes,  and  the  salve  lost  its  efficacy  2. 

Mr.  Keightley  relates  (F.  M.  p.  417),  from  a  communication  made  to 
him  by  a  lady  in  North  Wales,  of  a  gipsy,  that  desired  the  narrator,  who 
wished  to  see  fairies,  to  meet  her  by  moonlight  on  the  top  of  Craig  y  Dinis. 
She  there  washed  his  eyes  with  the  contents  of  a  phial  which  she  had, 
and  he  instantly  saw  thousands  of  fairies,  all  in  white,  dancing  to  the 
sound  of  numerous  harps. 

Gervase  of  Tilbury,  who  lived  in  the  1 2th  century  (I  quote  from  Dobe- 
neck,  i.  45),  speaks  of  certain  water-sprites  in  the  south  of  France  called 
Drakes.  These  assume  a  human  form  and  appear  in  the  public  market. 
They  are  said  to  inhabit  the  caverns  of  rivers,  and  to  allure  women  and 
children  while  bathing,  under  the  form  of  gold  rings  and  cups,  striving  to 
obtain  which  they  are  suddenly  dragged  down  to  the  bottom.  This  oftenest 
happens  to  women  giving  suck,  whom  the  Drakes  seize  to  suckle  their 
own  unblest  offspring.  These,  after  seven  years  thus  past,  sometimes 
return  rewarded  to  our  hemisphere.  They  relate  that  with  the  Drakes  and 
their  wives  they  dwelt  in  spacious  palaces  in  the  caverns  and  banks  of  the 

rivers On  men  thus  seized  the  Drakes  are  said  to  feed.    One  day 

a  Drake  having  given  a  woman  in  his  service  some  eel-pasty,  she  happened 
to  draw  her  fingers,  greasy  with  the  fat,  over  one  eye  and  one  side  of  her 
face,  and  thereby  acquired  a  most  clear  and  sharp  power  of  vision  under 
water.  Having  completed  the  third  year  of  her  servitude,  and  being  re- 
turned home,  she  one  morning  early  met  the  Drake  in  the  market-place 
of  Beaucaire,  whom  she  accosted,  and  inquired  after  her  mistress  and 
nursling.  "  With  which  eye  did  you  recognise  me  ?  "  asked  the  Drake. 
She  pointed  to  the  eye  she  had  greased  with  the  fat  of  the  pasty.  Having 
ascertained  this,  the  Drake  thrust  his  finger  into  that  eye,  and  thus  con- 
tinued thenceforth  unseen  and  unknown  by  all. 

A  story  somewhat  similar  is  told  of  a  Countess  Ranzau. 


1  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  309. 

2  Cromek's  Remains  of  Nithsdale  and  Galloway  Song,  quoted  by  Keight- 
ley, p.  353. 


14  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

THE  OIESTAD  HORN. 

Near  the  river  Nid  in  Nedenses  there  is  a  mansion  called 
Neersteen_,  in  which  there  once  dwelt  a  man  named  Siur, 
who  was  both  powerful  and  rich;  for  besides  Neersteen  he 
owTied  six  other  mansions,  and  a  considerable  salmon 
fishery  in  the  Nid;  but  what  was  more  than  all  these,  he 
had  a  daughter,  who  was  the  fairest  maid  of  all  the  sur- 
rounding neighbourhood.  She  was  courted  by  a  AYestland 
man  named  Ring,  but  the  wealthy  Siur  rejected  him  for  a 
son-in-law,  although  his  daughter  was  fondly  attached  to 
him.  The  lover,  however,  was  not  disheartened,  so  while 
the  father  one  St.  John's  day  was  at  matins  in  Oiestad 
church.  Ring  came  to  the  mansion  and  found  his  lass, 
although  her  father  had  taken  the  precaution  of  locking 
her  up  in  one  of  the  presses — which,  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of  the  time,  were  made  at  the  foot  of  the  bed — a 
corner  of  her  apron  having  protruded  and  betrayed  her. 
They  now  fled,  and  Siur,  the  instant  he  was  apprized  of 
their  elopement,  mounted  his  horse  and  went  in  pursuit 
of  them.  On  the  way  he  w^as  stopped  by  a  Troll,  who 
came  out  of  a  mount,  and  bade  him  welcome,  at  the  same 
time  presenting  to  him  a  fidl  drinking-horn.  Instead  of 
emptying  it,  he  cast  its  contents  behind  him,  but  some 
drops  that  fell  on  the  horse's  loins  instantly  singed  the 
hair  off.  Siur,  who  had  from  the  first  suspected  mischief, 
put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  galloped  away  with  the  horn 
in  his  hand  and  the  Troll  whining  after  him.  He  was 
now  in  a  most  serious  dilemma,  from  which  he  was  unex- 
pectedly rescued  by  another  Troll,  who  was  on  terms  of 
hostility  with  the  former  one,  w^ho  called  to  him  when  he 
had  just  reached  a  large  field  :  '^  Ride  through  the  rye  and 
not  through  the  wheat."  Following  this  counsel  he  got 
the  start  of  his  pursuer,  who  could  not  proceed  so  rapidly 
through  the  tall  rye.     The  danger  was  not,  however,  com- 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  15 

pletely  over  until  he  came  near  the  mansion  of  Bringsvser, 
when  the  cock  crew  and  the  Troll  vanished.  Siur  now 
continued  his  pursuit  without  further  delays,  and  overtook 
the  fugitives  on  a  hill  where  they  had  stopt  to  take  a  few 
moments  rest.  When  the  men  got  sight  of  each  other, 
they  immediately  drew  their  knives,  and  a  contest  ensued, 
the  result  of  which  was,  that  Siur  stabbed  Uing  in  the 
belly,  who  instantly  gave  up  the  ghost. 

In  expiation  of  this  homicide,  Siur  was  compelled  to 
make  heavy  compensation.  The  horn,  which  he  kept,  was 
preserved  in  the  family  down  to  our  times.  Of  the 
daughter's  fate  tradition  makes  no  mention. 

The  (or  rather  a)  horn,  which  had  long  been  an  heu'loom  in  Siur's 
family,  has  lately  been  presented  by  Shipmaster  Berge  to  the  public  library 
and  museum  of  Arendal  school,  where  it  now  is.  It  is  very  handsome, 
and  has  on  its  three  silver-gilt  rings  the  following  inscription,  in  monkish 
characters :  potum  servorum  benedic  deus  alme  [tuoriim  reliqvam  unus 
benede  le  uri]  ?  casjyar,  melchior,  baltazar. 

A  similar  occurrence  to  the  above  took  place  many  years  ago  near 
Hahauger  in  Hallingdal,  where  one  Christmas  eve  a  subterranean  woman 
presented  drink  in  a  horn  to  a  man  named  Gudbrand  Goelberg,  which  he 
threw^  over  his  shoulder  and  rode  off  with  the  horn;  but  down  to  the 
ninth  generation,  his  posterity,  as  a  penalty,  were  afflicted  wdth  some 
bodily  blemish  or  defect,  as  the  Troll  had  threatened.  This  horn,  w^hich 
was  long  preserved  at  Halsteensgaard  in  Aal,  contained  nearly  three  quarts, 
and  was  encircled  by  a  strong  gilt  copper  ring  about  three  inches  broad, 
on  which,  in  monkish  characters,  stood  melchior,  baltazar,  caspar.  Tn  the 
middle  was  a  small,  gilt  copper  plate,  in  which  an  oval  crystal  was  set. 

HULDRE  MARRIAGE. 

It  is  related  that  an  active  young  fellow  in  Nordland, 
by  laying  the  barrel  of  his  rifle  over  a  Huldre  in  a  forest, 
got  her  into  his  power  and  made  her  his  wife.  They  lived 
happily  together  and  had  a  child;  but  on  a  sudden,  as 
the  child  was  one  evening  playing  by  the  fireplace,  where 
the  Huldre  was  sitting  and  spinning,  while  the  man  was 
at  his  work,  something  of  her  savage  nature  came  over 
her,  during  which  she  said  to  her  husband,  alluding  to 


16  NORWEGIAN  TllADITlOXS. 

the  child,  that  it  would  make  a  capital  roast  for  supper. 
The  man  was  horrified,  and  the  woman,  who  was  conscious 
that  she  had  grievously  committed  herself,  changed  her 
tone,  and  begged  her  words  might  be  forgotten.  But  they 
were  not :  the  man  bore  them  in  remembrance ;  the  homd 
sounds  rung  incessantly  in  his  ears ;  he  perceived  in  them 
a  proof  of  his  now  no  longer  blooming  wife's  real  nature, 
and  their  domestic  peace  was  at  an  end.  From  being  a 
good  man  he  became  morose,  frequently  upbraided  his 
wife  with  her  diabolical  proposal,  cursed  the  hour  when 
he  resolved  on  marrying  her,  beat  and  ill-used  her.  Thus 
it  continued  for  a  season.  Tlie  woman  suffered  and  re- 
pented. One  day  she  went  to  the  smithy,  to  see  with  a 
friendly  eye  her  husband  at  his  work ;  but  he  began  as 
before,  and  on  its  coming  to  blows,  she,  by  way  of  proving 
her  superior  strength,  seized  an  iron  bar  and  twisted  it 
round  her  husband  as  if  it  had  been  a  wire.  The  husband 
was  now  forced  to  submission  and  to  promise  domestic 
peace. 

THE  NISSE  OR  NISS. 

This  is  a  supernatural  being,  nearly  resembling  our 
Goblin,  the  Scottish  Brownie,  the  German  Kobold,  and 
the  Kaboutermanneken  of  the  Netherlands.  In  the  good 
old  times  they  were  infinitely  more  numerous  than  they 
are  in  our  days.  They  are  not  larger  than  small  children, 
are  clothed  in  grey,  and  wear  a  red,  pointed  cap.  Their 
habitation  is  usually  in  barns  and  stables,  where  they  help 
to  tend  the  cattle  and  horses,  for  which  they  show  the 
same  partiality  as  for  men.  There  are  many  instances  of 
the  Nisse  having  drawn  the  hay  from  the  cribs  of  the  other 
horses  to  that  of  the  one  for  which  he  entertains  a  predi- 
lection. He  is  fond  of  pranks,  will  sometimes  let  all  the 
cows  loose  in  the  cowhouse,  plague  the  milkmaids,  either 
by  blowing  out  the  light,  or  by  holding  the  hay  so  fast 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  1/ 

that  the  poor  gh-ls  cannot  draw  out  a  particle ;  then,  while 
they  arc  tugging  with  all  their  might,  he  will  suddenly  let 
go  his  hold,  so  that  they  fall  at  full  length  on  the  ground. 
This  delights  the  Nisse  exceedingly,  and  causes  him  to  set 
up  a  horse-laugh.  If  he  feels  attached  to  the  master  of 
the  house,  he  will  do  all  he  can  for  his  benefit.  Instances, 
indeed,  are  not  wanting  of  his  having  endeavoured  to 
abstract  hay  and  other  things  from  his  neighbours,  for  the 
use  of  his  master ;  whence  contention  and  conflicts  some- 
times take  place  between  the  Nisser  of  the  two  houses,  so 
that  the  hay  and  straw  may  be  seen  flying  about  in  all 
directions.  As  they  are  obliging  to  those  they  favour,  but 
spiteful  and  vindictive  when  any  one  slights  or  makes 
game  of  them,  it  is  not  surprising  that  their  good  will  is 
deemed  worth  the  gaining.  On  Christmas  eve,  therefore, 
and  on  Thursday  evenings,  in  many  places,  they  set  sweet 
porridge,  cakes,  beer,  etc.  for  the  Nisse,  which  he  gladly 
consumes,  provided  they  are  to  his  taste ;  for  he  is  some- 
times dainty.  Ridicule  and  contempt  he  cannot  endure, 
and  as  he  is  strong,  notwithstanding  his  diminutive  size, 
his  opponent  often  comes  off  second  best.  A  peasant,  who 
one  winter  evening  met  a  Nisse  on  the  road,  and  in  an 
authoritative  tone  ordered  him  to  get  out  of  the  way,  found 
himself,  before  he  knew  a  word  of  the  matter,  pitched  over 
the  hedge  into  a  field  of  snow.  With  a  girl  also,  who 
one  Christmas  eve  brought  him  food  accompanied  with 
mockery,  he  danced  such  a  dance,  that  she  was  found,  on 
the  following  morning,  lying  dead  in  the  barn. 

They  love  the  moonlight,  and  in  winter  may  sometimes 
be  seen  amusing  themselves  in  little  sledges,  or  in  leaping 
over  the  fences.  Although  they  are  lively,  yet  they  do 
not  at  all  times  like  noise  and  bustle,  particularly  on 
Christmas  eve,  or  a  Thursday  evening.  In  general  the 
Nisse  is  liked,  and  is,  therefore,  in  many  places  called 
good  fellow. 


18  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

Of  all  the  beings  that  live  in  the  imagination  of  the 
Norwegian  peasantry,  the  Nisse  is  that  of  whose  existence 
they  are  the  most  thoroughly  convinced.  Though  belong- 
ing to  the  dwarf-race,  he  nevertheless  differs  from  the 
dwarfs  by  his  sprightliness  and  well-proportioned  figure, 
as  well  as  by  his  sojourn  in  houses  and  barns,  for  which 
his  predilection  is  so  strong,  that  he  cannot  endure  a  re- 
moval ;  for  he  will  then  forsake  the  family,  and  take  their 
good  luck  with  him.  It  is  this  partiality  to  old  tofts  that 
has  obtained  for  him  the  names  of  Toft-vsette,  Tomte- 
vsette^,  and  Gardbo. 

Neither  in  the  Eddas  nor  the  Sagas  is  there  any  men- 
tion of  the  Nisse.  Akin  to  him  are,  the  Niagriusar  of  the 
Fseroe  isles,  who  are  described  as  diminutive,  with  red 
caps,  and  bringers  of  luck;  also  the  Swedish  Tomtegubbe. 

They  frequently  dwell  in  the  high  trees  that  are  planted 
round  the  house,  on  which  account  care  should  be  taken 
not  to  fell  them,  particularly  the  more  ancient  ones.  Many 
a  one  has  paid  for  his  disregard  herein  by  an  incurable 
disease^. 

THE  WERWOLF. 

That  there  were  persons  who  could  assume  the  form  of 
a  wolf  or  a  bear  (Huse-bjorn),  and  again  resume  their 
own,  is  a  belief  as  wide-spread  as  it  is  ancient.  This  pro- 
perty is  either  imparted  by  TroUmen,  or  those  possessing 
it  are  themselves  Trolls.  In  the  Volsunga  Saga  we  have 
very  early  traces  of  this  superstition^. 


THE  MARA  (QV.^LDRYTTERINDE). 

The  Mara  (Eng.  mare,  in  nightmare)  belongs  to  the  same 
family  with  the  Vardogl,  Draug'*,  etc.  In  appearance  she 
resembles  a  most  beautiful  woman,  but  in  acts  the  most 

1  Toft  and  tomt  are  synonymous,  and  signify  the  space  on  which  a 
messuage  has  stood. 

2  Arudt,  iii.  15.  •'  See  vol.  i.  p.  93,  and  note  ^  '  lb.  p.  113. 


NORWEGTAN  TRADITIONS.  19 

malignant  Troll.  She  passes  through  locked  doors,  assails 
persons  sleeping  by  setting  herself  across  them,  and  tor- 
menting them  so  that  it  is  horrible.  The  person  afflicted 
by  such  a  nightly  visit  is  said  to  be  Mare-ridden,  and  is 
often  nearly  suffocated.  She  is  not  satisfied  with  torment- 
ing persons,  but  will  ride  both  sheep  and  horses.  In  the 
Thellemark  she  is  called  Muro,  and  there,  as  in  other  places, 
they  have  many  methods  of  getting  rid  of  her  ;  one  of  the 
most  effectual  is  to  wrap  a  knife  in  a  cloth,  and,  in  a 
manner  prescribed,  let  it  turn  three  times  round  the  body, 
while  uttering  certain  rimes. 

Like  other  supernatural  beings,  the  Mara  can  enter  by  the  smallest  hole, 
but,  like  them,  she  must  also  make  her  exit  by  the  way  through  which  she 
entered,  even  though  every  door  and  window  should  be  open  (Thiele, 
ii.  282).  Hence  IMephistopheles,  in  answer  to  Faust's  inquiry  why  he  did 
not  depart  through  the  ivindow  ?  says — 

's  ist  ein  Gesetz  der  Teufel  und  Gespenster, 
w^o  sie  hereingeschliipft,  da  milssen  sie  hinaus. 
See  also  Holberg's  '  Uden  Hoved  og  Hale,'  Act  I.  Sc.  4. 

The  Ynglingasaga,  cxvi.  has  a  story  of  a  King  Vanlandi  in  Upsala,  who 
was  trodden  to  death  by  a  Mara.  When  his  men  held  his  head,  she  trod 
on  and  almost  crushed  his  legs ;  and  when  they  held  his  feet,  she  so 
pressed  his  head  as  to  cause  his  death. 

GHOSTS. 
The  belief  that  the  souls  of  the  departed  find  pleasure 
in  revisiting  the  places  where  they  have  experienced  joy 
or  sorrow  and  pain,  is  universal  among  almost  every  peo- 
ple. Hence  the  current  opinion,  that  the  soul  of  a  mur- 
dered person  willingly  hovers  around  the  spot  where  his 
body  is  buried,  and  makes  its  appearance,  for  the  purpose 
of  calling  forth  vengeance  on  the  murderer.  The  eye  of 
superstition  sees  them  sometimes  as  white  spectres  in  the 
churchyard,  where  they  stop  horses,  terrify  people,  and 
make  a  disturbance;  sometimes  as  executed  criminals, 
who  in  the  moonlight  wander  round  the  place  of  execu- 
tion, with  their  head  under  their  arm.     Sometimes  they 


20  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

pinch  people  while  asleep  both  black  and  bliie^  and  such 
marks  are  called  ghost-spots  (Dodningepletter),  or  ghost- 
pinches  (Dodningeknib).  Such  spectres  cannot  find  peace 
in  the  grave_,  in  consequence  of  the  crimes  either  of  them- 
selves or  of  others^  before  they  are  asked  what  it  is  they 
want  j  after  which  they  do  not  appear  again.  Bullets^  g^^n- 
powder,  and  weapons  are  wasted  on  them ;  but  at  the  sight 
of  a  cross  and  from  exorcisms  they  must  retire.  Under  this 
head  may  be  included  the  so-called  Udbwrer  or  Udhore, 
who  in  some  districts  cry  like  children  in  the  woods,  and 
entice  people  to  them,  and  in  other  places,  have  their 
abode  in  steep  mountains,  and  retired  spots  near  the  sea, 
and  are  supposed  to  derive  their  origin  from  murdered 
children. 

The  Danish  word  ior  ghost  is  Gjenganger,  or  Gjenfaerd,  answering  exactly 
to  the  French  revenant.  The  belief  in  ghosts  was  deeply  impressed  on  the 
minds  of  the  heathen  Northmen  ;  a  belief  closely  connected  with  their  ideas 
of  the  state  after  death.  The  soul,  they  believed,  returned  to  the  place 
whence  it  sprang,  while  the  body  and  the  grosser  life  bound  to  it  passed 
to  the  abode  of  Hel  or  Death,  Herewith  was  naturally  combined  the 
belief  that  the  soul  of  the  departed  might,  from  its  heavenly  home,  revisit 
the  earth,  there  at  night-time  to  unite  itself  in  the  grave-mound  with  the 
corporeal  shadow  released  from  Hel.  Thus  the  dead  could  show  them- 
selves in  the  opened  grave-mounds  in  the  same  form  which  they  had  in 
life.     See  Vblsungakv.  I.  Str.  37,  38,  in  Edda  Sa^m. 

In  the  Eyrbyggiasaga  is  a  story  of  an  ejectment  of  a  whole  troop  of 
ghosts  from  a  house  by  judicial  process. 

THE  NOK. 
The  Norwegian  Nok  (O.  Nor.  Nikr,  Sw.  Neck)  gene- 
rally has  its  abode  in  rivers  and  lakes,  sometimes  also  in 
friths  (Fiorde) .  It  requires  a  human  sacrifice  every  year ; 
for  which  reason  one  person  at  least  is  annually  missing 
in  the  vicinity  of  every  river  or  water  that  is  inhabited  by 
a  Nok.  Allien  any  person  is  drowned  the  Nok  is  often 
heard  to  cry  in  a  hollow,  unearthly  voice  :  ^'  Sset  over  !  '^ 
(Cross  over).  The  Nok  can  transform  himself  into  all 
kinds  of  things.      Sometimes  he  will  appear  like  half  a 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  21 

boat  in  the  water,  at  others  like  a  half  horse  on  the  bank, 
sometimes  like  gold  and  other  valuables.  If  a  person 
touches  any  of  these  things,  the  Nok  instantly  gets  power 
over  him.  He  is  particularly  greedy  after  little  children. 
He  is,  however,  dangerous  only  after  sunset.  On  ap- 
proaching any  water,  it  is  not  amiss  to  say  :  "  Nyk  !  Nyk  ! 
Naal  i  Vatn  !  Jomfru  Maria  kastet  Staal  i  Vatn  !  Du  ssek, 
sek  flyt!''  ("Nyk!  Nyk!  needle  in  water!  The  Virgin 
Mary  cast  steel  into  water !  Thou  sink,  I  float !  '^)  This 
formula  requires  some  explanation,  which  will  be  found 
hereafter  in  what  is  related  of  the  Swedish  Neck. 

The  Nok  is  known  in  many  places  under  the  name  of 
the  Soetrold  (water-sprite),  which  is  said  to  abide  always 
in  the  water,  and  to  have  many  heads.  If  persons  are  in 
danger  of  shipwreck,  they  must  promise  him  a  son  or  a 
daughter  for  their  deliverance ;  for  which  he,  on  the  other 
hand,  bestows  on  them  riches  and  good  fortune  as  much 
as  they  desire.  He  frequently  changes  his  form,  and  takes 
his  name  from  the  place  where  he  has  his  abode.  In  one 
place  in  Norway,  whenever  it  is  stormy,  or  a  tempest  is 
gathering,  he  appears  in  the  form  of  a  large  horse,  plashing 
with  his  monstrous  hoofs  in  the  water,  which  he  causes 
almost  constantly  to  be  in  violent  motion.  In  the  same 
water,  another  being,  called  the  Vigtrold,  has  its  habita- 
tion, which  shouts  terrifically  when  any  danger  is  at  hand. 

Although  the  Nok  is  a  dangerous  being,  he  neverthe- 
less sometimes  meets  with  his  master.  In  the  waterfall 
of  Sund,  as  the  story  goes,  there  dwelt  for  a  long  time  a 
Nok,  who  caused  the  loss  of  many  persons,  when  they 
rowed  up  or  down  the  fall.  The  priest,  who  apprehended 
danger  from  this  Nok,  took  with  him  on  his  passage  four 
stout  men,  whom  he  ordered  to  row  with  all  their  might 
up  the  fall.  They  made  the  attempt  twice,  but  at  each 
time  glided  back.  In  making  the  third  attempt,  it  was 
observed  that,  at  the  upper  part  of  the  fall,  the  priest. 


22  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

dashing  liis  hand  into  the  water,  drew  up  a  black  creature 
resembUng  a  Kttle  dog.  He  then  ordered  the  men  to  row 
further  up,  at  the  same  time  placing  the  animal  firmly 
between  his  feet,  and  keeping  a  constant  silence.  Having 
now  reached  the  stone-mound  at  Tvet,  he  conjured  the 
Nok  into  it.  From  that  time  no  one  has  perished  in  the 
fall. 

In  Iceland,  where  the  Nok  is  called  Hjiikur,  he  appears  like  a  handsome 
grey  horse,  though  ^ith  his  hoofs  turned  backAvards,  and  strives  to  tempt 
people  to  mount  him,  when  he  will  gallop  off  with  them  into  the  water. 
Some  efforts  to  tame  him  have  been  partially  successful,  and  he  has  been 
made  to  work,  though  for  a  short  time  only. 

In  the  Faroe  islands  the  Nikar  has  his  abode  in  fresh  waters  or  lakes, 
where  he  will  drag  people  down  and  drown  them. 

In  Scotland  the  Nok  is  sometimes  represented  by  Shellycoat,  who  is 
covered  with  sea-weed  and  muscle-shells  ;  sometimes  by  the  Kelpie  who, 
at  least  in  the  Highlands,  appears  in  a  horse's  shape.  In  the  Orkneys  he 
appears  either  as  a  little  horse,  or  as  a  man  under  the  name  of  Tangled 
In  Shetland  he  is  called  Shoopiltee,  and  appears  as  a  handsome  httle  horse, 
tempting  persons  to  mount  him,  when  he  runs  with  his  rider  into  the  sea. 
In  the  Scottish  islands  they  make  him  an  offering,  in  the  shape  of  a  cup 
of  good  beer^. 

Grimm  (D.  M.p.  479)  interprets  the  name  of  Shellycoat  by  the  German 
Schellenrock  (Bell-coat),  supposing  him  so  named  from  his  coat  being 
hung  with  bells ;  and  cites  the  instance  of  a  Puck,  who  for  thirty  years 
served  in  the  kitchen  and  stable  of  a  Meklenburg  monastery.  He  appeared 
always  well-disposed,  and  only  stipulated  for  tunicam  de  diversis  coloribus 
et  tintinnabulis  plenam. 

The  Norwegian  Nok  and  the  Kelpie  of  Scotland  are  identical  beings. 
When  one  of  the  Grahams  of  Morphie  was  building  the  old  castle,  he 
secured  the  assistance  of  the  water-kelpie  or  river  horse,  by  the  accredited 
means  of  throwing  a  pair  of  branks  (a  sort  of  yoke)  over  his  head.  When 
released  from  his  labour,  and  about  to  return  to  the  water,  he  said : — 
"  Sair  back  and  sair  banes, 
Drivin  the  Laird  o'  Morphie's  stanes  ! 
The  Laird  o'  Morphie  '11  never  thrive 
As  lang  's  the  kelpie  is  alive  ^ !  " 

^  In  Ben's  Descript.  of  Orkney  (1599)  he  is  thus  described:  "  Indutus 
est  algis  marinis  toto  corpore,  similis  est  puUo  equino  convoluto  pilis, 
membrum  habet  simile  equino,  et  testiculos  magnos."     Hibbcrt,  504. 

2  Sec  Ilibbert,  5.  20.  ^  Chambers'  Pop.  Rh.  p.  35. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  23 

THE  GRIM,  OR  FOSSEGRIM. 
Closely  allied  to  the  Nok  is  the  musical  Grim  or  Fosse- 
grim  of  Norway,  a  being  whose  sojourn  is  by  waterfalls 
and  mill-works.  He  generally  plays  in  still  and  dark 
evenings,  to  entice  persons  to  him,  and  teach  those  to  play 
on  the  violin  or  other  stringed  instrument,  who,  on  a 
Thursday  evening,  offer  to  him,  with  averted  face,  a  white 
kid,  which  is  to  be  cast  into  a  waterfall  running  north- 
wards. If  the  offering  is  lean,  the  learner's  progress  will 
extend  only  to  the  tuning  of  the  violin ;  but  if  it  is  fat, 
the  Fossegrim  will  grasp  the  player's  right  hand,  and  move 
it  backwards  and  forwards  until  the  blood  springs  out 
at  tl^e  end  of  every  finger.  The  pupil  is  then  fully  in- 
structed, and  can  play  so  incomparably  that  the  very  trees 
will  dance  and  the  waterfalls  stop  their  course. 

THE  RORE-TROLD. 
In  the  Rorevand  in  Nedenses,  a  lake  enclosed  within 
steep  mountains,  and  much  exposed  to  squalls  of  wind,  a 
Troll,  called  the  Rore-trold,  has  his  abode.  He  appears 
under  various  forms,  sometimes  as  a  horse,  sometimes  as 
a  load  of  hay,  sometimes  as  a  huge  serpent,  and  sometimes 
as  a  number  of  persons.  In  the  winter,  and  when  the 
ice  is  thickest,  there  may  be  seen,  on  one  night,  a  long, 
broad  chasm,  with  fragments  of  ice  lying  in  it,  all  which 
is  the  work  of  the  Rore-trold. 

THE  BRUNMIGI. 

Another  somewhat  noxious  Troll  is  the  Brunmigi,  who 

is  supposed  to  dwell  near  and  infest  springs.     His  name 

(from  Brunn,  fans,  and  miga,  minyere)  sufficiently  indicates 

his  nature. 

THE  QV^RNKNURRE. 

This  being  seems  in  many  respects  identical  with  the 
Fossegrim.     In  Gierrestad  it  was  formerly  the  custom  to 


24  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

place  a  soft  loaf,  a  cup  of  beer^  or  sometliing  of  tlie  kind, 
by  the  millstone,  that  the  Qvsernknurre  might  increase 
the  flour  in  the  sacks.  For  some  time  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Sandager  waterfall,  where  a  man  had  a  mill.  As 
often  as  the  man  began  to  grind  corn  the  mill  stopt. 
Knowing  that  it  was  the  Qvsernknurre  that  caused  this 
annoyance,  he  took  with  him  one  evening,  when  he  w^as 
about  to  grind,  some  pitch  in  a  pot,  u.nder  which  he  made 
a  fire.  As  soon  as  he  had  set  the  mill  in  motion  it  stopt 
as  usual.  He  then  thrust  downwards  with  a  pole,  in  the 
hope  of  driving  away  the  Qvsernknurre,  but  in  vain.  At 
last  he  opened  the  door  to  see,  when  lo  !  there  stood  the 
Qvsernknurre  with  extended  jaws,  and  of  such  magnitude 
that  while  its  lower  lip  rested  on  the  threshold,  its  u:]:>per 
one  touched  the  top  of  the  doorway.  It  said  to  the  man  : 
^'  Hast  thou  ever  seen  such  great  gaping  ?  ^^  Instantly 
seizing  the  boiling  pitch-pot,  the  man  dashed  it  into  his 
mouth,  with  the  words :  "  Hast  thou  ever  tasted  such  hot 
boiling  ?  "  With  a  howl  the  QvsernknuiTe  vanished,  and 
was  never  again  seen. 

A  being  nearly  resembling  the  Qvsernknurre  is  the  Urisk  of  the  Scottish 
Highlands,  which  is  described  as  a  rough  hairy  sprite  that  sets  mills  at 
work  in  the  night,  when  there  is  nothing  to  grind.  He  is  sent  howling 
away  by  a  panful  of  hot  ashes  thrown  into  his  lap  while  he  is  sleeping  i. 

THE  FINNGALKN. 

This  monster  is  often  named,  though  not  accurately 
described  in  the  later  romantic  Sagas.  According  to  these 
it  has  a  human  head  with  enormous  teeth,  a  beast^s  body 
and  a  large  heavy  tail,  terrific  claws  and  a  sword  in  evei'y 
claw  ^. 


1  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  396,  from  the  Quarterly  Review,  1825. 
"  Keyser,  p.  163.     See  Snorra-Edda,  edit.  Rask,  p.  342. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  25 

GERTRUD'S  BIRD. 
In  Norway  the  red-crested,  black  woodjDccker  is  known 
under  the  name  of  Gertrudes  Bird.  Its  origin  is  as  fol- 
lows :  "  When  our  Lord,  accompanied  by  St.  Peter,  was 
wandering  on  earth,  they  came  to  a  woman  who  was  occu- 
pied in  baking ;  her  name  was  Gertrud,  and  on  her  head 
she  wore  a  red  hood.  Weary  and  hungry  from  their  long 
journeying,  our  Lord  begged  for  a  cake.  She  took  a  little 
dough  and  set  it  on  to  bake,  and  it  grew  so  large  that  it 
filled  the  whole  pan.  Thinking  it  too  much  for  alms,  she 
took  a  smaller  quantity  of  dough,  and  again  began  to  bake, 
but  this  cake  also  swelled  up  to  the  same  size  as  the  first ; 
she  then  took  still  less  dough,  and  when  the  cake  had  be- 
come as  large  as  the  preceding  ones,  Gertrud  said  :  '  You 
must  go  without  alms,  for  all  my  bakings  are  too  large  for 
you/  Then  was  our  Lord  wroth,  and  said  :  '  Because  thou 
givest  me  nothing,  thou  shalt  for  a  punishment  become  a 
little  bird,  shalt  seek  thy  dry  food  between  the  wood  and 
the  bark,  and  drink  only  when  it  rains.'  Hardly  were 
these  words  spoken,  when  the  woman  was  transformed  to 
the  Gertrudes  bird,  and  flew  away  through  the  kitchen 
chimney ;  and  at  this  day  she  is  seen  with  a  red  hood  and 
black  body,  because  she  was  blackened  by  the  soot  of  the 
chimney.  She  constantly  pecks  the  bark  of  trees  for 
sustenance,  and  whistles  against  rain;  for  she  always 
thirsts  and  hopes  to  drink  ^J^ 

AASGAARDSREIA  (WILD  HUNT). 
This  band  consists  of  spirits  who  have  not  done  so 
much  good  as  to  deserve  heaven,  nor  so  much  evil  as  to 
be  sent  to  hell.  It  consists  of  drunkards,  brawlers,  sing- 
ers of  slanderous  songs,  crafty  deceivers,  and  those  that 
for  the  sake  of  lucre  have  perjured  themselves.     Their 

1  Asbjornsen  og  Moe,  No.  2.     Grimm,  D.  M.  p.  639. 

C 


26  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

punishment  is  to  ride  about  till  the  end  of  the  world.  At 
the  head  of  the  troop  rides  Guro-Rysse  or  Reisa-Rova 
with  her  long  tail,  by  which  she  is  distinguished  from  the 
rest.  After  her  follows  a  multitude  of  both  sexes.  If 
seen  in  front,  they  appear  tall  and  comely,  both  riders 
and  horses ;  but  behind,  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  Guro's 
long  tail.  The  horses,  which  are  coal-black,  and  have 
eyes  that  glow  in  the  dark  like  fire,  are  guided  with  red 
hot  rods  and  iron  reins,  which,  together  with  the  scream- 
ing of  the  riders,  cause  such  a  terrific  noise  that  it  may 
be  heard  at  a  vast  distance.  They  ride  as  easily  over  water 
as  over  land,  their  horses^  hoofs  scarcely  touching  the  sur- 
face of  the  water.  Wherever  they  cast  a  saddle  on  a  roof, 
there  a  person  must  soon  die ;  and  where  they  understand 
there  will  be  fighting  and  murder  in  a  drinking  bout, 
there  they  enter,  and  set  themselves  on  the  ledge  above 
the  door.  They  conduct  themselves  quietly  as  long  as 
nothing  is  going  forwards,  but  set  up  a  horse-laugh  and 
make  a  loud  rattling  with  their  iron  rods,  when  the  fighting 
is  begun  and  murder  committed.  The  troop  rides  about 
chiefly  at  Christmas,  when  the  great  drinking  bouts  are 
held.  When  a  person  hears  the  troop  coming,  he  should 
get  out  of  the  way  or  fall  down  on  his  face,  and  appear  to 
be  asleep;  for  there  are  instances  of  men  having  been 
caught  up  by  them,  and  either  carried  back  to  the  place 
whence  they  were  taken,  or  found  half  stupified  at  a  di- 
stance from  it.  A  good  man  who  takes  this  precaution 
has  nothing  more  to  apprehend  than  that  each  of  the 
troop  will  spit  on  him.  When  all  are  passed  by,  he  must 
spit  in  his  turn ;  otherwise  he  would  receive  injury  there- 
from. 

Tliis  remarkable  tradition,  the  title  even  of  which  points  to  heathenism, 
is  known,  at  least  by  name,  over  the  greater  part  of  the  diocese  of  Chris- 
tiansand,  bnt  it  is  found  most  complete  in  the  Upper  Thcllemark,  where 
I  mvself  have  heard  it ;  where  it  is  called  the  Aaske-Kei  or  Asanerfoerd, 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  27 

which  cannot  be  seen  but  only  heard.  It  devours  the  Fladbrod  (thin 
cakes),  butter,  etc.,  that  have  been  prepared  for  Christmas,  unless  they  be 
crossed  previously  to  being  put  away.  In  one  district  of  Norway,  if  any 
one,  on  hearing  the  troop,  does  not  throw  himself  down,  his  soul  must 
accompany  it,  while  his  body  remains  lying.  When  the  soul  returns  to 
the  body,  the  latter  is  quite  enfeebled,  and  remains  so  ever  after.  In  some 
places  this  noisy  troop  is  called  Aaskereia,  in  others  Iloskelreia.  Some- 
times they  ride  with  a  rushing  noise  through  the  air ;  sometimes  they  are 
to  be  met  by  night,  on  the  roads,  riding  on  black  horses  with  glowing  eyes. 
On  Christmas  eve,  and  the  three  nights  of  Christmas,  they  are  the  most 
riotous,  and  the  countryman  who  has  neglected  the  precaution  of  placing 
a  bar  before  his  horses,  or  a  cross  over  his  door,  may  be  certain  of  finding 
them  the  next  morning  dripping  wet  and  almost  broken-winded  ;  for  the 
Hoskelreia  will  have  used  them,  and  they  are  not  the  people  to  treat  them 
gently. 

THE  MERMAN  (MARMENNILL)  AND  MERMAID  (MARGYGR). 

Sailors  and  fishermen^  when  the  weather  is  calm,  some- 
times see  Mermen  and  Mermaids  rise  from  the  bosom  of 
the  tranquil  deep.  The  Mermen  are  of  a  dusky  hue, 
with  a  long  beard,  black  hair,  and  from  the  waist  upwards 
resemble  a  man,  but  downwards  are  like  a  fish.  The  Mer- 
maids are  beautiful  upwards,  but  downwards,  like  the 
Mermen,  have  a  fishes  form.  Their  children  are  called 
Marmseler.  These  are  sometimes  caught  by  fishermen, 
who  take  them  home,  that  they  may  gain  from  them  a 
knowledge  of  future  events;  for  both  they,  as  well  as 
the  Mermen  and  Mermaids,  can  see  into  futurity.  It 
is  now  rare  to  hear  a  Mermaid  speak  or  sing.  Mariners 
are  not  pleased  at  the  sight  of  them,  as  they  forbode  a 
storm. 

It  is  dangerous  to  hurt  them.  A  sailor  once  enticed  a 
Mermaid  so  near,  that  she  laid  her  hand  on  the  gunwale 
of  the  vessel,  which  he  struck  ofi".  For  his  barbarity  he 
was  overtaken  by  a  storm,  in  which  he  nearly  perished. 
St.  Olaf,  on  one  of  his  piratical  expeditions,  fell  in  with  a 
Mermaid,  who  by  her  sweet  song  was  wont  to  lull  ma- 
riners to  sleep,  and  then  drag  them  down.     If,  in  diving 

c2 


28  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

under  water,  they  turn  towards  a  ship,  it  betokens  mis- 
fortune; if  they  turn  from  the  ship,  it  is  a  good  sign^ 

Belief  in  Mermen  and  Mermaids  is  as  old  as  it  is  general.  According 
to  Gervase  of  Tilbury,  we  had  Mermaids  in  our  seas,  and  they  are  men- 
tioned in  the  Icelandic  Sagas.  See  Dobeneck,  i.  pp.  38  nqq.,  also  for  an 
account  of  the  German  Water-nix.  In  Ireland  they  are  called  Merrows, 
and  legends  are  told  of  them  similar  to  those  of  other  countries. 

THE  SEA-SNAKE. 
In  fresh  waters  and  rivers,  as  well  as  along  the  coasts 
of  Norway,  enormous  snakes  are  said  to  exist,  but  varying 
with  regard  both  to  their  appearance  and  magnitude.     Ac- 
cording to  the  general  belief,  they  are  brought  forth  on 
the  land,  and  have  their  first  abode  in  forests  and  mounds 
of  stone,  whence,  when  they  grow  large,  they  betake  them- 
selves to  the  great  lakes  or  inland  seas,  or  to  the  ocean, 
where  they  grow  to  a  tremendous  size.  They  seldom  make 
their  appearance,  and  when  they  do,  are  regarded  as  fore- 
runners of  important  events.     In  most  of  the  lakes  and 
rivers  of  any  considerable  magnitude,  these  monsters  have, 
in  former  times,  on  one  or  other  extraordinary  occasion, 
been  seen  to  rise  from  the  water^s  depth.     In  the  fresh 
waters  none  have  been  seen  within  the  memory  of  man, 
but  they  sometimes,  when  there  is  a  dead  calm,  appear  in 
the  iiords  or  firths.     Some  time  after  the  Black  Death  ^^ 
there  came,  according  to  tradition,  two  large  snakes  from 
the    Foksoe,   by   the  town    down    to  the  'long'  (bath), 
where  one,  it  is  said,  is  still  to  be  found ;  but  the  other 
attempted,  about  two  hundred  years  since,  to  go  down  to 
the  river's  mouth,  where  it  perished  in  the  fall  and  was 
driven  across  in  the  vicinity  of  Drontheim,  where  it  be- 
came putrid,  and  emitted  such  a  stench  that  no  one  could 
approach  the  place. 

^  Keyser,  p.  162. 

-  A.D.  1350.    Two-thirds  of  the  people  of  Norway  are  said  to  have 
perished.     It  visited  England  two  years  earlier. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  29 

In  the  Lundevand,  on  Lister,  there  is  a  Sea-Snake  that 
appears  only  before  a  king^s  death  or  some  great  revoki- 
tion.     Some  assert  that  they  have  seen  it. 

In  Bollarnvatn  also,  in  Bahuus  ^,  there  was  formerly  a 
Sea-Snake,  whose  body  was  as  thick  as  a  calf's  of  a  year 
old,  and  whose  tail  was  about  six  ells  in  length.  It  de* 
stroyed  the  fish,  and  had  its  abode  in  a  little  isle  called 
Svanviksoe.  It  never  showed  itself,  except  when  some 
calamity  was  at  hand.  But  of  all  the  snakes  inhabiting 
the  waters  of  the  North,  none  are  so  celebrated  as  those 
that  were  and  are  to  be  found  in  Mios.  In  an  old  writing  ~, 
we  are  told  of  a  tremendous  snake,  that  seemed  to  approach 
from  the  island,  and  to  go  from  thence  to  the  '  King's 
land,'  but  instantly  vanished.  In  like  manner,  many 
large  snakes  appeared  day  after  day  in  Mios,  which  twisted 
themselves  into  a  variety  of  curves,  and  cast  the  water  to 
a  considerable  height.  At  length  the  first-mentioned  enor- 
mous snake  made  its  appearance  a  second  time,  and  darted 
with  rapidity  up  on  a  rock.  Its  eyes  were  as  large  as  the 
bottom  of  a  barrel,  and  it  had  a  long  mane  that  hung  far 
down  its  neck.  As  it  could  not  get  off  the  rock,  but  lay 
and  beat  its  head  against  it,  one  of  the  bishop's  servants, 
who  was  a  daring  fellow,  took  a  steel  bow,  and  shot  so 
many  arrows  into  its  eye,  that  the  water  round  about  was 
coloured  green  from  the  outflowing  humour.  This  snake, 
which  displayed  a  variety  of  colours,  was  appalling  to  look 
upon.  It  died  of  the  wounds  it  had  received,  and  sent 
forth  such  a  stench,  that  the  people  thereabouts,  by  the 
bishop's  order,  united  for  the  purpose  of  burning  it,  which 
was  done.  Its  skeleton  lay  for  many  years  on  the  shore. 
A  grown-up  youth  could  hardly  carry  the  smallest  portion 
of  its  backbone.     It  is  also  said  that  there  is  a  Sea-Snake, 

^  This  tradition  belongs  strictly  to  those  of  Sweden,  but  is  left  here, 
in  order  not  to  divide  the  several  accounts  of  the  Sea-Snake. 
-  Beskrivelse  over  Hammer. 


30  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

which  winds  itself  round  the  great  bell  from  Hammer, 
which  was  sunk  during  the  seven  years^  war  in  the  Akers- 
vig,  and  when  the  water  is  clear  may  still  be  discerned. 
All  attempts  to  raise  it  have  been  in  vain_,  though  it  was 
once  lifted  to  the  water's  surface. 

That  this  Mios  snake  was  not  a  thing  to  be  played  with, 
will  appear  from  an  account  of  the  year  1656,  given  in 
Pontoppidan's  Natural  Histoiy  of  Noi^^ay,  2,  65.  Such 
a  water-snake  made  aland  trip  from  IVlios  to  Spirillen,  and 
is  probably  the  same  with  the  one  that  was  wont  to  appear 
in  that  lake  against  evil  and  perilous  times.  "  It  was  in 
appearance  like  a  huge  mast,  whatever  stood  in  its  way  it 
overthrew,  even  trees  and  huts.  With  its  loud  hissing 
and  horrid  roaring  it  terrified  all  the  people  round  about. '^ 

That  in  calm  weather  such  enormous  Sea- Snakes  some- 
times appear  on  the  coast  of  Norway,  can  hardly  be  denied, 
as  credible  persons,  even  in  our  own  time,  declare  that 
they  have  seen  them  ^ ;  to  whose  testimony  may  be  added 
that  of  Hibbert,  who  says :  "  The  existence  of  the  Sca- 
Snake,  a  monster  fifty-iive  feet  long,  is  placed  beyond  a 
doubt  by  the  animal,  that  was  thrown  on  shore  in  Orkney, 
the  vertebrae  of  which  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Edinburgh 
Museum  ^." 

The  writer,  who  among  us  has  most  amply  treated  of 
the  Sea-Snake,  is  Eric  Pontoppidan,  in  his  Natural  Hi- 
stoiy of  Norway,  in  which  two  representations  of  Sea- 
Snakes  are  given.  According  to  his  testimony,  founded 
on  the  accounts  of  Bergen  and  Nordland  mariners,  as  well 
as  of  other  eye-witnesses,  these  monsters  live  in  the  depths 
of  the  ocean,  except  in  July  and  August,  when  in  calm 
weather  they  come  up  to  the  surface ;  but  sink  again  the 

'  Compare  the  Vestlandske  Tidende  No.  22,  and  Sorenskriver  Blora's, 
also  Bishop  Neumann's  paa  trovan-dige  Folks  Beretninger  grundede  Vid- 
nesbyrd,  Bndstikken  Gte  Aargang  159  and  578. 

"  Descrii)tion  of  Shetland,  p.  5G5. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  31 

moment  the  wind  begins  to  ruffle  the  watery  mirror.  Ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  Commander  de  Ferrys  in 
1746,  given  before  a  court,  "the  Sea-Snake  seen  by  him 
in  the  vicinity  of  Molda,  had  a  head  resembhng  in  shape 
that  of  a  horse,  which  it  held  about  an  ell  above  the  water, 
of  a  greyish  hue,  the  snout  quite  black,  very  large  black 
eyes,  and  a  long  white  mane,  which  hung  from  its  neck 
into  the  sea.  Seven  or  eight  coils  of  its  body,  which  was 
very  thick,  were  also  seen :  according  to  conjecture,  there 
was  a  fathom  between  the  coils  ^.''  According  to  the  tes- 
timony of  the  priest  Tuchsen  of  Heroe,  and  of  some  neigh- 
bouring priests,  these  Sea- Snakes  were  as  thick  as  a  double 
hogshead  (Oxehoved),  had  large  nostrils  and  blue  eyes, 
which  at  a  distance  resembled  a  couple  of  bright  pewter 
plates.  On  the  neck  there  was  a  mane,  which  from  afar 
appeared  like  sea-w^ed. 

DRAGONS. 

Traditions  of  Dragons  that  fly  through  the  air  by  night 
and  spit  forth  fire,  are  very  general,  and  holes  in  the  earth 
and  the  mountains  are  yet  shown  over  all  the  country, 
w^hence  they  have  been  seen  issuing  like  a  glowing  fire, 
when  war  or  other  public  calamity  was  at  hand.  When 
they  return  to  their  habitations, — where  they  brood  over 
vast  treasures  and  precious  things,  which,  according  to 
some  traditions,  they  have  collected  in  the  bottom  of  the 
sea — the  sound  may  be  heard  of  the  great  iron  doors,  which 
close  after  them.  As  they  are  fierce  and  spit  pernicious 
fire,  it  is  dangerous  to  contend  with  them.  Under  Agers 
church,  w^hich  stands  on  four  golden  pillars,  a  dragon 
broods  over  immense  riches.  It  has  been  seen,  even  w-ithin 
the  memory  of  persons  living,  or  a  short  time  before  the 
last  war,  issuing  from  a  hole  near  the  church.     From  the 

'  Pontoppidan,  2,  321. 


32  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

Dragon^s  Hole  on  Storoe  in  Aadal,  from  the  Dragon's 
Hill  on  Rasvog^  and  numerous  other  places,  firedrakes 
with  long  tails  were  to  be  seen  issuing  in  former  times, 
and  sometimes  even  in  our  days.  That  they  are  not  in- 
vincible appears  from  an  old  tradition,  which  tells  of  a 
priest,  named  Anders  Madsen,  who  is  said  to  have  lived 
about  1631,  that  shot  a  dragon  which  brooded  over  silver 
in  the  so-called  Dragon  Mount  near  the  Tvedevand. 

The  important  part  played  by  dragons,  firedrakes  and  the  hke  in  the  old 
songs,  legends  and  romances,  where  the  killing  of  a  dragon  forms  one  of  a 
hero's  earliest  proofs  of  valour,  has  probably  given  birth  to  the  innume- 
rable traditions  concerning  these  monsters ;  an  accidental  electric  fire,  a 
fire-ball  or  the  like,  being  enough  to  keep  the  belief  alive. 

THE  SEVERED  HAND  i. 

There  was  a  miller  whose  mill  was  burnt  down  on  two 
successive  Whitsun-eves.  In  the  third  year,  just  before 
Whitsuntide,  he  had  a  tailor  in  his  house  to  make  holyday 
clothes. 

"  I  wonder  how  it  will  go  with  the  mill  this  time  ; 
whether  it  will  be  burnt  again  to-night,^'  said  the  miller. 

"  You  need  not  fear  that,''  said  the  tailor,  "  give  me 
the  key,  and  I  will  keep  watch  in  it." 

This  seemed  to  the  miller  both  good  and  highly  ac- 
ceptable; and  when  it  drew  towards  evening  the  tailor 
got  the  key  and  went  to  the  mill,  which  was  still  empty, 
having  but  just  been  rebuilt.  So  placing  himself  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor,  he  chalked  round  him  a  large  circle, 
on  the  outside  of  which  he  wrote  the  Paternoster;  and 
thus  fortified,  would  not  have  feared  if  the  arch-enemy 
himself  had  made  his  appearance.  In  the  dead  of  the 
night  the  door  suddenly  flew  open,  and  there  came  in  such 
a  multitude  of  black  cats,  that  the  place  literally  swarmed. 
But  a  short  time  had  elapsed  when  they  set  a  large  earthen 

^  Asbjornscn,  Norske  Huldreeventyr,  i.  pp.  11-14. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  33 

pot  in  the  chimney^  and  lighted  a  lire  under  it,  so  that  it 
began  frying  and  hissing  in  the  pot  as  if  it  were  full  of 
boiling  pitch  and  tar. 

"  Oho/^  thought  the  tailor,  "  is  that  what  you  are 
after  ?^^  And  scarcely  had  he  given  utterance  to  the 
thought  when  one  of  the  cats  put  its  paw  behind  the  pot 
and  tried  to  upset  it. 

"  Whisht  cat,  you  ^11  burn  yourself !  "  cried  the  tailor. 

"Whisht  cat,  you ^11  burn  yourself!  the  tailor  says,'^ 
said  the  cat  to  the  other  cats,  and  all  ran  from  the  chimney, 
and  began  hopping  and  dancing  round  the  circle  ;  but  in 
the  meanw^hile  the  cat  again  sneaked  to  the  chimney  and 
endeavoured  to  upset  the  pot. 

"  Whisht  cat,  you  ^11  burn  yourself  ! ''  cried  the  tailor, 
and  drove  it  from  the  chimney. 

"Whisht  cat,  you ^11  burn  yourself,  the  tailor  says," 
said  the  cat  to  the  other  cats,  and  all  began  dancing  and 
hopping  again,  but  in  a  moment  the  same  cat  was  away 
trying  a  third  time  to  overturn  the  pot. 

"  Whisht  cat,  you  ^11  burn  yourself !  "  cried  the  tailor 
in  a  rage,  and  so  terrified  them  that  they  tumbled  one 
over  another,  and  then  began  to  jump  and  dance  as  before. 

They  then  formed  a  circle  without  the  tailor's  circle, 
and  began  dancing  round  it  with  an  ever-increasing  velo- 
city, till  at  length  it  seemed  to  the  tailor  that  everythmg 
was  whirling  round  before  him.  All  this  while  the  cats 
were  staring  at  him  with  their  large,  fierce  eyes,  as  if  they 
would  swallow  him. 

While  they  were  in  the  thick  of  it,  the  cat  that  had  tried 
to  upset  the  pot,  put  her  paw  within  the  circle,  as  if  she 
felt  inclined  to  seize  hold  of  the  tailor,  but  who  seeing  her 
design,  drew  out  his  knife  and  stood  on  his  guard.  After 
a  few  moments  the  cat  again  put  her  paw  within  the  ring, 
when  the  tailor  in  one  instant  chopped  it  off";  and  all  the 
cats  took  to  their  heels,  screaming  and  howling,  as  speedilv 

c  5 


34  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

as  they  could,  and  left  the  tailor  in  quiet  possession  of  the 
field.  ' 

The  tailor  then  lay  down  in  the  circle  till  long  after  the 
sun  had  been  shining  in  upon  him.  He  then  rose,  locked 
the  mill-door  and  proceeded  to  the  miller^s  house. 

When  he  entered  the  room  the  miller  and  his  wife  were 
still  in  bed,  it  being  Whit-sunday. 

"  Good  morning,"  said  the  tailor,  giving  the  miller  his 
hand.  "  Good  morning,''  said  the  miller  in  return,  and 
was  both  glad  and  surprised  to  see  the  tailor  again. 

"  Good  morning,  mother,''  said  he,  holding  out  his  hand 
to  the  miller's  wife. 

"  Good  morning,"  said  she,  but  appeared  pale  and  sor- 
rowful, and  kept  her  hand  under  the  bed-clothes,  but  at 
last  offered  him  her  left  hand.  The  tailor  now  saw  how 
matters  stood ;  but  what  afterwards  took  place  is  not  said. 

The  North-German  story,  Die  Katzenmuhle,  closely  resembles  the 
above,  but  is  much  simpler.  The  Norwegian  one  is  probably  embellished 
by  the  author,  from  whose  work  it  is  extracted. 

OF  ST.  OLAF. 

St.  Olaf  was  the  Norwegian  people's  hero,  and  yet  lives 
in  their  remembrance,  while  few  only  and  imperfect  tradi- 
tions are  occasionally  to  be  met  with  of  his  equally  valiant 
predecessors  and  successors.  Let  us,  therefore,  consider 
this  man,  in  order  more  easily  to  comprehend  the  causes 
of  his  great  celebrity. 

Olaf  was  born  in  995  ;  his  father,  Harald  Grsenske,  was  of 
the  race  of  Harald  Hjirfager,  and  his  mother,  Asta,  the 
daughter  of  Gudbrand,  from  the  Uplands.  In  his  third 
year  he  was  baptized.  King  Olaf  Tryggvason  standing  god- 
father to  him.  In  his  youth  he  sailed  on  piratical  expedi- 
tions, in  which  he  acquired  great  experience  and  titness  for 
warfare.  Supported  by  powerful  relations  and  friends,  as 
well  as  hy  his  own  sagacity  and  military  skill,  he  gained 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  35 

possession  of  his  paternal  kingdom^  over  which  he  reigned 
for  fifteen  years  with  great  vigour  and  reputation.  His 
exertions  were  chiefly  directed  to  the  complete  establish- 
ment of  the  Christian  faith  in  Norway,  which,  after  the 
death  of  Olaf  Tryggvason,  had  greatly  declined ;  but  the 
violence  with  which  he  proceeded,  together  with  his  ambi- 
tion and  severity,  rendered  him  so  hateful,  that  he  found 
it  advisable  to  flee  from  the  country  to  Gardarike  ^,  from 
his  discontented  subjects,  who  were,  moreover,  instigated 
and  supported  by  the  ambitious  Dano-English  king,  Cnut 
the  Great.  Olaf,  who  in  the  school  of  adversity  had  begun 
to  act  the  saint,  was  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  Jerusalem, 
when  Olaf  Tryggvason,  in  a  dream,  bade  him  return  to 
Norway.  He  obeyed  the  behest  and  marched  with  an 
army  into  the  country,  where,  in  an  obstinate  battle  at 
Stiklastad  in  Vserdal,  he  was  defeated  and  slain  by  his  re- 
volted subjects,  on  the  29th  July  1030. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  Olaf,  the  fame  of  his  sanctity 
and  the  miracles  said  to  have  attended  his  corpse  formed 
a  topic  of  conversation  among  the  people,  who  found  them 
the  more  credible,  as  they  were  highly  dissatisfied  with  what 
they  had  got  in  exchange  for  him.  Olaf's  body,  which  had 
been  buried  in  a  sand-bank  at  Stiklastad,  was  taken  up,  and 
being  found,  after  the  expiration  of  a  year,  unchanged,  with 
the  hair  and  nails  grown,  Grimkell,  OlaFs  court-bishop,  de- 
clared him  a  holy  person,  and  the  commonalty  thereupon 
determined  that  Olaf  was  a  true  saint.  His  body  was  by 
his  son.  King  Magnus  the  Good,  laid  in  a  costly  shrine, 
and  placed  by  the  high  altar  in  the  church  of  St.  Clement 
at  Nidaros  (Drontheim),  where,  as  well  as  afterwards  in 
the  magniticent  Christchurch  (the  present  cathedral),  it  is 
said  to  have  wrought  numerous  miracles.  St.  OlaPs  festi- 
val, the  29th  July,  was  by  law  commanded  to  be  celebrated 
throughout  the  country  as  the  chief  solemnity,  and  churches 
1  Russia,  in  its  then  restricted  signification. 


36  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

to  his  honour  were  erected  not  only  in  Noin\^ay,  but  in 
Denmark,  Sweden,  Russia,  England,  and  even  by  his 
countrymen  at  Constantinople.  Pilgrims  journeyed  in 
crowds  to  St.  OlaPs  shrine,  and  legends  of  cripples  who 
had  there  recovered  the  use  of  their  limbs,  and  of  other 
miracles  soon  became  numberless. 

St.  Olaf  s  shrine  of  silver,  inlaid  with  gold  and  precious 
stones,  a  single  one  of  which  cost  Archbishop  Walkcndorf 
twenty  lasts  of  butter^,  was  on  solemn  occasions,  such  as 
the  Saint^s  yearly  festival,  or  the  election  of  a  king,  borne 
in  procession  by  sixty  men,  and  was  an  abundant  source 
of  revenue  to  the  clergy  and  the  cathedral.  The  last  arch- 
bishop, Olaf  Engelbretson,  carried  it  with  him  to  his  strong 
castle  of  Stein viksholm,  Avhere,  after  his  flight,  it  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Danish  commander,  Christopher  Hvit- 
feld,  who  sent  St.  Olaf^s  shrine  of  silver  gilt,  weighing 
about  3200  ounces,  together  wdth  another  silver  shrine,  in 
which  the  Saint^s  shirts  were  preserved,  and  many  other 
valuables,  to  the  Danish  treasury. 

When  the  Swedes  in  1564  had  taken  possession  of 
Drontheim,  they  found  nothing  remaining  of  St.  Olaf's 
treasures,  except  his  helmet,  spurs,  and  the  wooden  chest 
that  had  contained  his  body^.  The  helmet  and  spurs 
they  took  with  them  to  Sweden,  where  they  are  still  pre- 
served in  the  church  of  St.  Nicholas  at  Stockholm;  but 
the  chest  they  left  behind  in  a  church,  after  having  drawn 
out  the  silver  nails,  which  had  been  left  by  the  Danes. 
After  the  expulsion  of  the  Swedes,  St.  Olaf's  body  and 
chest  were,  with  great  solemnity,  carried  back  to  the  cathe- 
dral, where,  a  contemporary  bears  witness,  that  the  body 
was  found  entire  in  a  grave  of  masonry  in  1567,  and  ^Miis 

'  Equal  to  about  forty  tons. 

-  This  was,  without  doubt,  one  of  the  cases  in  wliich  his  silver  shrine 
was  preserved.  What  became  of  his  armour,  l)att]e-axe,  spear,  and  the 
banner  given  him  by  an  angel,  wliile  he  slept  on  the  place  where  he  was 
martvred,  is  not  known. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  87 

blood  is  seen  to  this  day  in  a  barn,  and  can  never  be 
washed  out  by  water  or  human  hands /^  In  the  following 
year  St.  Olafs  body  was  by  a  royal  ordinance  covered  with 
earth. 

St.  Olaf  s  sanctity  is  no  more  thought  of,  even  his  last 
resting-place  is  forgotten,  but  his  name  still  lives,  as  is 
proved  by  the  numerous  traditions  still  fresh  in  the  me- 
mory of  the  Norwegian  people.  Throughout  the  land  are  to 
be  found  traces  of  St.  Olaf^s  deeds  and  miraculous  power. 
Fountains  sprang  forth  when  he  thirsted,  and  acqmred 
salutary  virtue  when  he  drank;  rocks  were  rent  at  his 
bidding,  and  sounds  (sunde)  were  formed  at  his  nod; 
churches  were  raised,  and  Trolls  found  in  St.  Olaf  a  foe  as 
formidable  as  they  had  formerly  had  in  the  mighty  Thor, 
whose  red  beard  even  was  inherited  by  St.  Olaf.  In  many 
places  Trolls  are  still  shown,  who  at  St.  Olaf's  command 
were  turned  into  stone. 

Out  of  Norway  also  St.  Olaf  lived  long  in  popular  tra- 
dition. In  Denmark  and  in  Sweden  are  many  places 
where  traditions  are  yet  current  of  St.  Olaf  and  the  Trolls 
he  turned  into  stone.  Thus,  as  he  was  one  day  riding  by 
Dalby  church  in  Varmeland,  he  was  addressed  by  a  Troll- 
wife  in  these  words  : — 

"  Kong  Olaf  med  dit  pipuga  Skaggi !  King  Olaf  mth  thy  pointed  beard ! 
Du  seglar  for  nar  min  Badstugu-  Thou  sailest  too  near  my  Imth- 
vag."  room  wall. 

To  which  he  answered  : — 

"Du  Troll  med  din   Rack  och  Thou  Troll-wife  with   thy  rock 

Ten  and  wheel 

Skal  bli  i  Sten,  Shall  turn  to  stone, 

Och  aldrig  mer  gora  Skeppare  And    never    more    do    shipman 

Men."  harm. 

In  the  Shetland  isles,  we  learn  from  Hibbert,  the  in- 

1  The  same  probably  as  Sw.  Pipskagg  (Grimm,  D.M.  p.  517),  the  little 
pointed  beard  on  the  under  lip. 


38  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

habitants,  as  late  as  the  eighteenth  century,  maintained 
that  they  had  their  ancient,  but  now  lost,  law-book  from 
'  St.  011a,'  of  whom  they  relate  wonderful  things  in  their 
songs,  which  they  call  'Vissacks/  A  Faroe  tradition 
ascribes  it  to  St.  Olaf,  that  they  have  now  no  woods  on 
the  islands.  St.  Olaf  having  inquired  of  some  of  the  in- 
habitants whether  they  had  any  woods  at  home,  they  sus- 
pecting that  he  made  the  inquiry  with  the  view  to  taxing 
them,  answered  in  the  negative.  "Be  it  so,"  said  the 
king,  and  at  the  same  time  the  Faroe  woods  sank  into 
the  earth. 

If  it  be  asked  what  can  be  the  origin  of  many  of  these 
wondrous  traditions,  we  answer,  that  it  must  be  sought 
for  in  the  same  ignorance  of  nature  and  its  effects,  together 
with  the  desire  of  finding  a  reason  for  everything  that 
seems  uncommon,  which  has  given  birth  to  so  many  tra- 
ditions of  supernajtural  beings.  What  heathenism  attri- 
buted to  the  gods  of  Valhall  and  to  the  mighty  Thor,  the 
cunning  Catholic  ecclesiastics,  with  their  earliest  converts, 
no  doubt  transferred  to  the  powerful  suppresser  of  the 
Asa-faith,  St.  Olaf,  whose  axe  supplanted  Thor's  Miolnir, 
and  whose  steed,  renowned  in  tradition,  the  goats  of 
the  Thunder-god  ^  Olaf's  own  renown,  the  tales  of  pious 
pilgrims  and  monkish  legends  have  gradually  combined  to 

J  The  numerous  representations,  which  in  the  days  of  Catholicism  were 
no  doubt  to  be  foimd  in  many  of  the  churches  dedicated  to  St.  Olaf,  are 
now  for  the  most  part  destroyed ;  but  from  the  notices  which  we  have  of 
them,  the  hero  was  generally  represented  with  a  battle-axe  in  his  hand, 
and  treading  on  a  Troll  or  a  dragon.  In  Ladvig  church  there  is  a  re- 
markable processional  banner,  on  which  is  the  figure  of  St.  Olaf,  in  com- 
plete armour,  treading  on  a  dragon.  In  St.  Mary's  church  at  Lubeck  I 
have  seen  an  old,  l)ut  very  good  painting,  the  principal  figure  in  which  is 
St.  Olaf  completely  armed,  with  his  battle-axe  in  his  hand  and  a  royal 
mantle  over  his  shoulders.  With  one  foot  he  is  treading  on  a  dragon, 
but  which  has  a  human  head.  In  the  Kollmann  chapel,  in  the  same 
church,  there  is  likewise  an  ancient  picture  of '  St.  Olans.'  Even  in  Lon- 
don there  are  two  or  three  churches  dedicated  to  St.  Olave. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  39 

make  of  St.  Olaf  a  hero,  whom  the  superstitious  and  igno- 
rant multitude  believed  capable  of  performing  the  most 
impossible  things. 

OF  ST.  OLAF  AND  THE  FIRST  CHURCH  IN  NORWAY. 

In  Norrland  there  is  the  following  tradition  respecting 
the  first  church  erected  in  Norway^  : — 

As  St.  Olaf  was  one  day  wandering  among  the  woods 
and  mountains,  deeply  meditating  how,  without  laying 
heavy  burthens  on  his  people,  he  could  accomplish  the 
construction  of  a  church  he  had  planned  in  his  mind,  of 
such  magnitude  that  its  like  should  hardly  be  found,  he 
met  a  man  of  gigantic  size,  who  asked  him  what  he  was 
pondering  over.  "  I  may  well  be  pondering,^^  answered 
the  king,  "  having  made  a  vow  to  build  a  church  for  mag- 
nitude and  magnificence  without  its  like  in  the  whole 
world."  The  Troll  thereupon  undertook  by  a  certain 
fixed  time  to  complete  such  a  structure,  but  only  on  con- 
dition that,  if  the  work  should  be  finished  at  the  time 
appointed,  St.  Olaf  would  engage  to  give  him,  in  remu- 
neration for  his  labour,  the  sun  and  moon,  or  St.  Olaf 
himself.  The  king  agreed  to  the  condition,  but  fancied 
he  could  form  such  a  vast  plan  for  the  edifice,  that  the 
giant  would  find  it  impossible  to  finish  the  work  by  the 
time  agreed  on.  The  church  was  to  be  so  spacious  that 
seven  priests  might  preach  in  it  at  the  same  time  without 
hearing  or  disturbing  one  another.  The  pillars  and  orna- 
ments, both  within  and  without,  were  to  be  of  the  hardest 
flint ;  besides  which  many  other  and  equally  difficult  con- 
ditions were  included  in  the  bargain.  But  within  a  much 
shorter  time  than  the  period  agreed  on,  St.  Olaf  saw  the 
church  finished,  with  the  exception  of  the  spire,  which 
was  still  to  be  erected.     Seeing  this  the  Saint  went  out 

1  For  other  versions  of  this  story,  see  Danish  Traclitions  and  Swedish 
Tradition  si 


40  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

again  among  the  woods  and  mountains,  in  deep  tribula- 
tion, thinking  of  his  unfortunate  engagement ;  when  sud- 
denly he  heard  a  child  crying  in  the  mountain,  and  a 
giantess  comforting  it  with  the  following  song : — 

"  Vys  !  xyss  !  sonen  min !  Hush  !  hush  !  my  son  ! 

I  morgon  kommer  Viud  och  To-mon-ow    comes    Wind   and 

Vader,  fader  din,  Temi)est,  thy  father, 

Och  bar  med  sig  Sol  och  Mane,  And  has  with  him  sun  and  moon, 

Eller  sjelf\^er  Sanct  Olof."  Or  St.  Olaf  himself. 

Now  the  king  was  overjoyed,  because  Trolls,  as  we  are 
told,  always  lose  their  power  when  a  Christian  man  calls 
them  by  their  name.  On  his  return  he  saw  the  giant 
standing  on  the  top  of  the  tower,  in  the  act  of  placing  the 
spire,  and  called  to  him  : — 

"  Vind  och  Vader,  Wind  and  Tempest, 

Du  har  satt  spiran  sneder !"  Thou  hast  set  the  spire  awiy  ! 

From  the  summit  of  the  church  the  Troll  now  fell  with 
a  terrific  smash,  and  was  shivered  in  fragments,  all  which 
were  mere  flints.    According  to  another  version  the  giant's 
name  was  Slatt,  and  St.  Olaf  cried  out : — 
"  Slatt !  satt  spiran  riitt !"  Slatt !  set  the  spire  straight ! 

According  to  another,  he  is  called  Blaster,  and  St.  Olaf 
calls  to  him  : — 
"  Blaster !  satt  spiran  vaster ! "        Blaster !  set  the  spire  westward  ! 

The  same  tradition  is  also  current  in  Nol•\^'ay  itself, 
where  the  giant  is  called  Skalle,  and  the  magnificent  cathe- 
dral of  Nidaros  (Drontheim)  is  the  church  erected  by  hini^ 
A  similar  tradition  respecting  the  name  of  the  Troll  is 
found  also  in  Germany^. 

ST.  OLAF  AT  VAALER. 

When  travelling  over  the  country,  for  the  pur})Ose  of 
introducing  the  Christian  faith,  St.  Olaf  came  to  a  place 

1  Afzelius,  iii.  97,  98 ;  Grimm,  D.  M.  pp.  515.  516. 
-  Grimm,  K.  and  H.  M.  No.  55. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  41 

on  the  east  bank  of  the  Glommen,  which,  together  with 
its  church  and  the  whole  parish,  acquired  the  name  of 
Vaaler  in  the  following  manner : — In  the  above-named 
place,  St.  Olaf  held  an  assize,  at  which,  after  some  hesi- 
tation, it  was  decided  that  the  God  whom  the  king  wor- 
shiped should  also  be  worshiped  by  the  people,  and  that 
Odin^s  religion  should  give  place  to  that  of  Christ.  It 
was  further  decided,  on  the  king^s  proposal,  that  a  church 
should  be  erected  there,  as  at  other  places,  where  the  new 
faith  had  been  adopted.  With  respect,  however,  to  the 
spot  where  it  should  be  built,  a  great  difference  of  opinion 
arose ;  whereupon,  as  the  tradition  informs  us,  St.  Olaf 
bent  his  bow,  sent  forth  an  arrow,  and  declared  that  on 
the  spot  where  it  fell  the  church  should  stand.  The  king 
was  standing  at  the  time  by  the  fountain  that  still  bears 
the  name  of  St.  Olaf's,  and  the  arrow  fell  in  a  VaaU, 
where  a  wooden  church  was  afterwards  built,  which,  to- 
gether with  the  house  and  parish,  was  by  St.  Olaf  named 
Vaaler.  This  church,  at  which  the  sick  and  dying  were 
wont  to  make  offerings,  existed  till  the  year  1805,  when  a 
new  one  was  erected,  in  the  vestment-chest  of  which  there 
is  an  elaborate  iron  wire  clasp,  called  St.  Olaf^s  clasp, 
which,  according  to  tradition,  was  placed  in  the  old  church 
by  the  king  himself,  and  is  said  to  have  belonged  to  the 
halter  of  his  horse.  This  horse  the  king  was  accustomed 
to  water  in  the  crystal  spring,  which  is  never  dry  in  sum- 
mer nor  frozen  in  winter,  and  also  bears  St.  Olaf^s  name. 
Miraculous  powers  were  formerly  ascribed  to  it.  The  sick 
placed  money  or  anything  of  silver  in  it,  for  the  recovery 
of  their  health;  and  great  misfortune  was  supposed  to 
await  the  person  who  should  make  free  with  these  sacred 
deposits.  Only  a  few  years  ago  it  was  customary  for  the 
people,  on  the  first  day  of  every  celebration,  to  strive  who 

1  A  Vaal  is  a  quantity  of  trunks  and  roots  of  trees,  piled  in  a  heap  for 
fuel. 


42  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

should  first  arrive  at  the  fountain,  and  it  was  regarded  as 
something  to  boast  of  by  him  who  was  the  fii'st  to  water 
his  horse  at  St.  Olaf^s  well. 

ST.  OLAF  AT  RINGERIGE. 

When  St.  Olaf  was  journeying  from  place  to  place,  for 
the  purpose  of  introducing  the  Christian  faith  and  erecting 
churches  in  the  place  of  the  heathen  temples,  he  found 
much  opposition  and  hindrance  not  only  from  his  refrac- 
tory pagan  subjects,  but  also  from  the  numerous  Trolls, 
Jutuls  and  Giantesses  inhabiting  the  mountains  round 
about.  The  Trolls  could  not  endure  St.  Olaf,  partly  be- 
cause, by  using  the  sign  of  the  cross,  he  did  them  much 
harm,  and  partly  because  he  founded  so  many  chm*ches, 
the  sound  of  whose  bells  disturbed  their  quiet.  But  not- 
withstanding their  frequent  efforts,  they  could  effect  nothing 
against  the  holy  king,  who,  on  the  other  hand,  turned 
them  at  once  to  stone.  Such  petrified  Trolls  are  still  to 
be  seen  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Thus,  when  St.  Olaf 
was  on  one  of  his  progresses,  a  fierce  giantess  suddenly 
sprang  from  a  steep  rock,  crying  aloud  : — 

"  St.  Olaf  med  det  brede  skjaeg !     St.  Olaf  with  the  broad  beard  ! 
Du  rider  saa  nser  min  Kj elder-     Thou  ridest  so  near  my  cellar- 
vaeg  !  "  wall ! 

St.  Olaf  instantly  answered  : — 

"  Stat  du  der  i  Stok  og  Steen,         Stand  thou  there  in  stock  and 

stone, 
Til  jeg   kommer  her   tilbars       Till  I  come  hither  back  again, 
igjen." 

The  petrified  giantess  is  yet  to  be  seen  there. 

When  St.  Olaf  came  to  Steen,  where  his  mother  at  that 
time  dwelt,  he  resolved  on  building  a  church  there.  With 
this  resolution  a  giantess  (gyvri)  that  lived  in  the  moun- 
tain (which  is  two  thousand  feet  high,  and  after  her  was 
called  Gyrihauge)  was  highly  displeased ;  and,  although 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  43 

she  might,  from  the  above-m.entioned  example,  have  known 
that  St.  Olaf  was  not  a  person  to  be  trifled  with,  she  de- 
termined to  try  her  strength,  and  challenged  him  to  a 
competition.  "  Before  thou  art  ready  with  thy  church," 
said  she,  ''  I  shall  have  laid  a  stone  bridge  across  Steen's 
fiord."  Olaf  accepted  the  challenge,  and  before  she  was 
half  ready  with  her  bridge,  the  sweet  tones  of  the  bells 
were  heard  from  St.  Olaf  s  already  finished  church.  In 
her  rage  the  Troll  hurled  the  stones,  which  she  had  des- 
tined for  the  completion  of  the  bridge,  from  Gp-ihauge, 
straight  across  the  fiord,  at  the  church ;  but  as  none  of 
them  hit  the  mark,  she  was  so  exasperated  that  she  tore 
off  one  of  her  legs  and  cast  it  at  the  church-tower.  Some 
say  that  it  carried  the  tower  along  with  it,  others  that  she 
aimed  too  high.  But  be  that  as  it  may,  the  leg  sank 
down  in  a  swamp  behind  the  church,  where  it  causes  a 
foul  stench  even  to  this  day.  The  swamp  is  still  called 
by  the  country  folk  Giograput,  and  the  stones  which  she 
cast  at  the  church  were  not  long  since  to  be  seen  in  the 
neighbouring  fields.  The  bridge  begun  by  the  giantess 
is  now  completed,  and  at  Steen  are  still  to  be  seen  the 
ruins  of  St.  Olaf  s  church,  which  deserve  to  be  preserved 
more  carefully  than  they  now  are.  Formerly  service  was 
performed  on  eveiy  St.  John's  day,  but  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago  the  building  was  struck  by  lightning. 

AXEL  THORDSEN  AND  FAIR  VALDBORG. 
In  the  land  of  Norway  there  lived  in  former  days  a 
maiden  so  fair,  that  she  was  universally  denominated  the 
Fair  Valdborg.  Her  father.  Sir  Immer,  died  in  her  tender 
infancy,  and  her  mother,  the  Lady  Julli,  rested  also  in  the 
dark  earth  before  her  daughter  was  grown  up.  Being  of 
noble  race  she  had  powerful  relatives  all  over  the  country, 
but  the  choicest  of  them  all  was  Axel  Thordsen,  who  chose 
her  for  his  bride,  while  she  was  yet  a  child,  and  was  be- 


44  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

trothed  to  her,  previous  to  his  departure  from  the  country 
to  visit  foreign  courts,  among  which  he  took  service  under 
the  emperor  Henry. 

His  young  bride  was,  in  the  meanwhile,  placed  in  a 
cloister,  that  she  might  learn  to  sew,  and  there  she  re- 
mained for  eleven  years,  when  Queen  ^lalfred  received  the 
fair  maiden  into  her  court,  where  she  was  held  in  high 
honour  ;  for  Malfred  and  the  Lady  Julli  had  been  intimate 
acquaintances  and  often  played  at  tables  together.     Axel 
was,  in  the  mean  time,  beginning  to  feel  a  longing  after 
his  betrothed,  and  having  been  informed  by  a  pilgrim  of 
Valdborg^s  race,  that  she  was  the  most  beauteous  maiden  ni 
the  whole  land,  and  that  her  powerful  kindred  had  destined 
her  for  the  king^s  son,  Hagen,  he  obtained  leave  of  absence 
from  the  emperor,  and  hastened  back  to  his  native  country. 
Thirty  attendants  followed  him,  but  when  he  reached  his 
mother's  mansion,  he  rode  alone.     At  the  gate  he  was 
met  by  his  fair  sister,  the  Lady  Helfred,  who  advised  him 
to  disguise  himself  as  a  messenger,  at  the  same  time  giving 
him  a  letter  to  Valdborg,  whom  he  found,  attending  the 
queen,  just  coming  from  vespers.     In  the  letter,  which 
was  filled  with  expressions  of  love,  lay  five  gold  rings,  on 
which  roses  and  lilies  were  embossed.     On  reading  the 
letter,  she  plighted  to  him  her  faith  anew,  and  adhered  to 
her  oath,  although  eleven  knights  made  love  to  her,  be- 
sides Hagen,  the  king's  son,  who  was  the  twelfth.     The 
young  prince  was  sunk  in  despair  and  weary  in  spirit,  when 
fair  Valdborg  would  not  be  moved,  and  his  mother,  Queen 
Malfred,  answered  his   complaint  with  :  "  By  force  thou 
canst  not  gain  her.''       He  nevertheless   recovered  hope, 
when  he  by  chance  met  his  confessor,  the  black  friar  Knud, 
who  gave  him  the  unexpected  consolation,  that  Axel  could 
not  be  united  to  Valdborg,  because    they    were    cousins 
■•erman,  and  one  woman  had  held  them   both  over  the 


font. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  45 

Hagen  now  addressed  himself  to  Valdborg's  three  ma- 
ternal uncles,  who  were  jarls  of  high  degree,  and  of  them 
demanded  her  in  marriage.  Joyfully  they  gave  their  con- 
sent, but  Valdborg  said  :  "  Axel  is  my  dearest  friend,  I 
will  never  deceive  him."  Hagen  then  caused  letters  to 
be  written  and  the  archbishop  summoned,  together  with 
seventy  ecclesiastics,  and  declared  that  the  two  lovers 
should  be  cited  before  the  archbishop. 

With  beating  hearts  the  loving  pair  attended  before  the 
archbishop  in  St.  Mary's  church,  where  the  black  friar 
Knud  stept  forth,  and  with  the  pedigree  in  hand,  showed 
that  they  could  not  be  joined  in  wedlock,  as  they  were 
cousins  on  the  mother's  side,  and  were  besides  godchildren 
of  the  same  sponsor.  They  then  went  up  to  the  altar, 
where  a  handkerchief  was  delivered  to  them,  which  was 
then  cut  in  two  between  them,  and  a  part  retained  by  each. 
Thus  were  they  parted  for  ever.  The  gold  ring  was  then 
taken  off  Valdborg's  finger  and  the  bracelet  from  her  arm, 
both  of  which  were  returned  to  Axel,  who  casting  them  on 
the  altar,  made  a  present  of  them  to  St.  Olaf,  at  the  same 
time  swearing,  that  for  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  would 
be  the  friend  of  Valdborg. 

At  this  oath  Hagen  waxed  wroth,  and  stepping  forth 
swore,  that  Axel  should  on  the  following  day  make  oath 
on  sword  and  holy  writ,  that  Valdborg  was  a  virgin  for 
liim.  Not  only  did  the  two  lovers  swear  on  the  mass- 
book,  but  eleven  jarls  of  the  same  race,  with  gilded  swords 
and  yellow  locks,  attended  to  swear  with  the  fair  maiden, 
with  whom  Hagen  offered  to  share  his  throne  whenever 
he  became  king ;  but  she  declared  to  the  sorrowful  Axel 
that  she  would  never  forget  him,  but  would  pass  her  days 
in  solitude. 

Thus  stood  matters  for  a  considerable  time.  Axel  and 
his  beloved  never  entered  into  any  amusements  and  never 
were  seen  to  laugh.     At  length  a  war  broke  out,  and 


46  NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS. 

Hagen,  who  had  now  become  king,  summoned  all  his  men 
to  the  field.  He  made  Axel  his  general,  and  the  bold 
knight,  in  whose  shield  of  white  and  azure  stood  two  red 
hearts,  was  ever  at  hand  wherever  his  country^s  honour  or 
his  own  required  him.  The  conflict  was  obstinate.  Axel 
slew  King  Amund's  sons  and  many  of  the  nobles  of  Up- 
land. But  King  Hagen  fell,  mortally  wounded,  from  his 
horse,  requesting,  at  his  last  moments.  Axel  to  avenge  his 
death,  to  receive  the  kingdom  of  Norway,  and  take  to  wife 
the  beloved  of  them  both.  Axel  now  again  rushed  into 
the  thickest  of  the  fight,  slaughtering  the  enemy  until  his 
sword  brake,  and  he  had  received  seven  mortal  wounds. 
His  last  words  were  of  his  betrothed. 

Valdborg  divided  all  she  possessed  of  value  among  her 
relations,  and  retired  to  the  convent  of  St.  Mary,  where 
she  was  consecrated  a  nun  by  Archbishop  Aage. 

The  foregoing  notice  of  the  story  of  Axel  and  Valdborg  is  abridged  from 
the  beautiful  old  Danish  ballad  of  '  Axel  Thordsen  og  Skjon  Valdborg,'  of 
which  we  know  neither  the  name  of  its  author  nor  the  time  of  its  compo- 
sition. It  is  printed  in  the  Udvalgte  Danske  Viser  (Bd.  iii.  pp.  257  sqq.), 
and  a  German  translation  by  ^y.  C.  Grimm  is  given  in  his  '  Altdknische 
Heldenlieder,'  pp.  357  sqq.     It  has  been  dramatized  by  Oehlenschlaeger. 

If  the  ballad  has  any  historic  worth  beyond  the  circumstance  that  it 
affords  an  accurate  picture  of  Norwegian  costume  in  the  middle  age,  and 
that  in  it  may  be  seen,  as  in  a  mirror,  the  spirit  and  manners  of  the  time, 
it  seems  most  probable  that  its  scene  was  in  Romsdal  aifd  the  neighbour- 
ing Sondmor.  At  the  mansion  of  Houe  in  Sondmor,  tradition  tells  of  a 
battle  fought  there,  in  which  both  Axel  Thordsen  and  the  king's  son, 
Hagen,  were  slain ;  and  on  the  little  isle  of  Gidske,  by  the  church,  there 
is  a  marble  slab,  shaped  like  a  coffin  hd,  about  six  feet  long  and  in  the 
widest  part  scarcely  an  ell  broad,  on  which  are  some  illegible  runic  cha- 
racters, which  has  always  been  known  as  Fair  Valdborg's  grave.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  quire,  tradition  further  says.  Axel  Thordsen  hes  buried, 
but  without  a  memorial.  By  each  grave  an  ash  was  planted,  both  of 
which  grew  to  an  equal  height,  and  when  they  had  risen  above  the  roof 
of  the  church,  they  inclined  towards  each  other,  and  entwined  their  boughs 
together.    Axel's  tree  yet  stands  flourishing,  but  Valdborg's  is  dead. 


NORWEGIAN  TRADITIONS.  4/ 

THE  SIGNE-KJiERRING,  OR  WITCH. 

To  ascertain  under  what  disease  a  sickly  child  was 
labouring,  recourse  was — and,  perhaps,  is — had  to  a  signe- 
kjcerring^,  who  employed  for  that  purpose  the  process  of 
melting  or  casting.  This  was  done  by  melting  lead  taken 
from  church  windows  after  sunset,  into  water  di-awn  from 
a  stream  running  from  the  north.  Over  the  vessel  con- 
taining the  water  there  was  laid  a  barley  cake,  having  in 
it  a  hole  made  with  a  darning  needle,  through  which  the 
molten  lead  was  slowly  poured  into  the  water.  This  ope- 
ration was  usually  performed  in  the  case  of  rickets,  in 
order  to  discover  under  which  of  the  nine  species  of  that 
disease — for  such  was  the  number  of  its  varieties — the 
child  was  suffering.  According  to  the  form  assumed  by 
the  lead  in  the  water,  the  species  was  determined ;  if,  for 
instance,  it  resembled  a  man  with  two  large  horns,  it  was 
the  troldsvek  (troll-rickets) ;  if  a  mermaid,  the  vassvek 
(water-rickets) . 

WTiile  pouring  the  lead  the  sorceress  muttered  the  fol- 
lowing spell : — 

I  charm  for  guile,  and  I  charm  for  rickets ; 

I  charm  it  hence,  and  I  charm  it  away ; 

I  charm  it  out,  and  I  charm  it  in ; 

I  charm  in  weather,  and  I  charm  in  wind ; 

I  charm  in  the  south,  and  I  charm  in  the  east ; 

I  charm  in  the  north,  and  I  charm  in  the  west ; 

I  charm  in  the  earth,  and  I  charm  in  water ; 

I  charm  in  the  mountain,  I  charm  in  the  sand ; 

I  charm  it  do\ATi  in  an  alder-root ; 

I  charm  it  into  a  colt's  foot ; 

I  charm  it  into  the  fire  of  hell ; 

I  charm  it  into  a  north-running  stream ; 

There  shall  it  eat,  and  there  shall  consume. 

Till  harm  for  the  babe  there  shall  be  none^. 

^  From  at  signe,  i.  e.  to  exorcifie,  and  Kja^rring  (Nor.  for  KjaerUng)  an 
old  crone ;  an  undoubted  descendant  of  the  Vala  of  the  heathen  times. 
2  Asbjornsen,  Huldreeventyr,  ii.  pp.  158  sqq. 


SCANDINAVIAN  POPULAR  TRADITIONS. 


II. 

SWEDISH  TRADITIONS  1. 

CHRISTMAS  OR  YULE  PASTIMES. 

Many  Christmas  customs  and  pastimes  derive  their  origin 
from  the  sacrifices,  which,  in  the  days  of  heathenism,  were 
appointed,  in  order  to  render  the  gods  propitious.  The 
sacrifices  consecrated  to  Odin,  which  sometimes  consisted 
of  human  beings,  were  celebrated  with  games  and  dancing. 
In  Gothland,  where  most  memorials  of  Odin  are  to  be  met 
with,  a  game  still  exists  in  some  places,  which  represents 
such  a  sacrificial  dance.  It  is  performed,  amid  many 
nimble  springs  and  changes  of  motion,  by  young  men  dis- 
guised, with  their  faces  blackened  or  coloured.  One  of  these 
represents  the  victim,  everything  required  for  the  sacri- 
fice is  brought  forth,  which  is  apparently  carried  into  effect 
to  the  sound  of  music  or  of  song.  Sometimes  the  person 
selected  as  the  victim  sits  clad  in  skin  on  a  stool,  holding 
a  wisp  of  straw  in  his  mouth,  which,  cut  sharp  at  the  ends 
and  standing  out  from  his  ears,  is  intended  to  resemble  a 

^  From  Afzelius,  Svenska  Folkets  Sago-Hiifder,  unless  otherwise  expressed. 

D 


•^0  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

swine^s  bristles  ;  he  is  thus  supposed  to  represent  the  sa- 
crifice made  at  Yule  to  Frey,  and  which  consisted  of  a  hog. 
In  many  places  a  loaf  or  cake  is  baked,  which  is  called  the 
Yule-hog  (Julgalt),  and  is  kept  till  the  spring,  when  it  is 
given  to  the  cattle  with  which  the  labours  of  spring  are  to 
be  executed ;  all  in  commemoration  of  the  pagan  sacrifices 
at  midwinter  or  Yule  for  a  good  year.  Even  the  name  of 
Yule  (0.  Nor.  Jol,  Dan.  Sw.  Jul)  is  derived  from  the  cir- 
cular motion  of  the  sun  ^ ;  the  first  half-year  till  Yule 
Avith  decreasing  days,  the  second  from  Yule  with  increas- 
ing days ;  whence  the  time  when  both  these  halves  meet 
is  called  the  '  Jula-mot.^  This  was  the  ancient  new  year  : 
it  began  with  the  longest  night  of  winter,  which  was  called 
the  Modernatt  (Mother  night).  The  new  yearns  wish  of 
old  was,  '  a  good  Jula-mot.^ 

The  hog  of  propitiation  (sonargoltr)  offered  to  Frey  was  a  solemn  sa- 
crifice in  the  Nortli,  and  in  Sweden,  down  to  modern  times,  the  custom 
has  heen  preserved  of  haking,  on  every  Christmas  eve,  a  loaf  or  cake  in  the 
form  of  a  hog.  Verelius,  in  his  remarks  on  tlie  Hervararsaga  (p.  139)  re- 
lates that  the  Swedish  peasants  dry  the  baked  Yule-hog,  and  preserve  it 
till  the  spring ;  then  having  pounded  a  part  of  it  in  the  vessel  out  of  which 
the  seed  is  to  be  scattered,  they  give  it  mixed  with  barley  to  the  plough- 
horses,  leaving  the  other  part  to  be  eaten  by  the  servants  that  hold  the 
plough,  in  the  hope  of  having  a  plentiful  harvest  -. 

MODERN  TRADITIONS  OF  ODIN. 
In  Gothland,  and  particularly  in  Smilland,  many  tra- 
ditions and  stories  of  Odin  the  Old  still  live  in  the  mouths 
of  the  people.  In  Bleking  it  was  formerly  the  custom  to 
leave  a  sheaf  on  the  field  for  Odiums  horses.  In  Kraktorps 
gard  in  SmPdand,  a  barrow  was  opened  about  a  century 
ago,  in  which  Odin  was  said  to  have  been  buried,  and 
which,  after  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  was  called 
Ilelvctesbacke  (IlelFs  mount).  In  it  was  found  a  vault, 
fi'oui   which  when  opened  there  burst  forth  a  wondrous 

'   From  0.  Nor.  hjol,  Dan.  Sw.  hjul  (wheel).     See  Grimm,  D.  M.  p.  6(54. 
2  lb.  pp.  45,  1188. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  51 

iii'e,  like  a  flash  of  lightning.  A  coffin  of  flints  also  and  a 
lamp  were  found  at  the  same  time.  Of  a  priest^  named 
Peter  Dagson,  who  dwelt  near  Troienborg,  it  is  related, 
that  when  the  rye  he  had  sown  there  sprang  up,  Odin  came 
riding  from  the  hills  every  evening,  of  stature  so  lofty  that 
he  towered  above  the  buildings  in  the  farm-yard,  and  with 
spear  in  hand.  Stopping  before  the  entrance,  he  hindered 
every  one,  during  the  w^hole  night,  from  going  in  or  out. 
And  this  took  place  every  night  until  the  rye  was  cut. 

A  story  is  also  current  of  a  golden  ship,  which  is  said 
to  be  sunk  in  Runemad,  near  the  Nyckelberg,  in  which, 
according  to  the  tradition,  Odin  fetched  the  slain  from  the 
battle  of  Bravalla  to  Valhall.  Kettils-as,  it  is  said,  derives 
its  name  from  one  Kettil  Runske,  who  stole  Odin^s  runic 
staves  (runekaflar),  with  which  he  bound  his  dogs  and 
bull,  and  at  length  even  the  mermaid  herself,  w^ho  came 
to  Odin's  help.  Many  such  traditions  have  been  and  may 
still  be  found  in  those  parts  ;  all  of  which,  it  may  well  be 
conceived,  are  not  regarded  as  articles  of  faith ;  it  is,  ne- 
vertheless, a  pleasure  for  the  countryman,  when,  w^alking 
over  his  fields,  he  comes  to  a  mount,  a  water,  a  pile  of 
stones,  to  know^  what  old  traditions  were  current  concern- 
ing them,  and  have  given  names  to  villages  and  dwellings. 

It  is  w^orthy  of  remark  that  one  of  our  (Swedish)  hand- 
somest birds  of  passage,  the  black  heron  (Ardea  nigra, 
Linn.)  was  in  ancient  times  called  Odin's  swallow. 

MODERN  TRADITIONS  OF  THOR. 
Thor,  as  well  as  Odin  the  Old,  came  to  the  North  wdth 
some  immigration,  which  in  remote  times  took  place  from 
Asia  and  Asgard.  Here  he  had  to  contend  with  the  land's 
earliest  inhabitants,  w^ho  from  their  dwelling  in  mountain- 
caverns  and  dens,  as  well  as  from  their  gigantic  stature 
and  ferocity,  were  called  Jattar  (Giants),  Trolls  and  Bergs- 
boar  (mountain-dwellers).     Hence  have  all  the  traditions 

d2 


52  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

about  giants  and  the  like  their  origin.  Those  smooth, 
wedge-shaped  stones,  which  are  sometimes  found  in  the 
earth,  are  called  Thorwiggar,  i.  e.  Thor's  wedges :  these, 
it  is  said,  have  been  hurled  by  Thor  at  some  Troll.  In 
many  places  where  the  meadows  border  on  the  mountains, 
stories  w^ere  once  rife  of  the  terror  felt  by  the  Trolls  when 
it  thundered,  and  how  they  then,  in  various  shapes,  though 
most  frequently  as  large  balls  or  clews,  would  come  rolling 
down  the  mountain,  seeking  shelter  among  the  mowers 
who,  well  aware  of  their  danger,  always  held  them  back 
with  their  sithes ;  on  which  occasions  it  has  often  hap- 
pened that  the  thunder  has  struck  and  shivered  the  sithe, 
when  the  Troll  with  a  piteous  piping  sound  would  again 
return  to  the  mountain. 

Aerolites  are  found  in  many  places  and  are  memorials 
of  Thor.  Although  not  always  of  great  magnitude,  they 
are,  nevertheless,  so  heavy  that  there  is  now  scarcely  any 
man  who  can  lift  them.  These,  it  is  said,  Thor  handled 
Uke  playthings.  Of  the  aerolite  at  Linneryd  in  Smnland 
it  is  related,  that  Thor,  as  he  was  once  passing  by  with  his 
attendant,  met  a  giant,  whom  he  asked  to  what  place  he 
was  going.  ''  To  Valhall,"  answered  he,  "  to  fight  with 
Thor,  who  with  his  lightning  has  burnt  my  cattle-house.'' 
"  It  is  hardly  advisable  for  thee  to  measure  strength  with 
him,''  answered  Thor,  "for  I  cannot  imagine  that  thou 
art  the  man  to  lift  this  little  stone  up  on  the  large  one 
here."  At  this  the  giant  waxed  wroth,  and  grasped  tlie 
stone  with  all  his  might,  but  was  unable  to  raise  it  from 
the  earth,  so  wonderfully  had  Thor  charmed  it.  Thor's 
follower  then  made  the  attempt,  and  lifted  the  stone  as 
though  it  had  been  a  glove.  The  giant  now  aimed  a  blow 
at  Thor  which  brought  him  on  his  knees ;  but  Thor  with 
his  hammer  struck  the  giant  dead.  He  lies  buried  under 
the  great  stone  heap  hard  by. 

Thor  was  worshiped  in  Gothland  above  and  more  than 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  53 

the  other  gods.  The  Thorbagge  (scarabseus  stercorarius) 
was  sacred  to  him.  Relative  to  this  beetle  a  superstition 
still  exists,  which  has  been  transmitted  from  father  to  son, 
that  if  any  one  in  his  path  finds  a  Thorbagge  lying  help- 
less on  its  back,  and  turns  it  on  its  feet,  he  expiates  seven 
sins  ;  because  Thor  in  the  time  of  heathenism  was  regarded 
as  a  mediator  with  a  higher  power,  or  All-father.  On  the 
introduction  of  Christianity,  the  priests  strove  to  terrify  the 
people  from  the  worship  of  their  old  divinities,  pronoun- 
cing both  them  and  their  adherents  to  be  evil  spirits  and 
belonging  to  hell.  On  the  poor  Thorbagge  the  name  was 
now  bestowed  of  Thordjefvul  or  Thordyfvel  (Thor-devil),  by 
which  it  is  still  known  in  Sweden  Proper.  No  one  now 
thinks,  of  Thor,  when  he  finds  the  helpless  creature  lying 
on  its  back;  but  the  good-natured  countryman  seldom 
passes  it  without  setting  it  on  its  feet,  and  thinking  of  his 
sins'  atonement. 

That  the  remembrance  of  and  veneration  for  Thor  were 
long  retained  in  Norway  and  in  Bohuslan,  appears  from 
many  traditions.  Of  some  sailors  from  Bohuslan,  about 
a  hundred  years  since,  it  is  related,  that  while  out  in  a 
Dutch  ship  from  Amsterdam,  on  the  whale  fishery  near 
Greenland,  being  driven  out  of  their  known  course,  they 
observed  for  many  nights  the  light  of  a  fire  from  an  island 
or  shore,  at  which  some  of  the  sailors,  and  among  them 
one  of  the  men  from  Bohuslan,  were  seized  with  a  desire 
to  visit  the  place  and  see  what  people  were  there.  They 
therefore  took  the  ship^s  boat  and  rowed  to  the  spot. 
Having  landed  and  approached  the  fire,  they  found  sitting 
by  it  an  old  man  warming  himself,  who  immediately  asked 
them  whence  they  came.  "  From  Holland,''  answered  the 
man  from  Bohuslan.  *'  But  from  what  place  art  thou  thy- 
self ?'^  inquired  the  old  man.  '^  From  Safve  on  Hisingen," 
answered  the  sailor.  "  Art  thou  acquainted  with  Thorsby?'^ 
"  Yes,   well."     "  Dost  thou  know  where  the   Ulfveberg 


54  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

is?''  "Yes_,  I  have  often  passed  it,  because  there  is  a 
direct  way  from  Gothenborg  to  Marstrand  across  Hisingen 
through  Thorsby."  "  Do  the  great  stones  and  the  earth- 
mounds  still  stand  in  their  places  ?  "  ''  Yes,  all  but  one 
stone  which  is  ready  to  fall/'  "  Tell  me  further/'  said 
the  old  heathen,  "  dost  thou  know  where  Glosshed's  altar 
is,  and  whether  it  is  still  safe  and  sound  ?"  On  the  sailor 
answering  that  it  was  not,  the  old  man  said :  "  Wilt  thou 
desire  the  people  in  Thorsby  and  Thores-bracka  not  to 
destroy  the  stones  and  mounds  under  the  Ulfveberg,  and 
above  all  things  to  keep  the  altar  at  Glosshed  safe  and 
whole,  so  shalt  thou  have  a  good  wind  to  the  place  for 
which  thou  art  bound."  All  this  the  sailor  promised  to 
perform  on  his  return  home.  On  asking  the  old  man  his 
name,  and  why  he  so  anxiously  inquired  aboiit  such  ob- 
jects, he  answered  the  sailor  :  "  My  name  is  Thorcr  Brack, 
and  my  habitation  is  there ;  but  I  am  now  a  fugitive.  In 
the  great  mound  by  the  Ulfvesberg  my  whole  race  lies 
buried,  and  at  Glosshed's  altar  we  performed  our  worship 
to  the  gods."  They  then  parted  from  the  old  man  and 
had  a  fair  wind  home. 

OF  ROCKING  STONES  AND  THUNDERING  STONES. 

With  Rocking  Stones,  like  those  in  England  and  else- 
where, and  with  Thundering  Stones,  or  such  as  when 
passed  over  give  forth  a  dull,  hollow  sound,  much  sorcery 
is  practised,  because  they  are  regarded  as  a  resort  for 
Elves  and  Trolls. 

SUPERSTITIOUS  USAGE  IN  CASE  OF  THEFT. 

The  following  barbarous  superstition  is  still  ])ractised 
in  an  enlightened  Christian  ago. 

If  a  person  is  robbed,  he  goes  to  a  so-called  cunning 
man,  who  engages  to  strike  out  the  eve  of  the  thief.     Tlie 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS,  OU 

following  is  the  process.  The  Trollman  cuts  a  human 
figure  on  a  young  tree,  mutters  certain  dire  spells  to  ob- 
tain the  deviFs  aid,  and  then  drives  some  sharp  instrument 
into  the  eye  of  the  figure.  It  was  also  a  practice  to  shoot 
with  an  arrow  or  bullet  at  one  of  the  members  of  the 
figure,  by  which  pain  and  sore  are,  it  is  beheved,  inflicted 
on  the  corresponding  member  of  the  living  person. 

FINNISH  SUPERSTITION. 

With  the  foregoing  may  be  classed  the  Finnish  super- 
stition of  producing  the  image  of  an  absent  person  in  a 
vessel  of  water  and  aiming  a  shot  at  it,  and  thereby  wound- 
ing or  slaying  a  hated  enemy  at  many  hundred  miles 
distance.  Even  on  a  neighbour's  cattle  this  degrading 
superstition  has  been  practised.  Apoplexy  and  other 
sudden  diseases  have  hence  acquired  the  name  of  shots, 
Troll-shots. 

A  young  Swede  had,  during  his  wanderings  in  Finland, 
engaged  himself  to  a  handsome  Finnish  girl,  but  after  his 
return  home,  had  quite  forgotten  both  his  love  and  his 
promise  to  return  to  his  betrothed,  A  Lapp  skilled  in  the 
magic  of  his  country  coming  one  day  to  him,  it  occurred 
to  the  young  man  to  inquire  of  him  how  it  fared  with  his 
betrothed  in  Finland.  "  That  you  shall  see  yourself,^' 
answered  the  Lapp,  who  having,  while  muttering  divert 
spells,  filled  a  bucket  with  water,  bade  him  come  and  look 
into  it.  There,  we  are  told,  the  young  man  saw  the  well- 
known  country  round  the  cottage  of  his  betrothed,  and 
his  heart  beat  violently  on  perceiving  her  pale  and  in  tears 
stepping  out  at  the  door,  followed  by  her  father,  with  an 
angry  countenance  and  holding  a  gun  in  his  hand.  The  old 
Fin  now  approached  a  pail  filled  with  water,  looked  in  the 
direction  whence  the  young  man  had  been  expected,  shook 
his  head,  and  cocked  the  gun,  while  the  daughter  stood 


56  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

wringing  her  hands.  '^Now/^  said  the  Lapp,  "he  will 
shoot  you,  if  you  do  not  prevent  it  by  shooting  him.  Make 
haste  and  take  aim  with  your  gun.^^  The  Fin,  having 
levelled  his  piece,  went  to  the  pail.  "  Shoot  now,"  said 
the  Lapp,  "  or  you  are  a  dead  man."  He  fired  accord- 
ingly, and  the  Fin  fell  lifeless  on  the  earth.  Conscience 
some  time  after  prompted  the  young  Swede  to  revisit  the 
scene  of  his  pei-fidy,  where  he  learned  that  the  old  man 
had  died  of  apoplexy  on  the  very  day  that  the  Lapp  had 
displayed  his  magical  skill  ^ 

OF  GIANTS  AND  DWARFS. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  several  Sagas  and  other 
writings,  there  dwelt  in  Sweden,  in  remote  times,  a  gi- 
gantic, wild,  cruel  race  called  Jotens  (Jotnar),  and  the 
country  they  inhabited,  about  the  Gulf  of  Finland  and 
thence  northwards,  was  named  Jotunaland,  or  Jattehem. 
But  when  a  more  enlightened  people  from  Asia,  who  knew 
the  God  of  the  whole  universe,  and  worshiped  him  under 
the  name  of  All-father,  entered  Sweden  across  its  eastern 
boundary,  there  arose  between  them  and  the  Jotnar  or 
Jatte-folk  a  war  which  lasted  for  many  centuries.  And 
as  David  slew  the  presumptuous  giant  Goliah,  so  did  the 
new  Asiatic  settlers  in  the  North,  through  skill  and  supe- 
rior understanding,  overcome  the  earlier,  savage  inhabitants 
0  the  country,  who  withdrew  more  and  more  into  the 
deepest  forests,  and  took  up  their  abode  in  mountain- 
caves  and  dens.  From  these  times  are  derived  all  our 
popular  traditions  of  Mountain-trolls,  Giants,  and  Moun- 
tain-dwellers. They  are  described  as  possessing  vast  stores 
of  gold  and  other  valuables,  as  bad,  but  credulous.  Their 
women  are  described  as  ugly. 

A  distinct  species  of  Berg-  or  Mountain-troll  were  the 

'  For  more  on  this  curious  subject,  see  Grimm.  D.  M.  p.  1045  sq.  and 
note. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  57 

Dwarfs.  These  were  good  mechanics  and  cunning,  then- 
wives  and  daughters  are  spoken  of  as  very  beautiful.  This 
Dwarf-race  seems  to  spring  from  a  people  that  migrated 
from  the  eastern  countries  at  a  later  period,  as  they  were 
acquainted  with  runes,  which  they  used  in  sorcery,  ac- 
companied by  the  harp,  as  we  read  in  the  old  ballad  of 
Sir  Tynne  :— 

"  That  was  Ulfva,  the  little  dwarf's  daughter. 
To  her  maiden  thus  she  spoke  : 
Thou  shalt  fetch  my  harp  of  gold ; 
Sir  T\Tine  will  I  cause  to  love  me. 
Ye  manage  well  the  runes  ^." 

4s  *  *  * 

*  *  *  * 

A  similar  art  of  enchanting  and  bewitching  the  Lapp- 
landers  are  supposed  to  possess  even  at  the  present  day, 
and  wdth  some  probability  it  may  be  conjectured  that  the 
Asiatic  people,  who  in  the  Sagas  are  mentioned  under  the 
name  of  Dwarfs,  was  no  other  than  an  immigration  of 
oriental  Lapps,  and  the  origin  of  the  race  among  us  which 
still  bears  that  name  :  also  that  the  Fins  descend  from  the 
giants,  and  are  thus  the  oldest  of  the  races  that  now  in- 
habit Sweden.  These  peoples  had  no  unanimity,  no  general 
government  and  laws,  and  were  therefore  so  easily  con- 
quered by  the  combined  ^sir-race,  who  led  by  their  droits 
or  kings,  in  two  separate  invasions  (the  Swedes  and  Goths) 
arrived  in  the  North. 


At  a  period  when  self-defence  was  the  first  duty  of  man 
and  victory  his  greatest  happiness,  and  even  Gimle  itself, 
or  heaven,  was  to  be  gained  by  valour  and  a  good  sword, 
it  was  natural  that  well-tempered,  efficient  weapons  should 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  precious  possessions.     A 

1  The  old  Danish  ballad  of  '  Herr  Tonne,'  or  '  Runernes  Magt,'  is  only 
a  variety  of  the  Swedish  one.     It  is  printed  in  the  Danske  Viser,  i.  281. 

D  5 


58  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

good  armourer  was  said  to  be  instructed  by  the  Elves  or 
Dwarfs.  A  well-hardened,  good  and  elastic  sword  was 
usually  regarded  as  of  Dwarf  workmanship.  Other  pre- 
cious things  also,  particularly  armlets  of  gold,  set  with 
jewels  or  of  beautiful  colours,  were  called  sometimes  Elfin- ^ 
and  sometimes  Dwarf-ornaments.  In  the  smithes  art  the 
Giants  and  the  Mountain-dwellers  were  considered  as  emi- 
nently skilful,  and  among  the  mountains  are  sometimes 
found  smaller  rocks  detached  from  the  larger  ones,  which 
by  the  common  people  are  called  Giants^  anvils,  on  which 
it  is  supposed  the  Giants  executed  their  works. 

KING  ERIC'S  DREAM. 

It  was  long  believed  by  the  people  that  King  Eric  was 
a  great  magician  (TroUkarl)  and  conversant  in  hidden 
knowledge,  also  that  he  gained  from  Odin  information 
concerning  things  that  were  hidden  from  other  men.  After 
his  victory  at  Fyriswall,  he  had  no  more  enemies  to  con- 
tend with  him  the  tranquil  possession  of  his  dominions. 
He  saw  Christianity  spread  itself  more  and  more  in  every 
direction,  and  felt  conscious  that  he  was  the  last  heathen 
king  in  the  North.  He  therefore  made  a  sacrifice  to  Odin, 
that  he  might  learn  from  him  how  many  Christian  kings 
after  him  should  sit  on  the  throne  of  Sweden.  In  a  dream 
he  received  for  answer,  that  he  must  burst  King  Sverker's 
rock,  in  which  he  would  find  a  tablet  that  would  elucidate 
all  that  he  wished  to  know  concerning  his  successors. 
This  instruction  he  followed ;  but  who  this  Sverker  was 
and  where  his  rock  was,  our  chronicles  tell  us  not.  When 
the  rock  in  question  was  split,  there  was  found  in  it  a 
stone  tablet  set  round  with  golden  plates  and  precious 
stones.  On  the  one  side  was  represented  an  oblong, 
quadrangular  table,  around  which  were  thrice  nine  crowns 
distinguished  by  the  names  of  kings ;  on  the  other  side 

1  In  the  Vblundarkvi)>a  Volund  is  called  lord  ofalfs,  companion  of  alfn. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIOxXS.  59 

was  a  triangular  table  or  plate  with  thrice  seven  crowns. 
All  these  crowns  were  distinguished  by  colours,  to  indicate 
the  race  of  the  several  princes,  as  blue  for  the  Swedes, 
green  for  the  Norse,  red  for  the  Danes,  and  yellow  for  the 
Germans.  This  tablet,  we  are  told,  was  long  preserved 
among  the  treasures  of  the  kingdom  in  the  state  trea- 
sury, until  Archbishop  Gustaf  Trolle  in  the  war  time  car- 
ried it  with  him  to  Denmark,  and,  after  the  precious  stones 
were  taken  out,  left  it  in  the  custody  of  a  priest  in  Roes- 
kilde.  This  priest  took  it  with  him  to  Sofde  in  Scania, 
and  had  it  entered  in  the  inventory  of  the  church  there. 
Here  it  was  found  by  Nils  Hvide,  bishop  of  Lund,  who 
stole  it.  A  priest  in  Scania,  named  Master  Jacob,  com- 
posed a  lampoon  in  verse,  charging  the  bishop  with  the 
theft,  but  was  unable  to  prove  the  charge,  and  was  thei'e- 
fore  condemned  and  executed  at  Copenhagen.  His  last 
words  at  the  place  of  execution,  and  which  stand  on  his 
grave-stone,  are  said  to  have  been  : — 

"  Skall  nu  Master  Jacob  miste  Though  now  Master  Jacob  shall 
sitt  hf,  lose  his  life, 

For  hanen  gal,  Ere  the  cock  crows, 

Saa  er  dog  Bispen  en  tyff,  Yet  is  the  bishop  a  thief, 
For  stenen  han  stal."  For  he  stole  the  stone. 

In  a  book  belonging  to  Frosunda  church  in  Roslagen, 
this  story  of  King  Eric's  dream  is  to  be  found,  also  a 
representation  of  the  tablet  in  Sverker's  rock. 

OF  BIORN  THE  SWEDE,  ULF  JARL,  AND  CNUT  THE  GREAT. 
There  dwelt  once  in  Sweden  a  rich  man,  who  had  a 
young  daughter  of  exquisite  beauty.  Near  the  town  where 
they  dwelt  there  was  a  green  and  pleasant  place,  to  which 
the  youth  of  both  sexes  were  wont  to  resort  for  amuse- 
ment. It  befell  one  day  that  when  the  damsel  above- 
mentioned  was  out  playing  with  her  companions,  a  bear 
came  out  of  the  forest,  rushed  in  the  midst  of  the  terrified 


60  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

children,  and  seizing  her  with  his  fore  paws,  hastened  with 
her  to  his  den  in  the  forest.  He  showed  her  the  greatest 
affection,  every  day  ])rocured  for  her  both  game  and  fruits, 
and  let  her  want  for  nothing.  But  the  bear  having  killed 
much  cattle  for  his  own  subsistence,  the  people  assembled 
in  a  general  hunt  and  destroyed  him.  The  damsel  was 
now  found  again,  and  soon  after  was  delivered  of  a  son 
who  was  called  Biorn  (Bear).  He  grew  up,  became 
stronger  than  other  men,  and  possessed  great  understand- 
ing. In  this  he  seems  to  have  taken  after  his  forefathers, 
according  to  the  old  saying :  "  A  bear  has  twelve  men^s 
understanding  and  six  men^s  strength."  A  grandson  of 
this  Bifirn  was  Ulf  Jarl  in  Scania,  who,  against  her  bro- 
ther's will,  married  Estrid,  the  sister  of  Cnut  the  Great. 
It  was  this  Ulf  who  aided  King  Cnut,  when  his  fleet  was 
on  the  point  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  at  the 
isle  of  Helge.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  aid,  Ulf  could 
never  gain  the  king's  friendship,  and  was  ill  rewarded  in 
the  end,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

King  Cnut  and  Ulf  Jarl  were  sitting  one  day  after  the 
battle  of  Helge  playing  at  chess  in  Roeskilde.  Cnut 
moved  a  pawn,  but  wished  to  put  it  back ;  at  this  Ulf  was 
so  irritated  that  he  overthrew  the  board  and  was  rushing 
from  the  apartment,  when  the  king  in  anger  called  to  him  : 
"  Art  thou  running  away,  cowardly  Ulf?"  Ulf  answered  : 
"  Thou  wouldst  have  run  farther  in  the  tight  at  Helge,  had 
I  not  come :  I  was  not  called  cowardly  Ulf  when  the 
Swedes  were  beating  you  like  dogs,  till  I  came  to  your 
relief."  It  soon  appeared  how  unwise  it  is  for  an  inferior 
person  to  speak  too  freely  to  a  superior.  On  the  morrow 
the  king  was  informed  that  the  jarl  had  taken  refuge  m 
the  church  of  St.  Lucius,  and  thereu])on  sent  a  man  who 
slew  him  before  the  high  altar.  After  the  extinction  of 
the  house  of  Cnut  in  the  male  line,  Svcnd,  the  son  of  Ulf 
Jarl  and  Estrid,  ascended  the  Danish  throne,  the  last  of 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  61 

whose  descendants  was  the  celebrated  Queen  Margaret, 
ob.  A.D.  1412. 

CHRISTIAN-HEATHEN  TRADITIONS  OF  TROLLS,  ETC. 
The  first  light  of  Christianity  was  insufficient  to  dispel 
all  the  darkness  of  heathenism.     There  still  remained  on 
the  public  ways  and  in  fields  small   oratories  built  over 
some  pagan  idol_,  for  the  accommodation  both  of  travellers 
and  of  those  employed  in  the  fields.    From  these  oratories 
or  ^  scurds/  as  they  were  called,  the  heathen  images  were 
indeed  removed,  but  those  of  saints  were  set  up  in  their 
place,   and  many   a    neophyte  prayed   sometimes   to   the 
Virgin  Mary,  St.  Peter  and  other  sanits,  and  at  others  to 
Thor  and  Freyia.     The  Christians,  therefore,  strove  now 
with  all  their  might  to  suppress  among  the  people  all  faith 
in  these  heathen  deities,  condemning  them  as  spirits  of 
hell  that  sought  the  ruin  of  mankind.     The  spectres  of 
heathenism.  Trolls  and  Elves,  together  with  those,  in  their 
mounds  or  barrows,  who  had  died  in  the  time  of  idolatry, 
were  represented  as  bugbears  to  Christian  men,  so  that 
they  were  always  held  in  fear,  and  trembled  on  their  way, 
particularly  by  night,  for  the  '  evil  meeting,^  that  is,  the 
meeting  with  Trolls  or  Elves,  whence,  it  was  said,  many 
diseases  and  troubles  were  caused  to  mortals ;  nor  was 
self-interest  behindhand  in  finding  remedies  for  all  such 
calamities.    The  simple  people  paid  dearly  to  monks,  troll- 
wives  and  exorcising  women  for  these  remedies,  consisting 
in  superstitious  mummery  with  incense  and  spells,  per- 
formed in  crossways,  churches,  and  at  Elf-stones.    At  such 
places  strange  prayers  were  said,  mingled  with  the  invo- 
cation and  misuse  of  the  names  of  Jesus  and  the  saints. 
These  prayers,  which  were  for  the  most  part  composed  in 
the  monasteries,  were  sometimes  in  rime.     We  could  ad- 
duce some  that  have  been  in  use  even  in  our  time ;  but, 
as  ofi"ensive  to  Christian  ears,  they  had  better  be  forgotten. 


62  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

What  still  remains  of  these  superstitions  of  Elves,  Trolls 
and  the  like,  either  in  traditions  or  popular  belief,  shall  be 
here  briefly  related. 

OF  ELVES. 
Both  in   the  heathen  and  the  Christian  supernatural 
world.  Elves  occupy  the  most  conspicuous  place.  AVhat  we 
have  already  communicated  concerning  the  pagan  belief  in 
Elves  has  been  propagated  by  traditions,  from  age  to  age, 
until  our  times,  with  the  addition  of  much  Christian  fable. 
There  are  still  to  be  found  elf-altars,  where  offerings  are 
made  for  the  sick.    The  so-called  wise  women — the  Horga- 
brudar  of  our  days— anoint  with  swine's  fat,  which  was 
used  in  the  pagan  offerings,  and  read  prayers,  which  they 
say  are  mystic ;  after  which  something  metaUic,  that  has 
been  worn  or  borne  by  the  sick  person — a  small  coin  or 
even  a  pin  is  sufficient — and  lastly  a  cross  (as  a  token  that 
the  Saviour's  power  is  also  here  superstitiously  invoked), 
are  laid  upon  the   elf-mill    (alf-qvarn)    or,  as   it  is    also 
called,  elf-pot  (alf-gryta).     These  conjuring  women   (sig- 
nerskor),  when  they  are  called  to  the  sick,  usually  begin 
with  pouring  melted  lead  into  water,  and  from  the  forms 
which  the  fluid  metal  assumes,  they  usually  pretend  to 
judge  that  the  disease  has  been  caused  by  Elves  ^  j  when 
having  secured  payment,  they  commence  a  new  juggle, 
which  they  call   'striking   down,'  or  'anointing  for  the 
Elves,'  at  sunset  on  the  following  Thursday.    Some  country 
people  will  anoint  the  elf-mill  without  applying  to  a  cun- 
ning woman ;  these  read  no  prayers,  but  instead  only  sigh 
out :  "  Lord,  hclj)  me  ! " 

Among  the  oldest  popular  traditions  concerning  Elves, 

is  that  which  is  to  be  read  on  the  runic  stone  at  Lagno, 

on  Aspo,  in  Sodermanland.     Within  a  serpentine  line  of 

runes,  there  sits,  cut  out  of  the  rock,  an  Elf  with  out- 

'   See  pp.  47  sq.  for  a  spell  repeated  on  such  an  occasion. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 


63 


stretched  legs,  seizing  with  his  hands  the  heads  of  two 
serpents.  The  runes  inform  us,  that  "  Gislog  caused  those 
characters  to  be  executed  after  (in  memory  of)  Thord ;  and 
Slodi  caused  true  witness  to  be  taken  concerning  the  Elves 

that  he  saw,    and    something  else what  was  that?^^ 

These  seem  to  have  been  cut  with  the  object  of  bearing 
testimony  to  the  Elves  and  other  Trolls  that  Slodi  had 
seen  about  the  rock. 

The  traditions  concerning  Elves  current  among  the  peo- 
ple divide  them  into  three  classes  :  those  belonging  to  the 
earth,  the  air  and  the  water. 

OF  THE  MOUNT-FOLK. 
Among  the  Elves  belonging  to  the  earth,  or,  perhaps 
more   correctly,  the  subterranean  Elves,   the  Mount-  or 
Berg-folk  occupy  the  most  prominent  place.     It  seems 
probable  that  Christian  compassion  for  those  that  died  in 
the  time  of  heathenism,  without  participation  in  the  bless- 
ings promised  in  the  Gospel,  but  in  heathen  wise  have  been 
placed  in  unhallowed  earth,  is  the  foundation  for  the  cheer- 
less notion,  that,  awaiting  in  their  green  mounds  the  great 
day  of  universal  redemption  in  fear  and  trembling,  they 
are  tormented  by  sensual  desires,  as  formerly  in  life ;  that 
they  long  for  the  love  and  society  of  Christians,  yet,  when 
they  come  in  contact  with  them,  cause  them  injury,  and 
if  speedy  rescue  come  not,  even  death  itself.     In  stature 
the  Elves  are  said  to  be  equal  to  the  generality  of  the 
human  race,  but  are  more  slim  and  delicate.    Their  young 
females  are  described  as  extremely  beautiful,  slender  as 
lilies,  white  as  snow,  and  with  sweet,  enticing  voices.   Their 
time  for  playing  and  dancing  is  from   sunset  till  cock- 
crowing;  but  when  the  cock  has  crowed  they  have  no 
longer  permission  to  stay  above  ground.    Of  all  the  spectre 
world  it  is  said,  that  if  they  do  not  go  to  rest  when  the 
cock  has  crowed  thrice,  they  become  "  dagstand,"  that  is, 


64  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

stationary  on  the  spot  where  the  third  cock-crowing  reached 
their  ears^  It  is  said  to  be  dangerous  for  a  person  to 
come  in  contact  with  such  an  invisible  '  dagstand '  on  his 
way,  and  many  are  bcheved  to  have  contracted  pain  and 
sickness  from  that  cause.  If  the  wanderer  in  a  summer^s 
evening  lays  himself  to  rest  by  an  elf-mount,  he  soon  hears 
the  tones  of  a  harp  with  sweet  singing.  If  he  then  pro- 
mises them  redemption,  he  will  hear  the  most  joyful  notes 
resound  from  numerous  stringed  instruments ;  but  if  he 
says,  "  Ye  have  no  Redeemer,"  then  with  cries  and  loud 
lament  they  will  dash  their  harps  in  pieces ;  after  which 
all  is  silent  in  the  mount.  In  the  green  woods  and  val- 
leys, in  the  meadows  and  on  the  hills,  the  Elves  perform 
their  nightly  ^  stimm,^  that  is,  play  and  dance,  from  which 
cause  the  grass  grows  luxuriant  and  of  a  darker  green  in 
circles ;  these  by  the  people  are  called  elf-dances,  and  must 
not  be  trampled  on. 

In  nearly  all  the  most  distinguished  families  of  Sweden 
are  to  be  found  jewels  or  ornaments  connected  with  tra- 
ditions of  Trolls  and  Elves.  Thus  it  is  related  of  the  State- 
councillor  Harald  Stake's  wife,  how  late  one  summer's 
evening  an  elf- woman  came  to  her,  who  desired  to  borrow 
her  bridal  dress  to  wear  at  an  elfin  wedding.  After  some 
consideration  the  lady  resolved  on  lending  it  to  her.  In 
a  few  days  it  was  returned,  but  set  with  gold  and  pearls 
on  every  seam,  and  had  hanging  from  it  a  finger-ring  of 
the  finest  gold  set  with  the  most  costly  stones,  which  after- 
wards, together  with  the  tradition,  passed  for  several  cen- 
turies as  an  heirloom  in  the  Stake  family. 

Among  the  simple  country  folks,  even  at  the  present 
day,  a  bridegroom  stands  in  dread  of  the  envy  of  the  Elves, 
to  counteract  which  it  has  long  been  a  custom  to  lay  in 
the  clothes  on  the  wedding  day  certain   strong-smelling 

1  See  vol.  i.  p.  8.  note  ^. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  65 

plants,  as  garlic  or  valerian.  Near  gates  and  in  crossways 
there  is  supposed  to  be  the  greatest  danger.  If  any  one 
asks  a  l)ridegroom  the  reason  of  these  pi-ecautions,  he  will 
answer:  ^'On  account  of  envy/^  And  there  is  no  one 
so  miserable  whose  bride  will  not  think  herself  envied 
on  her  wedding  day,  if  by  no  others,  at  least  by  the  Elves. 
Hence  the  tenour  of  most  of  the  elfin  traditions  is  nearly 
as  follows  : — 

The  bride  sits  ready  in  her  bridal  bower,  in  anxious  ex- 
pectation and  surrounded  by  her  bridesmaids.  The  bride- 
groom saddles  his  grey  steed,  and  clad  in  knightly  attire, 
with  his  hawk  perched  proudly  on  his  shoulder,  he  rides 
forth  from  his  mother's  hall,  to  fetch  home  his  bride.  But 
in  the  wood  where  he  is  wont  to  hunt  with  hawk  and 
hound,  an  elfin  maiden  has  noticed  the  comely  youth,  and 
is  now  on  the  watch  for  an  opportunity,  though  for  ever 
so  short  a  time,  to  clasp  him  to  her  breast  in  the  flowery 
grove;  or,  at  least,  to  the  sweet  tones  of  their  stringed 
instruments,  lightly  to  float  along  with  him,  hand  in  hand, 
on  the  verdant  field.  As  he  draws  near  to  the  elf-mount, 
or  is  about  to  ride  through  the  gateway  of  the  castle,  his 
ears  are  ravished  with  most  wondrous  music,  and  from 
among  the  fairest  maidens  that  he  there  sees  dancing  in  a 
ring,  the  Elf-king's  daughter  herself  steps  forth  fairer 
than  them  all,  as  it  is  said  in  the  lay : — 

The  damsel  held  forth  her  snow-white  hand : 
"  Come  join  in  the  merry  dance  with  me." 

If  the  knight  allows  himself  to  be  chamied,  and  touches 
the  fascinating  hand,  he  is  conducted  to  Elfland,  where  in 
halls  indescribably  beautiful,  and  gardens  such  as  he  had 
never  beheld,  he  wanders  about,  on  his  Elf-bride's  arm, 
amid  lilies  and  roses.  If  at  length  the  remembrance  of 
his  mourning  betrothed  enters  his  mind,  and  the  Elves, 
who  do  not  deliberately  desire  evil  to  mankind,  are  moved 


66  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

to  lead  him  out  on  his  way,  he  sees,  it  is  true,  his  former 
home  again,  but  he  has  been  absent  about  forty  years, 
though  to  him  it  seemed  an  hour  only.  On  his  return  no 
one  knows  him,  he  is  a  stranger  on  whom  all  look  with 
wonder.  The  old  people  remember  a  young  knight  who 
disappeared  about  forty  years  before,  when  he  rode  forth 
to  fetch  his  bride  : — and  his  bride  ?  she  has  died  of  grief. 
According  to  another  turn  of  the  story,  the  knight  answers 
the  elfin  damseFs  invitation  to  dance  with  her  thus  : — 

"  I  may  not  tread  the  dance  with  thee  ; 
My  bride  in  her  bower  is  awaitmg  me." 

The  elves  are  then  compelled  to  leave  him,  but  pale  and 
sick  to  death  he  returns  to  his  mother,  who  anxiously 
addresses  him  : — 

"  But  tell  me  now,  my  dearest  son, 

Why  are  thy  cheeks  so  deadly  pale  ?  " — 
"  Oh  well  may  my  cheeks  be  deadly  pale  ; 

For  yonder  I  've  been  at  the  elfin  dance." — 
"And  what  shall  I  answer,  oh  tell  to  me, 

When  thy  fair  young  bride  asks  after  thee  ?" — 
"  Oh  say  I  have  ridden  to  the  gay  green  w^ood, 
To  chase  the  deer  mth  hawk  and  hound." 
But  he  will  return. 

While  the  leaves  of  the  forest  are  green. 
The  young  bride  waited  two  long  long  days. 
Then  rode  with  her  maids  to  the  bridegroom's  hall. 

But  he  will  return,  etc. 
And  there  they  pour'd  mead  and  there  they  jjom-'d  wine  : 
"  But  where  is  my  bridegroom,  thy  dear  young  son  ?  " — 

But  he  will  return,  etc. 
"  Thy  bridegroom's  gone  to  the  gay  green  wood. 
To  chase  the  deer  with  hawk  and  hound." 
But  he  will  return,  etc. 

But  the  bride  had  a  presentiment  that  he  would  never 
return,  and  going  to  his  bed,  and  drawing  the  sheet  aside, 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  D/ 

there  saw  him  lying  cold  and  pale.  At  the  sight  her 
heart  brake,  and  when  morning  came,  three  corpses  were 
borne  from  the  bridal  hall ;  for  his  mother  had  also  died 
of  grief. 

In  the  old  Danish  ballad  (Elveskud)  the  elfin  lady,  on  Oluf  s  refusal  to 
dance  with  her,  says  : — 

"  If  then  thou  wilt  not  dance  with  me, 
Sickness  and  death  shall  follow  thee." 

She  then  strikes  him  violently  between  the  shoulders,  lifts  him  on  his 
horse,  and  desires  him  to  ride  home  to  his  betrothed,  etc. 

The  Swedes  have  a  similar  ballad,  and  the  Breton  ballad  of  '  Lord 
Nann  and  the  Korrigan  '  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  Scandina- 
vian ^ 

ELFIN  GARDENS. 
In  most  country  places  traditions  are  current  of  magic 
gardens.  The  spot  where  such  are  said  to  exist,  is  pointed 
out  by  the  country  people,  and  some  person  is  always 
named  who  has  been  conducted  into  them,  has  wandered 
about  under  trees  of  a  finer  verdure  than  any  to  be  seen 
elsewhere,  has  tasted  fruit  the  like  of  which  is  not  to 
be  found  in  any  other  place  ;  seen  flowers  of  extraordinary 
beauty,  but  afterwards,  when  all  this  has  been  sought 
for  on  the  same  spot,  not  a  trace  was  to  be  found  :  all  was 
either  wild  wood  or  plain  open  fields. 

OF  BERGTAGNING  (MOUNT-TAKING). 

In  old  writings  many  stories  are  told  of  persons  that 
have  been  '  mount -taken,^  that  is,  carried  off"  by  the 
Elves  into  their  mounts.  Examinations  before  magistrates 
and  the'  clergy  have  taken  place  even  in  our  time  into 
cases  of  individuals,  who  have  imagined  themselves  to 
have  been  so  carried  ofi",  and  who  in  the  delirium  of  fever 
have  believed  that  they  saw  elves  and  wood-demons,  which 

1  See  a  translation  of  it  in  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  433,  and  the  original  in 
Villemarque,  Chants  Populaires. 


68  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

distempered  state  of  body  has  not  seldom  been  followed 
by  death  itself. 

Elfin  halls  or  elfin  rooms  are  grots  or  subterranean 
houses  in  mountains  and  hills^  into  which  sometimes  the 
wanderer  enters  and  reposes  ;  but  when  he  again  seeks 
for  the  place,  he  finds  it  no  more.  At  Estorp  on  Mosse 
berg  there  dwelt  an  intelligent  man,  who  related  as  truth, 
how  in  returning  home  one  beautiful  summer  evening 
from  Fahlkoping,  he  took  a  wrong  path,  and  among  the 
rocks  unexpectedly  found  one  of  these  elf-halls,  which  he 
entered  and  seated  himself  on  a  mossy  bench  in  a  delight- 
ful coolness.  On  leaving  it,  he  particularly  noticed  the 
spot,  in  order  that  he  might  again  find  so  remarkable  a 
place,  but  could  never  discover  it  afterwards. 

Three  sisters  (thus  relates  the  survivor  of  them)  went 
out  one  beautiful  summer^s  day  to  a  meadow  near  the 
mansion  of  Boda  in  Bohuslan.  Near  the  meadow  there 
is  a  mountain,  about  which  they  had  often  played,  and 
knew  the  place  well.  To  their  great  astonishment,  however, 
they  found  themselves  at  the  entrance  of  a  most  beautiful 
grotto.  It  was  an  elf-hall,  of  a  triangular  form,  with 
moss-covered  seats  around  it.  In  the  middle  there  stood 
a  little  fir-tree,  as  an  ornament,  on  the  floor.  They  en- 
tered, reposed  themselves  in  the  refreshing  cool,  took  accu- 
rate notice  of  the  place,  but  could  never  find  it  again. 

THE  FLYING  ELVES. 

Mention  of  these  occurs  but  rarely.  They  are  described 
as  extremely  beautiful,  with  small  wings  on  their  snow- 
white  shoulders ;  but  whether  these  wings  are  a  borrowed 
plumage,  or  belong  to  the  body  of  these  tender  beings, 
has  not  been  decided ;  though  the  first  opinion  seems  most 
in  accordance  with  the  Sagas,  seeing  that  mortal  men  have 
taken  such  elfin  maidens  to  wife.     Transformed  to  swans. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  69 

in  full  plumage,  the  people  say  they  have  often  seen  them 
coming  through  the  air,  and  descending  into  some  water 
to  bathe ;  but  as  soon  as  they  enter  the  water,  they  assume 
the  fairest  human  forms. 

A  young  hunter  once  saw  three  such  swans  descend  on 
the  sea-shore.  With  astonishment  he  observed  that  they 
laid  their  plumages  aside,  which  bore  a  resemblance  to 
linen,  and  that,  instead  of  swans,  three  damsels  of  daz- 
zling whiteness  were  swimming  in  the  water.  He  soon 
saw  them  leave  the  water,  draw  on  their  linen  coverings, 
which  then  became  changed  to  swans'  plumage,  and  fly 
away.  One  of  them,  the  youngest  and  fairest,  had  so 
captivated  the  heart  of  the  young  man,  that  he  could  rest 
neither  by  night  nor  day,  for  thinking  of  her  lovely  form. 
His  foster-mother  soon  perceived  that  neither  the  chase 
nor  the  other  pastimes,  in  which  he  formerly  found  de- 
light, afforded  him  any  more  pleasure,  and  therefore  re- 
solved to  discover  the  cause  of  his  sorrow.  From  himself 
she  soon  learned  the  wondrous  sight  he  had  witnessed, 
and  that  he  must  either  win  the  fair  maiden  or  never  again 
enjoy  happiness.  His  foster-mother  assured  him  :  ^^  I  can 
advise  a  remedy  for  thy  affliction.  Go  next  Thursday  at 
sunset  to  the  spot  where  thou  last  sawest  her.  The  three 
swans  will  not  fail  to  come.  Observe  where  thy  chosen 
damsel  lays  her  linen  ;  take  it,  and  hasten  with  it  from  the 
shore.  Soon  thou  wilt  hear  two  of  the  swans  fly  away 
with  a  great  noise,  but  the  third,  in  search  of  her  plumage, 
will  in  her  distress  come  to  thee ;  but  although  she  be- 
seech thee  on  her  knees,  do  not  give  back  the  linen,  if 
thou  wilt  have  the  maiden  in  thy  power.''  The  young 
man  was  not  backward  in  following  this  counsel.  Long- 
seemed  the  days  till  the  coming  of  Thursday,  but  longer 
still  seemed  to  him  the  hours  of  that  day.  At  length  the 
sun  sank,  and  ere  long  a  rustling  was  heard  in  the  air, 
and  the  three  swans  descended  on  the  shore.     They  were 


70  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

instantly  changed  to  three  most  beauteous  damsels^  and 
having  laid  their  linen  on  the  grass,  they  hastened  to  the 
white  sands,  and  were  soon  covered  with  the  waves.  From 
his  hiding-place  the  young  hunter  had  closely  watched  his 
beloved,  and  where  she  had  laid  her  plumage,  which  was 
now  fine  snow-white  linen.  He  then  stole  forth,  carried 
it  off  and  concealed  it  among  the  foliage.  Shortly  after 
he  heard  two  of  the  swans  flying  away  with  a  great  rust- 
ling; but  the  third,  as  his  foster-mother  had  said,  came 
and  fell  before  him  on  her  snowy  knees,  praying  him  to 
restore  her  plumage.  But  the  hunter  refused,  and  taking 
her  in  his  arms,  wrapped  his  cloak  round  the  tender  damsel, 
lifted  her  on  his  good  steed,  and  bore  her  to  his  home. 
His  foster-mother  soon  made  all  things  ready  for  their 
marriage,  and  they  both  lived  happily  together.  Of  their 
children  it  was  said,  that  fairer  never  played  together.  But 
when  seven  years  had  passed,  the  hunter,  one  Thursday 
night,  when  they  were  going  to  bed,  related  to  his  wife 
how  he  had  obtained  possession  of  her ;  and  at  her  request 
showed  her  the  white  linen,  which  he  had  till  then  con- 
cealed ;  but  no  sooner  had  she  got  it  in  her  hand,  than  she 
became  changed  to  a  swan,  and  vanished  like  lightning 
through  an  open  window.  The  husband,  it  is  said,  did 
not  live  long  after  that  luckless  day  ^ 


The  grass  which,  in  luxuriant  circles,  called,  as  we  have 
seen,  elf-dances,  is  here  and  there  to  be  observed  in  the 
fields,  is  said  so  to  flourish  from  the  dancing  of  the  elves, 
and  is  thence  called  iilfcxing  (cynosurus  cjeruleus).  The 
miliary  fever  is  said  by  the  country  people  to  be  caused 
by  the  elf-mote,  or  meeting  with  elves,  as  a  remedy  for 

^  Tlie  origin  of  this  and  other  kindred  tales  must,  no  doubt,  be  sought 
for  in  the  East.  The  *  Peri-wife,'  from  the  Bahar  Danush,  is  almost  iden- 
tical with  the  above.     See  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  20. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  71 

which  the  Hchen  called  alfniifver  (lichen  aphosus,  or  li- 
chen caninus)  is  to  be  sought  for.  In  old  topographical 
works  there  is  no  lack  of  accounts  of  families,  which,  on 
the  mother's  side,  are  supposed  to  descend  from  such 
beings.  In  Smuland  a  tradition  has  been  credited  of  a 
well-known  family,  whose  ancestress,  a  young,  beautiful 
elfin  girl,  is  said  to  have  flown  with  the  sunbeams  through 
a  knot-hole  in  the  wall,  and  by  the  heir  of  the  family  to 
have  been  taken  to  wife.  After  having  given  her  husbaiul 
seven  sons,  she  vanished  by  the  way  she  came. 

LOFJERSKOR. 

The  '  Lof jerskor '  named  in  the  old  Swedish  catechism 
seem  identical  with  the  Grove-damsels  (Lundjungfrur),  a 
species  of  Elves  which  is  also  called  the  Grove-folk  (Lund- 
folk).  The  sacred  groves  of  the  heathens  which,  by  the 
ecclesiastical  law,  it  was  forbidden  to  approach  with  super- 
stitious worship,  were  beheved,  in  the  time  of  paganism, 
to  be  protected  by  invisible  deities.  If  a  lime  or  other 
tree,  either  in  a  forest  or  sohtary,  grew  more  vigorously 
than  the  other  trees,  it  w^as  called  a  habitation-tree  (bo- 
trad),  and  ^vas  thought  to  be  inhabited  by  an  Elf  (Ra, 
Radande),  w^ho,  though  invisible,  dwelt  in  its  shade,  re- 
w^arded  with  health  and  prosperity  the  individual  that  took 
care  of  the  tree,  and  punished  those  who  injured  it. 

Thus  did  our  heathen  forefathers  hold  in  reverence  and 
awe  such  groves  and  trees,  because  they  regarded  them  as 
given  by  the  Almighty  as  ornaments  to  his  noble  creation, 
as  well  as  to  afford  protection  to  the  husbandman  and 
cattle  against  the  scorching  heat  of  the  midday  sun.  In 
this  and  in  many  other  instances,  simple  Antiquity  may 
serve  us  as  a  lesson  not  wantonly  to  destroy  the  life  even 
of  a  shoot,  which  may  one  day  become  a  useful,  umbra- 
geous tree,  or  to  injure  and  profane  a  grove,  into  which 
no  reflecting  Christian  can  enter,  for  the  purpose  of  en- 


72  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

joying  its  refreshing  shaclc^  without  thinking  of  the  Crea- 
tor's goodness^  and  calUng  to  mind  how  the  Saviour  of 
the  world  had  a  grove,  a  garden,  to  which  he  oftentimes 
went,  with  his  disciples,  when  he  would  discourse  with 
them  on  heavenly  things  and  on  the  immortality  of  their 
souls.  It  was  under  the  shade  of  a  tree  that  he  prayed, 
and  there  the  comforting  angel  appeared  and  strengthened 
him.  Let  a  Christian  meditate  on  this,  and  let  him  have 
a  care  of  all  planting  for  the  ornament  and  benefit  of  the 
earth ;  and  if,  when  out  on  his  way,  he  feels  tempted  to 
break  off  a  growing  shoot,  thus  let  him  think  :  "  I  will 
not  destroy  a  growing  hfe,  I  will  not  spoil  the  embellish- 
ment of  my  mother-earth  ;  it  is  my  neighbour's  property, 
to  injure  it  is  unjust,  and  all  injustice  is  sin/' 

The  sanctity  of  the  heathen  groves  and  trees  originated, 
it  would  seem,  from  the  custom  of  hanging  there  the  hmbs 
of  the  human  and  other  victims,  after  they  had  been  for 
a  time  immersed  in  the  sacred  fountain.  But  rational 
Christians  have  had  another  reason  for  retaining  the  super- 
stition, namely  on  account  of  its  aid  in  withholding  mis- 
chievous persons  from  violence  to  the  woods  and  trees. 
Even  at  the  present  day  the  people  in  many  places  point 
out  such  groves  and  trees  as  no  one  may  approach  with 
an  axe.  These  noted  trees  often  stand  alone,  and  have  a 
singular  aspect.  Stories  are  in  some  places  not  wanting 
among  the  common  people  of  persons,  who  by  cutting  a 
chip  or  branch  from  a  '  habitation  tree,'  has  in  consequence 
been  struck  with  death.  Such  a  famed  pine  was  the 
'klinta  tall'  in  Westmanland.  Old  and  decayed  it  ap- 
peared to  the  traveller  standing  on  the  bare  rock,  until  a 
few  years  ago  it  fell  down  from  age.  A  mermaid,  who 
ruled  in  the  neighbouring  creek  of  the  Malar  lake,  was 
said  to  inhabit  the  mountain  under  the  ]une,  and  to  have 
been  that  tree's  '  lla.'  The  country  ])eoph'  had  frequently 
seen  snow-white  cattle  driven   up   from   the  lake  to  the 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  73 

meadow  beneath  it.  The  trunk  and  branches  of  the  tree 
still  lie  untouched  on  the  rock.  In  an  old  writing  there 
is  a  story  of  a  man,  who  was  about  to  cut  down  a  juniper 
bush  in  a  wood,  when  a  voice  was  heard  from  the  earth, 
saying,  "Friend,  hew  me  not!"  But  he  gave  another 
stroke,  when  blood  flowed  from  the  root.  Terrified  and 
sick  he  hastened  home^.  In  ballads  and  traditions  stories 
occur  of  young  maidens  that  have  been  transformed  to 
trees  and  bushes  through  sorcery,  but  of  the  '  Lofjerskor ' 
there  are  not  many  tales ;  nor  is  it  easy  to  arrive  at  the 
origin  of  the  name.  But  the  '  Horgabrudar '  in  the  groves 
of  the  heathen  divinities  were  much  consulted  by  the  peo- 
ple in  cases  of  doubt  and  difficulty,  whence  may  probably 
be  derived  the  superstition,  in  later  times,  of  seeking  help 
of  the  ^  Rfis '  that  inhabit  trees,  and  are  called  Lofjerskor, 
in  cases  of  sickness  and  trouble,  against  which  there  stands 
a  prohibition  in  our  ancient  catechism.  Loki^s  mother 
was  named  Lofja  (Laufey)  ;  it  seems,  therefore,  not  im- 
probable that  evil  Troll-wives  and  Lof-maids  derive  their 
name  from  her.  The  heathen,  in  all  countries,  have  ce- 
lebrated their  idolatrous  rites  in  groves  and  under  trees. 
In  the  Lives  of  the  Saints  it  is  related  of  St.  Martin,  how 
among  a  heathen  people,  who  were  willing  to  adopt 
Christianity,  he  demolished  a  temple,  and  met  with  no 
opposition ;  but  on  his  proceeding  to  cut  down  a  fir  that 
stood  close  by,  the  people  rushed  forward,  and  would  on 
no  account  allovv  the  tree  to  be  destroyed. 

THE  SKOGSRA.— THE  SJOIIA.2 

Of  the  same  race  with  the  Elves  already  mentioned,  the 
Skogs-  or  Forest-elves  seem  to  have  been  originally,  and 
have  undoubtedly  belonged  to  the  time  of  heathenism.   As 

1  Manifestly  from  tlie  story  of  Polydorus  in  tlie  .'Eneis,  iii.  21,  sqq.  et 
alibi. 

-  Compounds  of  skog,  ?roor7,/orPi7;  ^]6,  sea,  lake  ;  nnd  ra,fair!/,fffj/j//,i. 

E 


74  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

the  menvife  for  fishermen^  so  is  the  Skogsra  for  hunters 
I'egarded  among  the  unlucky  objects  to  meet  with.  Ac- 
cording to  old  hunting  traditions^  the  Skogs-elf  announces 
her  approach  by  a  peculiar,  sharp,  rushing  whirlwind,  that 
shakes  the  trunks  of  the  trees  so  that  they  seem  ready 
to  snap  asunder.  If  then  the  hunter  spits  and  strikes 
fire,  there  is  no  danger,  because  it  is  mere  noise,  there 
being  no  power  in  such  winds.  The  Skogsra,  according 
to  the  popular  belief,  is  only  of  the  female  sex ;  whence 
comes  the  superstition,  that  it  presages  badly  for  the 
hunter^s  luck,  if,  on  leaving  home,  the  first  person  he  meets 
is  a  female.  He  then  spits  and  calls  it  karingmote  [lit. 
crone-mote).  In  the  Sagas  these  forest-wives  are  repre- 
sented as  evil,  wanton  and  foreboders  of  misfortune ; 
though  stories  are,  nevertheless,  told  by  hunters  of  their 
having  seen  these  beings  come  very  friendly  to  their  fires, 
who,  when  they  have  been  suffered  to  remain  in  peace, 
have  said  at  their  departure  :  "  There  will  be  excellent 
sport  to-day.^^  On  which  occasions  they  have  invariably 
killed  an  abundance  of  game.  AYhen  the  hunters  are  re- 
posing in  the  forest  at  midnight,  they  will  come  to  warm 
themselves  by  their  fires,  taking  care  to  show  their  front 
side  only,  and  always  moving  so  that  their  backs  may  not 
be  exposed  to  view.  Those  who  have  tales  to  tell  of  these 
l)eings,  usually  conclude  by  saying  something  like  the 
following  :  "  Just  as  she  was  standing  before  the  fire,  quite 
proud  and  showing  her  beautiful  person,  I  took  a  brand 
from  the  fire  and  struck  her,  saying :  '  Go  to  the  woods, 
thou  odious  Troll !'  She  then  hurried  away  with  a  whining 
cry,  and  a  strong  wind  rose,  so  that  the  very  trees  and 
stones  seemed  as  if  they  would  be  torn  up.  "When  she 
turned  her  back  she  appeared  as  hollow  as  a  hollow  tree 
or  a  baker^s  trough .^^  If  a  Christian  man  has  intercourse 
with  a  forest- woman,  there  will  be  born  a  i)ernici()us 
Ix'ing,  to  the  sorrow  and  misfortune  of  others. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  75 

The  Skogsra  is  further  described  as  a  female  spirit  of  the 
woods,  and  as  a  young  person  in  elegant  attire,  of  friendly 
demeanour  and  small  figure,  but — with  claws  instead  of 
nails  !  An  eye-witness  of  her  existence  relates,  that  once 
when  out  grouse-shooting,  having  just  kindled  a  fire,  and 
while  taking  his  repast,  she  appeared  before  him,  and 
kindly  greeted  him.  To  his  invitation  to  warm  herself 
she  responded  by  a  friendly  nod.  He  then  offered  her  a 
share  of  his  fare,  holding  it,  however,  at  the  end  of  his 
axCj  as  he  felt  somewhat  diffident  at  the  sight  of  her  talons  ; 
but  she  declined  his  offer,  smiled  and  vanished.  He  now 
shot  five  grouse.  If  he  had  not  offered  a  part  of  his  fare 
to  the  Skogsra,  he  would  not  have  killed  a  single  bird. 

He,  with  seven  others,  was  once  sitting  watching  grouse, 
when  a  Skogsra  darted  past  them  from  a  tree.  Never 
before  had  they  seen  the  birds  so  numerous,  but  they 
missed  every  one.  For  fourteen  days  their  shooting  seemed 
bewitched,  until  at  length  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  see 
another  Ra  come  rustling  by  from  a  tree,  and  to  throw 
his  knife  over  her,  whereby  the  spell  was  broken.  These 
little  gobhns  milk  the  cows  and  deprive  the  horses  of  their 
strength,  but  anything  of  steel  cast  over  them  hinders 
them  from  doing  harm.  The  narrator  of  the  above ^ 
secured  his  horses  with  garlic  and  asafoetida,  which  must 
be  placed  concealed  somewhere  about  the  head. 

The  same  individual  relates,  that  being  with  several  of 
his  neighbours  on  a  fishing  expedition,  they  began  to  joke 
about  the  Siora  and  beings  of  a  similar  kind,  treating 
them  as  ridiculous  fictions,  when  on  a  sudden  a  Siora  ap- 
peared before  them,  and  with  a  loud  plash  plunged  into 
the  lake.  They  saw  fish  in  abundance,  but  could  not 
catch  one. 

1  He  was  Arndt's  postillion  during  a  part  of  liis  journey. 

E  2 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 
OF  WATER  ELVES. 


THE  MERMAID. 

Learned  men,  who  have  given  attention  to  the  wonders 
of  the  creation,  liave  described  a  water  to  be  found  in  cer- 
tain lakes,  called  spectre-water  (spokvatten).  It  has  the 
property,  when  warmed  by  the  sun,  of  sending  up  a  thick, 
snow-white  mist,  resembling  at  one  time  a  human  form, 
at  another  that  of  an  animal,  changing  its  appearance  and 
course  as  it  is  driven  by  the  wind.  The  simple  people, 
that  dwell  by  such  lakes,  bewildered  by  this  phenomenon, 
relate  as  a  fact  that  they  have  seen,  innumerable  times,  a 
Mermaid  sitting  by  the  lake,  combing  her  long  locks  with 
a  golden  comb,  or  standing  on  the  islets,  spreading  out  her 
snowy  linen  on  the  bushes,  or  driving  before  her  her 
snow-white  cattle.  The  Mermaid  is  thought  to  be  false 
and  deceitful,  and  is  spoken  of  by  the  fishermen  as  the 
Skogsra  is  by  the  hunters.  They  all  have  something  to 
say  about  her,  and  anticipate  a  bad  capture,  storm  and 
tempest,  when  she  makes  her  appearance.  It  is  said  to 
be  good  and  advisable,  when  the  fisher  sees  one  of  these 
beings,  not  to  speak  of  it  even  to  his  comrades,  but  to 
take  his  flint  and  steel  and  strike  fire.  From  the  time 
that  Thor  hurled  his  thunder  at  the  Trolls,  they  lost,  it  is 
said,  both  power  and  courage.  Hence  it  is,  that  in  our 
country  places,  in  every  house  where  there  is  a  new-born 
child,  either  fire  on  the  hearth,  or  a  light,  must  burn  by 
day  and  night,  until  the  child  is  christened ;  else  it  is  to 
be  feared  that  the  Trolls  may  come  and  carry  off  the  child, 
and  leave  one  of  their  own  in  its  stead.  Of  the  IMermaids 
it  is  said  that  they  dwell  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  or  of 
an  inland  sea,  have  castles  and  mansions,  also  domestic 
animals  and  cattle,  which  are  called  '  brands-cattle,  the  sig- 
nification of  whicli  is  far  from  evident  \ 
'  Qii.  Aiigl.  brindled. 


SWEDISH   TRADITIONS.  7/ 

In  West  Gotliland,  in  the  district  of  Biarke^  there  is  a 
lake  with  beautifully  wooded  shores^  called  Anten.  On 
an  isle  in  this  lake  there  was  formerly  an  ancient  castle^ 
remains  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen,  called  Loholm,  in 
which  dwelt  Sir  Gunnar,  a  renowned  knight,  and  ancestor 
of  the  famous  family  of  Leionhufvud,  or  Lewenhaupt. 
Once,  when  out  on  the  lake  he  had  fallen  into  danger,  a 
Mer-wife  came  to  his  aid,  but  exacted  from  him  the  pro- 
mise, that  on  a  certain  day  he  should  meet  her  again  at 
the  same  place.  One  Thursday  evening  she  sat  expecting 
the  knight ;  but  he  forgot  his  promise.  She  then  caused 
the  water  of  the  lake  to  swell  up  over  Loholm,  until  Sir 
Gunnar  was  forced  to  take  refuge  in  a  higher  apartment ; 
but  the  water  reached  even  that.  He  then  sought  safety 
in  the  drawbridge  tower;  but  there  the  billows  again 
overtook  him.  He  next  committed  himself  to  a  boat, 
which  sank  near  a  large  stone,  called  to  this  day  Gunnar^s 
stone ;  from  which  time  Sir  Gunnar,  it  is  said,  lives  con- 
stantly with  the  Mer-wife.  When  fishermen  or  the  coun- 
try people  row  by  the  stone,  they  usually  lift  their  hats, 
as  a  salutation  to  Sir  Gunnar,  in  the  belief  that  if  they 
neglected  to  do  so,  they  would  have  no  success.  From 
that  time  no  one  dwelt  at  Loholm,  of  the  materials  of 
which  was  built  the  noble  castle  of  Grafsnas,  on  a  penin- 
sula in  the  same  lake,  with  towers,  ditches,  and  draw- 
bridges, remains  of  which  are  still  visible.  From  this  Sir 
Gunnar  descended  Erik  Abrahamsson,  father-in-law  of 
Gustavus  the  First. 

II. 

FOUNTAIN  MAIDENS. 

Mention  has  been  already  made  of  the  priestesses  of 
the  heathen  gods,  or  Horgabrudar,  who  watched  by  the 
sacred  fountains,  in  which  the  members  of  the  victims 


78  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

were  washed,  and  received  gifts  from  the  people  for  advice 
in  cases  of  sickness,  as  well  as  on  other  occasions.  After 
the  country  became  Christian,  the  monks  and  priests  took 
the  fomitains  under  their  care,  placed  by  them  images  of 
saints  or  a  cross,  and  caused  the  people  to  make  offerings 
to,  and  seek  health  from,  the  saint  that  was  supposed  to 
have  the  well  under  his  protection.  Thus  did  Christian 
superstition  step  into  the  place  of  pagan,  and  continues 
even  to  the  present  day.  But  the  heathen  Horgabrudar, 
who  died  without  baptism  or  sacrament,  were  still  in  the 
remembrance  of  the  people,  and  had  become  Elves,  who 
await  salvation,  dwelling  till  doomsday  under  their  foun- 
tains' silvery  roof.  In  song  and  in  story  the  beauty  of  the 
Fountain-maids  is  praised,  when  they  have  been  seen  by 
mortal  man  and  displayed  their  fair  forms  either  in  the 
depth  of  a  fountain,  or  reposing  by  its  side  on  a  bed  of 
flowers.  To  the  person  who  cleanses  a  fountain,  or  plants 
over  it  an  umbrageous  tree,  the  Fountain-maid  will  be 
kind  and  propitious  ;  while  he  who  profanes  or  sullies  the 
fountain's  salubrious  stream  will  be  followed  by  sickness 
and  misfortune. 

III. 

THE  NECK  AND  THE  STROMKARL. 

The  Neck  appears  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a  grown 
man,  and  is  particularly  dangerous  to  haughty  and  pert 
damsels  ;  sometimes  in  that  of  a  comely  youth,  with  his 
lower  extremities  like  those  of  a  horse ;  sometimes  like  an 
old  man  with  a  long  beard ;  and  occasionally  as  a  hand- 
some youth,  with  yellow  locks  flowing  over  his  shoulders 
and  a  red  cap,  sitting  in  a  summer  evening  on  the  surface 
of  the  water  with  a  golden  harp  in  his  hand.  If  any  one 
wishes  to  learn  music  of  him,  the  most  welcome  remune- 
ration that  can  be  offered  to  him  is  a  black  lamb,  espe- 
cially if  the  hope  of  his  salvation — which  the  Neck  has 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  /V 

greatly  at  heart — be  at  the  same  time  expressed  to  him. 
Hence  when  two  boys  once  said  to  a  Neck,  "  What  good 
do  you  gain  by  sitting  here  and  playing  ?  you  will  never 
enjoy  eternal  happiness/'  he  began  to  weep  bitterly '. 

If  one  of  the  common  j^eople  has  a  disease,  for  which 
they  cannot  otherwise  account,  they  imagine  that  it  is 
caused  by  the  spirit  of  the  place  where  the  disease  was 
contracted,  or  was  supposed  to  be  contracted ;  whence  the 
expression,  which  is  often  to  be  heard,  '^  He  has  met  with 
something  bad  in  the  air,  in  the  water,  in  the  field."  In 
such  case  the  Neck  must  be  propitiated,  which  is  done 
in  the  following  manner  :  They  pour  a  drink  into  a  cup, 
and  mix  with  it  the  scraj3ings  from  the  wedding  ring,  from 
silver,  brass,  or  any  other  metal  possessed  by  inheritance, 
but  so  that  the  odd  number,  particularly  three,  be  observed. 
With  this  mixture  they  repair  to  the  place  where  they  sup- 
pose the  disease  was  contracted,  and  pour  it  out  over  the  left 
shoulder.  On  the  way  they  must  neither  turn  about  nor 
utter  a  sound.  If  there  be  any  uncertainty  as  to  the 
place,  the  pouring  is  made  on  the  door-post,  or  on  an 
ant-hill  -. 

A  Neck  at  Bohuus,  in  West  Gothland,  had  transformed 
himself  into  a  horse  and  gone  on  the  bank  to  eat ;  but  a 
cunning  man,  whose  suspicions  were  roused,  threw  such 
a  curiously  contrived  halter  over  him,  that  he  could  not 
get  loose  again.  The  man  now  kept  the  Neck  with  him 
all  the  spring,  and  tormented  him  most  thoroughly,  by 
making  him  plough  all  his  fields.  At  length  the  halter 
accidentally  slipping  off,  the  Neck  sprang  like  lightning 
into  the  water,  dragging  the  harrow  after  him  ^. 

A  Neck  who  takes  up  his  abode  under  a  bridge  or  in  a 
stream,  is  commonly  called  a  Stromkarl.  He  always  plays 
on  the  viol ;  and  when  any  musician  plays  with  extraordi- 

1  Faye,  p.  54.     Svenske  Folk- Visor,  iii.  127. 

-  Arndt.  iii.  15.  -^  Faye,  p.  53. 


80  SWEDISH  TRADIXIOXS. 

nary  boldness  and  skill,  he  is  said  to  play  with  the  Strom- 
kai'Fs  touch.  Near  Hornborfrabro,  in  AVest  Gothland,  a 
Stromkarl  was  once  heard  singing,  to  a  pleasant  melody, 
these  words  thrice  repeated  : — "  I  know, — and  I  know, — 
and  I  know — that  my  Redeemer  liveth/^  As  seen  by 
sailors,  the  Neck  is  described  as  an  old  man,  sitting  on  a 
rock,  wringing  the  water  out  of  his  large,  green  beard. 
Their  appearance  is  said  to  forebode  storm  and  tempest. 
Under  this  form  they  may  be  more  correctly  called  Mer- 
men. He  is  sometimes  seen  on  the  shore  under  the  form 
of  a  handsome  horse,  but  with  his  hoofs  reversed. 

A  priest  riding  one  evening  over  a  bridge,  heard  the 
most  delightful  tones  of  a  stringed  instrument,  and,  on 
looking  round,  saw  a  young  man,  naked  to  the  waist,  sit- 
ting on  the  surface  of  the  water,  with  a  red  cap  and  yellow 
locks,  as  already  described.  He  saw  that  it  was  the 
Neck,  and  in  his  zeal  addressed  him  thus  : — "  Why  dost 
thou  so  joyously  strike  thy  harp  ?  Sooner  shall  this  dried 
cane  that  I  hold  in  my  hand  grow  green  and  flower,  than 
thou  shalt  obtain  salvation.^'  Thereupon  the  unhappy 
musician  cast  down  his  harp,  and  sat  bitterly  weeping  on 
the  water.  The  priest  then  turned  his  horse,  and  con- 
tinued his  course.  But  lo  !  before  he  had  ridden  far,  he 
observed  that  green  shoots  and  leaves,  mingled  with  most 
beautiful  flowers,  had  sprung  from  his  old  stafi*.  This 
seemed  to  him  a  sign  from  heaven,  directing  him  to  preacli 
the  consoling  doctrine  of  redemption  after  another  fashion. 
He  therefore  hastened  back  to  the  mournful  Neck,  showed 
him  the  green,  flowei-y  staffs,  and  said  :  "  Behold  !  now  my 
old  staff  is  grown  green  and  flowery  like  a  young  branch 
in  a  rose  garden ;  so  likewise  may  hope  bloom  in  the 
hearts  of  all  created  beings;  for  their  Redeemer  liveth  \" 
Comforted  by  these  words,  the  Neck  again  took  his  harp, 
the  joyous  tones  of  which  resounded  along  the  shore  the 
whole  livelonc:  night. 


SWEDISH  TilADITIOXS. 


81 


The  StromkarFs  melody  (Stromkarlslag)  has  eleven  varie- 
ties, ten  only  of  which  may  be  danced,  the  eleventh  belongs 
to  the  night-spirit  and  his  troop ;  for  if  any  one  were  to 
cause  it  to  be  played,  tables  and  benches,  pots  and  cups, 
old  men  and  grandraotherSj  blind  and  lame,  even  babes  in 
the  cradle,  would  begin  to  dance  ^ 

Those  who  are  desirous  of  learning  the  StromkarPs  ten 
variations,  must  place  their  violin  for  three  Thursday  nights 
under  a  bridge,  where  there  is  a  constantly  running  stream. 
On  the  third  night,  the  Neck,  or  Stromkarl,  will  come  and 
strike  the  strings  of  his  instrument,  when  the  learner  must 
tune  his  fiddle  and  accompany  him.  If  the  eleventh  me- 
lody is  played,  inanimate  things,  as  trees  and  stones,  will 
dance . 

An  equally  wonderful  composition  is  the  Elf-king^s  tune, 
which  no  musician  will  venture  to  play ;  for  having  once 
begun  it,  he  cannot  cease  from  playing,  u.nless  he  can 
play  it  backwards,  or  some  one  behind  him  cuts  the  strings 
of  the  violin  ^. 

The  same  anxiety  as  to  their  state  hereafter  prevails  among  the  Daoine 
Shi  of  the  Scottish  Highlands,  one  of  whom>  issuing  from  a  lake,  ques- 
tions a  clergyman  on  the  subject.  Like  the  Neck,  they  also  have  melo- 
dious music  ^. 

Of  the  earths  which  gather  among  the  foam  in  the  still 
creeks,  and  of  river  waters,  there  is  formed  a  loose,  white, 
porous  kind  of  stone,  resembling  picked  or  pulled  bread  : 
this  is  called  '  Necke-brod ; '  the  masses  or  cakes  of 
which  are  called  marlekor  (marekor),  because  the  mare 
(stdl  water)  cements  them  together.  The  beautiful  white 
or  yellow  flowers,  that  grow  on  the  banks  of  lakes  and 
rivers,  and  are  called  ^  Neck-roses,^  are  well-known  me- 
morials of  the  popular  idea  of  the  Neck.     The  poisonous 


1  Arndt,  iv.  241. 

2  Thiele,  i.  166,  sg.  edit.  1820. 

3  Stewart,  Superstitions  of  the  Highlands,  quoted  1)y  Keightley,  F.  M, 
p.  385. 

E  5 


82  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

root  of  the  water  hemlock  (cicuta  virosa)  formerly  bore  the 
name  of  the  Necke-root. 

In  Beowulf  frequent  mention  occurs  of  the  Nicor  (pi.  Niceras)  ^  Con- 
nected ^vith  the  name  is  that  of  Odin,  Hnikarr,  in  his  character  of  a 
sea-god  ". 

The  following  extract  may  serve  as  a  commentary  on 
what  is  related  both  of  the  Swedish  Neck  and  Danish  Nok. 
"  Husby  is  very  pleasantly  situated,  and  its  church  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  oldest  in  Sweden.  Here  is  shown  St. 
Siegfried^s  well,  with  the  water  of  which  the  holy  man  Sig- 
fridus,  according  to  the  tradition,  baptized  king  Olov 
Skotkonung.  The  well  is  still  famous,  and  is  said  on 
many  occasions  to  be  used  nightly  by  the  country  people. 
Fifty  years  ago  "  (the  author  travelled  in  3.803)  "  many  su- 
perstitions and  ceremonies  were  practised  at  wells.  Almost 
every  province  had  some  that  at  certain  periods  of  the 
summer  were  visited,  and  into  which  a  piece  of  money, 
iron  or  any  metal  was  cast  as  an  offering.  But  this  illu- 
sion is  now  almost  extinct.  Still  it  is,  nevertheless,  worth 
inquiring,  ivhat  power,  and  wki/  a  power  is  everywhere 
ascribed  to  metal  of  counteracting  the  influence  of  witch- 
craft and  of  evil  spirits  ?  For  no  other  reason  than  to 
propitiate  the  Neck  of  the  well,  did  people  throw  into  it 
anything  metallic.  Connected  with  the  above  is  the  popular 
belief,  that,  when  bathing  in  the  sea,  a  person  should  cast 
into  it,  close  by  him,  a  fire-steel,  a  knife,  or  the  like,  to 
prevent  any  monster  from  hurting  him.  The  steel,  or 
whatever  it  may  be,  may  be  taken  out  again.  Formerly 
a  fire-steel,  or  a  pair  of  scissors,  was  laid  on  the  cradle  of 
a  child,  until  it  was  christened.  Even  to  the  present  day 
the  custom  exists  of  pouring  melted  silver  or  other  metal 
on  the  spot  where  it  is  believed  that  a  person  is  suffering 
from  the  work  of  the  evil  one.  With  such  a  pouring  the 
injury  is  also  poured  out.'^ 

J  Ver.  838,  1144,  2854. 

2  Edda-Sjem.  46,  91,  184.     Edda-Snorra.  3,  24,  322. 


SWEDISH   TRADITIONS.  ^3 

Having  thus  propitiated,  or  rather  neutraUzed  the  per- 
nicious propensities  of,  the  Neck,  it  was  not  unusual  while 
bathing  to  address  him  scoffingly  in  the  following  words : 
'  Neck,  Neck,  Naleputa,  du  ar  pa  lann,  men  jag  ar  i  vann ' 
(Neck,  Neck,  needle-thief,  thou  art  on  land,  but  I  am  in 
the  water).  On  quitting  the  water,  the  person  took  the 
steel  again,  saying :  '  Neck,  Neck,  needle-thief,  I  am  od 
land,  and  thou  art  in  the  water  ^^ 

THE  WILD  HUNT. 
In  Scania  the  sounds  like  voices,  that  are  at  times  heard 
in  the  air  in  November  and  December,  are  by  the  common 
people  called  Odin's  hunt^.  Grimm  also  connects  the 
Wild  Hunt  (Wutendes  Heer)  with  Odin  (Ohg.  Wuotan), 
the  tradition  of  which  is  current  over  almost  all  Germany. 
In  the  course  of  time,  after  the  introduction  of  Christi- 
anity, the  pagan  deity  degenerated  into  a  wild  hunter, 
regarding  whom  almost  every  place  where  he  is  said  to 
ride  has  its  tradition. 

MYSTIC  ANIMALS, 
According  to  the  Swedish  popular  belief,  there  are  cer- 
tain animals  which  should  not  at  any  time  be  spoken  of 
by  their  proper  names,  but  always  with  euphemisms,  and 
kind  allusions  to  their  character.  If  any  one  speaks 
slightingly  to  a  cat,  or  beats  her,  her  name  must  not  be 
uttered;  for  she  belongs  to  the  hellish  crew,  and  is  inti- 
mate with  the  Bergtroll  in  the  mountains,  where  she  often 
visits.  In  speaking  of  the  cuckoo,  the  owl,  and  the  mag- 
pie, great  caution  is  necessary,  lest  one  should  be  ensnared, 
as  they  are  birds  of  sorcery.  Such  birds,  also  snakes,  one 
ought  not  to  kill  without  cause,  as  their  associates  might 
avenge  them.     It  is  particularly  sinful  to  tread  toads  to 

J  Arndt,  i.  259,  sq. ;  iii.  11,  sq. 

■-  These  sounds  are  by  Nilsson  (Skandiv.  Fauna,  ii.  106)  ascribed  to 
certain  water-fowls  on  their  way  to  the  South. 


84  SWEDISH  TRxlDITlONS. 

deaths  as  they  are  often  enchanted  princesses.  Many  a 
one  has  become  lame  without  fall  or  fracture,  but  as  a 
penalty  for  such  wantonness.  In  speaking  of  the  Troll- 
pack  or  Witch-crew,  one  must  name  fire  and  water,  and 
the  name  of  the  church  to  which  one  belongs ;  then  no 
injury  can  arise.  The  weasel  must  not  be  so  called,  but 
the  aduine ;  the  fox,  blue-foot,  or  he  that  goes  in  the  forest ; 
and  the  bear,  the  old  one  (Gubbe,  Gammeln),  grandfather 
(Storfar),  Naskus;  rats,  the  long -bodied -,  mice,  the  small 
grey ;  the  seal,  brother  Lars ;  the  wolf,  gold-foot  or  grey- 
foot,  grey-tosse,  not  varg,  because  it  is  said  that  formerly, 
when  the  now  dumb  animals  could  speak,  the  wolf  made 
this  announcement : — 

Kallar  du  mig  Varg,  sa  blir  jag  dig  arg, 

Men  kallar  du  mig  af  Guld,  sa  blir  jag  dig  huld. 

If  thou  callest  me  Varg,  I  will  be  ^^Totll  with  thee, 
But  if  thou  callest  me  of  gold,  I  will  be  kiud  to  thee. 

Even  inanimate  things  are  not  at  all  times  to  be  called 
by  their  usual  names :  fire,  for  instance,  is  on  some  occa- 
sions not  to  be  called  eld  or  ell  but  hetta  (heat) ;  water 
used  for  brewing,  not  vatn,  but  lag  or  I'ou,  else  the  beer 
would  not  be  so  good^ 

The  magpie — like  others  of  the  raven  or  crow  family — 
is  also  a  mystic  bird,  a  downright  witches'  bird,  belonging 
to  the  devil  and  the  other  hidden  powers  of  night.  When 
the  witches,  on  AValpurgis  night,  ride  to  the  Blakulle,  they 
turn  themselves  into  magpies.  When  they  are  moulting 
in  summer,  and  become  bald  about  the  neck,  the  country 
people  say  they  have  been  to  the  Blakulle,  and  helped  the 
evil  one  to  get  his  hay  in,  and  that  the  yoke  has  rubbed 
their  feathers  off. 

The  above  superstition  of  the  wolf  is  very  ancient  and  wide-spread,  an 

1  Arndt,  i.  49;  iii.  18,  19.  Thiele,  iii.  122,  edit.  1820.  Finn  Magnn- 
sen,  Deu  .Eldre  Edda,  ii.  9. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  85 

evident  trace  of  it  existing  in  Anglo-Saxon  and  Old  Norse:  "  gryre  sceal 
for  greggum  "  (terror  shall  there  be  for  the  grey  oney. 

THE  MOUNTAIN-TROLL. 
I. 
The  extraordinary   tales  of  Mountain-trolls   and  their 
kidnappings  that  are  told  by  credible  persons,  and  con- 
firmed by  very  singular  circumstances,  might  afford  ground 
for  the  supposition  that  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  Sweden, 
the  wild  mountaineers,  had  not  altogether  died  out,  but  that 
in  the  recesses  of  the  great  mountain-forests  some  in  recent 
times  might  have  still  resided.    Memorials  of  the  hostility 
entertained  by  these  people  against  the  light  of  Christi- 
anity are  preserved  in  the  traditions  concerning  the  several 
stones   or  masses   of  rock   called  giant-casts.     These  are 
shown  by  the  people  in  all  country  places,  and  are  usually 
in  such  situations  as  to  give  birth  to  the  tradition  of  their 
having  been  hurled  from  a  mountain  towards  some  church. 
^'  The  Giant,^^  as  the  story  goes,  "  could  not  endure  the 
noise  of  the  bells  from  the  holy  edifice,  and  therefore  cast 
this  rock,  in  the  hope  of  knocking  it  dov;n,  but  being  too 
strong,  he  hurled  it  far  beyond  the  church."    Or  it  is  said : 
"  The  stone  was  too  heavy,  and  the  church  too  far  away, 
so  that  it  fell  short  of  the  mark."    In  some  of  these  stones, 
as  in  the  one  near  Enkoping,  are  to  be  seen  marks  as  if 
made  by  the  five  fingers  of  a  gigantic  hand.     Near  the 
celebrated  church  of  Warnhem  lies  the  Himmelsberg,  in 
which,  as  we  are  told,   a  giant  dwelt,  until  the  convent 
bells  ringing  for  prayers  drove  him  away.     It  is  related 
that,  on  leaving  the  mountain,  he  inquired  of  a  lad,  that 
worked  in  the  neighbourhood,  in  which  direction  Alleberg 
lay  ?  for  thither  he  intended  to  take  his  course.     The  lad 
having  directed  him,  he  went  off  as  in  a  whirlwind,  and 
the  lad  now  discovered,  to  his  no  small  astonishment,  that 
his  foretinger,  with  which  he  had  pointed  out  the  way, 

1  Cod,  Exon.  p.  342.     Kraka  Mai,  p.  54,  edit.  Rafn. 


86  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

had  followed  along  with  the  giant.  In  the  Description  of 
Uppland  there  is  a  story  of  a  mountain  near  Lagga  church, 
and  how  a  giant  with  his  family  quitted  it  on  account  of 
the  bells,  "the  sound  of  which  he  was  not  inclined  to 
hear/^  ^^When  wilt  thou  come  again  ?^^  asked  a  man 
standing  by,  and  witnessing  their  departure ;  whereupon 
the  man  of  the  mountain  answered:  ''When  Lagga  fiord 
is  field,  and  Ost-tuna  lake  meadow/^  The  fiord  and  the 
lake  are  now  like  to  become  field  and  meadow;  but  the 
TrolFs  return  seems  by  no  means  so  certain. 

II. 

STEN  OF  FOGELKAKR. 
In  an  old  Description  of  Bohuslan  the  following  event 
is  related. — Sten  of  Fogelkarr  was  an  excellent  marksman. 
One  day  when  out  hunting,  he  came  to  a  mountain,  where 
he  saw  a  young,  beautiful  girl  sitting  on  a  stone ;  and  as 
he  instantly  formed  the  design  of  obtaining  her,  he  cast 
his  fire-steel  between  her  and  the  mountain,  for  that  pur- 
pose. He  then  heard  a  loud  laugh  within  the  mountain. 
It  was  the  damsel's  father,  who  at  the  same  moment  opened 
his  door  and  said  :  "Wilt  thou  have  my  daughter  ?''  Sten 
answered :  "  Yes,"  and  as  she  was  stark  naked,  he  wrapped 
her  in  his  cloak,  and  so  took  her  home  with  him,  and  had 
her  christened.  Before,  however,  he  left  the  mountain, 
the  damscFs  father  gave  him  this  injunction:  "When 
thou  celebratest  thy  marriage  with  my  daughter,  thou 
shalt  send  to  the  mountain  in  which  I  dwell  twelve  barrels 
of  beer,  together  with  bread,  and  the  meat  of  four  oxen ; 
and  when  the  bridal  gifts  are  to  be  given,  mine  shall  not 
be  wan  ting.''  Nobly  did  the  man  of  the  mountain  keep 
his  promise;  for  while  the  company  was  sitting  at  the 
nui)tial  board,  and  the  guests,  according  to  ancient  custom, 
were  bestowing  the  bridal  presents,  the  roof  was  suddenly 
raised,  and  a  large  purse  of  money  thrown  down ;  at  the 
same  time  was  heard  the  old  man's  voice :  "  Here  is  my 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  87 

bridal  gift^  and  when  thou  wilt  have  thy  dower,  drive  to 
the  mountain  with  four  horses  and  take  thy  share/^  Sten 
did  so,  and  got  copper  kettles  of  various  sizes,  besides 
^ brands-cattle^,  descendants  from  which  good  stock  were 
long  to  be  found  in  those  parts.  Sten  became  a  rich  and 
influential  man,  and  had  many  comely  children  by  his 
wife ;  even  now  families  exist  in  the  neighbourhood,  that 
profess  to  derive  their  descent  from  Sten  of  Fogelkarr 
and  the  damsel  of  the  mountain'^. 

III. 
A  peasant,  in  a  village  named  Fyrunga,  had  in  like 
manner  married  a  giant^s  daughter,  with  whom  he  had 
received  considerable  wealth ;  but  he  lived  unhappily  with 
her,  beat  and  misused  her,  although  she  was  of  a  meek 
and  compliant  disposition.  When  the  giant  was  apprized 
of  this,  he  withdrew  from  his  son-in-law,  so  that  he  be- 
came poor.  This  peasant  being  one  day  about  to  shoe  his 
horse,  in  the  absence  of  other  aid,  ordered  his  wife  to  hold 
up  the  horse^s  feet.  With  astonishment  he  saw  that  she 
not  only  lifted  up  the  horse^s  feet  with  the  utmost  ease, 
but  that  when  a  shoe  did  not  fit,  she  bent  it  as  if  it  had 
been  wax  instead  of  cold  iron.  Not  without  signs  of  fear 
the  man  said  to  her :  '^  As  thou  art  so  strong,  why  dost 
thou  allow  me  to  strike  thee?^^  ^^I  bear  in  mind,^^  said 
she,  '^  what  the  black  man  said  who  united  us,  that  I  shall 
be  obedient  to  thee,  and  I  will  hold  to  my  engagement, 
although  thou  hast  often  broken  thine ;  else  I  could  have 
chopped  thee  up  like  cabbage."  From  that  moment  the 
man  became  so  changed  through  his  wife^s  good  sense  and 
forbearance,  that  he  ever  after  treated  her  with  affection. 
When  apprized  of  this  change,  the  giant  again  bestowed 

1  See  page  76. 

"  Grimm  (D.  M.  p.  435)  gives  the  story  with  some  variations  from  Od- 
mau's  Bahuslan.  The  cattle  are  there  distinguislied  as  ivJdte-heacled  (hiel- 
meta),  0.  Nor.  hjahnottr,  veriice  alhus,  alias  discolor  ;  de  2)eciididus  dicitur. 


88  SWEDISH  TRADITIOXS. 

on  them  all  sorts  of  good,  so  tliat  they  became  rich  and 
prosperous. 

IV. 

In  the  district  of  Nas  in  Wiirmland  there  is  an  immense 
stonCj  having  in  it  a  cavity  like  a  room,  in  which  the  pea- 
sant children  sit  and  play  while  they  are  out  with  the 
cattle.     By  some  it  is  called  Stygges   stone,   by  others 
Halvar's  room.    In  this  hollow,  so  says  the  tradition,  there 
dwelt,  in  the  time  of  heathenism,  a  giant,  who  lived  on 
the  best  terms  possible  with  a  farmer  in  the  nearest  grange. 
One  day  as  the  farmer  and  another  man  came  out  of  the 
forest  from  their  labour,  they  found  the  giant  sitting  out- 
side of  the  stone.     "Can  I  barter  with  thee?"  said  the 
giant ;  "  six"  she-goats  and  the  he-goat  seven  I  will  give 
thee  for  a  cow."     The  farmer  expressed  his  willingness. 
On  the  following  morning  when  the  farmer's  wife  entered 
the  cowhouse,  she  saw  to  her  surprise  that  the  cow  was 
gone  and  that  there  were  seven  goats  in  its  place.     The 
bargain  proved  a  good  one,  for  they  were  lucky  with  the 
goats.     Once  when  they  were  out  raking  in  the  field  they 
saw  before  them  a  great  frog  big  with  young.     The  far- 
mer's wife  had  pity  on  the  heav^^  creature  and  wound  a 
woollen  band  round  its  body.     In  the  evening  the  giant 
came  to  the  farm  requesting  the  wife  to  come  and  loose 
that  which  she  had  bound.     The  woman  followed  him  to 
the  stone,  where  she  found  that  the  frog  was  no  other  than 
the  giant's  wife,  who  had  assumed  that  form.     She  loosed 
the  band  and  delivered  her.     In  reward  for  this  service, 
they  desired  her  to  come  with  a  bag,  into  which  the  giant 
poured  as  much  silver  money  as  she  could  carry.     It  is 
further  related  that  one  evening,  when  the  people  were  at 
work  in  the  field,  there  came  from  the  giant's  habitation 
such  a  quantity  of  cattle  and  goats  that  they  were  forced 
to  leave  the  field.    One  Easter  eve,  the  farmer  was  passing 
by,  when  the  giant,  who  was  sitting  on  his  stone  seat,  said 


SWEDISH   TRADITIONS.  89 

to  him  :  '^  Wilt  thou  come  in  and  eat  milk  porridge  with 
me?^^  ^^No,"  answered  the  other;  "if  thou  hast  more 
than  thou  canst  eat,  keep  it  till  to-morrow/^  "  Thanks," 
said  the  giant ;  "  had  I  known  that  before,  I  should  now 
be  rich."     The  giant  was  never  seen  afterwards. 

When  the  Trolls  and  Giants  were  driven  away  by  the 
Christians,  they  took  refuge  out  at  sea,  on  uninhabited 
rocks  and  on  desert  strands,  where,  according  to  general  tra- 
dition, they  have  in  later  times  been  seen  by  mariners. 
Some  sailors  belonging  to  Bohuslan,  when  once  driven  on 
a  desert  shore  by  a  storm,  found  a  giant  sitting  on  a  stone 
by  a  fire.  He  was  old  and  blind,  and  rejoiced  at  hearing 
the  Northmen,  because  he  was  himself  from  their  country. 
He  requested  one  of  them  to  approach  and  give  him  his 
hand,  "  that  I  may  know,"  said  he,  "  whether  there  is  yet 
strength  in  the  hands  of  the  Northmen."  The  old  man 
being  blind,  was  not  sensible  that  they  took  a  great  boat- 
hook,  which  they  heated  in  the  fire  and  held  out  to  him.  He 
squeezed  the  hook  as  if  it  had  been  wax,  shook  his  head 
and  said,  "  I  find  the  Northmen  now  have  but  little 
strength  in  their  hands  compared  with  those  of  old." 

THE  TROLLS  CELEBRATE  CHRISTMAS. 

Of  the  manner  in  which  the  Trolls  celebrate  Christmas 
eve  there  are  traditions  throughout  the  whole  North.  At 
that  time  it  is  not  advisable  for  Christian  men  to  be  out. 
On  the  heaths  Witches  and  little  Trolls  ride,  one  on  a  wolf, 
another  on  a  broom  or  a  shovel,  to  their  assemblies,  where 
they  dance  under  their  stones.  These  stones  are  then 
raised  on  pillars,  under  which  the  Trolls  dance  and  drink. 
In  the  mount  are  then  to  be  heard  mirth  and  music,  dan- 
cing and  drinking.  On  Christmas  morn,  during  the  time 
between  cock-crowing  and  daybreak,  it  is  highly  dangerous 
to  be  abroad. 

One  Christmas  night  in  the  year  1490,  as  Fru  Cissela 


90  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

Ulftand  was  sitting  in  her  mansion  at  Liimgby  in  Scania, 
a  great  noise  was  heard  proceeding  from  the  Trolls  as- 
sembled at  the  IMagle  stone,  when  one  of  the  lady^s  boldest 
servants  rode  out  to  see  what  was  going  on.  He  found 
the  stone  raised,  and  the  Trolls  in  a  noisy  whirl  dancing 
under  it.  A  beautiful  female  stept  forth,  and  presented 
to  the  guest  a  drinking  horn  and  a  pipe,  requesting  him 
to  drink  the  Troll-king^s  health  and  to  blow  in  the  pipe. 
He  took  the  horn  and  pipe,  but  at  the  same  instant  clapped 
spurs  to  his  horse,  and  galloped  straight,  over  rough  and 
smooth,  to  the  mansion.  The  Trolls  followed  him  in  a 
body  with  a  wild  cry  of  threats  and  prayers,  but  the  man 
kept  the  start,  and  delivered  both  horn  and  pipe  into  the 
hands  of  his  mistress.  The  Trolls  promised  prosperity 
and  riches  to  Fru  Cissela^s  race,  if  she  would  restore  their 
pipe  and  horn ;  but  she  persisted  in  keeping  them,  and 
they  are  still  preserved  at  Liungby,  as  memorials  of  the 
wonderful  event.  The  horn  is  said  to  be  of  an  unknown 
mixture  of  metals  with  brass  ornaments,  and  the  pipe  of  a 
horse^s  leg-bone.  The  man  who  stole  them  from  the  Trolls 
died  three  days  after,  and  the  horse  on  the  second  day. 
Liungby  mansion  has  been  twice  burnt,  and  the  Ulftand 
family  never  prospered  afterwards.  This  tradition  teaches 
that  Christians  should  act  justly  even  towards  Trolls. 

It  is  also  related  of  some  priests,  who  were  riding  before 
daybreak  by  a  mount  on  a  Christmas  morning,  while  the 
Trolls  were  at  their  sports,  how  a  Berg-  or  ]\Iount-woman 
came  out  and  offered  them  drink  in  metal  bowls  ;  and  how 
they  cast  the  drink  behind  them,  but  that  some  drops 
chanced  to  fall  on  the  horses'  loins  and  burned  the  hair  off. 
The  bowls  they  carried  away  with  them,  and  such  are  still 
to  be  found  in  several  churches,  where,  it  is  said,  they  were 
formerly  used  as  chalices  ^ 

This  drink,  which  the  Trolls  were  in  the  habit  of  offer- 
1  For  more  on  this  subject  see  '  Danish  Traditions.' 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  91 

ing  SO  liberally^  was  believed  to  have  the  property  of  ob- 
literating from  the  memory  all  the  past^  and  of  rendering 
the  guest  who  partook  of  it  contented  with  all  he  met  with 
in  the  mount. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  NOBLE  NAME  OF  TROLLE. 

On  the  wall  of  Voxtorp  church  in  Smaland  there  is  a 
painting  representing  a  knight  named  Herve  Ulf,  when 
one  Christmas  morning  he  received  a  drinking  horn  from  a 
Troll-wife  with  one  hand,  while  with  his  sword  he  struck  off 
her  head  with  the  other,  kept  the  horn  and  rode  to  church. 
In  remembrance  of  this  deed,  the  king  commanded  him 
to  call  himself  Trolle,  and  to  take  a  Troll  without  a  head 
for  his  armorial  bearing.  Such  is  the  origin  of  the  noble 
name  of  Trolle.  This  wonderful  horn  was  of  three  hun- 
dred colours,  and  was  first  preserved  in  the  cathedral  of 
Wexio;  but  when  the  Danes  in  1570  burned  Wexio,  the 
horn  was  carried  to  Denmark. 

It  is  said  that  the  Trolls  are  very  prolific,  but  that  their 
offspring  for  the  most  part  dies  when  it  thunders ;  whence 
the  saying  :  "  Were  it  not  for  thunder,  the  Trolls  would 
destroy  the  world.^^ 

THE  GIANT'S  PATH. 

In  a  large  cleft  in  the  mountain  of  Billingen  in  West 
Gothland,  called  the  Jattestig  (Giant^s  Path),  it  is  said  there 
was  formerly  a  way  leading  far  into  the  mountain,  into 
which  a  peasant  once  penetrated,  and  found  a  man  lying 
asleep  on  a  large  stone.  How  he  came  there  no  one  could 
tell,  but  every  time  the  bell  tolls  for  prayers  in  Yglunda 
church,  he  turns  round  and  sighs.  So  he  will  continue 
till  doomsday. 

THE  TOMTE,  OR  SWEDISH  NISS. 
Two  husbandmen  dwelt  in   a  village  ;    they  had  like 


92  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

arable  land,  like  meadow,  like  wood  and  pasture,  but  the 
one  grew  richer  and  the  other  poorer  from  year  to  year. 
The  one  had  a  house  painted  red,  well  tarred,  with  boarded 
walls  and  a  sound  turf  roof;  the  other's  habitation  was 
moss-clad,  with  bare,  rotten  walls  and  a  leaky  roof.  Whence 
all  this  difference  ?  Many  a  one  will  answer  :  "  The  rich 
man  had  a  Tomte  in  his  house."  He  appears  before  the 
master,  and,  if  she  is  kind  to  him,  before  the  mistress  also. 
"  But  what  are  they  like,  these  propitious  little  beings  ?  " 
In  magnitude  like  a  child  of  a  twelvemonth  old,  but  with 
an  ancient  and  sagacious  looking  face  under  a  little  red 
cap;  with  a  gray,  coarse  woollen  jacket,  short  breeches, 
and  shoes  like  those  worn  by  peasant  children.  He  ap- 
pears at  noontide,  in  summer  and  autumn,  and  has  gene- 
rally a  straw  or  an  ear  of  corn,  which  he  drags  slowly 
along,  panting  at  every  step,  like  one  under  the  heaviest 
burthen.  On  such  an  occasion  the  poor  peasant  had  once 
laughed  at  a  Tomte,  and  said :  "  What  difference  is  there 
whether  thou  bringest  me  that  or  nothing  ?  ^'  This  vexed 
the  little,  weary  collector,  and  he  transferred  himself  to 
the  other  peasant's  abode,  who  was  at  that  time  a  poor 
new  beginner.  From  that  day  prosperity  withdrew  itself 
from  him  who  had  despised  the  diminutive  being.  But  the 
other  man,  who  esteemed  the  industrious  little  Tomte,  and 
took  care  of  the  smallest  straw  or  ear,  became  rich,  and 
cleanliness,  order  and  abundance  reigned  in  his  dwelling. 


If  a  stable-man  takes  care  of  his  horses,  speaks  kindly 
to  them,  feeds  them  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  and  again  at 
four  in  the  morning,  he  has  no  cause  to  stand  in  fear  of 
the  Tomte.  But  the  careless  one,  who  maltreats  the  cattle, 
curses  and  swears  when  he  enters  the  stable,  forgets  their 
nightly  food,  and  sleeps  till  day,  must  take  good  care  of 
himself,  lest  when  he  steps  into  the  stable  he  get  a  buffet 


SWEDISH   TRADITIONS.  93 

on  the  ear  from  the  unseen  but  hard  fist  of  the  Tomte, 
that  brings  him  to  a  stand  on  his  nose. 

It  has  been  bchcved  that  the  souls  of  those  who  in 
heathen  times  were  slaves,  and  while  the  master  and  his 
sons  were  engaged  in  piracy,  had  charge  of  the  land  and 
buildings,  and  were  employed  in  agriculture,  are  repre- 
sented in  these  small,  gray  beings,  as  pursuing  their  former 
earthly  labours  until  doomsday.  There  are  still  many 
Christians  who  believe  in  these  Tomt-spirits,  and  annuallv 
make  them  a  kind  of  offering,  or,  as  they  now  term  it, 
"  give  them  a  reward. ^^  This  takes  place  on  the  day  when 
joy  was  proclaimed  to  all  the  world,  and  salvation  even  to 
the  Tomtar — Christmas  morning ;  and  consists  in  some 
small  pieces  of  coarse,  gray  woollen  cloth,  a  little  tobacco, 
and  a  shovelful  of  earth. 

Tomtar  are  also  called  Nissar.  ^'  For  the  good  Niss,^^ 
the  country  folks  in  Blekinge  and  other  places  are  wont  to 
say,  when  out  at  work  in  the  fields  and  sitting  at  their  re- 
past, they  lay  a  piece  of  bread,  cheese,  etc.  under  a  green 
turf,  whereby  they  hope  to  gain  his  good  will. 

A  peasant  in  Scania  was  in  the  habit  of  placing  food  on 
the  stove  daily  for  the  Tomtar  or  Nissar.  This  came  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  priest,  who  thereupon  searched  the 
house,  for  the  sake  of  convincing  its  inmates  that  no  Nissar 
were  to  be  found.  "  How  then  does  the  food  disappear 
every  night  ?  ^■'  asked  the  peasant.  "  That  I  can  tell  you,^' 
said  the  priest.  "  Satan  takes  it  all  and  collects  it  in  a 
kettle  in  hell,  in  which  kettle  he  hopes  to  boil  your  souls 
to  all  eternity."  From  that  time  no  more  food  was  set 
out  for  the  Nissar. 

'\^Tiere  building  and  carpenters^  work  are  going  forward, 
it  is  said  that  the  Tomtar,  while  the  workmen  are  at 
their  dinner,  may  be  seen  going  about  and  working  with 
small  axes.  When  a  tree  is  felled  in  the  forest,  it  is  said  : 
"The  woodman  holds  the   axe,  but  the  Tomte  fells  the 


94  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

tree/^  When  the  horses  in  a  stable  are  well  tended  and 
in  fine  condition,  it  is  said  :  "  The  groom  lays  the  food  in 
the  crib,  but  it  is  the  Tomte  who  makes  the  horse  fat." 


A  housewife  when  she  sifted  meal  had  long  remarked 
that  there  was  an  uncommon  weight  in  the  tub,  and  that 
although  she  had  frequently  taken  considerable  quantities 
from  it,  the  weight  exceeded  all  belief.  But  once,  when 
going  to  the  storeroom,  she  chanced  to  look  through  the 
keyhole,  or  through  a  chink  in  the  door,  and  beheld  a 
little  Tomte  in  tattered  gray  clothes  sitting  and  busily 
sifting  in  the  meal-tub.  The  woman  withdrew  softly,  and 
made  a  new,  handsome  kirtle  for  the  industrious  little 
fellow,  and  hung  it  on  the  edge  of  the  tub,  at  the  same 
time  placing  herself  so  that  she  might  see  what  he  thought 
of  his  new  garment.  When  he  came  he  immediately  put 
it  on  and  began  to  sift  most  sedulously ;  but  seeing  that 
the  meal  dusted  and  damaged  his  new  kirtle,  he  exclaimed, 
casting  the  sieve  from  him : 

"  The  young  spark  is  fine ; 
He  dusts  himself : 
Never  more  will  he  sift." 

RAVENS.— FYS LINGAR  AND  MYLINGAR.— SKRAT. 

Ravens  scream  by  night  in  the  forest-swamps  and  wild 
moors.  They  are  said  to  be  the  ghosts  of  murdered  per- 
sons, who  have  been  concealed  there  by  their  undetected 
murderers,  and  not  had  Christian  burial. 

In  forests  and  wildernesses  the  spirits  of  little  children 
that  have  been  murdered  are  said  to  wander  about  wailing, 
within  an  assigned  space,  as  long  as  their  lives  would  have 
lasted  on  earth,  if  they  had  been  permitted  to  live.  As  a 
terror  for  unnatural  mothers  that  destroy  their  oiFspring, 
their  sad  cry  is  said  to  be  :  "  ]\Iamma  !  Mamma  ! "    When 


SWEDISH   TRADITIONS. 


95 


travellers  by  night  pass  such  places,  these  beings  will  hang 
on  the  vehicle,  when  the  liveliest  horses  will  toil  as  if  they 
were  dragging  millstones,  will  sweat,  and  at  length  be  un- 
able to  proceed  a  step  further.  The  peasant  then  knows 
that  a  ghost  or  Pysling  has  attached  itself  to  his  vehicle. 
If  he  goes  to  the  horses'  heads,  lifts  the  headstall,  and 
looks  through  it  towards  the  carriage,  he  will  see  the  little 
pitiable  being,  but  will  get  a  smart  blov,^  on  the  ear,  or 
fall  sick.     This  is  called  ^host-pressed  (gastkramad). 

The  Myling,  as  well  as  the  Tomte  and  Skogsra,  are  ex- 
posed to  persecution  from  the  wolves.  Some  hunters,  who 
had  one  evening  taken  up  their  quarters  in  a  barn  in  the 
forest,  were  waked  in  the  middle  of  the  night  by  the  howl- 
ing of  wolves  and  an  extraordinary  noise ;  and  on  seeking 
the  cause,  they  saw  a  Skogsra  fleeing  before  a  number  of 
wolves  that  were  pursuing  her.  On  reaching  the  barn 
she  jumped  up  to  the  little  wdndow  that  stood  open, 
whence  she  jeered  the  wolves  standing  beneath,  showing 
them  first  one  foot  then  the  other,  and  saying  :  "  Paw  this 
foot !  Paw  that  foot !  If  you  get  both,  take  them."  One 
of  the  hunters,  tired  of  her  proximity,  gave  her  a  push  in 
the  back,  so  that  she  fell  down  among  the  wolves,  saying : 
"  Take  her  altogether  ! "  She  was  instantly  devoured  by 
the  wolves.  Similar  stories  are  related  of  Mylingar  and 
Tomtar. 

Of  the  Myling  it  is  related  that  it  can  assume  the  form 
of  persons  both  living  and  dead,  thereby  deluding  the 
nightly  traveller;  also  that  it  can  imitate  the  speech, 
laugh  and  singing  of  persons. 

The  Skrat^  is  a  species  of  Myling  that  with  a  horse- 
laugh makes  game  of  persons  that  are  out  at  night  in  the 
forests  or  fields.  A  peasant  in  Westmanland  had  while 
digging  found  a  ring  that  shone  like  gold,  and  would,  as 
he  said,  have  certainly  become  possessor  of  it,  had  not  the 
1  See  Grinun,  D.  M.  p.  447. 


9G  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

Skrat,  before  he  had  well  got  hold  of  it,  laughed  it  away. 
So  it  is  said  frequently  to  happen  to  treasure-diggers.  He 
comes  at  midnight,  chiefly  i^  winter,  out  of  the  forests,  to 
the  public  roads,  and  hangs  on  the  hinder  part  of  a  sledge 
or  other  vehicle,  when  on  a  sudden  it  becomes  so  heavy, 
that  the  horses,  however  good  they  may  be,  become  jaded, 
sweat,  and  at  length  stop ;  then  the  Skrat  generally  runs 
off  with  a  malicious  laugh,  and  vanishes. 

THE  WERWOLF.    ' 

In  a  hamlet  within  a  forest  there  dwelt  a  cottager,  named 
Lasse,  and  his  wife.  One  day  he  went  out  in  the  forest 
to  fell  a  tree,  but  had  forgotten  to  cross  himself  and  say 
his  Paternoster,  so  that  some  Troll  or  Witch  (Vargamor)^ 
got  power  over  him  and  transformed  him  into  a  wolf.  His 
wife  mourned  for  him  for  several  years ;  but  one  Christmas 
eve  there  came  a  beggar  woman,  who  appeared  very  poor 
and  ragged ;  the  good  housewife  gave  her  a  kind  recep- 
tion, as  is  customary  among  Christians  at  that  joyous  sea- 
son. At  her  departure  the  beggar  woman  said  that  the 
wife  might  very  probably  see  her  husband  again,  as  he 
was  not  dead,  but  was  wandering  in  the  forest  as  a  wolf. 
Towards  evening  the  wife  went  to  her  pantry,  to  place  in  - 
it  a  piece  of  meat  for  the  morrow,  when  on  turning  to  go 
out,  she  perceived  a  wolf  standing,  which  raising  itself 
with  its  paws  on  the  pantry  steps,  regarded  the  woman 
with  sorrowful  and  hungry  looks.  Seeing  this  she  said : 
"  If  I  knew  that  thou  wert  my  Lasse,  I  would  give  thee 
a  bone  of  nieat.^^  At  that  instant  the  wolf-skin  fell  off, 
and  her  husband  stood  before  her  in  the  clothes  he  had 
on  when  he  went  out  on  that- unlucky  morning. 

•  01(1  women  (hvelling  in  tlic  forests,  who  not  unfrequently  give  them- 
selves out  as  sorceresses,  have  got  the  name  of  Vargamor  (Wolf-crones), 
and  are  believed  to  have  the  wolves  of  the  forest  under  their  protection 
and  control. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  9/ 

The  heathen  sorcery  of  transforming  a  person  to  the  likeness  of  a  wolf, 
is  still  believed  by  many  to  be  transmitted  to  some  wicked  individuals, 
even  to  our  days.  Fins,  Lapps  and  Russians  are  held  in  particular  aver- 
sion on  this  account ;  and  when,  during  the  last  year  of  the  war  with 
Russia,  Calmar  was  unusually  overrun  with  wolves,  it  was  generally  said 
that  the  Russians  had  transformed  the  Swedish  prisoners  to  wolves,  and 
sent  them  home  to  infest  the  country. 

JACK  0'  LANTERN. 

A  flaming  light  moves  backwards  and  forwards  on  the 
hearth^  not  unlike  a  lantern  borne  by  one  in  search  of 
something.  It  is  '  Jack  with  the  lantern/  who,  as  many  a 
simple  person,  after  old  traditions,  will  tell  us,  was  a 
mover  of  landmarks,  and  is  thus  doomed  to  wander  with 
a  light  in  his  hand. 

According  to  the  old  popular  belief,  a  man,  who  during 
life  has  rendered  himself  guilty  of  such  a  crime,  is 
doomed  to  have  no  rest  in  his  grave  after  death,  but  to 
rise  every  midnight,  and  with  a  lantern  in  his  hand  to 
proceed  to  the  spot  where  the  landmark  had  stood  which 
he  had  fraudulently  removed.  On  reaching  the  place,  he 
is  seized  with  the  same  desire  which  instigated  him  in  his 
lifetime,  when  he  went  forth  to  remove  his  neighbour's 
landmark,  and  he  says  as  he  goes,  in  a  harsh,  hoarse  voice  : 
'^'  It  is  right !  it  is  right !  it  is  right ! "  But  on  his  re- 
turn, qualms  of  conscience  and  anguish  seize  him,  and  he 
then  exclaims  :  "  It  is  wrong  !  it  is  wrong  !  it  is  wrong  ! " 

THE  RAM  IN  THE  GETABERG. 

Near  Ingelstad,  in  the  district  of  Oxie,  in  Scania,  there 
is  a  mount  called  the  Getaberg,  where  before  misfortunes 
and  public  calamities,'  a  ram,  terrible  to  look  upon,  makes 
its  appearance.  The  neighbouring  peasantry  can  tell,  both 
with  year  and  day,  of  calamities  that  have  been  so  fore- 
boded. One  evening  a  boy  passed  over  the  mount  singing 
a  song  about  the  ram,  that  was  current  in  the  neighbour- 


98  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

hood,  and  by  his  ill-timed  mirth  waked  the  ram,  which 
soon  stuck  him  on  his  horn,  and  would  have  killed  him, 
had  not  a  handsome  young  damsel  come  and  saved  him ; 
for  when  young  girls  come  to  him  the  ram  becomes  as 
gentle  as  a  lamb. 

THE  DRAGON,  OR  WHITE  SERPENT. 

Among  the  fabulous  beings  of  former  days  must  be 
reckoned  the  Dragon,  concerning  which  many  traditions 
and  songs  are  extant.  In  the  heathen  Sagas  no  mention 
is  made  of  its  colour;  but  in  later  writings  we  find  it 
usually  designated  the  White  Serpent.  This  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  white  Tomt-serpent  (Tomtorm),  which 
in  the  southern  parts  is  numbered  among  good  domestic 
sprites,  and  is  gladly  fed  by  the  inmates  of  the  house  in 
which  it  vouchsafes  to  take  up  its  abode  under  the  flooring. 
The  White  Serpent  now  to  be  spoken  of  is  very  rarely 
seen,  some  suppose  only  every  hundred  years,  and  in  desert 
places.  Sorceresses  were  in  the  habit  of  seeking  for  it, 
and  boiling  it  in  their  magical  compounds,  for  the  attain- 
ment of  profound  knowledge  in  the  secrets  of  nature ;  for 
by  insinuating  itself,  in  the  innermost  parts  of  the  earth, 
around  the  roots  of  rocks  and  mountains,  among  the  lowest 
fibres  of  the  trees  and  plants,  it  is  believed  to  have  imbibed 
their  occult  virtues,  and  to  communicate  them  to  the  indi- 
vidual by  whom  it  allows  itself  to  be  found.  If  any  one 
finds  a  White  Serpent,  he  should  instantly  grasp  it  by  the 
middle  of  its  body,  when  it  will  leave  its  skin.  Only  to 
lick  this  is  thought  to  strengthen  the  inward  powers  of 
man,  so  that,  without  previous  instruction,  he  will  know 
the  virtues  of  plants,  earths  and  stones,  how  to  heal  wounds 
and  cure  all  kinds  of  diseases.  This  is  called  '  To  become 
cunning'.' 

A  poor  little  peasant  boy,  who  had  wandered  out  of  his 

»  Att  blifva  klok. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  99 

path,  came  to  a  small  hut  in  the  forest,  in  which  one  of 
these  so-called  cunning  women  and  serpent-boilers  dwelt. 
When  the  boy  entered  she  was  not  at  home ;  but  a  large 
kettle  was  standing  on  the  fire^  in  which  a  white  serpent 
was  boiling.  The  boy  was  hungry,  and  seeing  bread  on 
a  table,  and  a  thick,  fat  scum  in  the  kettle,  which  he 
supposed  to  arise  from  boiling  meat,  he  dipped  a  piece  of 
bread  in  the  kettle  and  ate  it.  The  old  beldam,  who  now 
came  in,  was  instantly  aware  of  what  had  taken  place ; 
but  feeling  convinced  that  the  boy,  however  he  might 
excel  others  in  wisdom,  would  not  surpass  her,  and  that 
he  could  not  do  any  harm  to  her,  suffered  him  to  depart, 
and  accompanied  him  until  he  was  again  in  his  right  path, 
instructing  him  on  the  way  how  he  should  apply  the 
wondrous  gift  he  was  possessed  of. 

Of  Sven  in  Bragnum  in  West  Gothland,  who  was  so 
famous  that  he  was  visited  by  Linnaeus,  the  story  goes, 
that  he  found  a  White  Serpent,  the  skin  of  which  he 
licked,  whereby  he  became  cunning  (klok),  so  that  he  knew 
the  virtues  of  all  kinds  of  creeping  things  and  plants,  which 
he  sedulously  collected  about  Mosseberg  and  the  meadows 
of  Boulom,  for  the  cure  of  diseases.  It  is  remarkable  that 
he  knew  beforehand  that  he  should  lose  his  knowledge  as 
soon  as  he  married ;  so  that  from  the  day  of  his  marriage 
he  never  would  receive  a  visit  from  a  patient. 

The  Swedish  people  ascribe  the  virtue  of  certain  medicinal  springs  to 
White  Serpents.  In  1809  thousands  flocked  from  Halland  and  West 
Gothland  to  the  wonder-working  Helsjo  (a  small  lake  near  Rampegiirda). 
It  was  said  that  some  children  on  its  banks  tending  cattle  had  in  that  year 
often  seen  a  beautiful  young  female  sitting  on  its  shore,  holding  in  her 
hand  a  white  serpent,  which  she  showed  them.  This  water-nymph  with 
the  serpent  appears  only  every  hundred  years,  Bexell's  Halland,  quoted 
by  Grimm  (D.  M.  p.  554).  See  Danish  traditions.  According  to  a  Ger- 
man story,  by  eating  of  a  white  serpent,  a  person  acquires  a  knowledge 
of  the  language  of  all  animals  ^. 

^  Grimm,  K.  and  H.  M.  No.  17. 

f2 


100  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

THE  UNINVITED  WEDDING  GUESTS. 
A  farmer  in   Bahuus  was   celebrating  his   daughter's 
marriage,   but   scarcely  was  the   table   covered   and   the 
viands  brought  in,  before  all — even  before  the  guests  had 
seated  themselves — was  eaten  up.    When  the  master  came 
in  and  saw  this,  he  said :  "  Now  Hale  has  been  here  and 
eaten  up  all  the  meat."     He  then  ordered  other  viands  to 
be  brought  in,  of  which  the  company  began  immediately 
to  partake;  but  whatever  the  guests  might  eat,  it  was 
evident  that  more  vanished  than  was  consumed  by  them. 
Near  the  door  stood  an  old  cavalry  soldier,  who  knew  more 
than  the  others,  and  who,  on  hearing  what  was  being  talked 
of  at  table,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  to  a  neighbouring 
mount,    where   he   knocked.      On   the   mountain   being 
opened,  the  soldier  said  to  its  inhabitant :  "  Lend  me  thy 
hat ;  thou  shalt  have  mine  in  the  mean  time."     Such  a 
hat  was  called  an  uddehat,  and  made  the  person  that  wore 
it  invisible.    The  old  man  of  the  mount  answered  :  "  Thou 
shalt  have  it ;  but  thou  must  promise  me  to  return  it  be- 
fore sunset."    No  sooner  said  than  done.    The  old  soldier 
now  hastened  back  to  the  wedding  party,  where  he  saw 
that  by  the  side  of  every  guest  there  sat  two  Trolls,  who 
helped  themselves  from  the  dishes  with  both  hands  and 
ate  to  their  hearts'  content.  Grasping  his  whip,  he  lashed 
the  spunging  intruders  so  smartly  over  the  fingers,  that 
they  lost  all  inclination  to  make  further  havoc  among  the 
dishes,  and  turned  them  head  over  heels  out  of  the  apart- 
ment.    Then  taking  off  the  borrowed  hat,  which  had  till 
then  made  him  invisible  to  the  company,  he  said :  "  Till 
this  moment  the  fiend  has  been  feasting  with  you ;  but 
now  set  more  meat  on  the  table,  and  I  will  bear  you  com- 
])any."     They  did  so,  ate  in  peace,  and  had  a  quantity 
over.     When  evening  approached,  the  old  man  remounted 
his  horse  and  rode  to  the  mount,  where  he  cast  down  his 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  ]0I 

borrowed  hat  and  hastened  away  with  all  possible  speed  ; 
and  had  scarcely  turned  his  horse,  before  a  multitude  of 
Trolls  came  running,  and  even  got  hold  of  the  horse^s  tail, 
as  he  rode  over  a  bridge  :  but  the  horse  was  strong  and 
active,  so  that  the  rider  escaped,  and  the  Trolls  returned 
to  whence  they  came  ^. 

OF  LUND  CATHEDRALS. 

The  cathedral  of  Lund  was  regarded  as  a  miracle  of 
Gothic  architecture,  with  respect  both  to  its  magnitude 
and  decorations,  which  monuments  of  an  early  age  are  for 
the  most  part  still  preserved.  The  giant  Finn  is  said  to 
have  built  it,  and  his  effigy  with  those  of  his  wife  and 
child  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  the  undercroft,  concerning  whom 
there  is  the  following  legend.  The  holy  St.  Lawrence  (or 
Lars),  when  walking  among  the  mountains  and  forests,  and 
thinking  how  he  could  raise  a  spacious  temple  worthy  of 
the  Lord,  was  met  by  a  huge  giant  from  a  mountain,  who 
engaged  to  accomplish  his  wish,  but  on  condition  of  re- 
ceiving as  a  remuneration  the  sun  and  moon  and  both  St. 
Lawrence's  eyes.  The  time,  however,  fixed  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  work  was  so  short,  that  the  undertaking- 
seemed  impracticable.  But  the  holy  man  soon  saw  the 
building  drawing  too  near  its  completion,  and  the  day  ap- 
proaching when  the  Troll  should  come  and  demand  his  re- 
ward. He  now  again  went  wandering  about  sad  and 
sorrowful  in  the  mountains  and  forests,  when  he  one  day 

1  Faye,  p.  30.  The  old  soldier's  horse  was  more  fortunate  than  Tani 
o'Shanter's  Maggie,  which  at 

"  Ae  spring  brought  off  her  master  hale, 
But  left  behind  her  ain  grey  tail." 

2  Lund,  a  famous  city  and  university  in  Skania  (Skane),  with  a  noble 
old  cathedral.  It  is  called  the  Canterbury  of  the  North,  and  before  the 
cession  of  the  province  by  Denmark  to  Sweden  in  1658  was  the  metro- 
politan see  of  the  former  kingdom.  It  lies  nearly  opposite  to  Copen- 
hagen. 


102  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

suddenly  heard  a  child  crying  in  the  mountain,  and  the 
mother^  a  giantess,  singing  to  appease  it : 

"  Hush,  my  babe,  hush  ! 
Thy  father,  Finn,  comes  home  to-mon*ow ; 
Then  shalt  thou  play  with  sun  and  moon. 
And  with  St.  Lars'  two  eyes." 

St,  Lawrence  now  knew  the  giant^s  name,  and  so  had 
power  over  him.  When  the  Trolls  were  aware  of  this,  they 
both  came  down  into  the  undercroft,  where  each  seized  a 
pillar,  with  the  intention  of  throwing  down  the  whole  edi- 
fice; but  St.  Lawrence,  making  the  sign  of  the  cross, 
cried  out :  "  Stand  there  in  stone  till  doomsday  !  ^'  They 
instantly  became  stone  as  they  are  yet  to  be  seen ;  the 
giant  embracing  one  pillar,  and  his  wife,  with  a  child  on 
her  arm,  another  ^ . 

THE  CHURCH-GRIM  AND  THE  CHURCH-LAMB. 

Heathen  superstition  did  not  fail  to  show  itself  in  the 
construction  of  Christian  churches.  In  laying  the  founda- 
tion, the  people  wovild  retain  something  of  their  former  re- 
ligion, and  sacrificed  to  their  old  deities,  whom  they  could 
not  forget,  some  animal,  which  they  buried  alive,  either 
under  the  foundation  or  without  the  wall.  The  spectre  of 
this  animal  is  said  to  wander  about  the  churchyard  by 
night,  and  is  called  the  Kyrkogrim,  or  Church-grim. 

A  tradition  has  also  been  preserved,  that  under  the  altar 
in  the  first  Christian  churches  a  lamb  was  usually  buried, 
which  imparted  security  and  duration  to  the  edifice.  Tliis 
is  an  emblem  of  the  genuine  Church -lamb,  the  Saviour  of 
the  world,  who  is  the  sacred  corner-stone  of  his  church 
and  congregation.     When  any  one  enters  a  church  at  a 

1  See  the  story  of  King  Olaf,  p.  39,  and  of  Esbern  Snare  and  Kalhind- 
borg  church  in  Danish  Traditions.  The  original  is  manifestly  the  Eddaic 
story  of  the  builder  that  engaged  to  fortify  Asgard. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  103 

time  when  there  is  no  service,  he  may  chance  to  see  a  little 
lamb  spring  across  the  quire  and  vanish.  That  is  the 
Church-lamb.  "When  it  appears  to  a  person  in  the  church- 
yard, particularly  to  the  gravediggers,  it  is  said  to  fore- 
bode the  death  of  a  child  that  shall  be  next  laid  in  the 
earth. 

HELIGE  THOR'S  KALLA  (WELL). 
From  the  time  of  heathenism  there  is  a  well  in  Smaland, 
in  the  parish  of  Skatelof,  which  is  remarkable  for  a  de- 
plorable event.  On  the  spot  where  the  well  now  is,  a 
young  damsel,  it  is  said,  met  her  lover,  and  from  some 
suspicion  of  his  infidelity,  murdered  him.  The  god  Thor 
caused  the  well  to  spring  up  from  his  blood.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  change  that  the  heathen  religion  underwent 
in  the  minds  of  the  people,  the  name  of  the  god  Thor 
became  altered  to  '  Hehge  Thor'  (Saint  Thor),  the  festival 
of  our  Saviour's  ilscension  was  called  '  Helig  Thor's-dag ' 
(Holy  Thursday),  and  Skatelofs  Kalla  was  named  '  Helige 
Thor's  Kalle.'  From  ancient  documents  it  appears  that 
a  particular  song  was  formerly  sung  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  this  well,  when  the  country  folks,  every  Holy  Thursday 
eve,  assembled  there  to  play  and  make  oficrings. 

OF  THE  VIRGIN  MARY. 
All  that  is  most  beautiful  and  glorious  in  the  creation 
was  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  memorials  of  which 
exist  even  at  the  present  day.  One  of  the  earliest  and 
fairest  flowers  of  spring  was,  and  in  many  places  still  is, 
called  Our  Ladifs  bunch  of  keys  (primula  veris ;  common 
cowslip);  the  galium  verum  luteum  is  Our  Lady's  bed- 
straw'^  ;  a  very  green  grass,  with  flowers  of  a  more  beau- 

1  N.  Poussin  has  painted  this  plant,  instead  of  straw,  under  the  infant 
Jesus  in  the  manger,  with  its  bright  yellow  flowers  gilded,  as  it  were,  by 
the  rays  emanating  from  the  child. 


104  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

tiful  blue  than  those  of  the  common  flax,  is  Our  Ladifs 
flax ;  in  low,  wild  places  a  flower  called  Our  Lady's  hand 
lifts  its  rose-coloured  spike :  it  has  two  roots  like  hands, 
one  white  the  other  black,  and  when  both  are  laid  in 
water,  the  black  one  will  sink — this  is  called  Satan's  hand; 
but  the  white  one — called  Mari/s  hand — will  float.  This 
plant  the  peasant  shows  to  his  children,  and  tells  of  the 
holy  mother  and  of  Him  who  overcame  the  powers  of  hell. 
The  pretty,  small  green  seed-vessels  of  the  shepherd^s 
purse  (thlaspi  bursa  pastoris)  are  called  Our  Ladifs  pin- 
cushion) and  the  dew-flower  (alchemilla  vulgaris)  with  its 
plaited  leaves,  Our  Ladifs  mantle. 

As  the  Thorbagge^,  in  the  time  of  heathenism,  was 
sacred  to  Thor,  so  was  the  Lady-bird  (coccinella  septem- 
punctata)  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  is  to  this  day 
called  Our  Lady's  key-maid  (nyckelpiga) .  It  is  thought 
lucky  when  a  young  girl  in  the  country  sees  this  little 
creature  in  the  spring ;  she  then  lets  it  creep  about  her 
hand,  and  says  :  ^^  She  measures  me  for  wedding  gloves.^^ 
And  when  it  spreads  its  little  wings  and  flies  away,  she 
particularly  notices  the  direction  it  takes,  for  thence  her 
sweetheart  shall  one  day  come.  This  little  messenger  from 
the  Virgin  Mary  is  believed  to  foretell  to  the  husbandman 
whether  the  year  shall  be  a  plentiful  one  or  the  contrary  : 
if  its  spots  exceed  seven,  bread-corn  will  be  dear ;  if  they 
are  fewer  than  seven,  there  will  be  an  abundant  harvest 
and  low  prices. 

YULE-STRAW. 

It  was  a  custom  in  many  places  to  cany  Yule-straw 
(Julhalm)  into  the  fields,  in  the  belief  that  it  would  be  of 
avail  in  bringing  forth  an  abundant  harvest,  for  the  sake 
of  the  Child,  through  whom  come  all  grace  and  blessings. 
It  is  in  remembrance  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  who  laid  the 

^  See  page  53. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  105 

Saviour  of  the  world  on  hay  and  straw ;  therefore  all  little 
children  may  well  play  and  rejoice  in  the  Yule-straw,  the 
infant  Jesus  having  celebrated  Yule  on  a  bed  of  straw. 

It  is  also  said,  that  of  the  Yule-straw  (as  of  the  Yule- 
hog,  or  loaf)^  a  part  should  be  preserved  and  given  to  the 
draught  horses  and  other  cattle  in  the  spring,  to  preserve 
them  against  sickness  and  mishaps,  and  to  keep  them 
together,  so  that  they  shall  not  be  dispersed,  although 
they  should  go  to  graze  on  large  heaths  or  in  forests. 

In  some  places  it  is  the  custom  to  make  a  so-called  fra- 
ternal bed  (syster-sang)  on  the  floor,  in  which  the  children 
and  domestics  sleep  together  on  Yule-straw.  On  this 
night  all  the  shoes  must  be  put  in  one  place  close  together, 
in  order  that  all  may  live  in  harmony  throughout  the 
coming  year.  Great  is  the  virtue  of  Yule-straw.  To  the 
nests  of  the  fowls  and  geese,  in  which  it  is  laid,  no  martens 
nor  any  witchcraft  dare  approach;  strewn  on  the  earth 
it  promotes  the  growth  of  fruits  and  corn.  If  given 
to  the  cows  before  they  are  driven  to  their  summer  pasture, 
it  secures  them  against  distempers,  and  prevents  them 
from  separating. 

THE  BJARAAN,  OR  BARE. 

This  was  a  milk-pail  composed  of  nine  kinds  of  stolen 
weaver's  knots.  Three  drops  of  blood  from  the  little  finger 
were  to  be  dropt  into  it,  and  the  following  formula  uttered  : 

Pajordenskaltuformigspringa,     On  earth  shalt  thou  before  me 

spring, 
I  Blakulla  skal  jag  for  thig  brinna !    In  Blakiilla  shall  I  for  thee  burn  ! 

Blakulla  (the  Blue  mountain)  is  the  Swedish  Blocksberg, 
a  rock  between  Smaland  and  Oland^. 

1  See  p.  50.  A  part  of  this  was  given  to  the  household,  that  they 
might  live  together  in  harmony. 

2  Grimm,  D.  M.  pp.  1001,  1044. 

F  5 


106  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

MIDSUMMER  EVE. 

On  St.  John^s  eve  they  gather  and  bind  together  all 
sorts  of  flowers  and  plants,  which  they  call  Midsommars- 
qvastar  (midsummer-posies).  These  are  hung  up  in 
every  house,  particularly  in  the  stables,  the  cattle  then 
cannot  be  bewitched.  The  St.  John^s  wort  (hypcricum) 
must  be  among  the  rest,  as  possessing  extraordinary  virtue. 
On  St.  John's  eve  much  may  happen,  and  much  be  fore- 
seen of  importance  for  a  person's  remaining  life.  Some 
then  mount,  under  white  blankets,  up  on  the  roof,  and 
lie  down  to  listen  and  see ;  whatever  words  they  then  by 
chance  may  hear,  or  whatever  face  they  may  see,  will  have 
a  meaning,  which  must  be  interpreted.  Whoever,  braving 
all  risk  of  annoyance  from  witches  and  spirits  of  the  night, 
will  look  more  boldly  into  futurity,  proceeds  to  a  spot 
where  three  ways  diverge,  and  there  awaits  what  may 
happen  or  suggest  itself  as  prophecy  or  warning.  But 
w^hat  shall  the  love-sick  do  ?  The  forest  is  lonely,  and 
the  gathering  of  plants  in  remote  places,  on  mountains 
and  in  crossways,  is  too  formidable.  But  it  is  to  the  soli- 
tary only  that  the  divinities  appear  ^^th  the  keys  of  fu- 
turity. The  oppressed  heart  has,  nevertheless,  a  resource. 
Thoughtful  the  sufferer  goes  forth,  entwines  wreaths  of  nine 
sorts  of  flowers,  and  lays  them  under  his,  or  her,  pillow. 
How  many  then  are  the  sweet  thoughts  and  wishes  !  How 
slowly  comes  the  light  sleep  !  At  length  it  is  there,  and 
with  it  the  desired  di-eams,  and  whatever  they  whisper 
over  such  flowers  will  prove  true. 

The  witch-crew  also  may  at  this  joyous  season  be  con- 
strained and  seen.  Witches'  butter  is  to  be  found  both 
on  the  corn  and  on  flowers,  and  is  either  an  exudation 
from  the  plants,  or  what  is  usually  called  honey- dew,  and 
the  production  of  some  insect.  This  the  wanton  forest- 
sprites,  or  old  witches  are  said  to  spread  abroad.  If  nine 
kinds  of  wood  be  formed  into  a  pile  and  kindled,  and  some 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  107 

of  this  witches'  butter  be  cast  into  it ;  or  if  the  fire  be 
only  beaten  with  nine  kinds  of  wood,  those  who  have 
justly  been  suspected  as  witches  must  come  and  discover 
themselves  ^ 

CHRISTMAS. 

At  Christmas  it  was  formerly  the  custom  to  set  little 
bowls  of  Yule-porridge  (Julgrot)  and  other  eatables  on 
the  barn -floor,  together  with  a  jacket,  for  the  Tomte- 
gubbe,  in  order  that  he  might  continue  to  bring  pros- 
perity to  the  house ^. 

Another  old  custom,  but  now  obsolete,  it  was,  to  go  on 
Christmas  night,  in  the  morning  twilight,  into  a  wood  or 
forest,  without  utteriug  a  word  or  letting  a  sound  be 
heard,  without  looking  around,  without  eating  or  drink- 
ing, or  seeing  any  fire,  or  hearing  a  cock  crow.  If  any 
one  so  qualified  goes  on  the  path  leading  to  the  church  as 
the  sun  is  rising,  he  will  see  as  many  funerals  as  will  pass 
that  way  during  the  ensuing  year ;  and  see  how  the  pro- 
duce will  be  in  the  meadows  and  pastures,  and  whether 
any  fires  will  break  out,  within  the  same  period^. 

THE  CUCKOO. 
When  the  cuckoo  is  first  heard  in  spring-tide,  it  is  a 
custom  in  Sweden  to  ask  him  "  How  many  years  shall  I 
live  ?"  or,  "  When  will  this  or  that  happen  V  Such  in- 
quiries are  comprised  in  the  following  rimes,  which  are 
uttered  line  by  line,  on  every  cry  of  the  bird : — 

Goker  gra,  cantat  cucullus  Gucku.  Cuckoo  grey, 

Sseg  mig  da,     Gucku.  Tell  me  uow, 

Uppa  qvist, Gucku.  Up  on  bough, 

Sant  och  vist, Gucku.  True  and  sure, 

Hiu*  manga  ar Gucku.  How  many  years 

Jag  leva  far?  or, Gucku.  I  have  to  live ?  or, 

Jag  ogift  gar  ?  I  shall  unmarried  go  ? 

1  Arndt,  ill.  pp.  73  sgq.  2  ib.  p.  84.  3  n,.  p.  sG. 


108  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

As  many  times  as  he  repeats  his  note  so  many  years  will 
the  person  live,  or  pass  in  single  blessedness.  But  the 
maidens  are  wary  and  provident  withal.  That  he  may 
not  afflict  them  by  declaring  too  many  years  of  maiden- 
hood, they  have  established  the  rule  that  ten  is  the  highest 
number  he  may  lawfully  cry.  If  he  cries  oftener  than 
ten  times,  they  say  he  sits  on  a  bewitched  bough  (pa  galen 
qvist),  and  give  no  heed  to  his  prediction. 

Much  depends  on  the  quarter  whence  the  note  of  the 
cuckoo  is  first  heard.  If  heard  from  the  north,  the  year 
will  be  one  of  sorrow ;  if  from  the  west  or  east,  one  of 
prosperity ;  if  from  the  south,  it  will  be  a  good  butter 
year;  or  a  year  of  death,  according  to  another  account ^ 

SWEDISH  POPULAR  BELIEF  ^. 

1.  Be  careful  not  to  meet  with  Sweepings  in  the  door- 
way, if  you  wish  to  be  married  in  the  same  year. 

2.  If  a  maiden  and  a  youth  eat  of  one  and  the  same 
beet-root,  they  will  fall  in  love  with  each  other. 

3.  If  on  midsummer  night  nine  kinds  of  flowers  are 
laid  under  the  head,  a  youth  or  maiden  will  di-eam  of  his 
or  her  sweetheart. 

4.  A  youth  may  not  give  a  knife  or  pins  to  a  girl,  be- 
cause they  sever  love. 

5.  A  girl  must  not  look  in  a  looking-glass  after  dark, 
nor  by  candle-hght,  lest  she  lose  the  good  will  of  the 
other  sex. 

6.  A  bride  must  endeavour  to  see  her  bridegroom  before 
he  sees  her;  she  will  then  have  the  mastery. 

7.  She  must,  for  the  same  reason,  during  the  marriage 
ceremony,  place  her  foot  before  his. 

8.  For  the  same  reason,  she  must  take  care  to  sit  down 
first  in  the  bridal  chair. 

1  Thiele,  iii.  108  sq.  edit.  1820.     Grimm,  D.  M.  pp.  640  sg. 

2  Grimm,  D.  M.  Anhang,  p.  cviii.  edit.  1835. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  109 

9.  For  the  same  reason,  she  must,  as  if  by  accident,  let 
her  shoe  sUp  off,  or  her  handkerchief,  or  anything  else 
fall  on  the  floor,  which  the  bridegroom  from  politeness 
will  stoop  to  pick  up.  It  will  then  be  his  lot  to  submit 
{lit.  to  bend  his  back)  during  the  whole  continuance  of 
their  marriage. 

10.  The  bride  must  stand  near  to  the  bridegroom,  that 
no  one  thenceforward  may  press  between  them. 

11.  In  the  church  let  them  hold  a  riband  or  napkin 
between  them,  that  they  may  live  solely  for  each  other. 

13.  The  bride  shall  touch  with  so  many  fingers  on  her 
naked  body,  while  sitting  in  the  bridal  chair,  as  she  de- 
sires to  have  children. 

14.  That  she  may  have  an  abundance  of  milk,  let  her 
mother  meet  her,  when  she  comes  home  from  church,  with 
a  glass  of  milk  to  drink. 

15.  As  food  in  her  first  confinement,  let  her  provide 
herself  with  a  cake  and  a  cheese,  which  she  should  have 
lying  by  her  in  the  bridal  bed. 

16.  When  children  are  newly  born,  a  book  is  to  be 
placed  under  their  head,  that  they  may  be  quick  at  read- 
ing. 

17.  When  they  are  bathed  for  the  first  time,  let  money 
be  put  into  the  water,  that  they  may  become  rich.  A  purse 
with  money  in  it  should  also  be  sewed  round  their  neck. 

18.  A  part  of  the  father^ s  clothes  should  be  laid  on  a 
female  child,  and  the  mother^s  petticoat  on  a  male  child  ; 
to  find  favour  with  the  opposite  sex. 

19.  The  mother  should  meet  the  child  at  the  door, 
when  it  is  carried  out  to  be  christened ;  but  when  it  is 
carried  home  after  it  is  baptized,  it  should  be  met  at  the 
door  with  a  loaf,  that  it  may  never  want  bread. 

20.  As  long  as  a  child  remains  unnamed,  the  fire  must 
not  be  extinguished. 


110  SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 

21.  No  one  may  pass  between  the  fire  and  a  sucking 
babe. 

22.  Water  may  not  be  brought  in  late  where  there  is  a 
sucking  child,  without  throwing  fire  into  it. 

23.  No  one  that  enters  a  house  may  take  a  child  in  his 
hands,  without  previously  having  touched  fire. 

24.  When  a  child  gets  teeth  early,  other  children  may 
be  expected  soon  after. 

25.  An  empty  cradle  must  not  be  rocked,  the  child  ^^^ll 
else  be  given  to  crying  and  noisy. 

26.  If  a  first-born  child,  that  is  born  wdth  teeth,  bites 
a  whitlow,  it  will  be  cured. 

27.  A  child  may  not  read  and  eat  at  the  same  time, 
else  it  will  get  a  dull  memory. 

28.  A  child  should  first  touch  a  dog,  but  not  a  cat. 

29.  If  a  child  plays  with  fire,  it  will  with  difficulty 
retain  its  water. 

30.  A  child  may  not  creep  through  a  window,  nor  may 
any  one  step  over  a  child,  or  walk  rcund  a  child  that  is 
sitting  on  the  floor  or  is  in  a  carriage ;  for  then,  it  is  be- 
lieved, it  will  never  grow  bigger  than  it  is. 

31.  If  a  sick  person  gets  strange  food,  he  becomes  well. 

32.  If  thanks  are  given  for  a  remedy  (medicine),  it 
will  have  no  effect. 

33.  If  a  person  walks  over  graves  with  an  open  sore,  it 
will  heal  either  very  slowly  or  never. 

34.  One  must  not  mention  before  morning  whether  one 
has  seen  a  spectre,  lest  one  be  pressed  ^  and  spit  blood. 

35.  After  dark  one  must  not  go  by  water,  for  fear  of 
getting  a  whitlow. 

36.  For  the  same  reason,  or  also  that  one  may  not  be 
pressed,  one  should  spit  thrice  in  crossing  the  water  after 
dark. 

1  Qu.  by  the  night-mare  ? 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  Ill 

37.  Tor  the  sick  one  ought  to  cause  prayers  to  be  said 
in  three  churches,  one  of  which  should  be  an  offering- 
church,  if  there  be  one  near.  It  will  then  speedily  be 
decided  whether  the  sick  is  to  recover  or  die. 

38.  The  teeth  of  large  fish  should  be  burnt,  in  order  to 
be  lucky  in  fishing. 

39.  One  ought  to  tell  no  one  when  one  goes  out  to 
fish,  and  not  mention  whether  one  has  caught  many  or 
few. 

40.  Nor  should  any  stranger  see  how  many  fish  one 
has  taken. 

41.  When  one  rows  out  from  land  to  fish,  one  must 
not  turn  the  boat  against  the  sun. 

42.  Pins  found  in  a  church  and  made  into  fish-hooks 
catch  the  best. 

43.  If  a  woman  passes  over  the  rod,  no  fish  will  bite. 

44.  Stolen  fishing  tackle  is  lucky,  but  the  person  robbed 
loses  his  luck. 

45.  A  light  must  not  be  held  under  the  table,  lest  the 
guests  should  fall  out. 

46.  One  should  not  turn  round  when  going  on  any 
business,  that  it  may  not  turn  out  ill. 

47.  One  must  not  return  thanks  for  pins. 

48.  There  must  be  no  spinning  on  a  Thursday  evening, 
or  in  Passion  week ;  for  else  there  will  be  spinning  in  the 
night. 

49.  If  a  stranger  comes  in  where  a  pudding  (sausage) 
is  being  boiled,  it  will  split  asunder. 

50.  If  you  turn  your  slippers  or  shoes  with  the  toes  to- 
wards the  bed,  the  mara  will  come  in  the  night. 

51.  On  Easter-eve  a  cross  should  be  made  over  the 
door  of  the  cattle-house,  against  harm  from  witches. 

52.  When  you  sleep  for  the  first  time  in  a  house,  you 
should  count  the  beams ;  then  what  you  dream  will  come 
to  pass. 


113 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS. 


53.  If  a  person  forgets  something  when  setting  out  on 
a  journey^  there  is  good  hope  of  his  safe  return  ;  but  to  look 
behind  is  not  a  good  sign. 

54.  When  cats  wash  themselves,  or  magpies  chatter 
near  the  house,  they  expect  strangers.  If  a  slothful  house- 
wife, or  a  careless  servant,  has  not  already  swept  the 
floor,  it  ought  forthwith  to  be  done. 

55.  The  person  that  comes  first  home  from  church  on 
Christmas  day,  will  be  the  first  to  die. 

56.  If  a  person  walks  thrice  round  a  bed  of  cabbages, 
after  having  planted  them,  they  will  continue  free  from 
worms. 

57.  x\n  empty  sack  must  never  be  carried  untied.  If 
a  pregnant  woman  follows  it,  her  child  will  never  be 
satisfied  with  food. 

58.  Wlien  you  bathe,  be  careful  to  put  steel  in  the 
water  to  bind  the  Neck,  and  cry,  ^'Neck,  Neck,  steel 
in  strand,  thy  father  was  a  steel-thief,  thy  mother  was  a 
needle-thief;  so  far  shalt  thou  be  hence  as  this  cry  is 
heard.^^   Then  let  all  cry  as  loud  as  they  can,  '^ho  hagla^" 

59.  On  Easter-saturday,  a  long  horn  (lur)  is  to  be 
blown  through  the  window  of  the  cattle-house :  so  far  as 
the  sound  is  heard,  so  far  away  will  beasts  of  prey  con- 
tinue during  that  year. 

60.  If  a  person  seeking  cattle  in  the  forest  meets  with 
a  titmouse  on  his  right  hand,  the  cattle  sought  for  will  be 
found. 

61.  If  swine  are  let  out  on  St.  Lucius'  day,  they  get 
vermin. 

62.  If  the  cattle,  on  Michaelmas  eve,  are  driven  in  with- 
out noise,  they  will  be  quiet  in  the  cattle-house  the  whole 
year. 

63.  All  labour  when  completed  is  to  be  signed  with 
the  cross. 

1  See  p.  82. 


SWEDISH  TRADITIONS.  113 

64.  If  a  grain  of  corn  is  found  under  the  table  in  sweep- 
ing on  a  new  year's  morn,  there  will  be  an  abundant  crop 
that  year. 

65.  If  a  suspicious  female  enters  the  yard,  to  counteract 
the  effects  of  witchcraft,  you  must  either  strike  her  so  that 
the  blood  runs,  or  cast  a  firebrand  after  her. 

66.  When  a  bride  comes  from  church,  she  must  her- 
self unharness  or  unsaddle  the  horse,  that  she  may  easily 
have  children. 

67.  If  a  bride  dances  with  money  in  her  shoes,  no 
witchery  can  affect  her. 

68.  In  Sweden,  as  well  as  in  Norway  and  Finland,  the 
belief  is  general  that  when  wolves  appear  in  great  multi- 
tudes it  forebodes  war.  The  same  superstition  prevails 
also  with  regard  to  squirrels  ^ . 

1  Afzelius,  i.  172. 


SCANDINAVIAN  POPULAR  TRADITIONS, 


III. 

DANISH  TRADITIONS  K 

TROLLS. 
BARROW-  OR  MOUNT-FOLK,  ELF-FOLK  AND  DWARFS. 


ORIGIN  OF  TROLLS. 


The  people  in  Jutland  relate,  that  wlien  our  Lord  cast  tlie 
fallen  angels  out  of  heaven,  some  of  them  fell  down  on  the 
mounds  or  barrows  and  became  Barrow-folk ,  or,  as  they 
are  also  called.  Mount-folk,  Hill-folk ;  others  fell  into  the 
elf-moors,  who  were  the  progenitors  of  the  Elf-folk ;  while 
others  fell  into  dwellings,  from  whom  descend  the  do- 
mestic sprites  or  Nisser. 

II. 
While  Eve  was   one  day  washing  her  children  by  a 
spring,  our  Lord  unexpectedly  appeared  before  her,  whereat 
she  was  terrified,  and  concealed  those  of  her  children  that 

1  From  Danraark's  Folkesagn  samlede  af  J.  M.  Thiele,  2  Bd.  Kioben- 
havn,  1843. 


116  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

were  not  yet  washed.  Our  Lord  asked  her  if  all  her 
children  were  there ;  she  answered  '  yes/  to  avoid  his 
anger,  if  he  should  see  that  they  were  not  all  washed.  Then 
said  our  Lord,  that  what  she  had  concealed  from  him 
should  thenceforth  be  concealed  from  mankind;  and  at 
the  same  moment  the  unclean  children  disappeared  and 
were  concealed  in  the  hills.  From  these  descend  all  the 
underground  folk. 

In  a  rabbinic  tradition  it  is  said,  that  after  Adam  had  eaten  of  the  tree 
of  knowledge  he  was  accursed  for  a  hundred  and  thirty  years.  During  all 
these  years,  as  we  are  informed  by  Rabbi  Jeremias  ben  Elieser,  he  pro- 
created only  schedim,  i.  e.  demons  and  the  like. 

ELF-FOLK. 

The  Elf-folk  dwell  in  the  Elf-moors.  The  male  ap- 
pears as  an  old  man  with  a  broad-brimmed  hat ;  the  female 
Elf  is  young  and  seducing  in  appearance,  but  behind  she 
is  as  hollow  as  a  dough-trough.  Young  men  should  be 
particularly  on  their  guard  against  her,  for  it  is  difficult 
to  withstand  her,  and  she  has  besides  a  stringed  instru- 
ment, when  she  touches  which  she  infatuates  every  heart. 
The  male  is  often  to  be  seen  by  the  Elf-moors  basking  in 
the  sunbeams ;  but  if  any  one  approach  him  too  near,  he 
will  stretch  his  jaws  and  blow  on  them,  which  causes  sick- 
ness and  pestilence  ^  The  females  are  most  frequently  to  be 
seen  in  the  moonlight,  when  they  dance  their  circling  dance 
in  the  high  grass  with  such  lightness  and  grace,  that  they 
seldom  get  a  refusal,  when  they  offer  a  young  man  their 
hand.  Good  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  cattle  from 
grazing  where  the  Elf-folk  have  been  ;  for  if  an  animal 
come  on  a  place  where  they  have  either  spat  or  done  worse, 
it  will  be  seized  with  grievous  complaints,  which  can  be 
remedied  only  by  giving  them  to  eat  a  handful  of  St. 

1  That  the  blast  of  the  elves  is  dangerous,  is  also  a  popular  behef  in 
Scotland. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  117 

John's  wort,  gathered  on  St.  John's  night  at  twelve 
o'clock.  It  may  also  happen  that  they  receive  injury  by 
mingling  with  the  Elf-folk's  cattle,  which  are  particularly 
large  and  of  a  blue  colour.  Such  are  sometimes  to  be 
seen  in  the  fields  licking  the  dew  from  the  grass,  for  it  is 
on  that  they  live.  The  peasant  may,  however,  provide 
against  the  evils  above-mentioned,  if,  before  he  lets  his 
cattle  loose,  he  goes  to  the  Elf-barrow  and  says  ;  ''  Thou 
little  Troll !  may  I  graze  my  cows  on  thy  mount  ?  "  If 
he  gets  no  refusal,  he  may  feel  easy. 

Between  Terslose  and  Sobierg  lies  Sobierg-Banke,  which 
is  the  richest  barrow  in  all  Seeland ;  it  is  in  fact  impos- 
sible to  tell  the  precious  things  to  be  found  there.  In  this 
hill  there  dwells  a  Troll-wife,  to  whom  there  was  once  a 
grand  procession  from  Steenlille  field,  when  the  Troll  in 
Galtebierg  took  her  to  wife. 

It  often  happens,  in  fine  weather,  that  the  passer-by 
sees  the  most  beautiful  copper  utensils  and  choicest  bed- 
dings lying  on  the  mound  to  be  aired ;  and  on  approach- 
ing still  nearer,  he  may  see  the  young  Elflings  labouring 
to  get  them  all  in  with  the  utmost  speed. 


In  Illerup  field  near  Kallundborg  there  is  a  mount  called 
Fibierg-Bakke,  in  which  there  is  a  vast  number  of  Trolls, 
who  have  much  property  and  gold  there.  It  may  be 
plainly  seen  that  they  have  a  hole  in  the  mount  through 
which  they  drag  those  on  whom  they  seize.  At  Yule  one 
may  see  how  they  bring  out  their  silver  and  gold  to  sun 
it,  at  which  time  it  is  dangerous  to  go  on  the  mount.  But 
on  St.  John's  night  the  entire  mount  is  set  on  red  pillars, 
and  then  dancing  and  merry-making  may  be  seen  there. 
At  this  time  any  one  may  approach,  and  may  also  see  how 
they  drag  great  chests  full  of  money  backwards  and  for- 
wards. 


118  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

In  Laanehoi  on  ^ro  the  Troll-folk  may  frequently  be 
heard  slamming  their  coffer-Uds.  Some  harvest-people 
once  sitting  on  the  mount  at  their  repast,  heard,  by  placing 
their  ear  to  the  earth,  that  they  were  grinding  corn  in  it. 


That  Mount-folk  formerly  dwelt  in  Gallehoi  on  iEro 
there  can  hardly  be  entertained  a  doubt;  for  not  only 
have  people  heard  them  slam  their  coffer-lids,  but  the 
smith  in  Lille-Rise,  who  in  the  war  time  kept  watch  there, 
heard  every  morning  a  clock  strike  five  in  the  mount. 


Near  Ostrel,  between  Aalborg  and  Thisted,  there  is  a 
mount,  in  which  there  dwells  an  elfin  smith.  At  night 
one  may  plainly  hear  that  smith's  work  is  going  on  there ; 
and  in  the  side  of  the  mount  there  is  a  hole,  by  which  in 
the  morning  slag  and  tiakes  of  iron  may  be  found. 


In  the  neighbourhood  of  Sundby,  on  the  isle  of  IVIors, 
there  is  a  mount  inhabited  by  a  Troll  who  is  a  smith. 
At  night  one  may  hear  when  he  is  at  work.  Opposite  to 
this  mount  there  is  a  sand-hill,  where  the  same  smith  has 
another  workshop,  whence  may  be  heard  the  strokes  of 
ponderous  hammers.  At  midnight  he  often  rides  through 
the  air  from  one  workshop  to  the  other,  on  a  horse  with- 
out a  head,  with  hammer  in  hand,  followed  by  all  his 
apprentices  and  journeymen. 


In  the  parish  of  Buur  there  are  three  large  mounts.  In 
one  of  them  dwells  a  Troll  who  is  a  smith  and  has  his 
workshop  there.  At  night  fire  may  frequently  be  seen 
issuing  from  the  top  of  the  mount,  and,  singular  enough, 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  119 

entering  again  at  the  side ;  but  it  is  by  that  means  he 
keeps  his  iron  hot.  If  any  one  is  desirous  of  having  a 
piece  of  iron  forged,  he  needs  only  to  lay  it  on  the  mount, 
together  with  a  silver  skilling,  at  the  same  time  saying 
what  he  wishes  done,  and  the  next  morning  the  skilling 
will  have  disappeared,  and  the  piece  of  work  desired  will 
lie  ready  and  well  executed^. 

Once  some  of  the  country  people  of  Buur  determined 
to  dig  up  this  TrolFs  treasure;  for  which  purpose  they 
one  night  assembled  with  spades  and  pickaxes.  After  all 
had  been  informed  that  they  must  beware  of  uttering  even  a 
single  word,  however  strongly  they  might  be  tempted,  they 
set  to  work.  But  scarcely  had  they  put  a  spade  in  the 
ground  before  all  sorts  of  frightful  sights  came  out  of  the 
mount.  Still  they  dug  on  unconcerned  in  the  most  per- 
fect silence,  until  they  arrived  at  a  spacious  stone  apart- 
ment. There  lay  the  treasure  before  them,  to  wit,  a  large 
copper  kettle  full  of  gold  money,  close  by  which  was  an 
enormous  black  dog  asleep.  One  of  the  men  then  taking 
off  his  coat,  laid  the  dog  gently  upon  it,  for  the  purpose 
of  carrying  him  away.  At  this  moment  came  a  great 
load  of  hay  out  of  the  mount,  drawn  by  two  cocks,  which 
drew  their  load  thrice  round  the  mount ;  still  no  one 
uttered  a  syllable,  until  one  of  the  cocks  kicked  out  be- 
hind with  such  force  that  he  broke  the  thick  pole  of  the 
wagon,  at  which  one  of  the  men  exclaimed :  '^  That  was  a 
deuce  of  a  kick  for  a  cock  ! ''  But  scarcely  had  he  said 
the  words  when  all  the  men,  many  as  they  were,  were 
projected  to  a  considerable  distance  out  of  the  mount, 
which  was  instantly  closed  again.  On  making  a  second 
experiment,  it  seemed  to  them  that  the  whole  Oster- 
Buur  was  in  flames,  at  which  sight,  casting  aw^ay  their 

'  The  Wavland  smith  of  Kenilworth. 


120  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

spades,  they  ran  to  their  several  homes ;  but  on  reaching 
the  village  they  found  all  safe  and  quiet. 

In  these  goblin  smiths  may  evidently  be  recognised  the  descendants  of 
the  dwarfs  of  the  Eddaic  mythology. 


At  Gamtofte,  not  far  from  Assens,  there  is  a  mound  in 
a  field  in  which  a  Troll  is  said  to  have  taken  up  his  abode. 
Of  this  Troll  it  is  related  that  he  is  very  obliging  when 
persons  wish  to  borrow  anything ;  on  which  occasion  it  is 
simply  necessaiy  to  go  to  the  mount  and  knock  thrice  on 
the  north  side,  at  the  same  time  naming  the  things  re- 
quired, whether  pots,  pans  or  other  domestic  utensils, 
when  they  instantly  get  what  they  need,  but  may  be  reckon- 
ed as  dead,  if  they  do  not  return  them  at  the  time  fixed. 


On  the  isle  of  Moen  ^  there  is  a  mount  called  Osted- 
Hoi.  Once  when  Margaret  Skselvigs  was  passing  it  on 
her  way  to  Elmelund  castle,  an  old  woman  met  her  and 
asked  :  "  Whither  art  thou  going,  my  child  ? ''  Margaret 
answered  that  she  was  on  her  way  to  Elmelund  castle,  to 
borrow  a  gown  of  Peter  Munk's  wife,  to  be  married  in. 
Then  said  the  old  woman :  "  If  thou  wilt  be  here  on 
Saturday,  I  mil  lend  thee  a  bridal  dress."  On  the  Satur- 
day following  Margaret  went  accordingly  to  Osted-Hoi, 
and  the  woman  brought  her  beautiful  clothes  of  gold  em- 
broidery, ordering  her  to  bring  them  back  in  a  week ;  if 
then  no  one  appeared  to  receive  them,  she  might  consider 
them  her  own  property.  Thus  did  ]\Iargaret  Skielvigs 
appear  as  a  bride  in  clothes  of  gold  embroidery  ;  and  when 
she  took  them  back  at  the  time  appointed,  no  one  was 

1  One  of  the  Danish  islands,  lying  close  to  the  most  southern  point  of 
Seeland. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  121 

there  to  receive  them,  so  she  rightfully  kept  them  as  her 


own 


In  Thyholm  there  is  a  series  of  lofty  mounts  which 
were  formerly  inhabited  by  the  Mount-folk.  A  peasant 
once  passing  them  on  his  way  to  Vestervig  market,  hap- 
pened at  the  moment  to  utter  complaints  that  he  was 
mounted  on  such  a  sorry  jade.  On  his  way  back,  he  saw 
lying  precisely  on  the  spot  where  he  had  sent  forth  his 
lamentations,  four  horseshoes,  which  he  took  home  and 
shod  his  horse  with  them.  But  from  that  time  no  other 
horse  in  the  neighbourhood  could  go  with  such  speed  as 
his. 

Another  time,  some  peasants,  who  were  passing  by  the 
mounts,  by  way  of  joke  prayed  the  Mount-folk  to  give 
them  some  good  beer.  At  the  moment  a  little  Troll 
came  out  of  the  mount  with  a  large  silver  can,  which  he 
held  out  to  the  men,  one  of  whom  had  no  sooner  got  it  in 
his  grasp,  than  he  set  spurs  to  his  horse,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  keeping  it.  But  the  little  man  of  the  mount  being 
quicker  than  he,  soon  overtook  him  and  compelled  him  to 
give  back  the  can. 

At  length  these  Mount-folk  grew  weary  of  their  abode 
in  Thyland,  and  one  day  departed  in  a  body  to  the  feriy, 
for  the  purpose  of  crossing  the  fiord.  When  the  fen-y- 
man  was  to  be  paid,  they  threw  something  into  his  hat 
which  burned  through  it  and  sank  under  the  floor,  and 
which  must  have  been  gold ;  for  otherwise  it  would  be 
impossible  to  account  for  the  comfort  which  afterwards 
prevailed  in  the  ferry-house. 


A  little  Elf-girl  once  came  to  a  man  in  Dunkiser  on  the 
isle  of  Mr'6  with  a  peel,  the  handle  of  which  was  loose, 
begging  him  to  fasten  it,  which  he  refused  to  do.  Where- 


122  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

upon  a  lad,  who  was  standing  by^  undertook  to  assist  lier, 
and  in  reward  for  liis  service  found  lying  by  bis  plate  at 
dinner-time  a  dainty  slice  of  fine  bread  with  butter  on  it. 
The  man,  who  well  knew  whence  the  present  came,  ad- 
vised him  not  to  eat  it,  saying  it  would  cause  his  death  ; 
but  the  lad  ate  it  without  fear,  and  was  well  and  cheerful 
when  he  rose  the  following  morning;  but  the  man  lay 
stone-dead  in  his  bed. 


In  the  neighbourhood  of  Lynge,  near  Soro,  there  is  a 
mount  called  Bodedys,  not  far  from  which  dwelt  an  aged 
peasant  that  had  an  only  son,  who  made  long  voyages. 
For  a  considerable  time  the  father  had  received  no  tidings 
of  his  son,  and  thinking  that  he  had  perished,  mourned 
for  his  loss.     One  evening  as  he  w^as  passing  by  Bodedys 
with  a  full  load,  the  mount  opened  and  the  Troll  came  out, 
who  desired  him  to  drive  in.     At  this  the  man  felt  some- 
what disconcerted,  but  knowing  that  it  would  not  turn  to 
his  profit  if  he  refused  couipliance  with  the  will  of  the 
Troll,  he  turned  his  horses  and  drove  into  the  mount. 
There  the  Troll  began  to  deal  with  him,  and  paid  him 
liberally  for  all  his  wares.     AYhen  he  had  unloaded  his 
wagon  and  w^as  about  to  drive  out,  the  Troll  said  :  "  If 
thou  canst  keep  thy  mouth  shut  with  regard  to  what  has 
taken  place,  I  shall  look  to  thy  advantage  hereafter ;  and 
if  thou  wilt  come  again  to-morrow,  thou  shalt  find  thy 
son  here.^'     At  the  first  moment  the  man  knew  not  what 
to  answer,  but  believing  that  the  Troll  was  able  to  keep 
his  promise,  he  felt  extremely  glad,  and  at  the  time  fixed 
returned  to  Bodedys.     There  he  sat  waiting  for  a  consi- 
derable time,  and  at  length  fell  asleep.     When  he  awoke 
his  son  was  lying  by  his  side,  and  both  father  and  son 
found  it  no  easy  matter  to  say  how  all  this  had  come  to 
pass.    The  son  now  related  how  he  had  been  in  prison  and 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  123 

there  suffered  great  hardships ;  but  that  one  night  he  liad 
dreamed  that  a  man  came  to  him  and  said:  "Dost  thou 
still  hold  thy  father  dear  V  and  on  his  answering  "Yes/' 
it  was  as  if  all  chains  and  walls  were  broken.  During 
this  narrative  happening  to  raise  his  hand  to  his  neck,  he 
found  that  a  piece  of  the  iron  chain  still  remained  there. 
At  this  they  were  struck  dumb  with  amazement,  and  went 
to  Lynge,  where  they  hung  the  piece  of  chain  up  in  the 
church  as  a  memorial. 


Not  far  from  Soro  is  the  village  of  Pedersborg,  a  little 
beyond  which  is  another  called  Lynge.  Between  these 
two  places  there  is  a  mount  called  Brondhoi,  which  is  said 
to  be  inhabited  by  Troll-folk.  Among  these  there  was  an 
old  jealous  Troll,  on  whom  the  others  had  bestowed  the 
name  of  Knurremurre;  because  through  him  there  was 
often  dissension  and  ill-feeling  in  the  mount.  It  once 
reached  the  ears  of  this  old  Knurremurre  that  there  was  too 
close  an  intimacy  between  his  young  wife  and  a  young  Troll, 
which  the  old  Troll  took  so  much  amiss  that  he  threatened 
the  life  of  the  other,  who  consequently  deemed  it  advisable 
to  flee  from  the  mount,  and  betake  himself,  transformed 
into  a  yellow  cat,  to  the  village  of  Lynge,  under  which 
form  he  ingratiated  himself  with  a  poor  housekeeper  named 
Piatt.  With  him  he  lived  a  considerable  time,  got  milk 
and  porridge  every  day,  and  lay  from  morning  till  night 
in  the  easy-chair  behind  the  stove.  One  evening  Piatt 
came  home  just  as  puss  in  his  usual  place  was  lapping 
some  porridge  and  licking  the  pot.  "  Well,  mother,^' 
said  the  man,  "  I  will  now  tell  thee  what  happened  to  me 
on  my  way  home.  As  I  was  passing  by  Brondhoi,  a  Troll 
came  out  and  called  to  me,  saying  :  ^  Holla  you,  Piatt ! 
tell  your  cat  that  Knurremurre  is  dead.' ''  At  these  words 
the  cat  rose  on  his  hind  legs,  let  the  pot  roll  and  said, 

g2 


124  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

while  stealing  out  at  the  door :  "  What  ?  is  Knurremurre 
dead  ?  I  must  then  hasten  home." 


THE  KLINT-KING  ON  THE  ISLE  OF  MOEN. 
There  is  a  Klint-king  who  rules  over  the  klints  (cliffs) 
of  Moeu,  Stevn^  and  Riigen.  He  has  a  curious  chariot, 
drawn  by  four  black  horses,  in  which  he  rides  from  one 
klint  to  another,  over  the  sea,  which  then  becomes  agi- 
tated. On  these  occasions  the  neighing  of  the  horses  may 
be  distinctly  heard. 

By  the  'Queen's  chair'  on  Moen's  Klint,  there  are 
some  caverns  high  up  in  the  rock,  where  in  former  times 
dwelt  the  Jode^  of  Upsala.  A  foolhardy  person,  it  is  said, 
once  undertook  to  visit  him  in  his  abode,  and  suffered 
himself  to  be  let  down  by  a  rope,  but  he  never  appeared 
again. 

Sometimes  the  said  Jode  of  Upsala  may  be  seen  driving 
{)ver  the  sea  with  his  black  horses  ;  and  in  the  last  Swedish 
war  he  passed  with  his  green  hunters  over  the  rocks,  for 
the  purpose  of  defending  the  land,  which  he  has  promised 
to  do  once  more.  It  is  said  that  he  has  now  betaken  him- 
self to  Stevn's  Klint. 

Not  far  from  the  Queen's  chair  there  is  a  falling  in  the 
cliff,  which  is  called  the  Orchard  fall.  There  he  had  a 
beautiful  orchard.  To  this  Jode,  or  Giant,  of  Upsala  the 
peasants  of  Moen  were,  until  a  few  years  since,  in  the 
habit  of  giving  the  last  sheaf,  when  they  had  housed 
their  corn. 

In  Moen's  Klint  there  are  said  to  be  two  caverns,  in  one 
of  which  dwells  '  Jon  Opsal '  himself,  in  the  other  his  dog^ 
and  white  horse. 

1  A  remarkaljle  cliff  on  the  east  side  of  Seelaiul. 

"  Jode,  i.  e.  Jew,  but  no  doubt  a  corruption  for  iotw,  giant.  The  white 
horse  and  his  denomination  of  Upsala  manifestly  identify  him  with  Odin. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  125 

Twice  already  lie  has  ridden  the  '  king's  ride/  and  saved 
the  land  from  danger,  and  he  will  now  soon  ride  a  third 
time.  He  will  then  transform  all  the  stones  on  the  beach 
to  cavalry,  and  with  them  overcome  the  foes  of  the  country. 
Sometimes  he  rides  to  Stevn's  Klint,  and  visits  the  king 
there. 

It  is  not  long  since  that  he  came  riding  through  Busse- 
rup,  and  stopt  before  the  house  of  an  old  woman,  of  whom 
he  begged  a  drink  of  water  for  himself  and  his  white  horse. 
The  old  woman  told  him  she  had  only  a  sieve  to  give  him 
the  water  in.  "It's  no  matter,^'  said  he,  "only  fill  it." 
And  the  sieve  held  the  water,  so  that  both  he  and  his 
horse  could  drink  from  it. 

THE  UNDERGROUND  FOLK  IN  BORNHOLMi. 

In  Bornholm,  particularly  in  foggy  weather,  the  Under- 
ground folk  are  sometimes  to  be  seen  on  the  sides  of  the 
heaths  practising  the  use  of  arms.  They  have  a  captain 
who  is  called  the  Ellestinger,  and  who,  as  well  as  all  the 
other  chieftains  in  this  army,  rides  on  a  horse  that  has 
only  three  legs.  These  troops,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  to 
discern,  are  clad  in  light  blue  or  steel-gray  uniforms,  and 
have  red  caps,  though  sometimes  three-cornered  hats.  The 
sound  of  their  drums  is  often  to  be  heard,  and  small, 
round  stones  are  sometimes  found,  which  are  said  to  be 
their  bullets.  Whenever  any  hostile  power  has  threatened 
Bornholm,  these  subterraneans  have  always  made  their 
appearance,  fully  prepared  to  defend  the  country ;  so  that 
the  enemy,  at  such  a  formidable  spectacle,  has  frequently 
retired  with  all  possible  speed. 

Thus  it  happened  on  the  6th  Feb.  in  the  year  1645, 
when  two  Swedish  ships  of  war  appeared  off  the  ^  Ham- 
mer,' with  the  intention  of  effecting  a  landing,  that  they 

•  A  small  island,  belonging  to  Denmark,  in  the  Baltic,  to  the  north- 
east of  Riigen. 


126  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

saw  the  whole  mountain  covered  with  troops  swarming 
forth  from  eveiy  side^  and  although  there  were  but  two 
companies  of  soldiers  on  the  island^  the  enemy  was  led  to 
believe  that  the  place  was  so  strongly  defended,  that  it 
would  be  vain  to  attempt  a  landing,  and  withdrew  ac- 
cordingly. 

In  the  ])arish  of  Ulvsborg  there  is  a  high  mount,  in 
which  dwells  a  Troll,  whom  many  persons  have  seen,  when 
in  the  night  he  has  all  his  bright  copper  utensils  out  in 
the  moonlight.  This  Troll  once  came  to  a  woman  and 
requested  her  to  lend  him  a  loaf,  promising  to  bring  her 
another  in  two  days ;  but  the  woman  made  him  a  present 
of  the  loaf.  Then  said  the  Troll :  ''  Thou  shalt  not  have 
given  me  this  for  nothing;  from  this  day  forwards  all 
shall  go  well  wdth  thee;  and  thy  race  shall  share  the 
benefit  until  the  fourth  generation.^'     And  so  it  proved. 

THE  MOUNT  FOLK  BORROW  BEEH. 

At  Holmby  near  Aarhuus,  as  a  woman  was  standing  at 
her  door,  there  came  to  her  a  little  Troll  with  a  peaked 
hump,  who  said :  "  To-day  Store-Bierg  is  to  be  married 
to  Lille-Bierg  :  if  mother  will  be  so  good  as  lend  us  a  cask 
of  beer  for  a  few  days,  she  shall  have  it  back  equally 
strong  and  good.''  Hereupon  the  w^oman  followed  the 
Troll  to  the  brewhouse,  and  desired  him  to  take  which- 
ever cask  he  liked  best ;  but  as  there  was  a  cross  marked 
on  all  of  them,  the  Troll  was  unable  to  take  one,  but  only 
pointed  and  said  :  "Cross  off!"  The  woman  now  under- 
stood that  she  must  first  remove  the  cross ;  and  when  she 
had  so  done,  the  little  Troll  took  the  largest  cask  u])on 
his  hump  and  walked  off  with  it.  On  the  third  day  he 
came  again,  bringing  with  him  a  cask  of  beer  equally 
good  with  that  which  he  had  borrowed.  From  that  time 
prosperity  prevailed  in  the  house. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS. 


127 


THE  ELF-FOLK  UNDER  THE  HEARTH. 
In  a  mansion  in  Lille-Rise^  on  the  isle  of  JEro,  the 
Elf-folk  dwell  under  the  stove.  A  little  Elf-girl  once 
came  to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  begging  the  loan  of  a 
pair  of  scissors,  to  cut  out  her  bridal  dress  with.  When 
the  woman  heard  that  there  was  to  be  a  wedding,  she  felt 
a  wish  to  be  present,  and  promised  to  lend  her  the  scissors, 
provided  she  \vould  let  her  see  what  took  place  at  the  wed- 
ding. The  girl  directed  the  woman  to  peep  through  a 
crack  in  the  hearth,  but  at  the  same  time  cautioned  her 
against  laughing;  for  if  she  laughed  the  whole  spectacle 
would  vanish  before  her  eyes. 

When  the  wedding-day  arrived  the  woman  went  to  the 
crack  and  peeped  in,  and  there  saw  the  entire  festivity, 
how  the  Elf-folk  sat  at  table  in  their  best  clothes  and 
enjoyed  the  beer  and  eatables.  At  this  moment  it  hap- 
pened that  a  quarrel  arose  between  two  of  the  guests, 
which  proceeded  so  far  that  they  both  sprang  on  the  table. 
There  they  pulled  each  other's  hair,  and  at  length  fell  into 
the  soup-bowl,  out  of  which  they  crept  quite  crest-fallen. 
As  the  whole  company  laughed  at  the  two  heroes  in  the 
soup-bowl,  the  woman  could  not  refrain  from  doing  the 
like ;  when  at  the  same  moment  the  whole  vanished. 

These  same  Elf-folk  were  at  one  time  so  offended  with 
two  girls  that  served  in  the  house,  that  they  took  them 
out  of  their  bed  and  carried  them  to  a  remote  apartment, 
where  after  much  search  they  were  found  in  a  deep  sleep, 
though  it  was  long  past  noon. 

FRU  METTEi. 

On  the  isle  of  Mors  in  Jutland  there  is  a  mansion 
called  Overgaard,  in  which  there  once  dwelt  a  lady  named 

1  Females  of  the  higher  classes  are  styled  Frue  (Ger.  Frau),  while  those 
of  an  inferior  grade,  as  merchants'  and  tradesmen's  wives,  are  called 
Madame. 


128  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

Fru  Mette.  To  this  lady  a  little  Troll  one  day  came, 
saying :  "  Fru  Mette  of  Overgaard !  wilt  thou  lend  thy 
sifken  skirt  to  Fru  Mette  of  Undcrgaard,  to  be  married 
in  V  Having  lent  the  skirt  and  waited  a  long  time  in 
vain  for  its  return,  she  went  one  day  to  the  mount,  and 
cried  :  "  Give  me  back  my  skirt/'  At  this  the  Troll  came 
out  and  gave  her  the  skirt  quite  covered  with  drippings 
of  wax,  and  said :  "  As  you  have  demanded  it,  take  it ; 
but  if  you  had  waited  a  few  days,  there  should  have  been 
a  diamond  in  the  place  of  every  drop  of  wax/' 

THE  UNDERGROUND  FOLK  FETCH  A  MIDWIFE. 

One  Christmas  eve,  as  a  woman  was  preparing  meat  for 
the  family,  an  Elf-man  came  to  her,  begging  her  to  ac- 
company him  and  help  his  wife  who  was  in  labour.  The 
woman  having  consented  to  accompany  him,  he  took  her 
on  his  back  and  descended  with  her  into  the  earth  through 
a  fountain.  Here  the  woman  learned  that  the  Elf-wife 
could  not  be  delivered  without  the  aid  of  a  Christian 
woman,  she  being  herself  a  Christian,  but  had  been  carried 
off  by  the  Elf-man. 

When  the  child  was  born,  the  Elf-man  took  it  in  his 
arms  and  went  away  with  it,  which,  as  the  mother  told 
the  woman,  he  did  for  the  reason,  that  if  he  could  find 
two  newly  married  persons,  in  the  bridal  bed,  before  they 
had  repeated  their  Paternoster,  he  could,  by  laying  the 
child  between  them,  procure  for  it  all  the  good  fortune 
that  was  designed  for  the  newly  married  pair.  The  wife 
then  instructed  her  helper  as  to  what  she  had  to  do  when 
the  Elf-man  returned :  "  First,''  said  she,  "  you  must  eat 
nothing,  if  he  asks  you;  for  I  ate,  and  therefore  never 
returned.  Next,  if  he  will  make  you  a  present,  and 
gives  you  the  choice  between  something  that  looks  like 
silver  and  something  that  looks  like  potsherds,  do  you 


DANISH  TRADITIONS. 


129 


choose  the  latter.  And  when  he  agam  bears  you  hence, 
seize,  if  you  can,  on  a  gooseberry  bush,  and  say :  Now, 
in  the  name  of  God,  now  I  am  on  my  own  ! " 

In  an  hour  the  man  returned  with  the  child,  quite  angry 
that  he  had  not  found  what  he  had  been  seeking  after. 
He  then  offered  the  stranger  woman  some  refection,  and 
on  her  refusal  to  take  any,  said :  "  They  did  not  strike 
thee  on  the  mouth  who  taught  thee  that.''  He  then 
offered  her  a  present,  but  she  accepted  only  some  black 
potsherds  ]  and  when  she  again  found  herself  on  the  face 
of  the  earth,  she  did  as  she  had  been  directed.  With  the 
potsherds  in  her  apron,  she  now  proceeded  to  her  dwelhng, 
but  before  she  entered  she  cast  them  into  the  ash-hole, 
and  refused  to  tell  her  husband  where  she  had  been.  But 
when  the  maid-servant  came  running  into  the  room,  say- 
ing that  something  shone  like  silver  in  the  ash-hole,  and 
when  she  herself  saw  that  it  was  pure  silver,  she  told  her 
husband  where  she  had  been,  and  they  came  into  good 
circumstances  through  that  Christmas  eve. 


One  night  a  Troll  came  to  a  midwife  in  Bingsbierg  and 
requested  her  to  accompany  him  down  through  a  mound 
to  help  his  wife.  She  followed  him  into  the  earth,  without 
suffering  any  injury ;  but  having  afterwards  divulged  what 
she  had  seen  in  the  mound,  she  lost  her  sight. 


An  Elf-wife  who  was  in  labour  sent  a  message  to  a  mid- 
wife, requesting  her  aid.  Having  received  the  child,  the 
Elf-folk  gave  her  an  ointment  to  rub  over  its  eyes ;  but 
in  doing  which  some  adhered  to  her  fingers,  so  that  slie 
inadvertently  anointed  her  own  eyes  with  it.  On  her  way 
home  she  remarked  that  something  had  happened  to  her 
sight;  for  as  she  passed  by  a  rye-field  she  saw  that  it 

G  5 


130  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

swarmed  with  small  Elf-folk,  who  went  about  clipping  off 
the  ears.  ''  What  are  ye  doing  there  ?  ''  cried  the  woman, 
on  seeing  them  steal  the  corn  from  the  field ;  and  got  for 
answer  :  "  If  thou  canst  see  us,  thus  thou  shalt  be  served/^ 
They  then  thronged  about  her  and  put  out  her  eyes. 

TROLLS  AT  UGLERUP. 

In  Uglerup  there  once  dwelt  a  man  well  to  do  in  the 
world,  named  Niels  Hansen.  The  wealth  he  possessed, 
it  was  said,  he  acquired  through  the  Trolls.  One  day,  to 
wit,  as  his  wife  was  raking  hay  together  in  the  field,  she 
caught  a  large  fat  toad  between  the  teeth  of  her  rake, 
which  she  gently  released,  saying :  "  Poor  thing !  I  see 
that  thou  needest  help  :  I  will  help  thee.^^  Some  time 
after,  a  Troll  came  to  her  by  night,  desiring  her  to  accom- 
pany him  into  the  mount  where  he  dwelt.  When,  in 
compliance  with  the  TrolPs  request,  she  had  entered  into 
the  mount,  she  there  found  a  Troll-wife  lying  in  bed,  and 
at  the  same  time  remarked  a  hideous  serpent  hanging 
down  just  above  her  head.  Thereupon  said  the  Troll-wife 
to  her  :  "  As  you  are  now  frightened  at  the  serpent  that 
hangs  over  your  head,  so  frightened  was  I  when  I  stuck  in 
your  rake.  But  as  you  were  kind  to  me,  I  will  give  you 
good  advice.  When  you  go  from  this  place,  my  husband 
will  offer  you  a  quantity  of  gold ;  but,  unless  you  cast  this 
knife  behind  you  when  you  go  out,  it  will  be  nothing  but 
coal  when  you  reach  home.  And  when  he  causes  you  to 
mount  and  rides  away  with  you,  be  mindful  to  glide  down 
from  the  horse,  when  you  come  over  a  slough ;  else  you 
will  never  see  your  home  again. ^' 

While  Niels  Ilansen^s  wife  was  thus  in  the  mount,  she 
went  into  the  TrolFs  kitchen,  where  she  saw  her  own 
serving-man  and  maid  standing  and  grinding  malt.  As 
they  did  not  know  her,  she  went  up  to  them  and  cut  a 


DANISH  TRADITIONS. 


im 


piece  out  of  the  linen  of  each,  which  she  kept.  At  length, 
the  Troll  made  her  a  costly  present  of  gold,  and  she  did 
as  the  Troll- wife  directed ;  and  when  she  was  riding  honif 
with  him,  she  slipt  from  him,  according  to  the  instruc- 
tions she  had  received,  and  before  morning  reached  her 
house  with  all  her  treasure. 

The  next  day,  when  the  man  and  maid  appeared  before 
her,  they  both  complained  of  pain  in  the  arms,  as  if  from 
excessive  fatigue.  She  then  told  them  that  they  should 
recite  a  prayer  and  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  before  going 
to  bed,  seeing  that,  unknown  to  themselves,  they  had 
been  in  the  mount  during  the  night,  and  had  there  ground 
malt  for  the  Trolls.  At  this  they  laughed  and  thought 
she  was  joking ;  but  when  she  showed  them  the  pieces 
of  linen,  they  could  no  longer  withhold  their  belief,  see- 
ing that  the  pieces  corresponded  with  the  holes.  She  then 
related  to  them  the  adventure  of  the  night. 

THE  MIDWIFE  OF  fUUR. 

Many  years  ago  there  was  a  midwife  on  the  isle  of 
Fuur,  who  was  one  night  waked  by  a  violent  knocking  at 
her  door.  On  opening  it  she  saw  a  diminutive  creature 
who  begged  of  her  to  follow  him  to  attend  an  Elf-v,ife. 
She  yielded  to  his  entreaties,  and  w^as  missing  for  a  long 
time  after.  At  length  her  husband  happening  one  night 
to  pass  by  the  Elf-mount,  saw  that  it  was  illuminated,  that 
there  was  great  parade  and  merry-making  within,  and,  on 
taking  a  more  accurate  survey,  that  among  the  gayest  of 
the  company  was  his  own  wife.  He  beckoned  to  her,  and 
they  conversed  together  for  a  while ;  and  when,  in  spite  of 
her  caution,  he  called  her  by  name,  she  was  compelled  to 
accompany  him  ;  but  from  that  time  he  never  had  the 
least  good  of  her  :  she  sat  constantly  by  the  kitchen  table, 
and  was  dumb  ever  after. 


132  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

SKOTTE. 
At  Gudniandstrup  there  is  a  mount  called  Hiulehoi. 
The  Troll-folk  that  inhabit  this  mount  are  well  known  in 
the  neighbouring  villages,  and  if  any  person  forgets  to 
make  a  cross  on  his  beer  cask_,  the  Trolls  will  sneak  out 
of  Hiulehoi  and  steal  his  beer.  One  evening  late  a  pea- 
sant passing  by  the  mount,  saw  that  it  was  standing  on  red 
pillars,  and  that  beneath  were  music,  dancing  and  a  grand 
festivity.  While  he  stood  viewing  the  joyous  spectacle, 
the  music  and  dancing  ceased  on  a  sudden,  and  amid  much 
lamentation  he  heard  a  Troll  cry  out :  "  Skotte  has  fallen 
into  the  fire  !  Come  and  help  him  out  !  "  The  mount 
then  sank  and  all  the  merry-making  was  at  an  end. 

In  the  mean  time  the  peasant's  wife  was  at  home  alone, 
and  while  she  was  sitting  spinning  her  flax,  she  was  not 
aware  that  a  Troll  had  crept  in  at  the  window  of  the  adjoin- 
ing room  and  was  standing  by  the  cask  drawing  beer  into 
his  copper  kettle.  At  this  moment  the  peasant  entered  the 
apartment  quite  bewildered  at  what  he  had  seen  and  heard. 
"  Now,  mother,''  said  he,  "  now  I  will  tell  you  what  has 
just  happened  to  me" — The  Troll  was  all  attention — 
"As  I  passed  by  Hiulehoi,  there  was  a  great  merry- 
making; but  when  it  was  at  the  highest,  there  was  an 
outcry  in  the  mount  that  Skotte  had  fallen  into  the  fire.'' 
On  hearing  this,  the  Troll,  who  was  still  standing  by  the 
beer  cask,  was  so  startled  that  he  let  the  beer  run,  the 
kettle  fall,  and  hurried  away  as  quickly  as  possible  through 
the  window.  By  the  noise  the  people  were  soon  led  to 
discover  what  had  been  going  on  at  the  beer  cask ;  but  as 
they  found  the  copper  kettle,  they  took  it  as  an  equivalent 
for  the  spilt  beer. 

KTNG  riPPE  IS  DEAD! 
Between  Nordborg  and  Sondcrborg,  on  the  isle  of  Als, 
there  is  a  mount  called  Stakkelhoi,  which  in  former  days 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  133 

was  inhabited  by  a  multitude  of  the  subterranean  folk, 
who  were  noted  for  their  diligent  researches  in  the  neigh- 
bouring pantries.  One  evening  late,  as  a  man  was  jjassing 
over  Stakkelhoi  to  Hagenbierg,  he  heard  some  one  in  the 
mount  exclaim  :  "  Now  King  Pippe  is  dead  !  ^'  These 
words  he  retained  in  his  memory.  At  the  same  time,  one 
of  the  mount-people  of  Stakkelhoi  was  paying  a  visit  at  a 
peasant^s  in  Hagenbierg,  for  the  purpose  of  letting  some 
of  his  beer  flow  into  a  silver  jug  that  he  had  brought  with 
him.  The  Troll  was  just  sitting  cheek  by  jowl  with  the 
cask,  when  the  aforesaid  man  entered  the  house  and  told 
the  peasant  how,  as  he  was  passing  over  Stakkelhoi,  he 
heard  a  voice  in  the  mount  saying  :  "  Now  King  Pippe  is 
dead !  "  At  this  the  Troll  in  a  fright  exclaimed  :  "  Is 
King  Pippe  dead  V'  and  rushed  out  of  the  house  with  such 
haste  that  he  forgot  to  take  his  silver  jug  with  him. 

THE  TROLL  AT  M.EHRED. 

At  Msehred  near  Prsesto,  as  a  smith  was  one  day  ham- 
mering at  his  forge,  he  heard  a  great  moaning  and  sobbing 
outside.  Looking  out  at  his  door  he  saw  a  Troll  driving 
a  pregnant  woman  before  him  and  crying  without  inter- 
mission :  "  A  little  further  yet  !  a  little  further  yet  !  " 
At  this  spectacle  the  smith  sprang  forwards  with  a  red  hot 
iron,  which  he  held  behind  the  woman,  so  that  the  Troll 
was  forced  to  abandon  his  prey  and  take  to  flight.  He 
then  took  the  woman  under  his  protection,  who  was 
shortly  after  delivered  of  two  sons.  Thereupon  he  went 
to  her  husband,  in  the  supposition  of  finding  him  incon- 
solable for  her  loss ;  but  on  stepping  into  the  apartment, 
he  perceived  a  woman,  exactly  resembling  the  man^s  wife, 
lying  in  bed.  He  at  once  saw  how  the  matter  stood, 
seized  an  axe,  and  with  it  struck  the  witch  on  the  head  as 
she  lay.     While  the  man  was  bewailing  the  death  of  his 


134  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

supposed  wife,  the  smith  brought  him  the  genuine  one 
together  with  the  two  new-born  babes. 

THE  MAN  IN  THE  OXNEBIERG. 

At  Rolfsted  there  is  a  mount  called  the  Oxnebierg,  by 
which  there  runs  a  rivulet,  but  between  the  mount  and 
the  rividet  there  is  to  be  seen  a  pathway  trodden  down  in 
the  corn,  and  which,  according  to  the  testimony  of  three 
men,  who  lay  one  night  on  the  mount,  is  known  to  be  so 
trodden  by  '  the  ]\Ian  in  the  Oxnebierg,'  who  rides  out 
every  night  on  his  dapple-gray  horse,  which  he  waters  in 
the  rivulet. 

There  was  a  similar  path  from  the  mount  down  to  a 
spring  in  a  garden  at  Bsekstrup.  It  passed  through  a  break 
in  the  hedge,  which,  how  often  soever  it  might  be  filled 
up,  was  always  found  open  again  on  the  following  day.  In 
the  dwelling  to  which  the  spring  belonged  the  mistress 
was  hardly  ever  in  good  health ;  but  her  husband,  in 
consequence  of  advice  given  him,  having  filled  up  the  well 
and  dug  another  in  another  place,  the  woman  from  that 
time  recovered  her  health,  and  the  hole  in  the  hedge  was 
no  more  opened. 

THE  UNBIDDEN  GUESTS. 

In  a  house  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ostrel,  between 
Aalborg  and  Thisted,  the  master  and  mistress  remarked 
that  the  meat  at  dinner  always  disappeared  very  speedily, 
however  large  the  quantity  might  be.  They  consulted 
with  their  serving-man,  who  was  a  knowing  fellow,  as  to 
the  cause,  who  being  aware  that  a  neighbouring  mount 
was  inhabited  by  a  swarm  of  little  Trolls,  hit  upon  the 
idea  that  some  of  these  probably  partook  of  the  fare,  and 
therefore  resolved  to  keep  watch.  On  the  following  day, 
when  the  dinner  was  nearly  ready,  he  went  to  the  mount, 
where,  applying  his  ear,  he  heard  a  great  bustle  and  con- 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  135 

fusion  beneath,  and  one  saying  to  another :  "  Give  me  my 
hat,  dinner  is  ready/^  Hearing  this,  the  man  also  cried 
out  :  ''  Give  me  my  hat/^  and  was  answered :  "  Here  ^s 
none  but  old  dad^s/^  "  That  will  do/^  said  the  man,  and 
instantly  a  hat  was  flung  to  him  ou.t  of  the  mount. 
Having  put  it  on  his  head,  he  saw  the  Trolls  coming  out 
of  the  mount  in  swarms,  and  running  towards  his  master^s 
house.  He  speedily  followed  them,  and  on  entering  the 
apartment  saw  them  already  seated  at  the  table,  and  busily 
regaling  themselves  with  a  pancake,  which  the  mistress 
had  just  served  up.  The  man  also  sat  down  and  ate  with 
them ;  but  in  a  few  seconds  the  pancake  vanished.  Angry 
that  there  was  no  more,  one  of  the  little  Trolls  leaped  on 
the  table  and  untrussed  his  points  over  the  empty  dish. 
On  seeing  this,  the  man  took  up  his  knife  and  gave  the 
shameless  little  wretch  a  slash,  who  uttered  a  loud  scream 
and  all  ran  away.  The  man  now  took  off  his  hat,  called 
his  mistress  and  the  people  of  the  household,  and  asked 
them  whether  they  had  seen  anything.  They  answered, 
that  they  had  heard  the  door  bang,  also  a  scream,  but 
seen  nothing. 

In  the  evening,  when  the  man  was  going  to  bed,  he 
heard  the  bucket  in  the  well  drawn  up  and  down.  Where- 
upon he  put  on  the  hat,  went  into  the  yard  and  saw  the 
Trolls  watering  their  little  horses.  He  asked  them  whe- 
ther they  wished  for  a  repetition  of  what  they  had  expe- 
rienced at  dinner  ?  but  they  besought  him  earnestly  to 
allow  them  to  water  their  horses  at  the  well,  as  there  was 
no  water  in  the  mount.  This  the  man  allowed  them  to 
do,  on  condition  that  they  should  never  more  steal  the 
dinner. 

On  the  following  morning  the  man  found  two  gold 
pieces  hanging  to  the  well ;  and  from  that  day  the  good 
housewife    has    kept    her    dinner    secure  from   uninvited 


136  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

ELLEVILDE,  OR  ELF-CRAZED. 

Not  far  from  Ebeltoft,  as  a  boy  was  watching  cattle, 

there   came  to  him   a  beautiful  damsel,  who  asked  him 

whether  he  was  hungry  or  thirsty.    But  he,  observing  that 

she  was  particularly  careful  not  to  let  him  see  her  back, 

felt  convinced  that  she  was  an  Elf,  the  Elves  being  hollow 

behind.     He  would  therefore  hold  no  converse  with  her, 

but  endeavoured  to  avoid  her.     When  she  remarked  this, 

she  presented  her  breast  that  he  might  suck  her,  in  which 

there  was  so  much  fascination,  that  he  had  no  more  power 

to  resist.     After  he  had  done  as  she  bade  him  he  was  no 

longer  master  of  himself,  so  that  she  found  it  no  difficult 

matter  to  induce  him  to  go  with  her.     For  three  days  he 

was  absent.     In  the  mean  time  his  parents  were  at  home 

bewailing  his  loss  ;  for  they  felt  certain  that  he  had  been 

decoyed  away.     But  on  the  fourth  day  the  father  saw  him 

coming  at  a  distance,  and  desired  his  wife  to  set  a  pan  on 

the  fire  with  bacon  as  speedily  as  possible.     Immediately 

after  the  son  entered  and  sat  down  without  uttering  a 

syllable.     Nor  did  the  old  man  speak  a  word,  but  acted  as 

if  everything  was  as  it  should  be.     The  mother  then  set 

the  meat  before  her  son,  and  the  father  desired  him  to 

eat ;  but  he  let  the  food  stand  untouched,  saying  that  he 

knew  where  he  could  get  better  fare.     The  man  now  grew 

angry,  and  taking  up  a  heavy  stick,  again  ordered  him  to 

take  his  food.     The  lad  was  then  compelled  to  eat,  and 

when  he  had  once  tasted  the  bacon,  he  devoured  it  greedily, 

and  then  fell  into  a  profound  sleep.     He  slept  as  many 

days  as  the  fascination  lasted,  but  never  from  that  time 

recovered  the  use  of  his  understanding. 

THE  BRUDEIIOI,  OR  BRIDE  MOUNT. 
Near  Borbierg  church,  in  the  diocese  of  Ribe,  there  is 
a  mount  called  Brudehoi,  or  The  Bride's  Mount,  which 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  137 

name    it    is    said  to  have    derived    from    the    following 
event. 

When  King  Cnut  the  Great  was  engaged  in  building 
Borbierg  church,  there  dwelt  in  the  above-mentioned 
mount  a  vicious  Troll,  who  every  night  demohshed  what 
had  been  erected  during  the  day,  so  that  the  work  could 
not  proceed.  Thereupon  the  king  made  an  agreement 
with  the  Troll,  promising  him  the  first  girl  that  should 
come  to  the  church  as  a  bride.  The  building  now  went 
on  prosperously  and  was  soon  completed.  There  then 
sat  the  Troll,  waiting  in  his  mount  till  a  bridal  company 
should  pass.  On  the  first  opportunity  he  seized  the  bride 
and  dragged  her  into  the  mount.  From  that  time  the 
place  has  been  held  in  such  dread,  that  all  bridal  couples, 
on  their  way  to  Borbierg  church,  rather  go  a  mile  or  more 
about  than  pass  by  the  mount. 

In  Reiersen's  Description  of  St.  Bent's  church  at  Ringsted,  it  is  said  of 
that  structure  :  "  There  are  two  entrances  to  the  church,  viz.  a  large  gate 
in  the  north  chapel,  through  which  the  people  usually  pass  into  the 
church  ;  and  a  smaller  one  on  the  same  side  towards  the  end  of  the  edifice, 
through  which  all  children  that  have  been  christened  and  all  corpses  are 
brought ;  also  all  bridal  pairs  pass  that  have  been  united  in  the  church  ; 
nor  would  it  be  possible  to  get  any  of  these  to  be  conveyed  or  pass  through 
the  large  door,  though  from  what  cause  no  one  can  tell."  In  Scania  there 
is  also  a  Bride-mount,  where  a  Troll  named  Gyllebert  carried  off  a  bride, 
on  which  account  no  bride  ever  passes  by  it. 

HANS  PUNTLyEDER. 

In  the  field  of  Bubbelgaard  in  Fyen  there  are  three 
mounts,  which  from  the  following  event  are  known  by  the 
name  of  the  '  Dandse-hoie.'  At  Bubbelgaard  there  was  a 
serving-lad  named  Hans,  who  one  evening  passing  through 
the  field  above-mentioned,  saw  that  one  of  the  mounts 
was  raised  up  on  red  pillars^,  and  that  there  were  dancing 

^  In  a  Sleswig  tradition  the  pillars  are  said  to  be  golden.  Miillenhoff, 
No.  CDII.  2. 


138  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

and  merriment  beneath.  Struck  with  the  beauty  of  the 
spectacle  which  he  witnessed,  he  felt  singularly  attracted 
nearer  and  nearer,  until  the  fairest  of  all  the  fair  lasses 
approached  him  and  gave  him  a  kiss.  From  that  moment 
he  was  no  more  master  of  himself,  and  became  so  un- 
manageable that  he  tore  all  his  clothes  to  tatters,  until  at 
length  it  was  found  necessary  to  make  him  a  garment  of 
sole  leather  (puntlseder),  which  he  was  unable  to  tear 
asunder ;  for  which  reason  he  ever  after  went  by  the  name 
of  Hans  Puntlseder. 

THE  AGED  BRIDE. 
At  a  marriage  at  Norre-Broby  near  Odense,  the  bride 
during  a  dance  left  the  apartment  and  walked  without  re- 
flection towards  a  mount  in  the  adjacent  field,  where  at  the 
same  time  there  were  dancing  and  merriment  among  the 
Elf- folk.  On  reaching  the  mount,  she  saw  that  it  was 
standing  on  red  pillars,  and  at  the  same  moment  an  Elf 
came  and  presented  to  her  a  cup  of  wine.  She  took  the 
cup,  and  having  emptied  it,  suffered  herself  to  join  in  a 
dance.  When  the  dance  was  ended  she  bethought  her- 
self of  her  husband  and  hastened  home.  Here  it  appeared 
to  her  that  everything  in  and  about  the  place  was  changed, 
and  on  entering  the  village,  she  recognised  neither  house 
nor  farm,  and  heard  nothing  of  the  noisy  mirth  of  the 
wedding.  At  length  she  found  herself  standing  before 
her  husband's  dwelling,  but  on  entering  saw  no  one  whom 
she  knew,  and  no  one  who  knew  her.  One  old  woman 
only,  on  hearing  the  bride's  lamentation,  exclaimed  :  "  Is 
it  then  you,  who  a  hundred  years  ago  disappeared  at  my 
grandfather's  brother's  wedding  ?  "  At  these  words  the 
aged  bride  fell  down  and  instantly  expired. 

BONDEVETTE. 
In  Bomholm  there  was  once  a  })casant  named  Bonde- 


DANISH   TRADITIONS.  189 

vette^  wlio_,  it  was  said_,  was  born  of  a  Mer-wife.  His  fa- 
ther, as  it  is  related,  going  once  down  to  the  sea-shore,  saw 
a  Mer-wife  there,  with  whom  he  had  intercourse.  At  their 
parting  she  said  to  him  :  ^^  In  a  year  thou  shalt  return, 
when  thou  shalt  find  a  son  here,  who  shall  drive  away  the 
Mountain- imps  and  Trolls.^'  It  befell  as  she  had  said; 
for  the  man,  on  returning  exactly  a  year  after_,  found  a 
little  male  child  lying  on  the  shore,  which  he  took  with 
him,  fostered  it,  and  called  it  Bondevette,  because  its 
father  was  a  bonde  ^  and  its  mother  a  vette  ^.  As  the  child 
grew  up  he  became  large  and  strong,  and  also  synsk,  so 
that  he  could  see  what  was  invisible  to  others.  When 
his  father  died,  Bondevette  succeeded  to  the  farm  and  took 
to  himself  a  wife. 

Not  far  from  his  dwelling  there  was  a  mount  called 
Korshoi.  As  he  was  one  day  passing  by,  he  heard  the 
Trolls  within,  who  were  busied  in  carving  a  piece  of  wood, 
utter  the  words,  "  Cut  it,  Snef !  that  ^s  almost  like  Bon- 
devette^s  wife."  His  wife  was  just  at  that  time  lying  in, 
and  the  Trolls  had  made  a  wooden  image  of  her,  which 
they  intended  to  lay  in  her  place,  when  they  had  carried 
her  off.  And  this  they  accomplished ;  for  while  she  was 
lying  in  bed,  and  the  women  were  sitting  around  her,  the 
Trolls  brought  their  wooden  figure  into  the  room,  took  the 
woman  out  of  bed,  and  laid  the  image  in  her  place,  as  if 
it  were  the  woman  herself.  Their  next  object  was  to 
convey  her  through  the  window  to  some  other  Trolls,  who 
stood  without  to  receive  her;  but  Bondevette,  who  had 
had  an  eye  upon  their  proceedings,  placed  himself  by  the 
window,  took  his  wife  and  concealed  her  in  the  house,  un- 
known to  the  other  women.  He  then  caused  the  oven 
to  be  heated  very  hot,  took  the  image  that  lay  in  the  bed, 
and  thrust  it  into  the  oven,  where  it  blazed  and  crackled 
prodigiously,  while  the  women  who  were  sitting  in  the 
1  A  countryman,  peasant  of  free  condition.  2  See  vol.  i.  p.  IIG. 


140  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

room  and  saw  what  lie  had  done^  made  a  woful  outcry, 
thinking  that  he  had  burnt  his  wife.  But  he  afterwards 
set  their  minds  at  ease,  by  showing  them  where  he  had 
laid  his  own  wife. 

Another  time,  as  he  was  passing  by  Korshoi,  he  heard 
the  Trolls  within  say :  "  To-morrow  Bondevette^s  wife 
brews,  so  we  will  away  and  steal  her  beer.^^  Whereupon 
he  went  home  and  ordered  the  brewing  kettle  to  be  filled 
with  water,  and  the  water  to  be  heated  to  boiling.  He 
then  said  to  his  men ;  ''  Wherever  I  cast  water  do  you 
strike  with  stout  cudgels.''  So  when  the  Trolls  came  with 
their  bucket  and  a  strong  iron  rod  to  fetch  the  beer,  Bon. 
devctte  cast  the  boiling  water  over  them  and  scalded  them, 
while  the  men  beat  about  with  their  cudgels,  but  without 
seeing  that  they  were  belabouring  the  Trolls.  In  this 
manner  he  drove  them  off  with  such  speed  that  they  had 
no  time  to  take  with  them  either  bucket  or  iron  rod.  The 
latter  Bondevette  afterwards  gave  to  the  church ;  and  it  is 
the  same  on  which  the  church  door  yet  hangs. 

Once,  as  he  was  passing  the  same  mount  by  night,  he 
saw  how  the  Trolls  were  dancing  around  it.  When  they 
saw  him  they  would  drink  to  him,  and  handed  him  a  cup  ; 
but  he  cast  the  liquor  over  his  shoulder,  some  of  which 
falling  on  his  horse,  burnt  both  its  hide  and  hair.  Bonde- 
vette hastened  away  with  the  cup,  which  he  afterwards 
gave  to  the  church,  and  whi{3h  was  subsequently  made  into 
a  chalice  and  paten.  It  is  furthermore  said  of  him,  that 
he  continued  in  the  same  course  towards  the  Trolls,  until 
they  at  last  grew  tired  of  inhabiting  Korshoi. 

THE  GIANT'S  DAUGHTER  AND  THE  PLOUGHMAN. 

In  Trostrup  Mark  there  is  a  barrow,  in  which  a  giant 

lies  buried,  of  wlioin  it  is  related  that  he  had  a  daughter 

of  gigantic  form  and  ])ower.    As  she  was  one  day  crossing 

a  field,  she  found  a  man  ploughing,  and  thinking  it  was 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  141 

some  sort  of  plaything,  she  took  him  with  his  team  and 
plough  up  in  her  pinafore,  and  carried  them  to  her  father, 
saying  :  ^^  See  what  I  have  found  in  the  fields,  while  I  was 
raking  in  the  ground/^  But  her  father  answered :  "  Let 
them  go  :  they  will  drive  us  away  ^." 

SVEND  FUELLING. 
Svend  Fselling  was  a  doughty  champion,  born  at  Fuell- 
ing in  Jutland.     For  a  considerable  length  of  time  he 
served  on  the  farm  of  Aakiser  near  Aarhuus,  and  as  the 
roads  were  not  secure,  on  account  of  Trolls  and  other  sub- 
terranean beings,  who  bear  enmity  towards  all  Christian 
folk,  he  undertook  the  office  of  letter-carrier.     As  he  was 
once  passing  along,   there  came  to  him  the  Troll  from 
Jelshoi,  requesting  his  aid  in  a  battle  with  the  Troll  of 
Borum-Eshoi.     Svend  Fselling  expressed  his  willingness, 
thinking  himself  sufficiently  strong  and  daring.     To  try 
his  strength,  however,  the  Troll  held  out  to  him  a  thick 
iron  bar,  but  which,  strong  as  he  was,  he  was  unable  to 
lift.     The  Troll  then  handed  him  a  horn,  desiring  him  to 
drink  from  it,  and  when  he  had  drunk  a  little,  he  could 
lift  the  bar ;  and  when  he  had  again  drunk,  it  was  still 
lighter  to  him  ;  but  when  he  had  emptied  the  horn,  he 
was  able  to  brandish  the  bar,  and  learned  from  the  Troll 
that  he  had  the  strength  of  twelve  men.     He  then  made 
ready  to  proceed  against  the  Troll  of  Borum-Eshoi,  and 
was   told   that   he  would  meet  a  black  and  a  red  bull 
on  the  way,  and  that  he  should  attack  the  black  one,  and 
drive  him  with  all  his  might  from  the  red  bull.     This  he 
did,  and  afterwards  learned  that  the  black  bull  was  the 
Troll  from  Borum-Eshoi,  and  the  red  one  the  Troll  from 
Jelshoi,  from   whom,   in   recompense,  he    received,   as  a 
permanent  gift,  the  strength  of  twelve  men,  though  with 
the  condition  that  if  he  ever  divulged  to  any  one  how  he 
1  See  more  on  this  subject  in  Grimm,  D.  i\I.  pp.  505,  sq. 


142  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

had  acquired  such  power,  he  should,  as  a  punishment,  re- 
ceive also  the  appetite  of  twelve. 

From  that  time  the  report  of  Svend  Fselling's  strength 
became  wide-spread  throughout  the  country,  seeing  that 
he  was  constantly  displaying  it  in  divers  manners.  It  is 
related  of  him  that  being  once  offended  at  a  milk-maid,  he 
so  threw  her  that  she  found  herself  sitting  across  the  gable 
of  a  house.  AVhen  this  feat  was  reported  to  the  proprietor 
of  Aakiser,  he  ordered  Svend  Fuelling  to  be  called  before 
him,  and  commanded  him  to  relate  how  he  had  acquired 
such  vast  bodily  strength.  But  as  Svend  well  remem- 
bered the  TrolFs  warning,  he  refused  until  he  got  his 
master^s  promise  that  he  should  have  as  much  to  eat  as 
he  desired.  From  that  day  he  ate  and  drank  the  portion 
of  twelve  men.  At  Aakiser  there  is  still  shown  a  flesh- 
pot  which  he  emptied  daily,  and  which  is  called  Svend 
Fselling^s  flesh-pot.  At  the  same  place  there  is  also  said 
to  be  a  huge  two-handed  sword  three  ells  long,  which 
once  belonged  to  him  ;  also  an  ancient  beech  with  a  large 
ring  in  it,  to  which  he  was  accustomed  to  tie  his  horse. 


According  to  other  accounts,  Svend  Fselling  served  as 
a  boy  at  the  farm  of  Siellevskov,  and  it  once  happened, 
when  he  had  ridden  on  a  message  to  Ristrup,  that  it  was 
evening  before  he  reached  home.  As  he  passed  by  the 
mount  called  Borum-Eshoi,  he  observed  the  Elf-girls, 
who  kept  incessantly  dancing  round  his  horse.  One  of 
these  approaching  him,  presented  to  him  a  costly  drink- 
ing horn  and  invited  him  to  drink.  Svend  took  the  horn, 
but  having  no  great  faith  in  what  it  contained,  he  threw 
it  out  behind  him,  so  that  it  fell  on  his  horse^s  back  and 
singed  the  hair  off.  The  horn  he  held  fast,  and  clapping 
spurs  to  his  horse,  rode  away  with  all  possible  speed,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Elf-damsel,  until  he  reached  Trigebrand^s 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  ]  43 

mill^  where  lie  rode  over  the  running  water^  across  which 
the  Elves  cannot  follow.  Thereupon  the  Elf-damsel  ear- 
nestly implored  him  to  give  her  the  horn  back,  promising 
him  in  recompense  the  strength  of  twelve  men  ;  on  which 
assurance  he  returned  the  horn  to  her,  and  got  what  she 
promised  him.  But  he  thereby  frequently  found  him- 
self in  difficulty,  seeing  that  he  had  at  the  same  time  . 
acquired  the  appetite  of  twelve.  When  he  returned  home 
in  the  evening  of  that  day,  the  people  were  just  having 
their  Christmas  beer;  and  feeling  disposed  to  be  merry 
at  his  expense,  they  sent  him  to  fetch  beer,  saying  : 
"  Svend  !  do  thou  go  and  fetch  us  our  beer,  then  we  will 
drink  no  more  this  Christmas. ^^  Svend  said  nothing  and 
went,  but  came  back  with  a  cask  in  each  hand  and  one 
under  each  arm. 

Near  the  village  of  Steenstrup  there  is  a  mount  called 
Havbierg,  on  which  the  doughty  Svend  Eselling  was  wont 
to  sit  while  washing  his  hands  and  feet  in  Sonderstrand, 
which  is  distant  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile.  In  Holmstrup 
the  peasants  cooked  meat  for  him,  which  they  brought 
him  in  huge  brewing  vessels.  When  he  was  dead,  he 
was  buried  at  Dalhoi,  between  Loms  and  Holmstrup. 

In  the  old  Danish  hallad  of  '  Svend  Feldhig's  Kamp  nied  Risen,'  Svend 
is  described  as  going  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome,  and  on  his  %vay  arriving 
at  a  city  called  Hovdingso,  the  princess  of  which  informs  him  that  the 
land  is  being  made  desolate  by  a  giant  who  feeds  only  on  women  and 
maidens.  Svend  undertakes  to  encounter  this  monster,  and  a  number  of 
horses  are  led  forth,  that  he  may  select  one  qualified  to  bear  him  in  the 
ensuing  combat.  These  proving  either  too  shy  or  too  weak,  he  wishes 
for  a  Jutland  horse,  w^hen  a  miller  passes  by,  who  informs  him  that  he 
has  a  Jutland  horse  that  can  carry  fifteen  skippund.  This  horse  is  so 
powerful  and  violent  that  he  bursts  every  saddle-girth  that  is  applied  to 
him,  until  fifteen  maidens  knit  a  girth  of  silk  and  gold,  seven  ells  long,  a 
quarter  of  an  ell  tliick  and  five  spans  broad,  which  fully  answers  its  pur- 
pose.    Svend  finally  kills  the  giant  ^ 

'  Danske  Viser  fra  Middelalderen,  i.  150. 


144  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

In  Borberg  church,  in  the  diocese  of  Rihe,  there  is  a  remarkable  gilt 
altar-piece  with  figures  of  alabaster,  representing  the  history  of  Svend 
Felding,  so  celebrated  in  the  Danish  chronicles,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
giant,  who  would  have  only  women  and  maidens ;  also  the  Danish  horse 
that  could  carry  fifteen  skippund  of  corn,  which  the  miller  gave  to  Svend 
Felding  to  bear  him  in  the  combat ;  the  giant's  head,  which  Svend  Feld- 
ing cut  off;  the  damsels  who  wove  the  thick  saddle-girth  ;  the  priest  who 
absolved  Svend  Felding  of  his  sins  before  he  went  to  the  encounter  ^ 

ALTAR-CUPS. 

In  Holbek  amt,  in  Seeland,  between  Marup  and  Aage- 
rup,  there  was  once  a  large  castle,  the  ruins  of  which  may 
still  be  seen  on  the  shore.  At  this  place,  tradition  tells 
us,  there  are  vast  riches,  and  that  a  dragon  under  the 
earth  broods  over  three  kings^  ransoms.  The  underground 
folk  are  often  to  be  seen  here,  particularly  on  solemn  oc- 
casions, when  they  have  dancing  and  merry-making  on 
the  shore. 

One  Christmas  eve  a  man  in  Aagerup  asked  his  master 
to  let  him  ride  down  to  see  the  Trolls'  merry-making. 
The  master  allowed  him  to  take  the  best  horse  in  the 
stable.  On  reaching  the  spot,  he  sat  a  while  on  his  horse 
witnessing  the  festivity,  and  while  wondering  to  see  the 
mount-folk  dance,  a  little  Troll  came  to  him,  who  invited 
him  to  dismount  and  partake  of  their  mirth.  Another  then 
came  springing,  who  took  his  horse's  rein  and  held  it  while 
the  man  dismounted  and  danced  with  them  the  whole  night. 
When  the  morning  drew  nigh,  he  thanked  them  for  their 
hospitality  and  mounted  his  horse,  when  they  invited  him 
to  come  again  on  the  following  new  year's  night,  when 
there  would  be  another  merry-making.  A  damsel  then 
brought  him  a  gold  cup,  bidding  him  take  a  parting 
draught;  but  feeling  some  mistrust,  he,  while  feigning 
to  put  the  cup  to  his  lips,  cast  the  liquor  over  his  shoulder, 
so  that  it  fell  on  the  horse's  back,  the  hairs  of  which  it 

1  J.  Ilofman,  Fundgr.  iv.  613. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  145 

singed.  Applying  then  the  spurs  to  his  horse^s  sides,  he 
rode  away  cup  in  hand  over  a  ploughed  field,  followed  by 
all  the  Trolls,  who  finding  it  very  difficult  to  traverse  the 
deep  furrows,  cried  incessantly :  ^'  Ride  on  the  smooth 
and  not  on  the  rough  !  ''  But  it  was  not  until  he  ap- 
proached the  village  that  he  found  it  necessary  to  ride  on 
the  level  road,  whereby  he  was  exposed  to  great  peril,  as 
the  Trolls  came  nearer  and  nearer  at  every  moment.  In 
his  extremity  he  put  up  a  prayer,  and  for  his  safety  pro- 
mised to  give  the  cup  to  the  church.  Having  now  reached 
the  churchyard,  he  threw  the  cup  over  the  wall,  that  that 
might  at  all  events  be  secure.  He  then  quickened  his 
pace  and  entered  the  village,  and  just  as  the  Trolls  w^ere 
about  to  seize  the  horse,  it  darted  through  the  gateway  of 
the  house,  and  the  man  slammed  the  gate  after  him.  He 
was  now  safe,  but  the  Trolls  were  so  exasperated  that  they 
fetched  an  enormously  large  stone,  which  they  hurled  with 
such  force  against  the  gate  that  four  of  the  planks  flew 
out.  Of  the  house  not  a  vestige  remains,  but  the  stone 
yet  lies  in  Aagerup  village.  The  cup  was  given  to  the 
church,  and  the  man  got  as  a  reward  the  best  farm  on  the 
estate  of  Ericsholm. 

It  is  well  worthy  of  remark,  that  William  of  Newbridge,  who  lived  as  early 
as  the  twelfth  century,  relates  a  story  of  a  man  in  Yorkshire,  who  returniiig 
home  one  night,  saw  a  mound  open,  in  which  a  number  of  persons  were 
feasting,  one  of  whom  offered  him  a  cup,  the  contents  of  which  he  poured 
out,  and  rode  off  with  the  cup.  The  cup  was  presented  to  Henry  I., 
from  whose  hands  it  passed  into  those  of  David,  king  of  Scotland,  and 
was  finally  given  by  William  the  Lion  to  King  Henry  II.  The  province 
of  Deiri,  the  scene  of  this  tradition,  it  must  be  recollected  was  chiefly  in- 
habited by  the  descendants  of  the  Northmen  '. 

In  Scotland  "it  is  still  currently beheved,  that  he  who  has  courage  to 
rush  upon  a  fairy  festival,  and  snatch  from  them  their  drinking  cup  or 
horn,  shall  find  it  prove  to  him  a  cornucopiae  of  good  fortune,  if  he  can 
bear  it  in  safety  across  a  running  stream.  A  goblet  is  still  carefully  pre- 
served in  Edenhall,  Cumberland,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  seized 


Keightley,  F,  M.  p.  283. 


146  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

at  a  banquet  of  the  elves,  by  one  of  the  ancient  family  of  Musgrave ;  or. 
as  others  say,  by  one  of  their  domestics,  in  the  manner  above  described. 
The  fairy  train  vanished,  crying  aloud. 

If  this  glass  do  break  or  fall, 
Farewell  the  luck  of  Edenhall^!  " 


Between  North  and  South  Kongerslev  are  two  mounts^ 
one  of  which  is  called  Ornehoi,  the  other  Kiserlinghoi ;  both 
are  inhabited  by  Troll-folk,  who  are  at  enmity  with  each 
other. 

One  Christmas  eve,  a  farmer  in  South  Kongerslev  was 
sitting  at  table  talking  with  his  man  :  "  Christian/^  said 
he,  ^^what  may  the  Mount-folk  in  Kiserlingbierg  be  about  ?^^ 
"  A^Tiat  are  they  about  ?  ^^  answered  the  man,  '^  what  can 
that  concern  us  ?  "  The  farmer  then  said  that  it  would 
be  amusing  to  see  the  mount  standing  on  four  pillars  and 
all  the  merriment  beneath.  To  which  the  man  replied, 
that  if  he  might  take  the  one-coloured  horse  that  stood  in 
the  stable,  he  would  go  and  bring  him  back  the  informa- 
tion he  wished,  and  also  a  token  that  he  had  been  there. 
The  farmer  allowed  him  to  take  the  horse,  and  when  he 
reached  the  spot  he  found  the  mount  standing  on  four 
])illars,  and  great  feasting  and  mirth  beneath.  For  a 
while  he  sat  quiet  on  the  horse  and  looked  on,  but  when 
just  about  to  return,  he  began  crying  out :  "hou  !  vildt ! 
hou !  vildt !  "  which  people  are  wont  to  cry  when  they 
have  lost  their  way.  As  soon  as  the  Mount-folk  saw  him, 
a  little  boy,  with  a  red  cap  on  his  head,  came  out  and 
offered  him  drink  from  a  gold  cup.  He  took  the  cup, 
but  cast  out  the  liquor  and  hastened  away  at  full  speed. 
Being  followed  by  all  the  Trolls,  he  was  nearly  overtaken  by 
them  just  as  he  passed  by  Ornebierg ;  but  the  Trolls  there, 
seeing  him  pursued  by  those  of  Kiserlingbierg,  cried  out  : 

1  Scott's  jSIinstrelsy,  ii.  p.  130. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  147 

"  Ride  off  the  hard,  up  on  the  fallow,  and  you  will  escape 
them  !  ^'  This  the  man  understood  quite  well,  quitted 
the  road,  rode  up  into  the  ploughed  field,  and  so  escaped, 
the  little  Trolls  of  the  mount  being  unable  to  follow  him 
over  the  furrows.  On  reaching  the  farm,  he  made  a  cross 
at  the  gate,  a  cross  on  the  horse,  a  cross  on  the  door,  and 
a  cross  on  the  cup,  which  he  still  held  in  his  hand. 

Now  he  must  tell  his  master  all  he  had  seen  and  heard : 
first,  that  all  the  Trolls  in  Kiserlinghoi  are  called  either 
Vidrik  or  Didrik,  so  that  during  their  feast  it  was  to  be 
heard  on  every  side  :  "  Your  health,  Vidrik  !  "  ''  Thank 
you,  Didrik  !  "  ''  Your  health,  Vidrik^s  wife  !  "  ''  Thank 
you,  Didrik^s  sweetheart  !  '^  and  the  like.  He  further  told 
him  that  they  could  not  say  a  merry  feast.  At  length,  in 
proof  of  the  truth  of  his  story,  he  drew  forth  the  costly 
cup  that  he  had  taken  from  the  Trolls,  which  precious  ac- 
quisition was  highly  valued  in  the  house,  and  brought 
forth  only  on  extraordinary  occasions. 

On  the  following  Christmas  eve  a  little  man  in  tatters 
came  to  the  house  and  begged  a  night^s  lodging  of  the 
mistress.  "  Yes,  certainly,"  said  the  woman,  ^'  come  into 
the  room  and  get  something  to  live  on."  She  then  cut 
him  an  excellent  luncheon  of  fine  bread  with  butter  and 
other  good  things  upon  it,  but  the  miserable  fellow  would 
not  touch  it.  In  the  evening,  when  supper  was  brought 
in,  the  mistress  invited  him  to  sit  down  and  partake  of 
their  meal,  but  still  he  would  touch  nothing.  "  What  if  I 
were  to  offer  him  a  drink  of  good  beer  in  our  beautiful 
cup,"  thought  the  woman  within  herself ;  and  did  so  ac- 
cordingly ;  but  no  sooner  had  the  beggar  received  it,  than 
both  he  and  the  cup  vanished  from  her  sight,  although 
the  door  continued  closed. 


h2 


148  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

TROLLS  IN  THE  RED  STONE. 

As  a  man  on  horseback^  accompanied  by  bis  dog,  was 
passing  one  evening  late  by  tbe  Red-stone,  a  projecting 
crag  on  the  isle  of  Fuur  in  tbe  Liimfiord,  be  saw  by  tbe 
moonbgbt  tbe  Trolls  carrying  tbeir  gold  and  silver  trea- 
sures out  to  tbe  little  knolls  tbereabout,  for  tbe  purpose  of 
exposing  tbem  to  tbe  air.  Tbe  man  happened  to  have  bis 
gun  witb  bim,  and  having  beard  that,  if  any  one  can  shoot 
three  times  over  tbem,  tbe  Trolls  must  go  into  tbe  mound 
and  leave  tbeir  treasure  behind  them,  be  shot  accordingly ; 
but  being  unable  to  restrain  bis  cupidity  until  daybreak, 
when  he  could  convey  tbe  treasure  home  at  his  ease  with- 
out hindrance,  he  put  the  whole  into  a  bag  and  hurried 
away.  As  be  was  riding  along  between  two  banks,  he 
heard  something  puffing  and  panting  behind  him,  and  on 
looking  round,  saw  a  little  man  with  a  long  beard,  on  a 
horse  not  larger  than  a  cat,  but  without  a  bead,  and  with 
a  diminutive  black  dog  by  bis  side.  He  easily  guessed 
that  it  was  the  Troll  of  the  Red-stone.  "  Wilt  thou  let 
thy  horse  fight  witb  mine  ?  "  said  tbe  little  man.  ^'  No, 
God  forbid  ! ''  answered  the  man.  "  Or  thy  dog  with 
mme?^^  "No,  God  forbid!^'  "Or  wilt  thou  thyself 
engage  witb  me,  little  as  I  am  ? ''  "  No,  God  forbid  !  '' 
At  tbe  same  time  the  man  whipped  bis  horse  and  rode 
away  as  fast  as  be  could.  When  he  got  home  and  was 
within  bis  own  doors,  there  seemed  to  be  a  storming  and 
hissing  without,  and  the  whole  bouse  appeared  to  be  in  a 
blaze.  Being  well  aware  what  sorcery  was  going  forward, 
he  took  up  tbe  bag  with  the  treasure  and  Hung  it  out. 
Tbe  sorcery  thereupon  ceased,  and  a  voice  without  cried  : 
"Thou  bast  still  enough!''  Next  morning  be  found  a 
heavy  silver  cup  that  bad  fallen  behind  a  chest  of  drawers. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  149 

THE  TROLL'S  GLOVE. 

Near  Hvidovre  in  Seeland  there  is  a  large  mount  in 
which  a  Troll  dwelt^  who  went  every  night  from  the  mounts 
through  a  neighbouring  farm-yard,  down  to  the  rivulet, 
to  fetch  water  :  his  foot-marks  might  easily  be  traced  in 
the  grass.  One  morning,  as  the  farmer  was  going  to  his 
turf-lield,  he  found  on  this  path  a  glove  so  large  that  the 
thumb  could  hold  a  barrel  of  rye.  When  he  brought  it 
home,  all  were  amused  with  it,  and  were  unanimous  that 
it  must  belong  to  the  Troll.  The  following  midnight,  as 
the  man  lay  asleep,  he  was  awaked  by  a  loud  knocking  at 
the  window,  followed  by  the  words  : — 

"  Vante,  Ven  !  The  glove,  friend  ! 

Giv  mig  min  Vante  igien  ;  Give  me  my  glove  again ; 

Ellers  ligge  to  af  dine  Heste,      Else  shall  lie  two  of  thy  horses, 
De  stbrste  og  de  bedste,  The  largest  and  the  best, 

Dode  imorgen  paa  Mosen  !  "  Dead  to-morrow  on  the  moor. 
Thereupon  the  farmer  took  the  glove,  went  out  of  the 
house,  and  hung  it  on  a  beam-end  over  the  window,  and 
having  made  a  cross  on  the  door,  again  went  in.  In  the 
morning  the  glove  was  away  and  the  beam-end  was  found 
snapped  off  level  with  the  wall.  From  that  time  nothing 
more  was  ever  heard  of  the  Troll ;  his  path  became  grown 
over  and  was  no  longer  to  be  traced. 

The  idea  of  the  gigantic  glove  is  evidently  derived  from  that  of  Skry- 
mir,  in  the  story  of  Thor  and  Udgarda-Loki.^ 

THE  TROLL  OUTWITTED. 
A  husbandman,  who  had  a  little  mount  on  his  field,  re- 
solved not  to  let  it  lie  waste,  and  began  to  plough  it  up. 
At  this  the  Troll,  who  dwelt  in  the  mount,  came  out  and 
demanded  who  it  was  that  dared  to  plough  on  his  roof. 
The  husbandman  said  that  he  did  not  know  it  was  his 
roof,  and  at  the  same  time  represented  to  him  that  it 
1  Vol.  i.  p.  56. 


150  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

was  disadvantageous  for  both  to  let  such  a  piece  of  land 
lie  uncultivated ;  that  he  was  willing  to  plough,  sow  and 
reap  every  year^  and  that  the  Troll  should  alternately  have 
that  which  in  one  year  grew  on  the  earth_,  and  the  man 
that  which  grew  beneath,  and  the  next  year  the  reverse. 
To  this  the  Troll  agreed,  and  the  man  in  the  first  year 
sowed  carrots,  and  in  the  year  following,  corn,  and  gave 
the  Troll  the  tops  of  the  carrots  and  the  roots  of  the  corn. 
From  that  time  there  was  a  good  understanding  between 
them. 

RAGINAL. 
A  farmer  fell  into  poverty  because  he  could  not  keep 
any  cows  in  his  stalls,  the  necks  of  all  having  been  broken 
one  after  another.  He  therefore  left  the  dwelling,  which 
was  sold  to  another.  When  the  new  proprietor  came  into 
the  cowhouse  one  evening  and  saw  that  everything  was 
in  tolerable  condition,  he  exclaimed  :  "  Good  evening, 
Raginal !  ''  whereupon  a  voice  answered  :  "  What  !  dost 
thou  know  me  ?  '^  "  Yes,  I  have  known  thee  for  many  a 
year  ! ''  "  If/'  said  the  Troll,  who  dwelt  beneath,  ''  thou 
wilt  move  thy  cowhouse  to  some  other  place,  thou  shalt 
then  become  an  opulent  man.  I  have  my  habitation  under 
the  cows,  and  their  dirt  falls  down  on  my  table  every  day, 
so  that  I  have  been  obliged  to  break  their  necks.^^  The 
man  removed  the  cowhouse,  and  thrived  from  that  time. 

That  a  similar  superstition  was  known  in  Scotland,  will  appear  from  the 
following  :  "  The  Scottish  fairies,  in  like  manner,  sometimes  reside  in  sub- 
terranean abodes,  in  the  vicinity  of  human  habitations,  or,  according  to 
the  popular  phrase,  under  the  '  door-stane,'  or  threshold ;  in  which  situa- 
tion they  sometimes  establish  an  intercourse  w'xih  men,  by  borrowing  and 
lending,  and  other  kindly  offices.  In  this  capacity  they  are  termed  'the 
good  neighbours,'  from  supplying  privately  the  wants  of  their  friends,  and 
assisting  them  in  all  their  transactions,  while  their  favours  are  concealed. 
Of  this  the  traditionary  story  of  Sir  Godfrey  MaccuUoch  forms  a  curious 
example. 

"  As  this  Gallovidian  gentleman  was  taking  the  air  on  horseback,  near 
his  own  house,  he  was  suddenly  accosted  by  a  little  old  man,  airayed  in 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  l^i 

green,  and  mounted  upon  a  white  palfrey.  After  mutual  salutation,  the 
old  man  gave  Sir  Godfrey  to  understand,  that  he  resided  under  his  hahita- 
tion,  and  that  he  had  great  reason  to  complain  of  the  direction  of  a  drain, 
or  common  sewer,  which  emptied  itself  directly  into  his  chamber  of  dais. 
Sir  Godfrey  was  a  good  deal  startled  by  this  extraordinary  complaint ;  but. 
guessing  the  nature  of  the  being  he  had  to  deal  with,  he  assured  the  old 
man,  with  great  courtesy,  that  the  direction  of  the  drain  should  be  al- 
tered ;  and  caused  it  to  be  done  accordingly.  Many  years  afterwards. 
Sir  Godfrey  had  the  misfortune  to  kill,  in  a  fray,  a  gentleman  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood. He  was  apprehended,  tried,  and  condemned.  The  scaffold, 
upon  which  his  head  was  to  be  struck  off,  was  erected  on  the  Castle-hill  of 
Edinburgh  ;  but  hardly  had  he  reached  the  fatal  spot,  when  the  old  man 
upon  his  white  palfrey,  pressed  through  the  crowd,  with  the  rapidity  of 
lightning.  Sir  Godfrey,  at  his  command,  sprung  on  behind  him  ;  the  '  good 
neighbour '  spurred  his  horse  down  the  steep  bank,  and  neither  he  nor  the 
criminal  were  ever  again  seen  ^" 

A  woman  was  returning  late  one  night  from  a  gossiping.  A  pretty 
little  boy  came  up  to  her  and  said:  "  Coupe  yere  dish-water  farther  frae 
yere  door-step  ;  it  pits  out  our  fire  2," 

GILLIKOP. 

Some  Jutlanders  having  got  a  little  Troll  into  their 
power^  thought  they  could  not  do  better  than  make  him  a 
Christian,  and  therefore  set  him  in  a  cart  for  the  purpose 
of  driving  him  to  church  and  having  him  baptized.  As 
he  there  sat  peeping  out,  the  men  heard  a  voice  in  the  road 
calling  aloud  :  "  Where  now,  Gillikop  V  to  which  the  little 
Troll  in  the  cart  responded  :  ''  A  long  way,  Slangerop  !  I 
am  going  to  a  little  water  yonder,  where  I  hope  to  be- 
come a  better  man.^^ 

THE  TROLLS  DESIRE  TO  BE  SAVED. 

One  night  as  a  priest  was   going  from  Hiorlunde  to 

Rolskilde,  he  passed  by  a  mount  in  which  there  were  music, 

dancing    and  other  merriment.     At  this    moment  some 

Dwarfs  sprang  forth  from  the  mount,  stopped  the  priest's 

1  Scott's  Minstrelsy,  ii.  pp.  169,  sq. 

2  Cromek,  Nithsdale  and  Galloway  Song,  quoted  by  Keightley,  F.  M. 
p.  353. 


152  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

vehicle,  and  said  :  "  Whither  art  thou  going  ?  ^'  "  To 
Landemode/^  answered  the  priest.  They  then  asked  him 
whether  he  thought  they  could  be  saved ;  to  which  he  re- 
plied that  he  could  not  then  inform  them.  They  then 
appointed  him  to  meet  them  with  an  answer  in  a  year. 
In  the  mean  time  it  went  ill  with  the  coachman,  who  the 
next  time  he  passed  by  the  mount  was  overturned  and 
killed  on  the  spot.  When  the  priest  came  again  at  the 
end  of  a  year,  they  again  asked  him  the  same  question, 
to  which  he  answered :  ''  No  !  you  are  all  damned !  '^ 
Scarcely  had  he  uttered  the  words  before  the  whole  mount 
was  in  a  blaze. 

A  similar  story  is  told  of  the  Nok,  see  p.  80.  In  the  Irish  story  named 
*  The  Priest's  Supper,'  a  fisherman,  at  the  request  of  the  fairies,  asks  a 
priest  who  had  stopt  at  his  house,  whether  they  would  he  saved  or  not  at 
the  last  day.  The  priest  desired  him  to  tell  them  to  come  themselves  and 
put  the  question  to  him,  but  this  they  declined  doing,  and  the  question 
remained  unanswered '. 

THE  TROLLS'  FEAR  OF  THE  CROSS. 
Near  Aarhuus  there  dwelt  a  smith,  who  one  day,  on  his 
way  to  church,  observed  a  Troll  sitting  by  the  road-side 
on  a  heap  of  coals  and  busied  with  two  straws  that  were 
accidentally  lying  across  each  other  on  the  heap ;  but  in 
spite  of  all  his  labour,  being  unable  to  get  them  to  lie 
otherwise,  he  besought  the  smith,  who  stood  looking  at 
him,  to  take  the  straws  away.  But  the  smith,  who  well 
knew  the  real  state  of  the  case,  took  the  whole  heap  toge- 
ther with  the  cross,  paying  little  attention  to  the  outciy 
made  by  the  Troll.  It  was  found  afterwards,  when  he 
reached  home,  that  what  appeared  like  coals  was  a  great 
treasure  over  which  the  Troll  had  no  longer  power. 

THE  TROLLS'  FEAR  OF  THUNDER. 
The  Mount-folk  are  exceedingly  terrified  at  thunder, 
>  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  3G5. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  153 

and  therefore  hasten  to  get  into  their  mounts  when  they 
see  a  storm  drawing  up  to  windward.  In  consequence  of 
this  terror  they  cannot  endure  the  beating  of  drums,  which 
is,  in  their  opinion,  a  species  of  thunder  ^  A  good  me- 
thod, therefore,  to  get  rid  of  them  is,  to  drum  vigorously 
every  day  in  the  neighbourhood  of  their  mounts;  for 
then  they  will  at  length  pack  up,  and  wander  to  a  more 
peaceful  spot. 

A  countryman  once  lived  in   good  fellowship  with  a 
Troll,    who    had  his  mount   in    the    countryman's    field. 
When  his  wife  was  once  lying-in,  he  was  a  little  embar- 
rassed because  he  could  not  well  avoid  inviting  the  Troll  to 
the  birthday  feast,  which  would  give  him  a  bad  reputation 
both  with  the  priest  and  with  the  other  townsfolk.    In  this 
state  of  perplexity,  from  which  he  knew  not  how  to  extricate 
himself,  he  sought  counsel  of  his  swineherd,  who  was  a 
shrewd  fellow,  and  had  often  helped  him  on  other  occa- 
sions.    The  swineherd  undertook  to  settle  the  matter  with 
the  Troll,  so  that,  without  being  offended,  he  should  not 
only  stay  away,  but  should  give  a  handsome  present.     In 
pursuance  of  his  plan,  taking  a  bag  with  him,  he  WTiit  to 
the  mount,  knocked,  and  was  admitted.     He  then  in  the 
name  of  his  master  invited  the  Troll  to  honour  them  with 
his  presence  at  the  lying-in  festival.     The  Troll  thanked 
him  and  said :  "  So,  I  shall  then  have  to  give  you  a  gossip- 
gift  ; ''  at  the  same   time  opening  his  money  chest  and 
causing  the  man  to  hold  the  bag  up,  while  he  poured 
money  into    it.     "  Is   there   enough    now  ?  ^'  —  "  Many 
give  more,  few  give  less,"  answered  the  swineherd.  There- 
upon the  Troll  began  again  to  pour  into  the  bag,  and 
again  asked,  "  Is  there  enough  now  ?  "     The  swineherd 
lifted  the  bag  a  little  as  a  trial  whether  he  could  carry 
more,  and  answered,  "  Most  people  give  as  much.''     The 

'  Thor,  the  god  of  thunder,  was  the  deadly  foe  of  the  Trolls.     See 
vol.  i.  p.  36. 

h5 


154  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

Troll  tlicreupon  emptied  the  whole  chest  into  the  bag, 
and  asked  :  "  Is  there  now  enough  ?  ''  The  man  finding 
that  he  had  now  as  much  as  he  could  carry,  answered  : 
"  None  give  more,  most  people  give  less/'  ^^Well," 
said  the  Troll,  "  let  us  now  hear  who  is  to  be  there 
besides/'  "Ah,''  said  the  man,  "we  shall  have  great 
personages  :  first  three  priests  and  a  bishop/'  "  Umph  !  " 
growled  the  Troll;  "though  such  high  dons  generally 
look  only  after  what 's  to  eat  and  drink ;  they  are  not 
likely  to  notice  me.  Now,  who  else  ?  "  "  Then  there 's 
the  Virgin  Mary."  "  Umph  !  umph  !  Still  there  will 
be  a  retired  place  for  me  behind  the  stove.  Now,  who 
next  ?  "  "  Then  our  Lord  is  to  be  there."  "  Umph  ! 
umph  !  umph  !  Still  such  exalted  guests  come  late  and 
make  a  short  stay;  but  what  music  are  you  to  have?" 
"  Drums,"  answered  the  swineherd.  "  Drums,"  repeated 
the  Troll,  startled,  "no  thank  you;  I  remain  at  home. 
Greet  thy  master  from  me,  and  thank  him  for  his  invita- 
tion ;  but  I  shall  not  come ;  for  once,  when  I  went  out 
for  a  little  walk,  the  folks  began  to  drum,  and  when  I  was 
hastening  away  and  had  just  reached  my  own  door,  they 
threw  a  drumstick  after  me  and  broke  one  of  my  thighs. 
From  that  time  I  have  been  lame,  and  shall  beware  of 
such  music  !  "  With  these  words  he  helped  to  lift  the 
bag  on  the  man's  shoulders,  and  again  desired  him  to 
greet  his  master. 

The  dread  entertained  by  the  Trolls  for  thunder  dates  from  the  time  of 
paganism,  Thor,  the  god  of  thunder,  being  the  deadly  foe  of  their  race  ^ 

THE  TROLLS'  HATRED  OF  BELLS. 

In  Egens  Mark  a  multitude  of  the  dwarf  race  once  made 
their  appearance.  They  were  all  clad  in  gray  jerkins  and 
wore  red  caps.  With  respect  to  their  persons,  they  were 
hump-backed,  and  had  long  hooked  noses.     Whitherso- 

'  See  voL  i.  p.  36. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  155 

ever  they  came  they  made  sad  havoc  among  the  pantries^ 
and  people  found  it  no  easy  task  to  get  rid  of  them,  until 
a  pious  and  experienced  man  advised  that  a  bell  should  be 
hung  in  the  tower  of  Ebeltoft  church.  When  this  was 
done,  people  saw  no  more  of  the  Trolls. 
The  Korrigan  of  Brittany  have  a  similar  abhorrence  of  bells. 


In  Dishoi  a  Troll  had  lived  undisturbed  for  many  years, 
because  at  that  time  there  was  no  church  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. But  when  at  length  a  church  was  built  hard 
by,  and  the  bells  for  the  first  time  rung  in  the  tower,  the 
Troll  in  great  tribulation  came  riding  on  a  gold-shod 
horse  to  a  peasant  his  neighbour,  and  delivered  to  him  the 
keys  of  his  treasure,  as  he  himself  must  take  his  departure. 
The  next  day  the  peasant  went  to  the  mount  to  get  the 
treasure :  he  found  the  door,  but  in  his  joy  exclaimed  : 
"  Now  I  have  it !  '^  At  the  same  instant  both  door  and 
key  vanished. 

x\  peasant  once  observed  a  Troll  in  deep  affliction  sitting 
on  a  stone  between  Mullerup  and  Dalby.  At  first  he 
imagined  him  to  be  a  proper  Christian  man,  and  asked 
him  to  what  place  he  was  going.  "  I  am  going  out  of  the 
couutry,^^  answered  the  Troll,  "for  no  one  can  now  stay 
in  it  for  sheer  ringing  and  tolling.^' 

THE  TROLLS  FORSAKE  VENDSYSSEL. 
It  happened  one  evening  that  a  stranger  came  to  Sundby 
ferry  and  agreed  with  all  the  ferrymen,  that  during  the 
whole  night  they  should  ferry  over  from  Vendsyssel,  with- 
out knowing  what  lading  they  were  to  have.  They  were 
told  that  half  a  mile  east  of  Sundby  they  were  to  take  in 
their  freight.  At  the  time  appointed  the  stranger  was  on 
the  spot,  when  the  ferrymen,  although  they  saw  nothing, 
yet  remarked  that  their  boat  sank  more  and  more,  whence 


156  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

they  concluded   that   they  had  received    an   exceedingly 
heavy  lading  on  board.     In  this  manner  the  feriy  boats, 
during  the  whole  night,  passed  backwards  and  forwards 
across  the  water ;  and  although  they  at  each  time  took  a 
new  freight,  the  same  stranger  was  always  present,  that 
all  might  be  done  according  to  his  orders.     At  the  ap- 
proach of  morning  the  ferrymen  received  the  stipulated 
payment,  and  on  inquiring  what  it  was  they  had  con- 
veyed across,  could  get  no  information.  Among  the  feri-y- 
men  there  was,  however,  a  shrewd  fellow,  who  knew  much 
more  about  such  matters  than  the  others.     He  sprang  on 
shore,  took  the  earth  from  under  his  right  foot  and  put  it 
into  his  cap,  and  having  set  it  upon  his  head,  he  perceived 
that  all  the  sand-hills  east  of  Aalborg  were  entirely  co- 
vered with  small  Trolls,  having  red,  peaked  caps  on  their 
heads.    From  that  time  no  dwarfs  of  that  description  have 
been  seen  in  Vendsyssel. 

THE  ELF-FOLK  FORSAKE  .ERO. 

After  that  the  miller  in  Dunkiser  had  repeatedly  dis- 
turbed the  subterranean  folk  in  Elleshoi,  and  at  length 
even  ploughed  over  their  mount  in  every  direction,  which 
they  could  not  possibly  endure,  they  prepared  to  quit  the 
country  and  migrate  to  Norway. 

There  came  one  day  a  little  old  man  to  a  poor  skipper, 
who  had  no  employment,  and  asked  him  wliethcr  he  would 
like  to  have  charge  of  a  vessel.  The  man  answered  that 
he  would  gladly ;  but  when  the  little  man  led  him  down 
to  the  shore  at  Gravendal,  and  showed  him  an  old  wreck, 
the  skipper  objected,  telling  him  that  such  a  wreck  could 
not  possibly  keep  the  sea.  The  little  man  answered,  that 
he  might  make  himself  quite  easy  on  that  score,  might 
hire  a  sailor,  and  meet  him  again  in  three  days,  when  the 
vessel  should  be  ready  to  sail.     Tlie  skipper  in  the  mean- 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  157 

while  found  it  difficult  to  hire  a  sailor,  for  all  that  he  ap- 
plied to  turned  their  backs  on  him  and  laughed,  as  soon 
as  they  heard  that  he  was  going  to  sail  in  the  old  wreck  at 
Gravendal.  At  length  he  met  with  a  poor  lad  who,  in 
the  hope  of  getting  something  to  eat,  allowed  himself  to 
be  hired. 

On  the  third  day  the  skipper  and  his  helpmate  were  at 
Gravendal,  where  they  found  the  bark  lying  at  anchor 
and,  instead  of  sails,  hung  with  rags.  The  wind  being  fair 
they  departed  instantly.  When  on  their  way,  the  skipper 
being  curious  to  see  what  sort  of  cargo  he  had  on  board, 
peeped  down  the  hatchway,  where  he  perceived  the  whole 
place  swarming  as  with  innumerable  rats  and  mice.  And 
now  the  little  man  taking  off  his  hat,  placed  it  on  the 
head  of  the  skipper,  who  thereby  became  so  clear-sighted 
that  he  could  see  a  multitude  of  small  elves  in  travelling 
dresses,  and  withal  a  vast  quantity  of  gold  and  silver, 
which  they  were  taking  with  them. 

On  their  arrival  in  Norway,  the  old  man  said :  "  Do 
thou  go  on  shore  :  I  will  unload  the  vessel."  The  skipper 
did  so,  and  when  he  came  back  the  bark  was  empty,  and 
on  their  return  the  little  man  desired  him  within  three 
days  to  expect  another  freight.  The  skipper  having  ful- 
filled his  engagement,  the  old  man  desired  him  to  follow 
him  and  take  with  him  two  sacks.  ^^  Now  thou  shalt  be 
paid  for  thy  labour,"  said  he,  at  the  same  time  filling  one 
of  the  sacks  with  shavings  and  the  other  with  coals.  "  Give 
the  lad  his  share,"  added  he,  and  took  his  departure.  With 
such  payment  the  skipper  was  not  over-satisfied.  ^'  Yes  ! " 
he  muttered  to  himself,  "  we  have,  sure  enough,  got  our 
pockets  full."  When  they  had  been  sailing  about  an 
hour,  the  skipper  said,  "  Go,  lad,  and  make  us  a  drop  of 
tea."  ''  Yes,  master,"  answered  the  lad,  "  but  I  have  no 
fuel." — "  Take  a  handful  of  shavings  out  of  the  sack." — 
"  Master,  they  shine  !  "  cried  the  lad.     ''  A^Tiat  shines  ?  " 


158  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

asked  the  skipper;  '^  take  from  the  other  sack.'* — "  Master, 
they  shine  ! ''  cried  the  lad  a  second  time.  The  skipper 
himself  now  looked  at  the  sacks,  and  found  that  one  was 
full  of  gold  coin  and  the  other  of  silver.  On  their  return 
they  divided  their  treasure  and  became  wealthy  people. 

The  North  German  traditions  of  the  departure  of  the  "  little  people  " 
resemble  the  foregoing  in  every  essential  particular,  excepting  that  the 
water  they  have  to  cross  is  the  Eider,  the  Weser,  or  the  AUer,  in  place  of 
those  above-mentioned  ^ 

THE  TROLLS  CAST  STONES  AT  CHURCHES. 

Before  the  Trolls  had  forsaken  the  country,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  constant  din  of  the  church-bells,  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new^  church  was  an  intolerable  vexation  to  them. 
Hence  the  numerous  traditions,  how  during  the  night 
they  destroyed  the  work,  particularly  when  a  church  was 
to  be  raised  near  their  habitations.  Equally  numerous, 
too,  are  the  traditions  all  over  the  country,  which  tell  how 
the  Trolls  hurled  huge  stones  against  the  churches  already 
built  j  a  circumstance  which  affords  a  most  satisfactory  ex- 
planation of  the  manner  in  which  the  vast  stones,  which 
are  scattered  about,  came  into  places  where  no  human  hand 
could  have  deposited  them. 

THE  NISSE  OR  NISS. 

In  a  house  in  Jutland  a  Nisse  had  long  been  accustomed, 
after  the  servant  Avas  gone  to  bed,  to  fetch  his  porridge 
from  the  kitchen,  where  it  was  set  for  him  in  a  little 
wooden  bowl.  But  one  evening,  on  taking  his  porridge, 
he  saw  that  the  girl  had  forgotten  to  put  butter  in  it,  and 
in  his  anger  at  the  omission  went  to  the  cowhouse  and 
wrung  the  neck  of  the   best   cow.     Afterwards   feeling 

1  See  Mullenhoff,  No.  CDXXIX.  Kuhn  and  Sclmartz,No.  270.  Grimm, 
D.  M.  428,  sq.  See  also  '  The  Departure  of  the  Fairies  '  in  Kcightley, 
F.  M.  p.  356,  from  Cromek's  Nithsdale  and  Galloway  Song. 


BANISH  TRADITIONS.  159 

hungry^  he  sneaked  back,  deeming  it  advisable  to  put  up 
with  the  despised  porridge,  when  after  he  had  eaten  a 
little,  he  discovered  that  there  was  butter  in  it,  but  that 
it  had  sunk  to  the  bottom.  For  having  thus  wronged  the 
servant  he  was  sorely  grieved,  and  to  repair  the  injury  he 
had  done  to  the  good  folks,  he  went  again  to  the  cowhouse 
and  placed  a  chest  full  of  money  by  the  side  of  the  dead 
cow. 

A  similar  tale  is  current  in  Holstein,  with  the  difference  only,  that  in- 
stead of  a  chest  full  of  money,  the  Niss  procures  a  cow  similar  in  appear- 
ance to  the  one  killed  by  him  ^ 


At  a  farm  in  Seeland,  there  was  a  Nisse  who  was  active 
and  cheerful  at  all  kinds  of  work,  provided  only  that  he 
got  butter  in  his  porridge  every  night ;  for  any  reward 
beyond  that  he  did  not  require.  One  morning,  as  the  men 
were  going  to  plough,  he  went  to  the  farmer  and  requested 
him  to  let  him  drive  the  plough.  The  man  thought  that  he 
was  too  little  to  drive  four  horses,  but  he  answered :  ^'  I 
can  very  well  sit  up  in  the  ear  of  one  of  the  horses  ^  and 
drive  with  four  :  I  have  done  it  before  now.'^  The  man 
then  let  him  have  his  way,  and  afterwards  could  not  help 
confessing  that  he  had  never  before  had  so  excellent  a 
driver.  It  was,  moreover,  highly  amusing  when  any  one 
passed  and  could  not  see  the  driver,  who  sat  in  the  horse^s 
ear,  but  only  heard  him  crying  out :  ^'  Hyp  so  !  Hop  so  ! 
Will  ye  go,  ye  old  jades  !  Ye  ^11  get  your  hides  curried  ! 
that  ye  may  swear  to  ! "  When  the  farmer  died  the 
Nisse  would  no  longer  remain  there,  but  transferred  him- 
self to  the  manor-house,  where  he  continued  for  some  time 
in  concealment.  Some  days  after,  the  proprietor  got  a 
new  man,  who  was  to  thrash  the  winter  corn.     The  first 

1  See  Miillenhoff,  No.  CDXXXVIII. 

2  See  the  storv  of  '  Daumesdick/  in  K.  and  H.  M.  No.  37. 


160  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

day,  when  the  man  came  into  the  barn,  he  did  nothing, 
but  merely  looked  at  the  corn ;  the  second  day  he  did  no 
more  than  the  first,  until  Nis  towards  evening  said  to  him  : 
"  Hear  !  I  will  come  and  help  thee."     To  this  the  man 
had  nothing  to  object,  so  it  was  settled  that  Nis  should 
every  night  have  for  his  supper  porridge  with  butter  in  it. 
On  the  following  morning,  when  the  man  came  into  the 
barn,  Nis  had  already  thrashed  a  heap  of  corn,  containing 
about  twenty-five  loads.     "  Thou  canst  now  cut  up  the 
straw  by  noon,"  said  Nis,  and  as  he  helped  him,  so  it  was 
done.     Then  said  the  man  :  '^  But  how  shall  we  get  the 
chaff  separated  from  the  barley  ?  "     "  That  I  will  soon 
show  thee,"  said  Nis.     "  Just  go  up  outside  on  the  top  of 
the  barn,  and  make  a  large  hole  in  the  roof,  we  shall  then 
easily  separate  the  chaff."     When  the  man  had  so  done, 
the  Nisse  opened  every  door  in  the  barn,  then  went  up  to 
the  hole,  laid  himself  on  his  face,  thrust  his  head  through 
the  hole,  and  sent  forth  a  loud  scream,  so  that  all  the 
chaff  flew  about  over  the  whole  yard.     This  brought  the 
proprietor  out,  who  on  seeing  what  had  been  done  was 
highly  incensed  :  ''  I  believe  thou  art  mad,  fellow  !  "  said 
he.     "  Dost  thou  let  the  chaff,  that  we  should  have  for 
the  cattle  in  the  winter,  fly  away  in  that  manner  ?"    "  O  ! 
is  that  all,  master  ? "  said  the  man  :  ^'  if  you  want  the 
chaff  in  again,  that  you  can  soon  have."     The  Nisse  now 
helped  the  man  to  gather  up  the  chaff  and  carry  it  in 
again,  all  which  was  accomplished  in  half  an  hour.     "  Go 
now  in  to  your  master,"  said  the  Nisse,  "  and  tell  him  that 
the  corn  is  thrashed,  and  the  chaff  gathered  in  a  heap,  if 
he  will  now  come  out  and  measure,  that  we  may  know 
how  many  bushels  there  are.     But  tell  him,  at  the  same 
time,  that  we  must  be  paid  for  every  bushel  of  chaff  as 
well  as  for  eveiy  bushel  of  corn ;  and  that  if  he  refuses, 
we  will  throw  down  the  whole  barn."     When  the  man 
had  delivered  this  message,  the  master  answered  laugh- 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  161 

ing  :  "  Yes,  do  so,  if  you  can ;  but  I  am  not  so  silly  as  to 
pay  the  same  for  chaff  as  for  corn/^  When  the  Nisse  re- 
ceived this  answer,  he  merely  said  :  '^  Well !  if  he  will  not, 
then  come  ;  we  shall  soon  overthrow  it."  Both  then  went 
and  placed  their  backs  against  one  of  the  side  walls,  when 
it  instantly  began  to  totter.  Seeing  this,  the  proprietor 
ran  out  into  the  yard  and  yielded  to  the  demand.  So  the 
man  got  well  paid  for  his  trouble,  and  did  not  forget  to 
give  his  due  recompense  to  the  Nisse. 


It  is  difficult  to  get  rid  of  a  Nisse.  A  man  dwelt  in  a 
house  where  a  Nisse  carried  his  jokes  so  far,  that  he  re- 
solved to  quit  it,  and  leave  the  Nisse  by  himself.  Just  as 
he  was  about  to  send  off  the  last  load  of  his  chattels,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  empty  tubs  and  the  like,  and  had  taken 
a  last  farewell  of  the  house  and,  as  he  thought,  of  the 
Nisse  also,  he  went  by  chance  to  the  back  part  of  the 
cart,  where  to  his  unutterable  dismay  and  astonishment, 
he  espied  the  Nisse  seated  in  a  tub,  and  ready  to  accom- 
pany him.  The  man  was  of  course  excessively  vexed  at 
finding  all  his  labour  in  vain,  but  the  Nisse  burst  into  a 
hearty  laugh,  and  popping  up  his  head  from  the  tub,  said, 
"  So  !  we  are  moving  to-day." 

A  being  in  many  respects  similar  to  the  Niss  is  the  Yorkshire  Boggart, 
by  whose  pranks  an  honest  farmer  was  nearly  driven  from  his  habitation. 
When  his  chattels  were  already  in  the  cart,  a  voice  from  a  deep  upright 
churn  cried  out,  "  Aye,  aye,  Georgey,  we  're  flitting  ye  see." 

Such,  too,  is  the  Irish  Cluincaun.  To  get  rid  of  one,  the  householder 
had  resolved  on  removing,  and  the  last  cart,  filled  with  empty  barrels,  etc., 
was  just  moving  off,  when  from  the  bung-hole  of  one  of  them  Wildbean 
cried  out,  "  Here,  master  !  here  we  go  all  together  !  "  *'  What,"  said  the 
master,  "  dost  thou  go  also  ?  "  "  Yes,  to  be  sure,  master ;  here  we  go  all 
together  ^  !  " 


1  Keightley,  F.  M.  pp.  308,  369. 


163  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

In  the  parish  of  Alstrup  there  once  lived  a  man  who 
had  a  beautiful  white  mare,  which  for  many  years  had  de- 
scended from  father  to  son,  and  was  the  cause  that  a  Nisse 
and,  consequently,  good  luck  were  attached  to  the  farm. 
This  Nisse  had  such  an  affection  for  the  mare  that  he  could 
not  endure  to  see  her  used  for  labour,  and  every  night  fed 
her  in  the  best  manner  ;  and  as  he  was  accustomed  to  bring 
a  superabundance  of  corn,  both  thrashed  and  unthrashed, 
from  a  neighbour's  bam,  all  the  other  cattle  had  benefit 
thereof.     But  the  farm  at  length  got  a  new  proprietor, 
who  w^ould  not  beUeve  what  was  told  him  about  the  mare, 
and  sold  her  to  a  poor  neighbour.     When  five  days  had 
elapsed,  the   poor  peasant,  who  had  bought  the  mare, 
began  to  find  his  condition  manifestly  improving,  while 
the  other's  circumstances  became  every  day  narrower,  so 
that  at  length  he  could  scarcely  make  shift  to  subsist.  Had 
now  the  man  that  bought  the  mare  only  known  how  to 
profit  by  the  good  fortune  that  was  come  to  him,  his 
children's  children  would  have  been  in  affluence  to  this 
day ;  but  seeing  the  great  quantity  of  corn  that  was  every 
night  brought  in,  he  felt  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  Nisse 
also,  and  therefore  concealed   himself   one   night  in  the 
stable.     At  midnight  he  perceived  the  Nisse  coming  from 
his  neighbour's  barn,  and  bringing  with  him  a  sack  full 
of  grain  ;  but  the  Nisse,  having  discovered  that  he  was 
watched,  was  grievously  vexed,  and  after  ha^  ing  fed  the 
mare  tended  her  for  the  last  time ;  then  turning  towards 
the  place  where  the  man  lay  watching,  he  bade  him  fare- 
well.    From  that  time  the  condition  of  both  neighbours 
continued  alike,  seeing  that  each  enjoyed  the  fruits  of  his 
own  laliour. 

Of  the  predilection  entertained  by  the  Nisser  for  horses  there  are  also 
many  Swedish  traditions. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  163 

Jutland  once  literally  swarmed  witli  Nisser.  At  Vos- 
borg  they  found  such  good  cheer  that  their  abode  there 
was  characterized  by  their  great  diligence  and  care  for  the 
welfare  of  the  proprietor.  Every  evening  they  got  in  their 
sweet  porridge  a  large  lump  of  butter,  for  all  which  they 
once  gave  a  strong  proof  of  zeal  and  gratitude.  In  a  very 
severe  winter,  a  remote  cowhouse,  in  which  were  six  calves, 
was  so  overwhelmed  with  snow,  that  for  fourteen  days  no 
human  being  could  get  access  to  it.  When  the  snow  dis- 
appeared, it  was  naturally  thought  that  the  calves  would 
be  found  starved  to  death, — but  quite  the  contrary  -,  they 
were  all  found  strong  and  well,  the  stalls  were  swept,  and 
the  cribs  full  of  excellent  corn.  It  may  easily  be  guessed 
who  had  taken  care  of  them. 

But  the  Nisse  is,  at  the  same  time,  sure  to  have  revenge 
for  any  injury  done  him.  One  day,  when  a  Nisse  had 
run  up  into  the  loft  over  the  cowhouse,  a  plank  gave  way, 
so  that  one  of  his  legs  went  through.  The  farmer's  boy, 
who  happened  just  at  the  moment  when  this  happened  to 
be  in  the  place  beneath,  on  seeing  the  Nisse's  leg  hanging 
down,  snatched  up  a  dung-fork  and  gave  it  a  violent  blow. 
At  dinner,  when  the  people  were  all  sitting  at  table  in  the 
servants'  hall,  the  boy  was  constantly  laughing  to  himself, 
and  on  being  questioned  by  the  overseer,  he  answered : 
"  I  've  had  such  a  bout  with  Nis  this  morning,  and  given 
him  an  infernal  bang  with  my  fork,  as  he  poked  his  leg 
down  through  the  floor  of  the  loft."  "  Nay,''  cried  Nis 
from  outside  the  window,  ^^  thou  didst  not  give  one, 
thou  gavest  me  three ;  for  the  fork  had  three  prongs ; 
but  it  shall  be  paid  thee  back."  On  the  following  night, 
while  the  boy  lay  asleep,  came  Nis,  seized  him,  and  threw 
him  over  the  house,  but  was  so  instantaneously  on  the 
other  side  that  he  caught  him  and  again  cast  him  back. 
This  game  was  continued  until  the  boy  had  been  eight 
times  over  the  house ;  the  ninth  time  he  let  him  fall  into  a 


164  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

large  pool  of  water^  and  then  set  up  a  horse-laugh,  so 
that  all  who  were  in  the  dwelling  were  waked  by  it. 


In  a  farm-house  in  Jutland  there  was    a  Nisse,  who 
every  evening  got  his  porridge  in  proper  time,  and  there- 
fore helped  both  man  and  maid,  and  saw  to  the  master's 
interest  in  every  way  possible.     But  there  once  entered 
into  the  farmer's  service  a  mischievous  lad,  who  took  every 
opportunity  of  annoying  the  Nisse,  and  one  night,  when 
all  were  gone  to  rest,  and  the  Nisse  had  taken  his  little 
wooden  bowl,  and  was  about  to  enjoy  his  evening  meal,  he 
discovered  that  the  boy  had  concealed  the  butter  at  the 
bottom,  in  order  to  make  him  first  eat  the  porridge  and 
then  find  the  butter  when  the  porridge  was  consumed. 
Hereupon  he  resolved  on  giving  the  boy  like  for  like. 
Going  then  up  into  the  loft  where  the  boy  and  the  man- 
servant lay  sleeping  in  the  same  bed,  he  took  the  coverhd 
off,  when  seeing  the  short  lad  by  the  side  of  the  long  carle, 
he  said  :  "  Short  and  long  unequal,"  and  so  saying  pulled 
the  legs  of  the  boy  down,  to  make  them  even  with  those 
of  the  man.     He  then  went  to  the  head  of  the  bed,  and 
dragged  the  boy  up  again,  uttering  the  same  words.     But 
as  this  process,  in  whichever  way  applied,  did  not  succeed 
in  making  the  boy  as  long    as   the  man,  he  continued 
dragging  the  boy  up  and  down    until  broad  daylight ; 
when  feeling  himself  tired,  he  crept  up  and  seated  himself 
in  the  window-sill.     At  the  sight  of  him,  all  the  dogs  in 
the  yard — dogs  bearing  a  great  aversion  to  Nisser— began 
to  bark,  at  which  the  Nisse,  who  was  beyond  their  reach, 
was  highly  amused,  and  thrusting  forth  first  one  diminutive 
leg  then  the  other,    continued   to   teaze  them,   saying : 
"Look  at  this  little  trotter  !  Look  at  that  little  trotter  ! '' 
In  the  meanwhile  the  boy  waked,  and  sneaking  behind 
the  Nisse,  who  was  going  on  with  his  "  Look  at  this  and 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  165 

look  at  that  little  trotter,"  pushed  him  down  among  the 
dogs,  crying  out :  '^  There  !  now  look  at  him  from  top  to 
toe  !  " 

The  North  Germans  have  a  story  nearly  identical  with  the  foregoing '. 

The  Scandinavian  Niss  is  identical  with  the  Scottish  Brownie,  who  is 
descrihed  as  "  of  a  somewhat  grotesque  figure,  dwarfish  in  stature,  but 
endowed  with  great  personal  strength It  w^as  customary  for  the  mis- 
tress of  the  house  to  leave  out  work  for  him To  have  offered  him 

w^ages,  or  even  to  present  him  with  an  occasional  boon,  would  have  ensured 
his  anger,  and  perhaps  caused  him  to  abandon  the  establishment  altoge- 
ther. The  goodman  of  a  farm-house  in  the  parish  of  Glendevon  leaving 
out  some  clothes  one  night  for  the  brownie,  he  was  heard  during  the 
night  to  depai-t,  saying,  in  a  highly  offended  tone, 

'  Gie  brownie  coat,  gie  brownie  sark, 
Ye'se  get  nae  mair  o'  brownie's  wark  2 1 '  " 

Numerous  other  instances  might  be  quoted. 

Our  own  Robin  Goodfellow  was  equally  sensitive  on  this  point.  See  a 
passage  from  *  The  Mad  Pranks  and  Merry  Jests  of  Robin  Goodfellow  3.' 

Hilton  Hall,  in  the  vale  of  the  Wear,  was  in  former  times  the  resort  of 
a  Brownie  or  House-spirit,  called  the  Cauld  Lad.  For  the  purpose  of 
getting  rid  of  him,  the  servants  left  a  green  cloak  and  hood  for  him  by 
the  kitchen  fire  and  remained  on  the  watch.  They  saw  him  come  in, 
gaze  at  the  new  clothes,  try  them  on,  and,  apparently  in  great  dehght,  go 
jumping  and  frisking  about  the  kitchen ;  but  at  the  first  crow  of  the  cock 
he  vanished,  crying — 

Here 's  a  cloak  and  here  's  a  hood  ! 

The  Cauld  Lad  of  Hilton  will  do  no  more  good ; 

and  he  never  again  returned  to  the  kitchen  *. 

A  similar  story  is  told  by  Mrs.  Bray  (Letters  to  Southey)  of  the  Devon- 
shire Pixies,  one  of  whom,  on  receiving  new  clothes,  exclaims  : 
Pixy  fine.  Pixy  gay, 
Pixy  now  will  run  away. 
A  being  closely  resembling  the  Brownie  is  the  Phynnodderie  of  the  Isle 
of  Man. 


1  Mullenhoff,  No.  CDXLVI.     See  also  p.  95. 

2  See  p.  94,  and  Chambers,  Pop.  Rh.  p.  33. 

3  Keightley,  F.  M.  pp.  287,  sq. 

^  Keightley,  F.  M.  p.  296,  from  Richardson,  Local  Historian's  Table- 
book. 


166  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

THE  KIRKEGRIM  (CHURCH-GRIM). 

In  churches  also  there  are  Nisser,  one  in  each,  called  a 
Kirkegrim,  who  dwells  either  in  the  tower  or  wherever  he 
can  find  a  place  of  concealment.  He  keeps  order  in  the 
church,  and  punishes  when  any  scandal  is  perpetrated. 

In  Soro  church  there  is  a  large,  round  hole  in  the  roof, 
in  which  dwells  that  church's  Nisse.  Of  this  hole  it  is 
also  said,  that  in  former  times  the  evil  one  was  accustomed 
to  fly  out  through  it,  when  the  priest  in  baptizing  said  : 
'^  Go  out,  thou  unclean  spirit  !  " 

THE  KIRKEGRIM  AND  THE  STRAND-VARSEL. 
At  the  time  ^'  when  the  sea-shores  were  not  yet  conse- 
crated,'' it  was  dangerous  to  pass  by  night  on  the  ways 
which  lay  along  the  coast,  on  account  of  the  Strand-varsler 
by  which  they  were  infested.     These  were  the  spectres  of 
those  corpses  that  were  driven  on  shore  and  still  lay  un- 
buried.     One  night  as  a  peasant  was  going  along  the 
strand  towards  Taarbek,  a  Strand-varsel  sprang  suddenly 
on  his  back  and  there  clung  fast,    crying  :  ''  Carry  me 
to  the  church!"     The  man  having  no  alternative,  car- 
ried him  the  shortest  way  to  Gientofte.     On  their  reach- 
ing that  village,  and  when  close  under  the  churchyard 
wall,  the  Varsel  sprang  quickly  over  it,  when  instantly  the 
Kirkegrim  approached,  and  an  obstinate  battle  ensued  be- 
tween tliem.     After  having  fought  for  a  while,  they  both 
sat  down  to  rest,  when  the  Varsel  said  to  the  peasant : 
''  Did  I  stand  up  well  ?  "   The  peasant  answered  :  "  No." 
The  battle  then  commenced  anew,  and  when  they  again 
sat  down  to  rest  the  Varsel  again  asked:  "Did  I  stand 
up  well  now  ?  "  and  the  peasant  a  second  time  answered  : 
''  No."     The  fight  then  recommenced,  and  the  Varsel  for 
the  third  time  said  :  "  Now  !  have  I  stood  up  well  ?"  and 
on  the  peasant  answering:  "Yes,"  "It  is  well  for  thee," 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  16/ 

said  the  Varsel,  ''  that  thou  hast  answered  so,  for  other- 
wise I  would  surely  have  broken  thy  neck." 


At  Niverod  as  a  woman  was  going  to  milk  her  cows, 
she  saw  a  corpse  that  had  been  washed  up  on  the  sand, 
and  noticed  that  a  large  money-bag  was  bound  round  its 
body ;  and  no  one  being  near,  she  was  tempted  to  take 
the  money,  to  which  she  had  as  good  a  claim  as  any  one 
else.  But  the  next  night  the  Strand-varsel  came  to  the 
village  and  made  a  great  noise  before  her  window,  de- 
siring her  to  come  out  and  follow  him.  Supposing  that 
she  had  no  alternative,  she  bade  her  children  farewell  and 
accompanied  the  Varsel.  When  they  were  outside  of  the 
village,  the  Varsel  said  to  her  :  ''  Take  me  by  the  leg  and 
draw  me  to  the  church."  But  the  nearest  church  lay 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant.  When  the  church  ap- 
peared in  sight,  the  Varsel  said  :  ^'  Let  me  go  now  ;  then 
go  to  the  house  by  the  church  gate,  and  desire  the  people 
to  sit  up  until  thou  comest  again.  When  thou  hast  helped 
me  over  the  churchyard  wall,  run  as  fast  as  thou  canst, 
lest  the  Kirkegrim  should  seize  thee."  She  did  accord- 
ingly, and  scarcely  had  the  corpse  been  placed  over  the 
wall,  when  the  Kirkegrim  came  out  after  the  woman  and 
seized  her  by  the  petticoat,  which  being  old  gave  way,  and 
so  she  slipt  into  the  house  in  safety.  From  that  time  all 
went  well  with  the  woman,  who  lived  contented  Avith  her 
children  on  the  money  she  found  on  the  Strand-varsel. 

HYLDEMOER—ELDER. 
There  dwells  in  the  elder-tree  a  being  called    Hylde- 
moer  (Elder-mother)  or  Hyldeqvinde  (Elder-wife).     She 
avenges  all  injuries  done  to  the  tree.     Of  an  elder  stand- 
ing in  a  small  court  in  the  Nyboder  ^,  it  is  related,  that 

'  A  quarter  of  Copenhagen,  built  for  and  inhabited  by  persons  belong- 
ing to  the  navy. 


168  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

at  dusk  it  often  moves  up  and  down  the  court,  and  some- 
times peeps  through  the  window  at  the  children,  when 
they  are  alone.  It  is  not  advisable  to  have  moveables  of 
elder.  A  child  having  been  laid  in  a  cradle  made  of  elder 
wood,  the  Ilyldemoer  came  and  pulled  it  by  the  legs,  nor 
would  she  let  it  have  any  rest  until  it  was  taken  out  of 
the  cradle.  A  peasant  once  heard  his  childi-en  ciying  in 
the  night,  and  on  inquiring  the  cause,  was  told  that  some 
one  had  been  there  and  sucked  them ;  and  their  breasts 
were  found  to  be  swollen.  The  cause  of  the  annoyance 
was,  it  is  said,  that  the  room  was  boarded  with  elder. 

This  wonderful  medicinal  tree  derives  its  name,  it  is 
supposed,  from  a  healing  deity  named  Hildi,  who  toge- 
ther with  her  spirits  or  subordinate  deities,  has  her  abode 
under  its  roots.  From  early  times  the  Danes  have  loved 
and  honoured  the  elder,  and  planted  it  by  walls  and 
fences. 

The  elder  may  not  be  cut  without  permission  previously 
asked  in  these  words  :  "  Hyldemoer,  Hyldemoer,  allow  me 
to  cut  thy  branches."  The  peasants,  when  about  to  cut 
the  tree,  spit  thrice,  in  order  to  drive  aAvay  the  Vsetts  and 
other  evil  beings. 

THE  ^VER^yOLF. 

A  man,  who  from  his  childhood  had  been  a  Werwolf, 
when  returning  one  night  with  his  M'ife  from  a  merry- 
making, observed  that  the  hour  was  at  hand  when  the 
evil  usually  came  upon  him ;  giving  therefore  the  rein  to 
his  wife,  he  descended  from  the  vehicle,  saying  to  her  : 
"  If  any  one  comes  to  thee,  only  strike  at  it  with  thy 
apron."  He  then  withdrew,  but  immediately  after,  the 
woman,  as  she  was  sitting  in  the  vehicle,  was  attacked  by 
a  AVerwolf.  She  did  as  the  man  had  enjoined  her,  and 
struck  it  with  her  apron,  from  which  it  bit  a  piece  and  ran 
off  with  it.    After  some  time  the  man  returned,  holding  in 


DANISH  TRxlDITIONS.  169 

his  mouth  the  torn  fragment  of  his  wife's  apron,  on  seeing 
which  she  cried  out  in  terror :  "  Good  Lord,  man  !  why 
thou  art  a  werwolf !''  "Thank  thee,  mother!''  said  he, 
"but  now  I  am  free  !"  and  from  that  time  the  evil  never 
returned. 

If  a  female  at  midnight  stretches  between  four  sticks 
the  membrane  that  envelops  the  foal  when  it  is  brought 
forth,  and  creeps  through  it  naked,  she  will  bring  forth 
children  without  pain ;  but  all  the  boys  will  be  Werwolves, 
and  all  the  girls  Maras.  By  day  the  Werwolf  has  the 
human  form,  though  he  may  be  known  by  the  meeting 
of  his  eyebrows  above  the  nose.  At  a  certain  time  of  the 
night  he  has  the  form  of  a  dog  on  three  legs.  It  is  only 
when  another  person  tells  him  that  he  is  a  Werwolf,  or 
reproaches  him  with  being  such,  that  a  man  can  be  freed 
from  the  affliction. 

Not  only  the  belief  in,  but  the  name  also  of  the  Werwolf,  has  been 
transplanted  to  Normandy,  where  it  is  called  le  Warou  or  Warwou, 

THE  MARA. 
A  peasant  had  a  sweetheart,  who,  without  being  herself 
conscious  of  it,  was  a  Mara,  and  came  every  night  to  the 
man,  so  that  he  soon  saw  how  the  case  was.  He  therefore 
kept  watch,  and  having  discovered  that  she  crept  in  to  him 
through  a  little  hole  in  the  door-post,  he  made  a  peg  which 
fitted  the  hole,  and  when  she  came  on  the  following  night, 
he  drove  in  the  peg,  so  that  she  was  compelled  to  remain 
within.  She  then  assumed  a  human  form,  the  man  took 
her  to  wife,  and  they  had  many  children.  When  many 
years  had  passed,  and  they  were  both  advanced  in  life,  it 
chanced  one  evening  that  the  man  cast  his  eye  on  the  peg, 
which  still  remained  in  the  hole,  and  asked  his  wife  in 
joke  whether  she  knew  how  she  had  entered  the  house  ? 
On  her  confessing  her  ignorance,  he  informed  her,  made 
himself  right  merry  at  the  story,  and  even  drew  the  peg 

I 


170  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

out,  that  she  might  see  in  what  manner  she  had  entered. 
The  woman  then  peeped  through  the  hole,  but  as  she 
peeped  she  became  on  a  sudden  quite  small,  passed  out 
throuo'h  it,  and  from  that  time  was  never  more  seen. 


There  was  once  in  Jutland  a  queen  who  was  a  great 
lover  of  horses ;  she  had  one  in  particular  to  which  she 
was  most  attached,  and  which  occupied  her  thoughts  both 
waking  and  di-eaming.  It  frequently  happened,  when  the 
groom  entered  the  stable  at  night,  that  he  found  this 
horse  out  of  order,  and  thence  concluded  that  it  had  been 
ridden  by  the  jNIara.  Taking  therefore  a  bucket  of  cold 
water,  he  cast  it  over  the  horse,  and  at  the  same  moment 
saw  that  the  queen  was  sitting  on  its  back. 

MERMEN  AND  MERWIVES. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Assens  in  Fyen  there  once 
appeared  an  incredible  number  of  Mermen  and  ^lerwomen 
on  the  strand.  Aged  fishermen  relate  how  they  often 
and  often  have  seen  the  Merwives  sitting  there  on  large 
stones  out  in  the  water,  with  children  at  the  breast,  which 
they  quickly  cast  on  their  backs  when,  terrified  at  the 
approach  of  man,  they  darted  down  into  the  water.  It  is 
further  related,  that  in  those  places  sea-cows  and  sea-bulls 
have  been  seen  to  land  in  the  fields,  seeking  intercourse 
with  other  cattle. 

In  the  year  1619  King  Christian  TV.  sent  two  of  his 
councillors,  Oluf  liosenspar  and  Christian  Hoick,  to  Nor- 
way, there  to  hold  a  diet.  On  their  return  they  captured 
a  Merman.  In  form  this  IMerman  resembled  a  man.  For 
a  long  time  he  rolled  himself  backwards  and  forwards,  but 
at  length  lay  as  if  he  were  dead.  On  one  of  the  bystanders 
saying  to  him :  "  It  must,  indeed,  be  a  wonderful  God 
that  has  such  human  creatures  also  in  the  water,"  he 
answered:  "Yes!  if  thou  knewest  that  as  well  as  I,  then 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  171 


mightest  thou  say  so.  But  if  ye  do  not  instantly  restore 
me  to  the  water,  neither  the  ship  nor  yourselves  shall  ever 
reach  land.'^  After  this  he  would  not  utter  a  word,  but 
was  placed  in  the  boat,  and  thence  sprang  into  the  water. 


Out  in  Nordstrand  there  dwells  a  Merwife,  who  once 
drove  her  cattle  up  on  the  sea-shore,  and  let  them  graze 
the  whole  day  on  Tibirke  Mark.  This  did  not  at  all 
please  the  peasantry  thereabouts,  who  for  ages  have  been 
notorious  for  their  covetousness ;  they  therefore  took  mea- 
sures for  intercepting  the  cattle,  whereby  they  succeeded 
in  driving  the  Merwife  with  all  her  herd  into  an  inclosure 
near  the  town,  from  which  they  would  not  allow  her  to 
escape  until  she  had  paid  them  for  pasturage  on  their 
lands.  Having  assured  them  that  she  had  no  money  to 
give,  they  required  her  to  give  them  the  girdle  she  wore 
round  her  body,  which  appeared  very  costly  and  shone  as 
with  precious  stones.  There  being  no  alternative,  she 
redeemed  herself  and  cattle  by  giving  them  the  girdle. 
But  as  she  was  driving  her  cattle  down  to  the  shore,  she 
said  to  her  large  bull :  ''  Rake  up  now  ! "  Whereupon  the 
animal  began  to  throw  up  the  earth  with  his  horns  and 
to  cast  up  the  sand  along  the  sea-coast ;  and  as  the  wind 
now  blew  from  the  north-west,  the  sand  was  drifted  in 
over  the  country  towards  the  village  of  Tibirke,  so  that 
the  church  was  nearly  buried  under  it.  Of  the  costly 
girdle,  too,  they  had  but  a  short-lived  gratification,  for  on 
returning  home  and  examining  it  more  closely,  it  was 
found  to  consist  of  worthless  rushes. 


In  the  diocese  of  Aarhuus  there  once  dwelt  two  poor 
people  who  had  an  only  daughter  named  jMargaret,  or 
Grethe.  One  day  when  she  had  been  sent  down  to  the 
sea-side  to  fetch  sand,  and  was  scooping  it  into  her  apron, 

I  2 


172  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

a  Merman  rose  from  the  water.  His  beard  was  greener 
than  the  salt  sea,  he  was  of  comely  aspect,  and  spoke  in 
friendly  words  to  the  girl,  saying,  "  Follow  me,  Grethe  ! 
I  will  give  thee  as  much  silver  as  thy  heart  can  desire." 
"  That  would  not  be  amiss,"  answered  she,  "  for  we  have 
not  much  of  that  article  at  home."  So  she  suffered  her- 
self to  be  enticed,  and  he  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  con- 
ducted her  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  where  she  became 
mother  of  five  children. 

After  a  long  lapse  of  time,  and  when  she  had  nearly 
forgotten  her  Christian  belief,  as  she  was  sitting  one  holy- 
day  morning,  rocking  her  youngest  child  in  her  lap,  she 
heard  the  church  bells  ringing  above  her,  and  was  seized 
with  a  strong  fit  of  melancholy  and  longing  after  church ; 
and  as  she  sat  and  sighed  with  the  tears  rolling  down  her 
cheeks,  the  Merman,  observing  her  sorrow^,  inquired  the 
cause  of  it.  She  then  besought  him  earnestly,  with  many 
expressions  of  affection,  to  allow  her  once  more  to  go  to 
church.  The  Merman  could  not  withstand  her  affliction, 
but  conducted  her  up  to  land,  repeatedly  exhorting  her 
to  return  quickly  to  her  children.  In  the  middle  of  the 
sermon  the  Merman  came  outside  of  the  church  and  cried 
"  Grethe  !  Grethe  !"  She  heard  him  plainly  enough,  but 
resolved  w^ithin  herself  that  she  would  stay  and  hear  the 
sermon  out.  When  the  sermon  was  ended  the  Merman 
came  a  second  time  to  the  church,  crying  "Grethe  !  Grethe  ! 
art  thou  soon  coming?"  But  she  did  not  obey  him.  He 
came  a  third  time,  crying  ''  Grethe  !  Grethe  !  art  thou 
soon  coming  ?  Thy  children  are  longing  after  thee."  On 
finding  that  she  did  not  come,  he  began  to  weep  bitterly, 
and  again  descended  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  But  from 
that  time  Grethe  continued  w4th  her  parents,  and  let  the 
Merman  himself  take  care  of  the  poor  little  children.  His 
wail  and  lamentation  are  often  to  be  heard  from  the  deep. 
The  foregoing  forms  the  subject  of  the  okl  Danish  ballad  '  Agnete  eg 


DANISH  TRADITIOxVS.  173 

Havmanden '  (Danske  Viser,  i.  p.  313),  also  of  two  beautiful  poems  by  Bag- 
gesen  and  Oehlenschlaeger. 

In  the  Faro  islands  the  superstition  is  current  that  the  seal  casts  off  its 
skin  every  ninth  night,  assumes  a  human  form,  and  dances  and  amuses 
itself  like  a  human  being,  until  it  resumes  its  skin,  and  again  becomes  a 
seal.  It  once  happened  that  a  man  passing  during  one  of  these  transfor- 
mations, and  seeing  the  skin,  took  possession  of  it,  when  the  seal,  which 
was  a  female,  not  finding  her  skin  to  creep  into,  was  obliged  to  continue 
in  a  human  form,  and  being  a  comely  person,  the  man  made  her  his  wife, 
had  several  children  by  her,  and  they  lived  happily  together,  until,  after 
a  lapse  of  several  years,  she  chanced  to  find  her  hidden  skin,  which  she 
could  not  refrain  from  creeping  into,  and  so  became  a  seal  again. 

According  to  the  old  Danish  ballad,  a  Mermaid  foretold  the  death  of 
Queen  Dagmar,  the  wife  of  Valderaar  II.,  surnamed  Seier,  or  the  Victo- 
rious. And  in  the  Chronicle  of  Frederick  II.  of  Denmark  we  read  the 
following  story :  "  In  the  year  1576  there  came  late  in  the  autumn  a  simple 
old  peasant  from  Samso  to  the  court,  then  being  held  at  Kallundborg, 
who  related  that  a  beautiful  female  had  more  than  once  come  to  him 
while  working  in  his  field  by  the  sea-shore,  whose  figure  from  the  waist 
downw^ards  resembled  that  of  a  fish,  and  who  had  solemnly  and  strictly  en- 
joined him  to  go  over  and  announce  to  the  king,  that  as  God  had  blessed 
his  queen  so  that  she  was  pregnant  of  a  son  (afterwards  Christian  IV.), 
who  should  be  numbered  among  the  greatest  princes  of  the  North,  and 
seeing  that  all  sorts  of  sins  were  gaining  ground  in  his  kingdom,  he,  in 
honour  of  and  in  gratitude  to  God  who  had  so  blessed  him,  should  with 
all  earnestness  and  diligence  wholly  extirpate  such  sins,  lest  God  should 
hereafter  visit  him  with  his  anger  and  punishment." 

Tales  of  Mermaids  are  most  complete  in  the  Shetland  isles.  There,  it 
is  said,  that  "they  dwell  among  the  fishes,  in  the  depth  of  the  ocean,  in 
habitations  of  pearl  and  coral ;  that  they  resemble  human  beings,  but 
greatly  excel  them  in  beauty.  When  they  wish  to  visit  the  upper  world, 
they  put  on  the  ham  or  garb  of  some  fish,  but  woe  to  those  who  lose 
their  ham,  for  then  are  all  hopes  of  return  annihilated,  and  they  must 
stay  where  they  are.  Ve-Skeries  (the  sacred  rocks)  are  a  very  favourite 
place  with  the  fair  children  of  the  sea,  who,  undisturbed  by  men,  here 
lay  aside  their  ham,  inspire  the  air  of  earth,  and  revel  in  the  clear  moon- 
light. As  ocean's  green-haired  beauties  are  mortal,  they  are  often,  on 
their  excursions,  exposed  to  dangers ;  examples,  indeed,  are  not  wanting  of 
their  having  been  taken  and  killed  by  superstitious  fishermen.  It  has 
also  happened  that  earthly  men  have  married  Mermaids,  having  taken 
possession  of  their  ham,  and  thus  got  them  into  their  power  ^"     A  case 


'  Hibbert's  Shetland  quoted  by  Faye,  pp.  GO,  61.     Thiele  iii.  p.  51. 
edit.  1820. 


174  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

somewhat  similar  is  that  of  Volund  and  his  brothers  and  the  three  Val- 
kyriur. 

CHANGELINGS. 

A  man  and  his  wife  were  sorel}^  troubled  with  a  change- 
ling that  had  been  left  with  them  by  the  subterranean 
folk_,  who  had  carried  off  their  genuine  child^  that  had  not 
been  baptized  in  time.  This  changeling  conducted  him- 
self in  a  most  extraordinary  way.  When  no  one  was  pre- 
sent he  was  quite  obstreperous^  would  run  along  the  wall, 
sit  in  the  cockloft,  and  shout  and  scream.  But  if  any  one 
was  in  the  room  with  him,  he  would  sit  drowsy  at  the 
end  of  the  table.  He  would  eat  as  much  as  any  four,  and 
cared  very  little  about  what  was  set  before  him,  yet  was 
never  satisfied.  After  ha\dng  long  thought  how  they 
should  get  rid  of  him,  a  shrewd  female  engaged  to  drive 
him  from  the  house.  One  day,  when  he  was  out  in  the 
fields,  she  killed  a  pig,  and  made  a  pudding  (sausage)  of 
it,  together  with  the  skin  and  hair,  which,  on  his  return, 
she  placed  before  him.  As  was  his  custom,  he  began 
slashing  away  at  it,  but  as  he  ate  he  gradually  became 
thoughtful,  and  at  last  sat  quite  still  with  the  knife  in  his 
hand  and  eyeing  the  pudding :  he  then  exclaimed,  "  Pud- 
ding with  hide,  and  pudding  with  hair,  pudding  with  eyes 
and  pudding  with  bones  in  it.  I  have  now  seen  thrice 
a  young  wood  spring  up  on  Tiis  lake,  but  never  before 
did  I  see  such  a  pudding !  The  fiend  will  stay  here  no 
longer  !  '^  Saying  these  words  he  ran  off  and  never  re- 
turned. 


There  dwelt  in  Christianso  a  man  and  his  wife  who 
neglected  to  have  their  child  christened  in  proper  time,  in 
consequence  of  which  a  subterranean  woman  exchanged 
it  for  her  own  babe,  which  was  so  miserable  a  being  that 
it  could  neither  eat  nor  drink,  and  must  inevitably  have 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  175 

perished,  if  the  mother  had  not  come  every  night  to  suckle 
it.  Being  greatly  troubled  and  perplexed  on  account  of 
this  changeling,  the  woman  at  length  hit  on  the  following 
plan  for  getting  rid  of  it.  Having  instructed  her  servant 
maid  what  she  should  ask  and  say,  she  heated  the  oven 
very  hot,  whereupon  the  girl,  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to 
be  heard  by  the  Troll-folk,  said,  "  Why  do  you  heat  the 
oven  so  hot,  Mistress  V  To  which  the  woman  answered, 
"I  am  going  to  burn  my  child.^^  When  the  girl  had 
asked  this  question  three  times,  and  received  the  same 
answer,  she  took  the  changeling  and  laid  it  on  the  peel, 
as  if  about  to  thrust  it  into  the  oven.  At  this  moment 
the  subterranean  woman  rushed  in,  took  her  child  from 
the  peel,  and  returned  the  woman  her  own,  with  these 
words :  "  There  is  your  child !  I  have  done  by  it  better 
than  you  have  by  mine.^^  And,  in  fact,  the  child  was,  as 
she  said,  both  thriving  and  strong. 

HOW  TO  DISTINGUISH  A  CHANGELING. 

When  a  child  is  born,  the  lights  in  the  lying-in  chamber 
must  not  be  extinguished;  for  otherwise  the  infant  may 
easily  be  exchanged  by  the  underground  folk.  At  a  place 
in  North  Jutland,  it  happened  many  years  ago  in  a  lying- 
in  room  that  the  mother  could  get  no  sleep  while  the 
lights  were  burning.  So  the  husband  resolved  to  take 
the  child  in  his  arm,  in  order  to  keep  strict  watch  over  it 
as  long  as  it  was  dark  in  the  room.  But  unfortunately 
he  fell  asleep  without  having  noticed  in  which  arm  he 
held  his  child,  and  on  being  waked  by  a  shake  of  the  arm, 
he  saw  a  tall  woman  standing  by  the  bed,  and  found  that 
he  had  an  infant  in  each  arm.  The  woman  instantly 
vanished,  but  there  he  lay,  without  knowing  which  of  the 
two  children  was  his  own.  In  this  difficulty  he  went  to 
the  priest,  who  advised  him  to  get  a  wild  stallion  colt, 
which  would  enable  him  to  discover  the  right  one.     They 


176  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

accordingly  procured  sucli  a  wild  colt,  whicli  was  so  un- 
manageable that  three  men  could  hardly  lead  it;  then 
laid  both  infants  wrapped  up  on  the  ground,  and  led  the 
colt  to  smell  to  them.  And  it  was  curious  to  see  how  the 
colt  each  time  that  it  smelt  to  the  one,  would  lick  it  and 
was  quite  quiet,  while  every  time  that  it  smelt  to  the  other 
it  was  restive  and  strove  to  kick  the  infant.  By  this  me- 
thod it  was  ascertained  infallibly  which  was  the  changeling. 
While  they  were  standing,  there  came  suddenly  a  tall 
woman  running,  w^ho  snatched  up  the  changeling  and 
disappeared  with  it. 

The  Scotch  loo  had  their  changelings,  though  they  appear  to  have  heen 
of  a  far  more  social  character  than  those  of  Scandinavia ;  at  least  if  we  may 
judge  from  the  jovial  little  fellow  described  in  Chambers  (Pop.  Rh.  p.  55). 
A  g°udewife,  named  Tibbie  Dickson,  liaving  occasion  to  go  to  the  town  of 
Dunse,  left  her  babe  (a  changehng)  in  the  care  of  lier  neighbour,  Wulhe 
Grieve,  the  tailor.  "  So  \Yullie  sits  doon  at  the  fire,  and  awa'  wi'  her 
yarn  gaes  the  wife ;  but  scarce  had  she  steekit  the  door,  an'  wan  half-way 
down  the  closs,  whan  the  bairn  cocks  up  on  its  doup  in  the  cradle,  and 
rounds  in  Wullie's  lug,  '  WulUe  Tyler,  an  ye  winna  tell  my  mither  whan 

she  comes  back,  I'se  play  ye  a  bonnie  spring  on  the  bagpipes.' 

So  he  rounds  again  in  the  bairn's  lug, '  Play  up,  my  doo  (dove),  an'  I'se 
tell  naebody.'  Wi'  that,  the  fairy  ripes  amang  the  cradle  strae,  an'  poos 
oot  a  pair  o'  pipes,  sic  as  tyler  WuUie  ne'er  had  seen  in  a'  his  days— 

rauntit  wi'  ivory,  an'  gold,  an'  silver,  an'  dymonts,  an'  what  not 

Wullie  had  nae  great  goo  o'  his  performance  ;  so  he  sits  thinkin  to  himsel 
_'  This  maun  be  a  deil's  get ;  an'  I  ken  weel  hoo  to  treat  them  ;  an'  gin 
I  while  the  time  awa,  Auld  Waughorn  himsel  may  come  to  rock  his  son's 
cradle,  an'  play  me  some  foul  prank ;'  so  he  catches  the  bairn  by  the  cuff 
o'  tlie  neck,  and  whupt  him  into  the  fire,  bagpipes  and  a' !"  Surely  this 
little  fellow  did  not  deserve  so  cruel  a  fate^ 

Of  another  changeling  it  is  related  that,  on  seeing  a  huge  fire  kmdled. 
with  an  egg-shell  boiling  on  it,  having  one  end  of  a  measuring  rod  set  in 
it  he  crept  out  of  the  cradle  on  his  hands,  while  his  legs  still  remanded 
in  the  cradle,  and  thus,  stretching  himself  out  longer  and  longer,  he  at 
length  reached  quite  across  the  floor  up  the  chimney,  when  he  exclanned  : 
"  Well !  seven  times  have  I  seen  the  wood  fall  in  Less5  forest,  but  never 
imtil  now  have  seen  so  big  a  ladle  in  such  a  little  pot- !" 

1  For  other  accounts  see  Kcightley,  F.  M.  p.  355. 

2  Asbjornsen,  Huldreevcntyr,  ii.  1G5. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  177 

Methods  nearly  similar  of  getting  rid  of  a  changeling  are,  with  some 
modifications,  amazingly  wide- spread  throughout  almost  the  whole  of 
Europe.  In  the  Irish  tradition,  the  boy,  on  seeing  the  egg-shells,  ex- 
claims :  "  Fifteen  hundred  years  have  I  been  in  the  world,  yet  have  never 
seen  that  before."  Walter  Scott  (Minstrelsy,  ii.p.  173),  quoting  "  A  Plea- 
sant Treatise  on  Witchcraft,"  relates  of  a  woman  who,  to  ascertain  whether 
her  child  were  a  changeling,  was  advised  to  break  a  dozen  eggs,  and  place 
the  twenty-four  half  shells  before  it,  then  to  go  out  and  listen  at  the 
door ;  for  if  the  child  spoke,  it  was  a  changeling.  She  did  accordingly, 
and  heard  it  say :  "  Seven  years  old  was  I  when  I  came  to  the  nurse,  and 
four  years  have  I  lived  since,  and  never  saw  so  many  milk-pans  before." 
See  also  Waldron's  Isle  of  i\Ian,  and  Grimm,  D.M.  p.  438,  for  other. ac- 
counts. Similar  stories  are  told  of  Highland-Scotch  and  French  change- 
lings. 

Various  monstrous  charms  were  resorted  to  in  Scotland,  for  procuring 
the  restoration  of  a  child  that  had  been  so  stolen ;  the  most  efficacious  of 
which  was  supposed  to  be  the  roasting  of  the  supposititious  child  upon  the 
live  embers,  when,  it  was  believed,  it  would  vanish,  and  the  true  infant 
appear  in  the  place  whence  it  had  been  originally  abstracted  ^ 

THE  DEVIL. 
FRIAR  RUUS. 

It  is  related  that  the  devil  once  seeing  how  piously  and 
virtuously  the  monks  lived  in  the  convent  of  Esrom  -,  as- 
sumed a  human  form^  and  knocked  at  the  gate  of  the  con- 
vent for  admission,  saying  his  name  was  Runs.  He  gave 
himself  out  for  a  scullion,  and  was  received  by  the  abbot 
as  such.  Being  one  day  alone  with  the  head  cook,  he  re- 
sisted his  authority,  for  which  he  received  chastisement. 
At  this  he  was  sorely  exasperated,  and  having  just  then  a 
kettle  of  boiling  water  on  the  fire,  he  seized  the  head  cook 
with  all  his  might  and  set  him  on  his  head  in  the  kettle ; 
then  ran  out  crying  and  lamenting  the  calamity  that  had 
befallen  his  master.  Thus  by  his  falsehood  he  deceived 
all  the  brethren  in  the  convent,  so  that  they  regarded  him 
as  free  from  all  suspicion  and  appointed  him  their  head 

1  Scott's  Minstrelsy,  ii.  172. 

-  Formerly  a  celebrated  monastery  in  the  north  of  Sceland,  not  far  from 
Fredensborg. 

I  5 


178  T)ANISH  TRADITIONS. 

cook.     Now  this  was  precisely  what  Runs  had  been  aim- 
ing at,  in  order  that  he  might  corrupt  the  whole  of  the 
monks  together.     He   now  prepared  viands  so  rich  and 
dehcate,  that  the  monk  forgot  both  prayer  and  fasting  and 
resigned  himself  to  luxury.     It  is  even  said  that  he  intro- 
duced women  into  the  convent,  and  thereby  gained  great 
favour  with  the  abbot,  who  at  length  prevailed  on  him  to 
enter  the  fraternity,  as  he  wished  to  have  such  a  cook 
constantly  at  hand.  From  that  hour  strife  and  wickedness 
so  gained  the  upper  hand  in  the  convent  that  it  would  in- 
evitably have  fallen  into  the  power  of  the  evil  one,  if  the 
brethren  had  not  repented  in  time.     For  one  day  Brother 
Runs  being  in  the  forest,  saw  there  a  beautiful  fat  cow, 
which  he  slaughtered  aud  took  a  quarter  of  it  to  the  con- 
vent ;  the  remainder  he  hung  up  in  a  tree.     When  the 
owner  of  the  cow  missed  it,  and  discovered  three  quarters 
of  it  hanging  in  the  tree,  he  determined  to  keep  watch  in 
another  tree,  for  the  purpose  of  detecting  the  thief,  when 
he  came  to  fetch  the  rest.     By  this  means  he  discovered 
how  the  devils  played  their  pranks  in  the  forest,  and  heard 
at  the  same  time  much  talk  about  Friar  Runs,  how  he 
would  invite  the  abbot  and  monks  to  a  banquet  in  hell. 
The  peasant  being  naturally  exceedingly  terrified  at  all 
this,  went  on  the  following  day  to  the  abbot,  to  whom  he 
related  all  he  had  heard  and  seen  in  the  forest.     On  hear^ 
ing  this  the  abbot  summoned  all  the  monks  to  meet  him 
in  the  church,  where  they  began  to  read  and  sing,  so  that 
Runs,  who  could  not  endure  either,  endeavoured  to  sneak 
away;  but  the  abbot  seized  him  by  the  cowl  and  conjured 
him' into  a  red  horse,  committing  him  to  the  power  of  hell. 
For  many  years  after  this  event.  Friar  Ruus's  iron  pot  and 
gridiron  were  shown  in  the  convent  of  Esrom. 

Before  the  conventual  churcli  was  turned  into  a  dwelling,  the  effigies 
of  Friar  Runs  and  his  epitaph,  half  Latin  and  half  Danish,  were  to  be 
seen  there.     His  epitaph  ran  thus : 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  179 

Hicjacet  John  Praest,  (John  priest) 

Qui  deilit  suum  graa  1 1  est  (gray  horse) 

Nee  non  de  siligine  tue  Laest,  (two  lasts) 

Semper  comedebat  det  Baest,  (the  best) 

Requiescit  mpulvere  sud  west,  (south-west). 
To  the  foregoing,  Molbech,  in  his  Ungdomsvandringer,  adds  that  "  the 
abbot  afterwards  constrained  him  to  proceed  to  England,  and  without  in- 
termission to  return,  bringing  with  him,  through  the  air,  as  much  lead  as 
amounted  to  320,000  pounds  weight,  for  the  roof  of  the  convent." 


THE  DEVIL  AT  CARDS. 

Once  on  a  Christmas  eve  a  set  of  profane  gamesters 
were  sitting  in  Lemvig  playing  at  cards  for  large  sums, 
and  as  they  became  more  and  more  excited  by  loss  and 
gain,  they  became  at  the  same  time  more  and  more  unre- 
strained in  their  abominable  cursing  and  swearing.  When 
the  night  was  somewhat  advanced  a  knocking  at  the  door 
was  heard,  and  a  well-dressed  man  entered,  who  begged 
permission  to  join  the  party.  Having  seated  himself,  he 
took  the  cards  and  began  by  losing  a  considerable  sum. 
While  they  were  thus  sitting  and  playing,  a  card  fell  on 
the  floor,  and  when  one  of  the  party,  having  taken  a  light, 
crept  under  the  table  to  pick  it  up,  he  saw  that  claws  pro- 
truded from  the  stranger's  boots,  whence  it  was  evident 
that  he  was  no  other  than  the  foul  fiend,  of  w^hom  it 
is  well  known  that  he  can  conceal  everytliing  except  his 
claws.  At  this  discovery  a  messenger  was  instantly  des- 
patched to  fetch  the  priest,  who  came  and  found  the 
stranger  still  at  the  table,  where  he  sat  counting  his 
money.  The  priest,  who  was  a  sagacious  man,  knew  him 
instantly,  and  commanded  him  to  depart;  but  the  fiend 
answered,  that  the  men  by  their  gambling  and  swearing 
had  called  him,  and  that  he  would  not  go  before  he  had 
tasted  warm  blood.  The  priest  thereupon  took  a  little 
dog,  that  was  running  about  the  room,  and  threw  it  to 
him,  which  he  eagerly  tore  in  pieces  and  devoured,  except- 


180  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

ing  three  hairs,  which  he  was  obhged  to  leave  behind.  The 
priest  having  thus  satisfied  him,  bored  a  hole  ^^'ith  an  awl 
in  the  lead  of  one  of  the  windows,  and  commanded  him 
to  make  himself  little  and  pass  through  it ;  because  if  he 
passed  out  by  the  door,  he  could  quickly  enter  again  by 
the  same  way.  This  cost  the  priest  much  trouble ;  but 
he  pressed  him  so  hard  with  reading  and  exorcisms,  that 
he  was  at  length  compelled  to  obey,  though  he  howled  so 
loud  that  it  was  heard  over  the  whole  town. 

A  SCHOLAR  ASSIGNS  HIMSELF  TO  THE  DEVIL. 

There  was  once  a  scholar  in  the  school  of  Herlufsholm^, 
who  through  the  deviFs  craft  was  seduced  to  give  himself 
up  to  his  power  and  will.  He  therefore  wrote  a  contract 
on  a  strip  of  paper  with  his  own  blood,  and  stuck  it  in  a 
hole  in  the  church  wall.  But  for  the  salvation  of  his  sin- 
ful soul,  which  the  fiend  would  else  have  seized,  it  hap- 
pened that  another  scholar  of  the  school  found  the  paper 
and  took  it  to  the  rector.  Now  nothing  was  to  be  done 
but  to  have  recourse  to  many  prayers,  whereby  the  deviPs 
cunning  was  turned  to  naught ;  but  it  was  long  impossible 
to  close  up  the  hole  in  the  wall  so  effectually  that  it  was 
not  immediately  found  open  again. 

THE  devil's  footstep. 

In  a  field  near  Sonnerod  there  is  a  row  of  stones, 
among  which  one  has  on  it  the  mark  of  a  footstep.  Of 
this  it  is  related,  that  the  devil  once  rested  his  foot  on  it 
when  he  had  carried  a  bride  away  from  her  bridegroom,  and 
was  obliged  to  wander  far  and  wide  with  her  before  he 
could  find  a  man,  who  for  a  hatful  of  money  would  take 
the  bridal  wreath  from  her  head ;  for  as  long  as  she  had 

^  Of  Herlufsholm  school  see  hereafter. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  181 

that  on  he  had  no  power  over  her,  the  bridemaids  having 
placed  it  on  her  head  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 

JENS  PLOVGAARD. 

In  Sondre-Nissum,  near  Ringkiobing  ^j  there  dwelt  a 
man  named  Jens  Plovgaard,  who  was  in  league  with  the 
devil,  and  could  therefore  raise  the  dead  and  perform  other 
feats  of  the  kind,  whereby  he  gained  a  considerable  sum  of 
money.  But  for  this  he  was,  on  the  other  hand,  after  a 
certain  number  of  years,  to  belong  to  the  evil  one.  One  day 
when  he  was  absent  from  home,  a  fisherman  from  Thy  came 
to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  a  swine,  but  not  meeting 
with  Jens  Plovgaard,  and  it  being  late,  he  slipt  into  the 
barn  to  sleep  till  the  following  morning,  when  he  could 
accomplish  his  errand.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  Jens 
returned  home,  who,  on  hearing  that  a  man  from  Thy  had 
been  there  to  make  inquiry  of  him  concerning  a  lost  swine, 
would  immediately  consult  '  Eric  ^/  and  for  that  purpose 
went  into  the  barn  to  raise  him.  The  man,  who  was  still 
awake,  heard  plainly  how  the  devil  was  forced  to  obey. 
Jens  asked  him  about  the  swine,  but  Eric  would  not 
utter  a  syllable,  for  he  had  observed  that  they  were  not 
alone ;  while  Jens,  on  the  other  hand,  ascribed  his  silence 
to  sheer  obstinacy,  and  therefore  took  his  iron  whip,  with 
which  he  belaboured  the  fiend  until  he  told  him  that  the 
swine  lay  under  an  earth-slip,  and  described  the  place 
most  accurately.  When  the  fisherman  heard  this,  he 
spared  Jens  Plovgaard  all  further  trouble,  and  on  his  re- 
turn dug  in  the  slip,  and  found  his  swine. 

The  time  at  length  arrived  when  the  fiend,  according  to 
their  compact,  was  to  fetch  Jens  Plovgaard,  who  caused 
himself  to  be  placed  in  a  large  cask  together  with  an 

1  A  small  town  on  the  west  coast  of  Jutland. 

-  The  devil,  like  our  '  old  Harry,'  which  is  probably  a  corruption  of  the 
Danish  term. 


183  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

ample  provision  of  meat  and  drink.  This  cask  he  caused 
to  be  buried  in  a  field  which  was  aftei-wards  ploughed  and 
sown.  When  the  devil  now  came  he  could  get  no  power 
over  him,  but  ran  backwards  and  forwards  on  the  field 
every  night  for  three  weeks,  and  at  last  howled  so  terri- 
fically that  he  might  have  been  heard  on  the  other  side  of 
the  fiord  as  far  as  Ulfborg  church.  At  the  expiration  of 
the  three  weeks  Jens  Plovgaard  was  free,  and  caused  him- 
self to  be  dug  up  ;  and  from  that  time  there  was  no  man 
in  the  whole  parish  so  pious  as  he;  but  his  great  cunnmg 
he  possessed  no  longer. 

HOW  THE  DEVIL  ALLOWED  HIMSELF  TO  BE  OUTWITTED. 

In  Jutland  there  was  once  a  priest  who  knew  more  than 
his  Paternoster.  One  evening  there  came  a  message  to  hnn 
from  the  manor-house,  requiring  his  attendance  there  with 
the  least  delay  possible,  his  aid  being  quite  mdispensable. 
The  fact  was  that  the  proprietor,  in  order  to  attain  to  his 
vast  riches,  had  sold  himself  to  the  devil,  who  was  already 
there  to  fetch  him,  his  time  being  expired.     The  priest, 
who  arrived  at  the  house  just  at  the  moment  when  the 
fiend  was  about  to  depart  with  the  master,  endeavoured  to 
prevail  on  him  to  grant  a  further  delay,  first  a  year,  then 
a  month,-a  week,-a  day,  but  not  even  an  hour  ^^x)uld 
the  fiend  grant  him.     There  stood  on  the  table  a  little 
stump  of  wax  candle  nearly  burnt  out,  pointing  to  which 
the  priest  said :  "  Thou  wilt  surely  let  him  live  as  long  as 
that  stump  lasts?"     To  this  the  fiend  assented,  but  at 
the  same  moment  the  priest  seizing  the  light,  blew  it  out 
and  put  it  into  his  pocket ;  so  that  for  the  present  the  fiend 
was  obliged  to  leave  the  proprietor  in  peace,  but  who  from 
that  hour  so  amended  his  life  that  the  devil  got  him  not. 

A  similar  artifice  with  a  wax  candle  occurs  in  Noma  Gest's  Saga,  whereby 
Noma  Gest  attains  to  an  age  of  many  hundred  years.  In  the  Popular 
Traditions  and  Tales  of  Poland,  we  find  the  devil  allowing  himself  to  be 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  183 

tricked  in  the  same  manner.     See  also  '  The  Devil  outwitted  '  in  Nether- 
landish Popular  Traditions. 


THE  LADY  OF  KIOLBYCV^VRD. 

On  tlie  road  from  Aalborg  ^  to  Thisted^  through 
Ostrel;  there  lies  in  a  valley  on  the  left  a  mansion  called 
Kiolbygaard,  in  which  there  once  dwelt  a  very  rich  lad}^, 
but  who  was  as  wicked  as  she  was  rich,  and  was,  moreover, 
devoted  to  sorcery.  One  of  her  greatest  delights  was  to 
hear  that  there  were  carousings  and  gaming  at  the  inn  on 
Sundays.  Among  the  servants  of  the  mansion  there  was 
one  that  stood  high  above  others  in  her  favour,  to  whom 
she  frequently  showed  a  large  chest  containing  silver 
money,  telling  him  that  he  might  take  as  much  of  it  as 
he  would,  but  he  was  never  able  to  raise  a  single  piece 
from  the  chest.  When  he  sometimes  said  that  he  wished 
he  had  so  much  money,  because  life  must  then  be  so  joy- 
ous and  pleasant,  she  always  answered  with  a  sigh  :  "  Yes, 
true  !  were  there  no  horrid  death  !  ^' 

One  night  one  of  her  tenants  came  to  the  mansion  to 
pay  his  rent,  but  found  all  in  darkness,  the  family  being 
in  bed.  He  walked  about  the  place  until  he  came  to  a 
small  apartment,  in  which  he  saw  a  hght.  On  the  middle 
of  the  floor  he  perceived  a  half-bushel  measure,  and  im- 
mediately a  dog  of  ferocious  aspect  entered  the  room, 
approached  the  measure  and  barked  into  it,  and  every  time 
he  barked  there  fell  from  his  mouth  several  pieces  of  silver 
money  into  the  measure,  nor  did  he  leave  the  place  before 
it  was  quite  full.  A  great  desire  now  came  over  the  man 
to  take  some  of  these  silver  coins,  and  he  accordingly 
helped  himself  to  thirty  new  pieces  and  put  them  into  his 
purse.  In  the  morning  he  went  to  the  lady  to  pay  his 
rent ;  but  when  she  saw  the  new  money,  she  declared  that 
it  had  been  taken  from  her.  The  man  then  told  her  what 
^  A  considerable  town  in  Jutland. 


184  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

he  had  seen  in  the  night,  whereupon  she  was  so  terrified 
that  she  bestowed  on  hhn  the  farm  which  he  had  held  on 
lease,  in  order  to  secure  his  silence  as  to  what  he  had  wit- 
nessed as  long  as  he  lived. 

When  this  lady  had  for  many  years  been  leading  so  un- 
righteous a  life,  she  one  evening  ordered  her  coachman  to 
put  the  horses  to,  as  she  washed  to  take  a  drive.     The 
man  objected  that  it  was  so  dark  that  he  could  not  find 
the  way,  but  she  answered  that  the  horses  knew  it  well 
enough.     She  then  for  more  than  two  hours  rode  over 
stock'and  stone,  until  the  horses  stopt  before  an  illuminated 
mansion  which  the  man  had  never  observed  before.    They 
drove  in,  the  lady  ahghted  and  went  into  the  saloon  which 
was  illuminated.     In  the  mean  while  the  man  waited  with 
the  carriage.     After  a  considerable  time  had  elapsed  he 
stole  up  to  the  window  and  peeped  in,  and  saw  his  mistress 
sitting  on  the  middle  of  the  floor  undressed ;  by  her  side 
a  pile  was  burning,  and  a  man  stood  combing  her  hair. 
Immediately  after  the  man  received  orders  to  diive  home, 
but  from  that  hour  no  one  ever  saw  the  lady  more,  and 
the  coachman's  belief  was  that  she  was  on  that  night  con- 
veyed to  hell.     Her  family,  it  is  true,  gave  out  that  she 
returned  home,  and  immediately  after  sickened  and  died  ; 
while  others  asserted  that  at  her  pompous  funeral  the  cofiin 
contained  only  a  whisp  of  straw. 

A  FEAST  WITH  THE  DEVIL. 

In  Ostrel  there  once  dwelt  a  man  who  entertained  the 
suspicion  that  his  wife  was  a  witch,  and  one  St.  John's  eve 
resolved  to  remove  his  doubts  by  watching  whether  she 
went  to  the  devil's  banquet.  At  night  therefore  he  kept 
an  eye  on  her  movements,  and  saw  her  take  from  a  drawer 
a  small  phial  of  ointment  which  she  rubbed  over  a  peel, 
then  setting  herself  astride  on  the  peel,  she  said  :  "  Now 
in  the  devil's  name  !"  and  immediately  at  full  speed  flew 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  185 

up  through  the  chimney.  Hereupon  the  man  did  as  he 
had  seen  his  wife  do^  and  flew  after  her  on  another  peel, 
and  at  length  descended  in  a  mansion,  in  which  there  was 
a  room  brilliantly  illuminated  and  full  of  people.  On  his 
entrance  he  saw  the  devil  going  round  and  the  witches 
sitting  at  table,  at  the  head  of  which  sat  his  own  wife. 
The  devil  then  came  to  him  and  inquired  his  business,  to 
which  he  answered  that  he  had  followed  his  wife.  ^  Old 
Eric '  then  handed  him  a  book  that  he  might  inscribe  his 
name  in  it,  which  he  did,  but  adding  the  words  "  in  the 
name  of  God.^'  When  the  fiend  saw  what  he  had  written 
he  uttered  a  howl,  and  the  whole  mansion  fell  down.  On 
the  following  morning  the  man  found  himself  in  a  hole 
out  in  the  fields,  among  a  heap  of  human  bones ;  but  his 
wife  he  never  saw  as'ain. 


A  girl  once  by  chance  saw  her  mistress  take  a  pot  from 
the  cupboard  in  which  there  was  an  ointment,  with  which 
she  had  no  sooner  anointed  a  broomstick,  than  with  the 
broomstick  between  her  legs  she  flew  away  up  the  chimney. 
The  girl,  full  of  wonder  at  what  she  had  seen,  took  the  same 
pot  out  of  the  cupboard  to  see  what  it  contained,  and  rubbed 
a  little  of  the  ointment  on  a  brewing  vat,  when  instanta- 
neously she  with  the  vat  also  flew  up  through  the  chimney 
straightways  to  the  Blocksberg,  where  there  was  a  nume- 
rous assemblage  of  old  women  with  base-viols  and  fiddles 
before  them.  The  devil  himself,  whom  they  called  Old 
Eric,  when  he  had  danced  out  a  polonaise  and  paid  the  mu- 
sicians, came  to  the  girl  with  a  book,  in  which  he  desired 
her  to  write  her  name ;  but  she,  instead  of  her  name,  first 
wrote  the  words  with  which  it  is  usual  to  try  the  pen  : 
'  Den,  som  mig  foder,^  etc.  ;  the  devil,  consequently,  was 
unable  to  take  the  book  back,  and  would  not  dance  again 
the  whole  evening,  although  he  had  previously  been  never 


186  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

off  the  floor.  Early  on  the  following  morning,  which  was 
St.  John^s  day,  all  the  old  dames  rode  back  on  their 
broomsticks,  and  the  girl  in  her  brewing  vat,  until  they 
came  to  a  brook,  across  which  the  old  women  sprang  very 
nimbly ;  but  the  girl  hesitated  and  thought  within  her- 
self: "It  surely  won^t  do  to  make  such  a  jump  with  a 
brewing  vat.^^  But  at  last  she  said  :  "  I  can  at  any  rate 
try/''  So  giving  the  vat  a  kick,  it  sprang  as  lightly  as 
the  broomsticks  themselves ;  at  which  the  girl  laughing, 
exclaimed :  "  That  was  a  devil  of  a  jump  for  a  brewing 
vat !  '^  But  scarcely  had  she  uttered  the  deviPs  name 
when  the  vat  stopt,  the  book  was  away,  and  the  good  lass 
had  to  find  her  way  back  to  Thisted  on  foot. 

THE  BOOK  OF  CYPRIANUS. 

Cyprianus  was  a  student,  and  by  nature  a  gentle  and 
orderly  person,  but  he  had  passed  through  the  Black 
School  in  Norway,  and  was  therefore  engaged  to  the  devil 
to  apply  his  learning  and  extraordinary  faculties  to  the 
perpetration  of  evil.  This  grieved  him  in  his  latter  years, 
his  heart  being  good  and  pious  ;  so  to  make  the  evil  good 
again,  he  wrote  a  book,  wherein  he  first  shows  how  evil  is 
to  be  done,  and  then  how  it  may  be  remedied.  The  book 
begins  by  explaining  what  sorcery  is,  and  with  a  warning 
against  it.  It  is  divided  into  three  heads,  viz.  Cyprianus, 
Dr.  Faustus,  and  Jacob  Ramel.  The  last  two  parts  are 
written  in  characters  which  are  said  to  be  Persian  or 
Arabic,  and  also  in  ordinary  characters.  In  this  book  are 
taught  exorcising,  laying  and  raising  of  spirits,  and  all  that 
of  which  mention  is  made  in  the  5th  book  of  Moses, 
xviii.  10,  11,  12.  Whether  this  book  has  been  printed  is 
uncertain,  but  manuscript  copies  of  it  are  concealed  here 
and  there  among  the  common  people,  who  regard  it  as 
something  sacred.  Those  who  possess  the  book  of  Cy- 
prianus need  never  want  money,  they  can  read  the  devil 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  187 

to  them  and  from  them,  and  no  one  can  harm  them,  not 
even  the  devil  himself.  But  whoever  possesses  the  book 
cannot  get  rid  of  it ;  for  whether  he  sells,  burns  or  buries 
it,  it  will  come  back ;  and  if  a  person  cannot  dispose  of  it 
before  his  death,  it  will  go  badly  with  him.  The  only 
method  is,  to  write  his  name  in  it  in  his  own  blood,  and 
lay  it  in  a  secret  place  in  the  church,  together  with  four 
shillin2:s  clerk's  fee. 


The  following  is  the  German  tradition  of  Cyprianus  : 
In  ancient  times  there  lived  in  one  of  the  Danish  isles 
a  man  named  Cyprianus,  who  was  worse  than  the  devil ; 
consequently,  after  he  was  dead  and  gone  to  hell,  he  was 
again  cast  forth  by  the  devil  and  replaced  on  his  isle. 
There  he  wrote  nine  books,  in  the  old  Danish  tongue,  on 
witchcraft  and  magical  spells.  Whosoever  has  read  all 
these  nine  books  through  becomes  the  property  of  the 
devil.  From  the  original  work  three  (or  nine)  copies  are 
said  to  have  been  made  by  a  monk,  and  mutilated  copies  of 
these  to  have  been  dispersed  all  over  the  world.  A  count, 
who  resided  in  the  castle  of  Ploen  ^,  is  said  to  have  pos- 
sessed a  perfect  copy,  which  he  caused  to  be  fastened  with 
chains  and  buried  under  the  castle ;  because  in  reading 
through  eight  books  he  was  so  troubled  and  terrified  that 
he  resolved  on  concealing  it  from  the  sight  of  the  world. 
One  of  these  books  still  exists  in  Flensborg  ^.  Some 
spells  from  the  nine  books  are  still  known  among  aged 
people.  Whoever  wishes  to  be  initiated  therein  must  first 
renounce  his  Christianity. 

1  The  count  here  alluded  to  was,  no  doubt,  Duke  Hans  Adolf  of  Hol- 
stein-Ploen,  who  w^as  a  great  magician,  and  was  finally  carried  off  by  the 
devil,  through  a  window,  though  the  matter  was  hushed  up.  He  Hved  in 
the  17th  century. 

2  A  considerable  town  in  Sleswig. 


188  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

Two  miles  from  Horscns  ^  there  dwelt  a  miller,  who  was 
a  master  in  the  black  art  and  possessed  the  book  of  Cy- 
prianus.  A  peasant  having  once  stolen  an  axe  from  him, 
was  obliged  to  bring  it  back  at  midnight,  and  was,  more- 
over, borne  so  high  in  the  air  that  his  feet  rattled  among 
the  tops  of  the  trees  in  Bierre  forest.  This  miller  in  fact 
performed  so  many  wonderful  things  that  all  his  neigh- 
bours were  astonished  at  his  feats.  Impelled  by  curiosity, 
a  journeyman  miller  once  slipt  into  his  master^s  private 
room,  where  having  found  an  old  quaint-looking  volume, 
he  began  to  read  in  it,  when  the  horrible  Satan  appeared 
before  him  and  asked  his  commands.  The  man,  who  was 
not  aware  that  it  was  necessary  to  give  the  fiend  some  stiff 
job  to  execute,  fell  down  in  terror  deprived  of  speech,  and 
it  would,  no  doubt,  have  been  all  over  with  him,  had  not 
his  master  entered  at  the  moment  and  seen  how  matters 
stood.  Snatching  up  the  book,  the  miller  instantly  began 
to  read  in  another  place,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  drive  the 
fiend  away  ;  but  things  had  already  gone  too  far,  and 
nothing  remained  to  be  done  but  to  give  him  something  to 
do,  so  taking  a  sieve,  he  commanded  him  to  bale  water 
with  it  from  the  mill-pond ;  but  being  unable  to  do  so,  he 
was  obliged  to  take  his  departure  through  the  air,  and  left 
behind  him  a  most  loathsome  stench. 

Cyprian's  book  is  also  knovNn  in  Normandy,  where  a  similar  story  is 
told  under  the  title  of  Le  Grimoire  du  Cure.  Calderon  has  made  Cyprian 
the  hero  of  one  of  his  dramas,  in  which  he  appears  as  a  native  of  Antioch. 

OF  WITCHES. 

On  St.  John^s  eve  the  witches,  as  it  is  generally  known, 
have  a  meeting  wath  '  Old  Eric,^  though  it  rarely  ha])pens 
that  others  are  witnesses  of  the  spectacle. 

'  A  considerable  town  in  Jutland. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  189 

In  Giording  near  Ribe  ^  there  was  once  a  serving-man, 
who  on  that  night  placed  a  green  turf  on  his  head,  that  he 
might  be  invisible  to  the  witches,  and  so  slipt  into  the 
churchyard.  While  standing  quite  secure  and  looking  at 
the  wonderful  witch-dance  round  Old  Eric,  who  sat  in  the 
middle,  it  happened  that  one  of  the  women  came  quite 
close  to  him,  when,  in  springing  aside,  the  turf  fell  from  his 
head.  In  an  instant  he  became  visible  to  all  the  witches, 
who  started  off  in  pursuit  of  him,  and  had  not  the  priest 
happened  to  be  standing  just  without  his  gate,  he  would 
hardly  have  escaped  falling  into  their  clutches. 


In  a  certain  house  everything  went  perversely ;  for 
which  reason  the  inhabitants  sent  to  a  well-known  wise 
woman.  She  came  and  went  about  the  house  both  within 
and  without.  At  last  she  stood  still  before  a  large  stone, 
which  lay  just  without  the  dwelling.  "  This,^^  said  she, 
"should  be  rolled  away."  But  all  that  they  could  do 
with  levers  and  other  means  was  to  no  purpose  :  the  stone 
would  not  move.  At  length  the  wise  woman  herself 
hobbled  up  to  the  stone,  and  scarcely  had  she  touched  it 
before  it  moved  from  its  old  station.  Beneath  was  found 
a  silken  purse  filled  with  the  claws  of  cocks  and  eagles, 
human  hair  and  nails.  "  Put  it  into  the  fire  together 
with  a  good  bundle  of  pea-straw,  that  it  may  catch 
quickly,"  said  the  old  woman;  and  no  sooner  was  this 
said  than  done.  But  the  moment  the  fire  began  to  take 
effect  it  began  to  howl  and  hiss  as  if  the  very  house  were 
ready  to  fall,  and  people  who  stood  out  in  the  fields  hard 
by  plainly  saw  a  witch  sally  forth  on  her  broomstick  from 

^  A  city  on  the  west  side  of  Jutland,  with  a  fine  old  cathedral,  said  to 
be  the  first  church  in  Denmark.  The  early  kings  frequently  kept  their 
court  at  Ribe. 


190  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

the  mouth  of  the  oven.  At  the  same  moment  the  old 
woman  died,  who,  it  was  supposed,  had  bewitched  the 
house,  and  all  the  sorcery  was  at  an  end. 


In  the  neighbourhood  of  Ostrel  a  man  served  at  a 
farm,  the  mistress  of  which  unknown  to  him  was  a  witch. 
Although  she  gave  him  good  and  wholesome  food,  he 
never  thrived,  but  became  thinner  every  day.  At  this 
being  much  troubled,  he  went  to  a  wise  man,  to  whom 
he  communicated  his  case.  From  this  man  he  learned 
that  his  mistress  was  a  witch,  and  that  at  night,  while  he 
slept,  she  transformed  him  into  a  horse,  and  rode  upon 
him  to  Troms  church  in  Norway ;  so  that  it  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  his  strength  decreased.  The  wise  man 
at  the  same  time  gave  him  an  ointment  with  which  to  rub 
his  head  at  night ;  then  when  he  fell  asleep  he  would  have 
a  violent  itching  on  his  head,  when  he  would  wake  and  see 
that  he  was  standing  outside  of  Troms  church.  The  man 
did  as  he  had  been  directed,  and  on  waking  the  following- 
night,  he  was  standing  by  Troms  church  holding  a  bridle 
in  his  hand,  which  he  had  torn  off  in  scratching  his  head  ; 
and  behind  him  he  saw  many  horses  bound  together  by 
each  other's  tail.  When  he  had  for  some  time  stood  thus 
without  the  church  door,  his  mistress  came  out  and  cast 
a  friendly  look  at  him ;  but  he  nodded  for  her  to  come 
nearer,  and  when  she  came  he  cast  the  bridle  over  her 
head,  when  instantly  she  was  transformed  into  a  handsome 
mare.  He  then  mounted  the  mare  and  rode  homewards. 
On  his  way  he  called  at  a  farriei'^s  and  caused  him  to  put 
four  new  shoes  on  the  mare.  On  reaching  home,  he  told 
his  master  that  he  had  been  out  to  buy  a  capital  mare, 
which  would  go  well  with  the  one  he  already  had.  The 
master  bought  her  of  him  for  a  good  round  sum  ;  but 
when  he  took  the  bridle  off,  the  mare  disappeared  and  the 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  191 

mistress  stood  in  her  place  with  new  horseshoes  on  her 
hands  and  feet.  Then  the  man  related  all  that  had  taken 
place ;  the  wife  was  in  consequence  turned  out  of  doors^ 
and  never  got  the  horseshoes  off  her  hands  and  feet. 

The  North  Germans  have  a  story  (The  Witch  with  the  bridle)  very 
nearly  resembling  the  foregoing.     MUllenhoff,  No.  310. 


In  Ostrel  there  was  at  one  time  a  vast  number  of 
witches.  A  huntsman^  who  was  in  the  habit  of  passing 
by  the  farm  of  Bailer,  always  observed  in  the  neighbour- 
hood either  a  hare  or  a  wild  duck;  yet_,  notwithstanding 
that  he  shot  (and  was  a  sure  shot),  he  never  could  hit 
either  the  one  or  the  other.  He  once  saw  a  duck  lying 
in  the  water  close  by  the  farm,  at  which  he  shot  many 
times,  but  the  duck  remained  quite  still  and  seemed  not 
to  notice  the  firing.  As  now  neither  shot  nor  slug  would 
hit  it,  he  cut  a  silver  button  from  his  jacket,  said  three 
Aves  over  it  and  put  it  into  his  piece.  Now  he  hit  the 
duck,  which,  however,  flew  out  of  the  water  into  the  farm, 
and  hid  itself  in  the  poultry-house.  The  huntsman  fol- 
lowed and  told  the  people,  who  were  sitting  at  supper, 
what  he  had  done,  and  demanded  the  duck  he  had  shot. 
The  master  told  him  he  might  go  into  the  kitchen  and 
speak  to  the  servant  maid,  who  would  see  to  get  him  his 
duck.  When  he  entered  the  kitchen  there  sat  an  ugly  old 
beldam  by  the  chimney,  with  only  one  shoe  on,  while  the 
blood  was  running  down  her  leg.  She  said  she  had  fallen 
down  and  cut  herself,  but  the  huntsman  knew  instantly 
that  it  was  the  witch  that  he  had  shot,  and  hurried  out  of 
the  place  with  all  possible  speed. 


At  Brondsted  Mark,  in  the  diocese  of  Ribe,  there  is 
shown  a  spot  near  the  forest,  where  in  former  days  a  castle 
is  said  to  have  stood.     In  this  castle  dwelt  a  lady  who 


192  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

was  a  witch,  and  one  day  when  all  the  men  of  Brondsted 
were  at  the  chase,  she,  in  the  form  of  a  hare,  it  is  said, 
kept  constantly  teazing  and  tantalizing  them,  until  an 
old  peasant,  wiser  than  the  others,  took  a  silver  button, 
loaded  his  piece  with  it,  and  shot  the  hare  in  the  leg.  The 
following  day  it  was  rumoured  that  the  lady  was  sick. 
She  never  appeared  again. 


Two  men  from  Svendstrup  near  Aalborg  went  out  one 
night  to  shoot  hares  in  the  churchyard.  For  this  purpose 
they  stationed  themselves  in  the  church  tower,  expecting 
that  game  of  some  sort  would  appear,  but  in  vain.  At 
midnight,  however,  a  swarm  of  hares  burst  forth  from  all 
the  graves;  but  although  the  men  at  first  ventured  to 
shoot  at  them,  not  a  single  one  fell,  and  their  number  so 
increased  that  the  whole  churchyard  was  completely  hidden 
under  their  countless  multitude.  The  men  were  then 
seized  with  a  sudden  terror,  and  with  difficulty  escaped 
unscathed. 

On  Bornholm  it  is  related  that  the  witches  make  a  kind  of  hare  of  old 
legs  of  stockings,  with  three  harrow-prongs  instead  of  legs.  These  hares, 
which  they  call  '  smorbarrer,'  are  sent  by  the  witches  to  fetch  milk  from 
their  neighbours'  cattle.  Hares  used  by  the  witches  to  milk  cattle  are 
also  known  in  Sweden. 


In  the  parish  of  Vissenberg  in  Fyen  there  was  once  a 
woman  who  was  generally  regarded  as  a  witch.  When  at 
the  point  of  death  she  could  not  divest  herself  of  life ;  but 
another  cunning  woman,  who  was  present,  advised  that 
straw  should  be  placed  under  the  chair  in  which  the  dying 
woman  sat ;  for  if  she  were  a  witch,  she  must  die  inmie- 
diately  afterwards,  this  means  having  never  been  known 
to  fail.  This  advice  was  followed  and  the  woman  died 
shortly  after. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  193 

THE  SHIP-MASTER  OF  AARHUUS  ^  AND  THE  FINLAP. 

A  shipmaster  from  Aarhuus  was  once  lying  at  Dront- 
heim,  where  he  formed  an  acquaintance  with  a  Finlap, 
who  often  came  on  board  to  visit  him.  This  Finlap_,  who 
could  perform  many  sorceries,  offered,  among  other  things, 
to  teach  the  shipmaster  how  to  procure  a  wind.  This, 
thought  the  skipper,  might  be  very  convenient,  and  the 
next  day  the  Finlap  brought  a  bag  with  him,  which  he 
placed  outside  of  the  cabin,  saying,  that  he  needed  only 
to  take  that  with  him,  and  he  could  make  any  wind.  But 
the  shipmaster  on  reflection  would  have  no  concern  with 
it,  suspecting  that  it  came  from  the  devil.  The  Finlap 
then  asked  him  whether  he  wished  to  know  how  his  wife 
and  children  were.  On  the  skipper  answering  in  the 
affirmative,  the  Finlap  immediately  fell  down  on  the  deck 
as  if  dead.  After  some  time  he  rose,  sa3ring :  "  I  have 
been  to  Aarhuus.  Thy  wife  was  sitting  drinking  coffee ; 
the  others  were  also  in  good  health,  though  one  of  the 
children  had  been  ill.  That  thou  mayest  believe  my  words, 
— dost  thou  know  this?^^  at  the  same  time  handing  him 
a  silver  spoon.  ''  This,^^  said  the  other,  "  thou  hast  taken 
from  my  house  in  Aarhuus.^^  And  so  saying  took  the 
spoon  and  kept  it. 

After  they  had  been  lying  some  time  at  Drontheim,  the 
Finlap  one  morning  said :  "  To-morrow  we  shall  be  under 
sail,  and  shall  both  have  a  good  wind,  although  you  are 
going  southward  and  I  northward.  And  I  will  further 
tell  you  that  you  will  not  go  to  Christiania  fiord,  to  pur- 
chase a  lading,  as  you  think ;  but  will  ^ai  a  better  freight 
than  you  expect. ^^  On  the  following  morning  both  were 
under  sail,  and  the  wind  changed  so  that  the  Jutlander 
had  a  fair  wind  for  twelve  hours,  and  afterwards  the  Fin 
for  twelve  hours.     When  off  the  isles  of  Oster-Riis  the 

^  A  city  on  the  east  coast  of  Jutland,  ^vith  a  spacious  old  cathedral. 

K 


194<  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

wind  for  the  Jutlander  was  directly  adverse,  so  that  after 
having  beaten  about  for  nights  and  days,  he  was  at  last 
obliged  to  seek  a  port  in  the  Oster-Riis  islands.  There 
one  merchant  outbid  another  in  their  offers  of  freight,  but 
being  eastward  bound  for  a  cargo,  he  declined  their  pro- 
posals, until  a  merchant  at  length  offered  him  a  freight  to 
the  Issefiord  which  almost  equalled  the  value  of  a  whole 
lading.  This  he  could  not  withstand,  but  wrote  to  his 
owners,  that  for  weighty  considerations  he  had  not  fol- 
lowed their  orders,  an  announcement  w^hich  among  the 
parties  interested  in  Aarhuus  excited  the  suspicion  that 
he  had  lost  his  wits.  On  his  arrival  home  after  this  trip, 
and  when  just  stepping  on  shore,  being  questioned  about 
his  freight,  he  answered :  "  I  have  it  in  my  fob."  This 
proved  highly  satisfactory.  On  coming  home  to  his  wife, 
he  inquired  :  ''  How  are  all  here  ?  "— "  Well,"  was  the 
answer.— '' Has  any  one  been  ill?" — "Yes,  the  young 
one." — "Have  you  lost  anything?"— "No — yes— no." 
—"Think  again."— "Yes,  a  silver  spoon."— " There  it 
is," — said  the  skipper,  laying  it  on  the  table. 

OF  FRIT  SKUD. 

To  acquire  '  Frit  Skud,'  that  is,  always  to  hit  the  mark 
aimed  at,  some  lay  certain  prayers  or  secret  words  under 
the  chamber  of  the  piece.  Others  effect  the  same  by  let- 
ting the  wind  on  a  Thursday  morning  blow  into  the  barrel. 
Such  certain  shooters  are  in  league  either  with  the  evil 
one  or  with  the  wild  huntsman,  and  whether  they  shoot 
to  the  east  or  to  the  west,  their  shot  always  brings  them 
o:ame  of  some  kind. 

On  the  manor  of  Thiele  in  Jutland  there  was  once  an 
old  keeper,  who  often  when  out  sporting,  especially  when 
he  was  rather  drunk,  would  turn  the  piece  backwards  and 
lire  it  off;  and  he  never  did  so  without  bringing  down 
game. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  195 

TRADITIONS  OF  SPECTRES. 
THE  FLYING  HUNTSMAN. 

All  over  the  country  a  terrific  apparition  makes  its  ap- 
pearance, of  which  every  one  who  has  either  seen  or  heard 
it  speaks  with  shuddering.  It  occurs  at  various  times  that 
a  rushing  and  buzzing,  a  shouting  and  uproar,  a  cracking 
and  rattling  are  heard  in  the  air,  precisely  as  if  a  hunting 
party,  with  echoing  horns,  dogs  with  outstretched  necks, 
and  wild  huntsmen,  were  galloping  through  the  fields  and 
forests.  It  is  the  flying  huntsman,  says  the  peasant, 
laying  himself  on  his  face  on  the  earth,  or  hiding  himself 
behind  a  tree,  until  the  helhsh  band  has  passed. 

gron-jette. 

On  the  west  side  of  Moen  there  is  a  forest  called  Gron- 
vseld,  in  which  Gron-Jette  (Green-giant  i)  hunts  every 
night  on  horseback,  with  his  head  under  his  left  arm,  a 
spear  in  his  hand,  and  many  hounds  around  him.  At 
haiTcst  time  the  peasants  leave  a  bundle  of  oats  for  his 
horse,  that  it  may  not  trample  down  their  grain  in  the 
night.  Gronsund  is  named  from  him,  as  Phanefiord  is 
called  after  Phane,  his  betrothed.  Near  Frendrup  a  large 
stone  is  to  be  seen,  which  is  said  to  have  been  Gron-Jette's 
sleeping  place;  and  in  the  parish  of  Aastrup  on  Falster^ 
are  several  mounds,  in  which  those  whom  Gron-Jette  has 
slain  with  his  spear  lie  buried.  But  Gron-Jette  and  Phane 
lie  buried  on  Harbolle  Mark,  in  Stege  parish,  where  a 
giant-grave  is  shown,  a  hundred  and  seventy  ells  long. 

>  The  first  component  of  this  name  Grimm  (D.  M.  p.  896)  considers  to 
be  the  0.  Nor.  Gron  (beard),  and  the  entire  name  as  identical  with  the 
0.  Nor.  Graniotunn,  the  bearded  giant,  without  any  allusion  to  the  colour 
of  his  clothing. 

2  One  of  the  small  Danish  islands  near  Moen. 

K  2 


196  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

One  night  when  Gron-Jette  was  hunting  in  Borre-Skov, 
he  stopped  his  horse  before  Henrik  Fyenboe^s  door, 
knocked,  and  ordered  him  to  hold  his  dogs.  He  then 
rode  away,  Henrik  Fyenboe  standing  in  the  mean  while 
at  his  door  holding  the  dogs  for  two  hours.  At  length 
Gron-Jette  returned  with  a  mermaid  lying  across  his  horse, 
which  he  had  shot,  and  said  to  the  peasant :  "  After  her 
I  have  been  hunting  these  seven  years;  but  now  I  got 
her  down  by  Falster.'^  He  then  asked  for  something  to 
drink,  having  got  which,  he  handed  a  gold  coin  to  Henrik 
Fyenboe,  which  burnt  a  hole  through  his  hand  and  dis- 
appeared on  the  earth.  The  huntsman  then  laughing 
said :  "  Now  thou  canst  say  that  Gron-Jette  has  held  out 
his  hand  to  thee.  But  that  thou  mayest  not  say  that  I 
have  drunk  at  thy  cost,  take  the  band  with  which  thou 
hast  held  the  dogs.^^  He  thereupon  rode  away,  and  Hen- 
rik took  the  band,  which  he  long  held  under  lock  and 
key,  and  from  that  time  increased  in  affluence;  but  at 
length,  when  he  thought  little  of  it,  he  became  poorer 
than  he  had  ever  been,  and  died  in  great  misery. 

Ill  former  times  it  was  a  superstition  in  Mben  to  leave  a  sheaf  standing 
of  the  last  stack  that  was  housed ;  but  at  a  later  period,  that  the  last  sheaf 
of  oats  that  was  bound  up  should  be  thrown  into  the  field  with  these 
words :  "  This  is  for  the  Jode  of  Upsala^ ;  this  he  shall  have  for  his  horse 
on  Christmas  eve."  They  believed  that  if  they  neglected  this,  their  cattle 
would  die.  In  Norway  the  custom  prevailed  of  setting  a  sheaf  on  a  pole 
for  the  birds,  on  Christmas  eve. 

PALNE-JiEGER,  OR  PALNE  THE  HUNTER. 

Like  as  King  Valdemar  hunts  by  night  in  Seeland  does 
Paine  the  Hunter^  hunt  in  Fyen ;  and  it  is  related  that  a 
man,  who,  about  a  hundred  years  since,  dwelt  near  Odense, 
once  fell  in  with  him.  For  when  this  man  was  one  night 
gone  with  his  people  to  bind  barley,  there  came  to  him  a 

1  See  page  124.  -  Palnatoki,  the  founder  of  Jomsborg. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  197 

tall  and  comely  female,  who  asked  :  "  Have  ye  seen  any- 
thing of  Paine- Jseger?''  And  on  their  answering  that 
they  had  not  seen  him,  she  hastened  through  the  wood. 
But  an  hour  had  scarcely  elapsed  when  Paine- Jseger  came 
to  the  same  people,  with  helmet  and  waving  plume  on  his 
head,  a  bow  on  his  left  and  a  quiver  on  his  right  shoulder, 
and  sandals  on  his  feet.  He  inquired :  "  Have  ye  seen 
anything  of  Langpatte?''  And  when  they  had  given 
him  the  best  intelligence  they  could,  he  hastened  after 
her.  He  did  not,  however,  catch  her  that  night,  as  the 
same  happened  to  the  harvest  people  on  the  night  fol- 
lowing. 

Every  new  yearns  night  Palne-Jseger  fetches  three  horse- 
shoes from  one  or  other  smithy  in  Fyen,  and  the  smiths 
forget  not  to  lay  them  ready  for  him  on  the  anvil,  as  he 
always  leaves  three  golden  horse-shoes  in  their  stead. 
But  if  he  comes  to  any  smithy  and  does  not  find  shoes, 
he  removes  the  anvil,  as  it  once  happened  to  a  smith  in 
Korup,  whose  huge  anvil  Palne-Jseger  moved  up  into  the 
tower  of  Seden  church,  whence  the  smith  had  great  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  it  down  again. 

HORNS  J^GER. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Aarhuus  Horns  Jseger  hunts 
by  night,  to  extirpate  all  the  Elf- wives.  Early  one  morn- 
ing a  man  from  Lyngen,  who  was  out  in  the  field  to 
remove  his  horses,  heard  with  terror  a  rustling  in  the  an-, 
and  immediately  saw  a  man  on  horseback  coming  towards 
him.  It  was  Horns  Jseger,  and  he  had  with  him  three 
hounds  bound  with  a  silken  cord.  ''Hold  my  dogs,'' 
cried  he  to  the  terrified  peasant,  and  then  again  rode  off; 
but  returned  shortly  after,  having  two  Elf-wives  hanging 
across  the  horse's  neck,  who  were  bound  together  by  their 
long  hair.     ''Give  me  my  dogs  now,"  cried  he  to  the 


198  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

peasant,  ''  and  hold  forth  thy  hand  for  di-ink-money." 
The  man  did  so,  but  the  huntsman  only  put  the  end  of 
three  fingers  into  his  hand,  and  having  thus  burnt  him, 
rode  away  with  the  two  howling  Elf-wives. 

JONS  J.EGER. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Aalborg  Jons  Jseger  often  rides 
through  the  air,  followed  by  a  number  of  hounds  that  nm 
on  the  earth.  AAlioever  meets  him  must  lie  down  flat, 
else  he  would  be  sick  afterwards.  Sometimes  this  hunts- 
man may  be  heard  calling  his  dogs  with  a  horrid  scream. 
If  he  happens  to  pass  over  a  house  in  which  two  doors 
opposite  each  other  stand  open,  his  dogs  pass  through 
them;  and  if,  at  the  same  tirae^  brewing  or  baking  is 
going  on  in  the  house,  it  will  all  be  spoiled. 

KING  ABEL^S  HUNT. 

In  Sleswig  it  is  the  Danish  king  Abel,  the  fratricide, 
that  leads  the  Wild-hunt,  who  in  an  expedition  against 
the  Frieslanders  (a.  1252)  sank  into  a  deep  morass  as  he 
was  fording  the  Eyder,  where,  being  encumbered  with  the 
weight  of  his  armour,  he  was  slain.  His  body  was  buried 
in  the  cathedral,  but  his  spirit  found  no  rest.  The  canons 
dug  up  the  corpse,  and  buried  it  in  a  morass  near  Gottorp, 
'^  but  in  the  place  where  he  is  buried  and  the  neighbour- 
hood, even  within  our  own  memoiy,  horrid  sounds  and 
shrieks  are  heard,  by  which  travellers  by  night  are  often 
terrified  and  rendered  almost  lifeless.  ]\Iany  persons 
worthy  of  credit  relate  and  affirm  that  they  have  heard 
sounds  so  resembling  a  huntsman^s  horn,  that  any  one 
would  say  that  a  hunter  was  hunting  there,  and  which 
the  usual  night-watch  at  Gottorp  have  frequently  heard. 
It  is,  indeed,  the  general  rumour  that  Abel  has  appeared 
to  many  in  our  time,  black  of  aspect,  riding  on  a  small 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  1^9 

horse,  and  accompanied  by  three  hounds,  which  appear  to 
be  burning  like  fire^" 

King  Abel  was  buried  in  St.  Peter's  church  at  Sleswig, 
but  on  account  of  his  cruel  fratricide  he  could  find  no  rest 
in  the  grave.  By  night  he  haunted  the  church  and  dis- 
turbed the  monks  at  their  prayers,  so  that  at  length  it  was 
found  necessary  to  take  up  his  body  and  sink  it  in  a  mo- 
rass near  Gottorp.  To  keep  him  in  the  grave,  a  sharp 
stake  was  driven  down  in  the  earth  through  him.  The 
place  is  still  known  by  the  name  of  the  king's  grave.  He 
nevertheless  rides  every  night  on  a  black  horse,  accom- 
panied by  a  leash  of  dogs.  Then  is  to  be  heard  a  slam- 
ming of  gates,  besides  a  terrific  shouting  and  screaming, 
so  that  all  who  hear  it  are  struck  with  fear. 

Some  ropemakers  in  Sonderborg  once  undertook  to 
stop  him,  by  stretching  a  rope  across  the  street ;  but  when 
he  came,  everything  gave  way  before  him. 

In  Sweden,  when  a  noise,  like  that  of  carriages  and  horses,  is  heard  by 
night,  the  people  say :  "  Odin  is  passing  by  2." 

KING  VALDEMAr's  HUNT. 

In  Seeland  it  is  King  Valdemar^  who  rides,  of  whom 
a  story  is  told  similar  to  one  related  of  Charlemagne. 
King  Valdemar  loved  a  lady  from  Rligen  named  Tovelille^, 
at  whose  death  his  sorrow  was  so  great  that  he  could  not 
quit  her  corpse,  but  had  it  carried  with  him  whithersoever 
he  went.     This  being  found  inconvenient  to  those  about 

1  J.  Cypraei  Ann.  Episcopor.  Slesv.  p.  267,  quoted  by  Thiele,  i.  p.  187, 
edit.  1820. 

2  Geijer,  Sv.  Rikes  Hafd.  i.  p.  268. 

3  Valdemar  IV.  of  Denmark,  surnamed  Atterdag ;  he  reigned  from  1334 
to  1375,  and  was  the  last  male  descendant  of  King  Svend  Estrithson,  the 
nephew  of  Cnut  the  Great,  by  his  sister  Estrith,  married  to  Ulf  Jarl. 

^  Tovelille,  i.  e.  the  little  dove.  In  like  manner.  Christian  the  Second's 
celebrated  mistress  was  called  Dyveke,  signifying  the  same  in  Low  Ger- 
man.    She  was  of  Dutch  extraction. 


200  DxiNISH  TRADITIONS. 

the  king,  one  of  the  courtiers  seized  a  favourable  moment 
to  ascertain  what  it  was  that  so  attracted  him  to  the  dead 
body.  He  found  on  her  finger  an  enchanted  ring,  which 
had  been  placed  there  by  her  mother,  that  even  after  death 
she  might  retain  the  love  of  Valdemar.  The  courtier  took 
the  ring  from  her  finger,  and  the  king's  affection  was 
instantly  transferred  from  the  dead  lady  to  himself,  who 
had  retained  the  ring  in  his  possession ;  so  that  whatever 
was  to  be  done  was  to  be  done  by  or  through  him.  This 
at  length  becoming  exceedingly  irksome  to  him,  and  as 
he  knew  that  it  was  to  the  ring  he  was  indebted  for  the 
king's  favour,  he  threw  it  into  a  marsh  as  he  was  one  day 
riding  through  Gurre  wood.  From  that  moment  the  king 
began  to  find  more  pleasure  in  the  wood  than  in  any  other 
place.  He  caused  the  castle  of  Gurre  to  be  built,  and 
hunted  in  the  wood  day  and  night ;  at  the  same  time  it 
became  a  habit  with  him  to  utter  the  words  which  after- 
wards proved  his  curse :  that  God  was  welcome  to  keep 
heaven,  if  he  might  only  hunt  in  Gurre. 

He  now  rides  every  night  from  Burre  to  Gurre,  and  is 
known  over  all  the  country  as  the  fiying  huntsman.  In 
some  places  he  is  called  the  flying  Marcolfus.  Allien  he 
approaches,  great  shouting  and  uproar  and  cracking  of 
whips  are  heard  in  the  air ;  the  people  then  step  aside  and 
place  themselves  behind  the  trees.  First  come  his  coal- 
black  hounds,  which  run  on  all  sides  snufiing  the  ground, 
with  long  red-hot  tongues  hanging  out  of  their  mouths. 
Then  comes  '  Wolmar '  on  his  white  horse,  sometimes  hold- 
ing his  own  head  under  the  left  arm.  When  he  meets 
any  one,  especially  an  old  person,  he  commands  him  to 
hold  a  couple  of  his  hounds,  and  makes  him  either  stand 
with  them  for  several  hours,  or  loose  them  immediately 
after  a  shot,  on  hearing  which  they  break  from  all  bonds 
and  chains.  When  he  is  thus  riding  onwards,  he  is  heard 
to  slam  the  gates  after  him ;  and  in  many  places  where 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  201 

there  is  a  passage  through  a  farm,  he  rides  in  at  one  gate 
and  out  at  the  other,  and  no  locks  or  bolts  are  so  strong 
as  not  to  fly  open  at  his  approach.  In  some  places  he 
takes  his  course  e\^en  over  the  house-tops,  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Herlufsholm  there  is  said  to  be  a  house, 
the  roof  of  which  is  considerably  sunk  in  the  middle, 
because  he  so  often  passes  over  it.  In  the  north  of  See- 
land  he  has  another  Gurre,  where  there  are  ruins,  which 
are  still  called  Valdemai-^s  castle.  It  is  a  custom  here  for 
the  old  women,  at  St.  John's  tide,  to  go  out  at  night  on 
the  road,  and  open  the  gates  for  him.  About  two  miles 
from  Gurre  is  Valdemar's  mount,  surrounded  by  water. 
Here,  according  to  the  tradition,  six  priests  in  black  walk 
every  midnight,  muttering  over  the  islet.  Between  Sol- 
lerod  and  Nserum,  he  hunts  with  black  dogs  and  horses, 
on  the  road  called  Wolmar's  way. 

Having  thus  roamed  about,  he  rests  alternately  at  many 
places  in  the  country.  It  is  particularly  related  that  he 
stops  at  Vallo  castle,  where  he  has  a  bedchamber,  in  which 
there  stood  two  ready-made  beds.  Here  he  passes  the 
night  in  the  form  of  a  black  dog.  In  the  same  room  stand 
two  large  chests,  which,  on  being  once  opened,  were 
found  full  of  small  round  pieces  of  leather ;  "  for  better 
money  they  had  not  in  King  Wolmar's  time.''  A  sub- 
terraneous passage  is  said  to  connect  Vallo  castle  with 
ToUosegaard,  in  the  district  (amt)  of  Holbek.  Here  he  is 
also  said  to  have  had  a  chamber,  and  formerly  even  a  maid- 
servant was  kept  to  wait  on  him.  Sometimes  he  rests  at 
Vordingborg,  in  '  Valdemar's  Tower,'  or  among  the  ruins 
of  '  Valdemar's  Castle,'  where  young  females  and  persons 
from  his  time  are  often  seen  to  go  and  make  beds.  A 
peasant,  who  would  not  believe  that  the  king  thus  came 
to  his  tower  in  the  night,  ventured  once  to  pass  the  night 
there  ;  but  at  midnight,  in  walked  King  Yaldemar  to  hnn, 
greeted  him  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  said,  "  Thou  hast 

K  5 


202  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

niy  thanks  for  taking  care  of  my  tower/^  at  the  same  time 
holding  out  to  him  a  gold  coin,  but  which,  when  the  pea- 
sant took  it,  burnt  a  round  hole  through  his  hand,  and 
fell  like  a  coal  to  the  ground.  From  this  dreadful  money, 
an  idea  may  be  formed  of  what  his  sufferings  must  be.  It 
sometimes  happens,  when  an  old  man  or  woman  has  faith- 
fully held  his  dogs  for  many  hours,  that  he  throws  them 
something  that  appears  like  coal,  and  is,  therefore,  disre- 
garded, but  when  examined,  is  found  to  be  pure  gold. 

PUNISHMENT  FOR  REMOVING  LAND-MARKS. 

Before  the  permanent  allotment  of  lands,  to  every  pea- 
sant, in  sowing  time,  so  much  of  the  field  or  mark  was 
assigned  as  was  just  and  api)ropriate,  and  boundary-posts 
were  di'iven  between  his  and  his  neighbour's  allotment. 
Whoever  removed  such  marks,  though  he  might  escape 
punishment  in  this  world,  could  find  no  rest  in  the  grave, 
but  by  way  of  penalty  must  plough  every  night  on  the 
spot  where  his  sin  lay  hidden.  Of  such  ploughmen  it  is 
said,  that  when  any  person  came  near,  they  compelled 
him  to  drive  their  horses ;  and  if  any  one  were  so  forced 
into  their  service,  there  was  no  other  w^ay  to  get  free  again 
than  to  take  notice  of  the  place  where  he  began,  and  after 
the  first  turn  to  cast  away  the  reins.  He  might  then 
pursue  his  way  unscathed. 


Near  Skive  lies  the  manor  of  Krabbesholm,  where  there 
once  dwelt  a  lady  who  wished  to  appropriate  to  herself  an 
adjacent  field,  and  therefore  caused  her  overseer  to  put 
earth  from  the  garden  at  Krabbesholm  into  his  wooden 
shoes,  with  which  he  went  to  the  field  in  dispute,  and  swore 
that  he  stood  on  the  soil  of  Krabbesholm.  The  field  was 
adjudged  to  the  lady,  but  afterwards  the  overseer  could 
not  die  before  she  had  given  it  back  ;  yet  he,  nevertheless, 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  203 

every  night  still  goes  round  the  field  with  earth  in  his 
wooden  shoes. 


Three  men  belonging  to  Spandet^  in  North  Sleswig, 
swore  away  the  beautiful  meadow  of  Elkjsei*  from  the  vil- 
lage of  Fjersted ;  in  lieu  of  which  the  villagers  got  the  in- 
ferior one  of  Sepkjser.  They  had  also  put  earth  in  their 
shoes.  After  their  death  they  were  long  to  be  seen  wan- 
dering about  the  meadow,  wringing  their  hands  and 
crying : 

Med  Ret  og  Skjel,  By  law  and  right, 

Det  ved  vi  vel.  That  know  we  well, 

Elkjaer  ligger  til  Fjersted  By,  Elkjaer  belongs  to  Fjersted  town, 

Sepkja^r  ligger  til  Spandet.  Sepkjaer  belongs  to  Spandet, 


Near  Ebeltoft  dwelt  a  peasant  who  possessed  land  and 
cattle  in  superabundance,  paid  taxes  both  to  church  and 
state,  brought  his  tithes  at  the  right  time,  gave  to  the 
poor,  and  went  every  Sunday  to  church;  yet,  notwith- 
standing all  this,  there  was  not  an  individual  in  the  whole 
neighbourhood  that  placed  any  real  confidence  in  him. 
He  died  and  was  buried,  but  after  having  lain  in  the  earth 
until  harvest  time,  he  was  heard  at  night  crying  piteously 
over  the  field  :  ^^  Boundary  here  !  boundary  there  !  "  Now 
people  discovered  how  in  his  lifetime  he  had  acquired  his 
wealth. 

A  SUNDAY^S  CHILD, 

In  Fyen  there  was  a  woman  who  was  born  on  a  Sunday, 
and,  like  other  Sunday^s  children,  had  the  faculty  of  see- 
ing much  that  was  hidden  from  others.  But  because,  in 
consequence  of  this  property,  she  could  not  pass  by  the 
church  at  night  without  seeing  either  a  hearse  or  a  spectre, 
the  gift  became  a  perfect  burthen  to  her.     She  therefore 


204  DANISH   TRADITIOXS. 

took  the  advice  of  a  man  skilled  in  such  matters,  who  di- 
rected her,  whenever  she  saw  a  spectre,  to  say  :  ''  Go  to 
heaven,''  but  when  she  met  a  hearse,  "  Hang  on.''  Hap- 
pening some  time  after  to  meet  a  hearse,  she,  through 
lapse  of  memory,  cried  out:  ''Go  to  heaven!"  and 
straightway  the  hearse  rose  up  in  the  air  and  vanished. 
Afterwards  meeting  a  spectre,  she  said  to  it :  "  Hang  on  !" 
when  the  spectre  clung  round  her  neck,  hung  on  her  back, 
and  drove  her  down  into  the  earth  before  it.  For  three 
days  her  shrieks  were  heard,  before  the  spectre  could  put 
an  end  to  her  wretched  hfe. 

SPECTRES  IN  ST.  KNUD's  CHURCH  AT  ODENSE  ^ 

h.  man  in  Odcnse  was  once  desirous  of  knowing  what 
took  place  in  the  church  in  the  night-time,  and  therefore 
one  evening  went  into  St.  Knud's,  where  he  remained. 
At  midnight  he  saw  a  spectre  come  forth  from  one  of  the 
graves  holding  a  long  wax  taper,  with  which  it  went  about 
and  lighted  all  the  candles  in  the  church.  Shortly  after 
there  came  one  spectre  after  another  walking  slowly  from 
their  graves,  and  placed  themselves  in  the  seats,  among 
whom  the  man  lying  in  concealment  recognised  many  a 
good  old  friend.  At  length  came  a  spectre  in  priestly 
attire,  ascended  the  pulpit,  and  preached  a  sermon  in  an 
unknown  tongue,  until  day  began  to  dawn. 

HANS  N.EB. 

In  the  village  of  Qvserndrup  in  Fyen  there  was  once  a 
horrible  spectre,  which  caused  great  fear  and  disquietude 
throughout  the  whole  parish;  as  eveiy  one  that  saw  it 
died  immediately  after.  This  spectre  had  assumed  the  like- 
ness of  a  dead  man  called  Hans  Na^b,  and  when  it  appeared 
to  any  one,  it  was  always  with  the  cry  :  ''  Look  at  Hans 
'  The  chief  town  of  the  island  of  Fyen. 


DANISH  TRADITIOxNS.  205 

Nseb  !  ''  All  the  men  in  the  place  and  then  the  women 
were  already  dead_,  and  the  turn  now  came  to  the  young 
ones.  In  this  impending  danger  a  young  fellow  offered 
to  encounter  the  apparition  and  endeavour  to  drive  it 
away.  For  this  purpose  he  went  at  midnight  to  the  church 
path,  through  which  the  spectre  was  in  the  habit  of  pass- 
ing, having  previously  provided  himself  with  steel  in 
various  shapes.  AVhen  the  apparition  approached,  he 
fearlessly  threw  steel  before  its  feet,  so  that  it  was  obliged 
instantly  to  turn  back,  and  appeared  no  more  in  the  pa- 
rish. But  the  young  man  being  satisfied  that  it  really 
was  Hans  N^eb,  it  was  resolved  to  open  his  grave,  to  see 
if  anything  were  amiss,  when  it  was  found  that  he  was 
lying  on  his  face  in  the  coffin,  whence  it  was  evident  to 
all  that  with  his  cry  of  '^  Look  at  Hans  Nseb  "  he  had  only 
wished  to  cause  them  to  lay  him  on  his  back,  it  being  well 
known  that  a  corpse  cannot  have  peace  in  the  grave  when 
it  lies  otherwise. 

A  SAGACIOUS  WOMAN. 

Near  Lille  Vserlose  in  Seeland  there  once  dwelt  a 
farmer  who  associated  with  thieves  and  robbers,  never 
went  to  church,  and  was  in  bad  repute  among  all  for  his 
impiety.  When  he  was  dead  and  buried,  and  the  funeral 
procession  had  returned  from  the  church  to  drink  '  grave 
beer '  at  the  house  of  the  deceased,  they  saw  him  sitting 
on  the  roof  staring  down  on  all  who  ventured  to  look  up 
at  him,  so  that  scarcely  one  remained  behind,  all  leaving 
the  place  as  quickly  as  possible.  At  length  came  the 
priest,  who  began  reading,  and  exorcised  him  down  into 
Kalsmose  hard  by  Farum  lake ;  and  that  he  might  con- 
tinue there  till  the  workFs  end,  a  sharp  stake  was  driven 
into  the  earth  so  that  it  just  met  his  head.  While  all  this 
was  being  done,  an  old  crone  chanced  to  be  present  who 
understood  these  matters  better  than  the  priest  himself, 


206  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

and  who  taking  a  darning  needle  without  an  eye^  stuck  it 
into  the  stake.  At  this  the  spectre  cried  out  from  be- 
neath :  "Thou  shouldst  not  have  done  that^  thou  old 
witch  !  I  should  else  have  been  at  home  before  thee  ! ''  But 
now  he  is  obliged  to  remain  beneath,  yet  he  flies  about 
every  night,  and  is  a  night-raven  until  cock-crowing. 

MASTER  MADS  AND  HERR  ANDERS. 

Master  Mads,  the  priest  of  Lumby,  was  full  of  shrewd- 
ness and  cunning.  He  once  said  that  the  dead  were 
liable  to  thirsty  and  caused  a  cask  of  beer  to  be  brought 
to  the  funerals  within  the  church,  and  when,  some  days 
after,  the  beer  w^as  looked  after,  it  was  all  drunk  out. 
Many  persons  now  conceived  all  sorts  of  opinions  con- 
cerning him,  and  certain  it  is,  that  when  Master  i\Iads 
was  dead  he  re-appeared.  His  successor,  Herr  Anders, 
who  was  no  less  shrewd  than  Master  Mads,  undertook  to 
exorcise  his  spirit,  wheresoever  it  might  chance  to  be.  One 
night,  therefore,  he  went  out  into  the  field  which  is  now 
called  the  Pilelykke,  taking  with  him  three  large  books. 
There  sure  enough  he  met  with  Master  Mads,  with  whom 
he  had  a  hard  struggle,  and  was  hardly  able  to  answer  all 
the  questions  put  to  him  by  the  learned  sprite.  So  at 
length  he  had  recourse  to  reading  out  of  one  of  his  books, 
which  Master  Mads,  however,  knocked  out  of  his  hand. 
In  all  haste  Herr  Anders  then  drew  forth  the  second  book, 
and  again  began  to  read ;  but  the  spectre  struck  this  also 
out  of  his  hand,  saying :  "  AVhen  thou  wast  a  lad  thou 
didst  once  steal  a  wheaten  loaf  in  Elsinore.^^  But  Herr 
Anders  lost  no  time  in  throwing  two  skillings  to  him,  an- 
swering, that  with  that  it  would  be  paid.  At  the  same 
time  he  took  forth  the  third  book,  from  which  he  read  so 
impressively  that  Master  IMads  found  himself  under  the 
necessity  of  creeping  into  the  earth  at  the  spot  where  he  was 
standing,  and  where  a  sharp  stake  of  oak  was  driven  to 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  207 

hold  him  down.  Old  folks  say  that  they  have  seen  the 
stake  in  its  place,  adding  that  on  shaking  it  to  and  fro,  a 
voice  was  always  heard  from  beneath,  crying  :  "  Pull  it 
up  !  Pull  it  up  !  " 

OF  DRAGONS. 
About  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  Soro  ^  stands  Alsted 
church,  in  which  there  is  still  to  be  seen  a  picture  repre- 
senting a  fight  between  a  bull  and  a  dragon,  in  comme- 
moration, as  people  say,  of  an  event  which  took  place  in 
the  churchyard.  According  to  the  tradition,  a  dragon  had 
taken  up  his  abode  near  the  church  gate,  and  done  great 
injury  to  the  people,  so  that  no  one  could  enter  the  church, 
when  an  ancient  wise  man  gave  his  advice,  that  a  bull-calf 
should  be  reared  with  pure  sweet  milk,  and  after  a  certain 
time  be  set  to  fight  with  the  serpent.  At  the  end  of  the  first 
year,  the  young  bull  was  so  strong,  that  every  one  thought 
it  might  stand  the  encounter ;  but  on  seeing  the  serpent, 
it  was  so  terrified,  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  feed  it 
in  the  same  manner  for  another  year.  It  was  then  less 
timid,  but  would  not  engage  in  combat  until  the  end  of 
the  third  year,  when  it  proved  so  bold  and  vigorous  that 
it  instantly  engaged  in  the  conflict  and  killed  the  dragon. 
But  the  bull  was  so  envenomed  that  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  kill  it  also,  and  bury  it  together  with  the  dragon. 

There  is  a  tradition  nearly  similar  of  a  dragon  in  the  churchyard  of 
Lyngby,  a  village  near  Copenhagen. 


Two  miles  from  Aalborg  are  two  mounts  called  Ostbierg 
Bakker.  Here  many  years  since  a  dragon  had  his  abode, 
and  caused  great  affliction  in  the  neighbourhood.  At 
length  there  came  a  man  skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  ser- 
pents, who  engaged  to  destroy  the  dragon.     He  caused  a 

'  A  town  in  the  west  of  Seeland,  famed  for  its  academv. 


208  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

pile  to  be  raised^  and  when  it  was  kindled,  mounted  a 
courageous  horse  and  rode  up  to  the  monster,  which  fol- 
lowed him  whithersoever  he  rode,  and  thus  came  at  length 
to  the  pile.  The  man  then  rode  over  the  pile  and  the 
dragon  crept  after  him  through  the  midst  of  the  fire. 
He  then  sprang  a  second  time  over  the  pile,  and  the  ser- 
pent crept  after  him  a  second  time.  When  he  had  thus 
ridden  unscathed  seven  times  over  the  fire,  and  the  dragon 
had  crept  seven  times  through  it,  it  was  completely  con- 
sumed. 

THE  DAM-HORSE. 
Once  when  some  peasant  children  from  Hirschholm  ^ 
were  playing  by  Agerso  there  sprang  suddenly  up  from 
the  water  a  large  white  '  dam-horse,^  and  galloped  about 
the  field.  The  boys  ran  to  look  at  it,  and  one  of  them 
ventured  to  set  himself  on  its  back ;  but  in  the  same  mo- 
ment the  horse  darted  off  and  was  about  to  plunge  into 
the  lake,  when  the  boy  luckily  exclaimed  : — 

"  Lord  Jesus'  cross  ! 
I  never  saw  a  larger  horse  !  " 

and  it  instantly  vanished  from  under  him. 


To  the  north  of  Thisted^  lies  the  village  of  Brund. 
From  this  village  as  three  drunken  peasants  were  crossing 
a  field  called  Kronens  Mark,  one  of  them  expressed  a  wish 
for  a  horse  on  which  they  could  all  ride  home  together, 
when  suddenly  an  immensely  large  black  horse  stood 
before  them,  on  whose  back  they  thought  they  might  all 
very  well  find  room  ;  but  when  two  of  them  were  mounted, 
the  third  in  wonder  cried  out : 

1  A  village  about  eight  miles  north  of  Copenhagen. 

2  A  little  town  on  the  Linifiord  in  the  north  of  Jutland. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  209 

"  Lord  Jesus'  cross  ! 
Never  saw  I  such  a  horse  !  " 

At  the  same  moment  the  horse  vanished,  and  there  lav 
the  three  sprawling  on  the  ground. 

In  France  the  dam-horse  is  known  hy  the  name  of  the  Lutin,  and  in 
the  Shetland  isles  it  is  called  the  Shoopiltee.  In  both  places  it  is  said  to 
appear  as  a  little  horse,  which,  when  any  one  has  set  himself  on  its  back, 
rushes  with  him  into  the  water. 

THE  HEL-HORSE. 

In  every  churchyard  in  former  days,  before  any  human 
body  was  buried  in  it,  a  living  horse  was  interred.  This 
horse  re-appears  and  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  '  Hel- 
horse.^  It  has  only  three  legs,  and  if  any  one  meets  it, 
it  forebodes  death.  Hence  is  derived  the  saying  when  any 
one  has  survived  a  dangerous  illness :  "  He  gave  death  a 
peck  of  oats,^^  (as  an  offering  or  bribe) . 

In  the  cathedral  yard  at  Aarhuus  there  is  a  Hel-horse, 
which  sometimes  makes  its  appearance.  A  man,  whose 
windows  looked  into  the  cathedral  yard,  exclaimed  one 
evening  as  he  sat  in  his  apartment :  "  What  horse  is  that 
outside  ?  '*  '^  It  is  perhaps  the  Hel-horse,^^  answered  one 
sitting  by  him.  "  Then  I  will  see  it ! ''  said  the  man. 
While  looking  out  of  the  window  he  grew  as  pale  as  a 
corpse;  but  he  never  mentioned  afterwards  what  he  had 
seen.     Shortly  after  he  fell  sick  and  died. 

Hel  is  identical  with  Death,  and  in  times  of  pestilence  rides  about  on  a 
three-legged  horse,  and  strangles  people ;  whence  when  a  sickness  rages 
it  is  said  that  "  Hel  is  going  about ;  "  or  when  in  the  night  the  dogs  bark 
and  howl,  "  Hel  is  among  the  dogs  ; "  when  the  sickness  begins  in  a 
place,  "  Hel  is  come  ; "  or  when  it  ceases,  "  Hel  is  driven  away."  Hel 
can  be  driven  from  one  place  to  another ;  instances  of  this  are  related  and 
persons  named  who  have  driven  Hel  from  this  or  that  town  or  village. 
When  any  one  lies  sick  to  death,  it  is  said :  "  He  has  his  Helsot " 
(mortal  sickness) ;  if  he  recovers  it  is  said  :  "  He  has  settled  matters  with 
Hel."  When  any  one  stays  out  too  long  on  an  errand,  people  to  this 
day  say :  "  You  are  a  good  one  to  send  after  Hel  ^" 
1  Miillenhoff,  p.  244. 


210  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

THE  CHURCH-LAMB  1. 

When  any  one  enters  a  church  alone  and  when  there 
is  no  servdcCj  it  often  happens  that  he  sees  the  Church- 
lamb  running  about ;  for  the  church  is  built  over  a  lamb, 
that  it  may  not  sink.  Formerly,  when  a  church  was  being 
built,  it  was  customary  to  bury  a  living  lamb  under  the 
altar,  that  the  building  might  stand  immoveable.  This 
Iambus  apparition  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Church- 
lamb  ;  and  if  a  little  child  is  to  die,  the  Church-lamb  is 
seen  to  dance  on  the  threshold  of  the  house. 

In  all  Fyen  there  is  only  one  church  that  has  its  Church-lamb,  ^^•hile 
each  of  the  others  has  its  Church-sow.  The  custom  of  burying  a  living 
animal,  that  a  church  or  a  house  may  stand  firm,  extends  itself  to  other 
animals  besides  a  lamb,  of  which  a  swine  and  poultry  are  oftenest  men- 
tioned 2. 

THE  GRAVE-SOW. 

In  the  streets  of  iEroskiobing  ^  there  is  often  seen  a 
Grave-sow,  or,  as  it  is  also  called,  a  Gray  sow\  This  is 
said  to  be  the  apparition  of  a  sow  formerly  buried  alive, 
and  when  it  appears,  to  forebode  death  and  calamity. 

THE  NIGHT-RxVVEN. 
Every  exorcised  spirit  becomes,  according  to  tradition, 
a  Night-raven.  At  the  spot  where  a  spirit  has  been  ex- 
orcised, a  sharp  stake  is  driven  into  the  earth,  which  passes 
through  the  left  wing  of  the  raven,  causing  a  hole  in  it. 
It  is  only  through  the  most  frightful  swamps  and  morasses 
that  the  Night-raven  ascends.  It  first  begins  under  the 
earth  with  the  cry  of  "  Rok  !  rok  ! ''  then  ^^  Rok  op  !  rok 

'  See  page  102. 

-  In  building  the  new  bridge  at  Halle,  which  was  completed  only  in 
1843,  the  people  thought  it  would  be  requisite  to  innnure  a  child  in  the 
foundation  !     Grimm,  D.  M.  p.  1095. 

3  A  town  on  the  north  side  of  /Erb,  a  small  island  on  the  south  of 
Fyen. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  211 

op  ! ''  and  when  it  has  thus  come  forth^  it  flies  away- 
screaming-  "  Hei !  hei  !  he  ! — i  !  '^  When  it  has  flown  up 
it  resembles  a  cross,  and  at  first  hops  on  the  ground  hke 
a  magpie,  and  cries  "  Bav  !  Bav  !  Bav  ! ''  It  afterwards 
flies  towards  the  east,  to  approach  the  holy  sepulchre,  be- 
cause if  it  can  come  thither,  it  will  get  rest.  When  it 
flies  over  head,  care  must  be  taken  not  to  look  up ;  for  if 
any  one  sees  through  the  hole  in  its  left  wing,  he  him- 
self becomes  a  night-raven,  and  the  night-raven  is  re- 
leased. In  general  the  night-raven  is  harmless,  and 
strives  only  to  go  farther  and  farther  towards  the  east. 

THE  JACK  0'  LANTERN. 

Jack  o'  lanterns  are  the  spirits  of  unrighteous  men  ^, 
which  by  a  false  glimmer  seek  to  mislead  the  traveller,  and 
to  decoy  him  into  bogs  and  moors.  The  best  safeguard 
against  them,  when  they  appear,  is  to  turn  one^s  cap  in- 
side out.  When  any  one  sees  a  Jack  o'  lantern,  let  him 
take  care  not  to  point  at  him,  for  he  will  come  if  pointed 
at.  It  is  also  said  that  if  any  one  calls  him,  he  will  come 
and  light  him  who  called  ;  but  then  let  him  be  very 
cautious. 


Near  Skovby  on  the  isle  of  Falster^  there  are  many 
Jack  o'  lanterns.  The  peasants  say  they  are  the  souls  of 
land-measurers  who  in  their  lifetime  had  perpetrated  in- 
justice in  their  measurements,  and  therefore  run  up 
Skovby  bakke  at  midnight,  which  they  measure  with  red 
hot  iron  rods,  crying,  "  Here  is  the  clear  and  right  boun- 
dary !  from  here  to  there  ! '' 

1  According  to  the  Belgian  tradition,  they  are  the  souls  of  unbaptized 
children. 

2  Lying  near  the  south  coast  of  Seeland. 


212  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 


THE  BASILISK. 


When  a  cock  is  seven  years  old  it  lays  an  egg,  from 
which  when  hatched  there  comes  forth  a  basilisk,  an  ugly 
monster  that  kills  people  only  by  looking  at  them.  It  is 
said  that  the  only  method  by  which  this  creature  can  be 
destroyed  is  by  holding  a  looking-glass  before  it ;  for  it 
is  so  ugly  that  it  cannot  survive  the  sight  of  itself. 

THE  JERUSALEM  SHOEMAKER,  OR  WANDERING  JEW, 
IN  JUTLAND. 

It  is  now  very  long  since  there  was  seen  in  Jutland  a 
man  mean  and  lowly  in  his  garments,  riding  on  a  little 
white  horse,  wdth  stirrups  made  of  wood.  When  any  one 
asked  him  whence  he  came  and  whither  he  was  directing 
his  course,  he  was  wont  to  answer :  "  From  Vendsyssel 
over  Himmelsyssel  southwards.'^  He  foretold,  and  said 
of  a  stone  in  Mae  :  "  A  thorn  shall  grow  through  the 
fissure  in  the  stone,  and  in  the  thorn  a  magpie  shall  build 
her  nest,  hatch  her  young,  and  afterwards  fly  away  with 
them/'  And  this  came  to  pass  as  he  had  said.  He 
further  foretold  that  when  the  magpie  was  flown,  there 
should  be  a  great  battle  in  Vendsyssel,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  people  perish.  Afterwards  the  women  should 
acquire  the  courage  and  heart  of  men  and  slay  the  enemy. 
But  when  he  was  asked  what  further  should  happen,  he 
answered :  "  Let  the  end  follow." 

In  Aalborg  he  foretold  something  to  the  town-magi- 
strate, which  did  not  particularly  please  him,  and  for  which 
he  caused  him  to  be  scourged.  He  then  foretold  again, 
that  like  as  his  blood  was  running  down  his  back,  so 
should  the  magistrate's  blood  run  over  the  streets  of 
Aalborg.  And  it  happened  as  he  had  said ;  for  in  a 
quarrel  which  arose  in  the  town,  the  townsmen  slew  the 
magistrate  in  the  street. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  213 

Of  Haseriisaa,  which  at  that  time  did  not  flow  through 
Aalborg^  he  foretold  that  a  time  should  come  when  it 
should  run  through  the  town ;  which  also  took  place  as  he 
had  predicted.  Coming  one  day  to  Bolstrup_,  and  having 
according  to  his  custom  taken  up  his  quarters  in  a  kiln,  he 
rode  the  next  day  to  the  public  assembly  (Ting),  where 
the  judge  of  the  district  asked  him  :  "  How  will  it  fare 
with  me  ?  '^  and  got  for  answer  :  "  Thou  shalt  die  in  a 
kiln/^  Nor  did  he  fare  better  ;  for  coming  to  poverty, 
he  had  at  last  no  other  place  of  shelter.  Once  when  some 
boys  scoffed  at  him,  and  one  among  them  threw  a  cask- 
stave  after  him,  he  said,  that  a  stave  should  be  the  boy^s 
death ;  and  the  same  boy,  some  time  after,  fell  from  a  tree 
and  struck  a  stave  into  his  body.  Of  alms  he  accepted 
only  so  much  as  he  required  for  the  moment,  and  thus 
travelled  from  place  to  place. 

The  story  of  the  shoemaker  of  Jerusalem  is  generally  known.  When 
Jesus  passed  by  his  house,  bending  under  the  weight  of  the  cross,  he 
would  rest  an  instant  at  his  door ;  but  the  miscreant  came  out,  and  with 
imprecations  drove  the  Saviour  away,  for  the  sake  of  gaining  the  favour 
of  his  enemies.  The  shoemaker,  whose  name  was  Ahasuerus,  then  drew 
on  himself  the  curse  ever  to  be  a  wanderer  and  never  to  find  rest  until 
doomsday  ^ 

OF  LAKES,  BOTTOMLESS  POOLS,  ETC. 
TIIS  LAKE. 
At  Kundby,  in  the  district  of  Holbek  ^,  a  Troll  had  his 
habitation  in  the  high  mount  on  which  the  church  stands; 
but  as  the  people  in  that  neighbourhood  were  generally 
disposed  to  piety  and  went  constantly  to  church,  the 
TrolPs  greatest  torment  was  the  incessant  ringing  of  bells 
in  the  church  tower.  At  length  he  found  himself  com- 
pelled to  take  his  departure ;  for  nothing  has  contributed 
more  to  the  migration  of  the  Trolls  than  the  increasing 

'  Afzelius,  iii.  116. 

^  A  small  town  in  Secland  on  the  Issefiord. 


214  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

piety  of  the  people  and  the  more  frequent  ringing  of  bells. 
He  crossed  over  to  Fyen,  where  he  lived  for  some  time. 
It  happened  once  that  a  man  who  had  recently  fixed  his 
habitation  in  Kundby^  came  to  Fyen  and  met  this  Troll  on 
the  road.  ^^  Where  hast  thou  thy  home  ?  '^  asked  the 
Troll.  There  was  nothing  about  the  Troll  unlike  an  or- 
dinary person,  therefore  the  man  answered  him  truly : 
'^  I  am  from  Kundby."  ^^  From  Kundby  ?  "  repeated  the 
TroUj  ^'  I  don^t  know  thee  ;  though  I  think  I  know  every 
man  besides  in  Kundby.  Wilt  thou  take  a  letter  for  me  to 
Kundby  ?  "  The  man  expressed  his  willingness,  and  the 
Troll  put  the  letter  into  the  man^s  pocket,  with  the  injunc- 
tion not  to  take  it  thence  until  he  came  to  Kundby  church, 
where  he  would  need  merely  to  cast  it  over  the  wall  of  the 
churchyard,  and  the  person  would  get  it  for  whom  it  was 
intended.  They  then  separated  and  the  man  thought  no 
more  of  the  letter ;  but  when  he  had  again  crossed  over 
to  Seeland,  and  was  sitting  in  the  meadow  where  Tiis  lake 
now  is,  the  TrolFs  letter  suddenly  entered  his  thoughts. 
Taking  it  from  his  pocket,  he  sat  a  while  with  it  in  his 
hand,  when  on  a  sudden  water  began  to  bubble  out  from 
the  seal,  the  letter  expanded  itself,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  the  man  saved  his  life ;  for  the  Troll  had  en- 
closed a  whole  lake  in  the  letter,  intending  by  such  a  de- 
struction to  revenge  himself  on  Kundby  church.  But 
God  averted  it,  and  the  lake  poured  itself  into  the  great 
hollow  where  it  now  is. 

THE  SUNKEN   MANSION. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Lindenborg,  near  Aarhuus, 
there  is  a  lake  which  no  one  has  hitherto  been  able  to  fathom. 
Of  this  lake  the  following  story  is  current  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. Many  years  ago  there  stood  in  the  place  where 
the  lake  now  is,  a  proud,  ancient  castle  or  mansion,  of 
which  the  only  trace  remaining  is  a  road  that  led  to  the  gate, 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  215 

but  which  is  now  lost  under  the  waters  of  the  lake.  On  one 
holyday-eve,  when  the  family  were  from  home,  the  servants 
of  the  place  indulged  in  great  revel  and  merriment,  w^hich 
at  length  proceeded  so  far,  that  in  their  state  of  drunken- 
ness they  wrapped  a  swine  up  in  bed-linen,  placed  a  cap  on 
its  head,  and  laid  it  in  the  master^s  bed.  They  then  sent 
a  message  to  the  priest,  summoning  him  to  come  without 
a  moment^s  delay  to  administer  to  their  master,  who  lay 
at  the  point  of  death.  The  priest  was  instantly  there, 
and,  observing  no  deception,  read  to  the  swine  and  did 
everything  required  by  his  vocation;  but  when  he  w^as 
about  to  administer  the  sacrament,  all  present  burst  into  a 
fit  of  laughter,  and  the  swine  snapped  the  bread  out  of  his 
hand.  In  terror  he  hurried  from  the  place^  but  forgot  to 
take  his  book  with  him.  Just  as  he  was  hastening  through 
the  outer  gate_,  the  castle  clock  struck  twelve,  when  a 
cracking  and  crashing  began  in  every  side  and  corner  of 
the  building.  When  he  turned  round  the  mansion  had 
sunk  and  the  lake  rushed  forth  from  the  abyss.  As  he 
stood  gazing,  through  fear  and  wonder  unable  to  proceed, 
there  came  a  little  stool  floating  on  the  water  to  the  border 
of  the  lake,  on  which  lay  the  book  that  he  had  left  in 
the  mansion, 

TRADITIONS  OF  WELLS. 


In  Tisvilde  Mark  in  Seeland,  close  on  the  coast,  there  is 
a  spring,  which  beyond  all  others  has  acquired  a  celebrity 
on  accomit  of  its  miraculous  virtues.  On  St.  John^s  day, 
pilgrimages  are  made  to  it  by  the  sick  and  crippled,  even 
from  the  most  southern  parts  of  the  island;  and  many 
have  there  recovered  their  health  down  to  the  present  day. 
This  spring  is  called  Helenas  Well,  and  various  are  the 
traditions  current  respecting  it. 


216  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 


There  dwelt  in  Sweden  a  holy  woman  named  Helen  ; 
she  lived  in  a  forest  apart  from  human  converse,  and  led 
a  pure  godly  life.  In  her  solitude  she  was  assailed  by 
some  wicked  men,  who  slew  her  and  cast  her  body  into 
the  sea.  There  a  large  stone  received  her  lifeless  corpse 
and  floated  with  it  over  to  Seeland,  where  it  was  found 
under  a  high  acclivity  in  Tibirke  parish.  But  as,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  steepness,  it  was  not  practicable  to  bring 
it  ashore,  a  miracle  caused  by  her  sanctity  took  place,  the 
precipice  burst  asunder  so  that  the  body  was  borne  through 
it  into  the  plain.  The  cleft  is  still  to  be  seen.  At  the 
spot  where  the  body  was  first  laid,  a  spring  gushed  forth, 
which  is  the  celebrated  well  that  still  bears  her  name. 
When  her  body  had  been  placed  in  a  coffin,  it  was  con- 
veyed to  Tisvilde  church.  When  on  its  way,  the  bearers 
having  used  some  indecent  language,  the  bier  became  so 
heavy,  that  they  could  not  move  it  from  the  spot,  but  it 
sank  deep  into  the  earth  at  the  place  which  is  still  called 
Helen's  grave.  The  stone  on  which  she  floated  to  See- 
land  yet  lies  on  the  strand,  and  bears  evident  traces  of 
her  body. 

II. 

Helen  was  a  Scanian  princess  and  much  famed  for  her 
beauty.  A  king  fell  in  love  with  her,  and  as  he  could  not 
\vin  her  afi'ection,  he  resolved  on  violence.  In  her  distress 
Helen  fled  from  place  to  place  pursued  by  the  king.  When 
on  reaching  the  sea-shore  and  the  king  was  about  to 
seize  her,  she  plunged  into  the  deep.  But  she  did  not 
perish.  A  large  stone  rose  from  the  bottom  of  the  ocean 
and  received  her,  on  which  she  floated  over  to  Seeland. 
At  the  spot  where  she  first  set  her  foot  on  land  there 
sprang  forth  a  fountain  which  still  bears  her  name,  and 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  217 

she  lived  long  in  that  neighbourhood,  and  was  venerated 
and  visited  as  a  holy  woman. 

III. 

Three  pious  sisters  being  on  a  voyage  together,  all 
perished,  and  the  waves  dispersed  their  bodies  in  three 
several  directions.  The  first  of  these  was  named  Helen. 
Her  body  came  to  Tisvilde,  where  a  fountain  sprang  from 
her  grave.  The  name  of  the  second  was  Karen.  Her 
body  came  to  land  at  the  spot  in  Odd's  district,  where  St. 
Karen's  well  is  still  shown.  The  third  sister  was  in  like 
manner  cast  on  shore,  and  a  well  likewise  sprang  from  her 
grave. 

On  a  cliff  in  Odd's  district  there  is  a  spring  called  There's  well,  which 
may  possibly  have  been  so  named  from  the  third  sister. 

ST.  knud's  well. 

Near  Harrested  in  Seeland,  on  the  spot  where  Duke 
Knud  Lavard  was  treacherously  murdered  by  the  king's 
son  Magnus  (a.d.  1129),  a  spring  gushed  forth,  which 
is  visited  by  persons  suffering  from  bodily  ailments.  It 
bears  the  name  of  St.  Knud,  and  around  it  the  grass  is 
green  both  summer  and  winter. 

snogskilde  (snake's-well). 

Whoever  is  so  fortunate  as  to  catch  a  snake  with  a 
crown  on  its  head,  or,  as  it  is  also  called,  a  royal  snake, 
and  eats  a  piece  of  its  flesh,^ecomes  '  fremsynet '  (i.  e. 
able  to  see  into  hidden  things),  understands  the  speech  of 
animals,  and  can  read  any  book  whatsoever. 

From  such  an  event  Snogskilde  in  Fyen  derives  its 
name  and  origin.  As  a  man  was  going  down  the  hills  in 
Guldbierg  parish  he  saw  a  royal  snake  putting  its  head 
forth  from  the  earth,  which  he  quickly  seized  and  ran  off 

L 


.?18  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

with  it,  followed  by  a  multitude  of  snakes,  all  bent  on 
rescuing  their  king ;  but  the  man,  casting  off  his  wooden 
shoes,  reached  his  little  hut  in  safety,  instantly  ate  a  part 
of  the  snake,  and  thus  acquired  a  vast  insight  into  the 
secrets  of  this  world.  From  the  hole,  through  which  the 
crowned  snake  had  crept  forth,  there  sprang  a  fountain, 
which  for  many  years  after  was  fenced  in  and  visited,  on 
account  of  the  wonderful  virtue  of  its  water  in  the  cure  of 
all  diseases.     It  has  now  fallen  into  neglect  \ 

On  the  isle  of  Mors  2  there  are  said  to  be  white  vipers,  though  they 
are  found  but  seldom.  Whoever  eats  one  acquires  an  extraordinary  de- 
gree of  understanding,  together  with  the  faculty  of  seeing  things  invisible 
to  others. 

THE  SAND-HILLS  AT  NESTVED. 
At  Fladso  there  dwelt  a  Troll  who  bore  a  grudge  against 
the  inhabitants  of  Nestved  ^.  He  therefore  one  day  took 
his  leather  bag,  went  to  the  beach,  and  filled  it  with  sand. 
It  was  now  his  intention  to  do  the  people  of  Nestved  a 
great  injury,  by  burying  their  houses  under  the  sand  ;  but 
as  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  town,  with  the  sack  on  his 
shoulders,  the  sand  ran  out  through  a  hole,  and  caused 
the  row  of  sand-hills  that  lie  between  Fladso  and  Nestved ; 
nor  until  he  reached  the  spot  where  the  castle  of  Husvold 
formerly  stood,  was  he  aware  that  he  had  lost  the  greater 
part  of  the  sand,  at  which  he  was  so  angry  that  he  cast 
the  remainder  against  Nestved,  where  it  is  still  to  be  seen, 
a  solitary  sand-hill. 

OF  TREES. 
In  Rugaard  Forest  there  is  a  tree  which  has  no  leaves, 
of  which  it  is  related,  that  although  it  has  the  appearance 
of  other  trees,  it  is,  nevertheless,  an  elf,  who  by  night 

1  See  pp.  98,  99. 

2  A  small  island  in  the  Liimfiord,  in  the  north  of  Jutland. 
•■'  A  town  in  the  south  of  Seeland. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  219 

goes  about  the  forest.     To  injure  this  tree  would  be  dan- 
gerous, and  would  surely  call  forth  vengeance. 

THE  LONELY  THORN. 
One  often  sees  in  a  field  a  solitary  thorn,  which  never 
grows  larger.  Such  are  always  bewitched,  and  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  approach  them  too  near  in  the 
night  time,  as  there  comes  a  fiery  wheel  forth  from  the 
bush,  which,  if  a  person  cannot  run  away  from  it,  will 
destroy  him. 

OF  THE  PESTILENCE  IN  JUTLAND. 
On  the  east  side  of  the  churchyard  of  Fuur  no  one  is 
buried,  because  when  the  Black  Death  raged  in  the  coun- 
try, a  living  child  was  buried  there,  in  order  to  stay  the 
contagion. 

Other  instances  are  given  of  this  method  of  staying  the  pestilence. 

THE  RAT-HUNTER. 
On  the  Alhede  the  people  were  grievously  annoyed  with 
rats,  mice  and  other  vermin,  when  there  came  an  itinerant 
rat-hunter  who  undertook  to  drive  them  all  away.      He 
first,  however,    inquired  whether  they  had  ever  seen   a 
dragon  thereabouts,  and  on  their  answering  in  the  nega- 
tive, caused  a  pile  to  be  raised  on  the  middle  of  the  heath, 
having  kindled  which  he  sat  by  it  on  a  chair.     AVhile  the 
fire  was  burning  he  took  forth  a  book,  out  of  which  he 
read  much,  and  while  he  read,  rats  and  mice,  serpents  and 
various  reptiles  were  seen  to  go  into  the  fire.     But  at  last 
there  came  a  dragon,  at  the  sight  of  which  the  man  com- 
plained that  he  was  betrayed  and  must  now  perish  him- 
self.    The  serpent  then  wound  his  tail  round  both  the 
man  and  his  chair,  and  thus  entered  the  fire,  where  they 
both  perished  together. 

l2 


220  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 


HISTORICAL. 

HABOR  AND  SIGNELIL. 

Near  Ringsted^  lies  Sigersted,  so  called  from  King 
Sigar,  who  resided  there.  His  daughter,  Signelil,  loved  a 
noble  warrior  named  Habor,  and  to  this  day  is  shown,  near 
Alsted,  the  place  where  they  usually  met.  It  still  bears 
the  name  of  SigneliPs  walk. 

One  day,  when  chasing  a  hart,  and  pursuing  it  across 
the  rivulet  of  Vrangstrup,  her  horse  fell  under  her,  so  that 
she  was  exposed  to  much  danger.     At  this  instant  Habor 
appeared,  sprang  into  the  stream  and  rescued  her.     Their 
love  at  length  became  so  ardent,  that  Habor,  disguised  as 
a   waiting-maid,  secretly    gained   admission  to    Signelil, 
which  Gunvare,  SigneliPs  nurse,  treacherously  betrayed  to 
King  Sigar.     The  whole  affair  being  now  divulged,  and 
Habor  being  seized  by  the  king's  men,  the  two  lovers 
formed  the  resolution  of  dying  together.     Habor  was  con- 
ducted to  Stanghoi,  there  to  be  hanged ;  but  feeling  de- 
sirous in  his  last  moments  of  proving  the  fidelity  of  Sig- 
nelil, he  requested  that,  before  he  was  hanged,  his  cloak 
might  be  suspended  on  the  gibbet,  that  he  might  thence 
form  an  idea  how  he  himself  should  hang.     Signelil,  in 
the  mean  while,  cast  all  her  jewels  into  a  deep  pit,  which 
is  still  called  Signelil's  well ;  whence  the  saying  derives  its 
origin,  that  Sigersted  has  more  gold  and  silver  than  it 
knows  of.     She  then  shut  herself  in  her  bower,  anxiously 
watching  the  gibbet  on  which  Habor  was  to  suffer.     On 
perceiving  the  cloak,  she  set  fire  to  the  bower,  in  the  be- 
lief that  Habor  was  already  dead.     Allien  the  bower  to- 
gether with  Signelil  was  consumed,  and  Habor  was  con- 

'  Once  a  considerable,  but  now  a  small,  town  in  Seeland.  In  its  church 
(St.  Bent's),  formerly  belonging  to  the  Benedictine  convent,  are  deposited 
the  remains  of  several  of  the  early  kings  and  royal  personages. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  221 

vinced  of  her  love,  he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate,  and  was 
buried  in  Hagehoi.  But  the  accursed  nurse  had  no  great 
joy  of  her  treachery,  being  afterwards  cast  into  a  wel], 
which  still  bears  the  name  of  the  Nurse^s  Well. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  celebrated  of  all  the  Scandinavian 
traditions.  In  Saxo  the  narrative  at  length  is  admirably  given.  See  also 
W.  Grimm,  Altdiinische  Heldenlieder,  p.  509,  also  Udvalgte  Danske  Viser, 
iii.  pp.  403,  sqq.,  where  the  several  places  in  Denmark,  Sweden  and  Norway 
are  specified  which  claim  to  be  the  scene  of  the  tragedy. 

FEGGEKLIT. 
There  was  once,  in  days  of  yore,  a  king  in  Mors  named 
Fegge  or  Fengo.  His  castle  was  on  the  hill  which  after 
him  is  still  called  Feggeklit,  from  whence  he  could  order 
his  ships  out  to  sea.  He  and  his  brother,  Horvendil, 
ruled  alternately  on  land  and  on  sea,  so  that  one,  during 
three  years,  should  be  engaged  in  piratical  expeditions 
abroad,  while  the  other  directed  the  government  at  home. 
But  Fegge,  growing  jealous  of  HorvendiFs  good  fortune 
and  increasing  power,  slew  him  and  married  his  widow, 
which  murder  was  afterwards  avenged  by  HorvendiPs  son, 
Amlet,  who  slew  Fegge,  whose  grave  is  still  to  be  seen  on 
Feggeklit. 

JELLINGE  BARROWS. 

About  two  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Veile,  near  the 
village  of  Jellinge,  lie  King  Gorm  the  Old  and  his  queen, 
Thyra,  each  in  a  barrow  by  the  side  of  the  churchyard. 
On  Thyra's  barrow,  it  is  said,  there  was  formerly  a  fair 
fountain,  which,  as  some  relate,  was  conducted  in  copper 
pipes  under  the  earth,  from  a  hill  near  the  village  of  Rug- 
balle ;  while  others  say  that  it  was  derived  from  a  spring 
that  rises  in  Finnet  field;  others  assure  us  that  Thyra 
was  suspected  of  infidelity  towards  her  husband,  but  that 
three  days  after  her  interment,  a  fountain  sprang  from 
the  earth  in  token  of  her  innocence.     A  peasant   once 


222  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

washed  his  horse  in  the  water  to  cure  it  of  the  scab,  in 
consequence  of  which  profanation  the  well  was  dried  up. 

Near  these  barrows,  just  without  the  door  of  the  church, 
stand  two  remarkable  monuments  of  antiquity,  namely, 
two  very  large  stones  with  runic  inscriptions,  which  tell 
of  King  Gorm  and  his  queen  Thyra.  This  writing  can, 
however,  be  no  longer  read  by  any  one,  unless  he  stands 
on  his  head  and  has  been  to  the  Black  School.  A  cun- 
ning priest  once  read  the  writing,  and  thereby  learned  the 
existence  of  treasure  lying  sunk  in  a  field  on  a  large  stone ; 
but  where  it  is  now  to  be  found,  nobody  knows. 

HOLGER  THE  DANE  UNDER  KRONBORG  K 
Under  the  castle  of  Kronborg  a  clashing  of  arms  was 
frequently  to  be  heard,  for  which  no  one  could  assign  a 
cause,  and  in  the  whole  country  not  one  could  be  found 
daring  enough  to  descend  into  its  nethermost  passages. 
To  a  slave,  who  had  forfeited  his  life,  his  pardon  and  free- 
dom were  promised,  if,  by  descending  as  far  as  the  passage 
admitted,  he  could  bring  information  of  what  he  there 
met  with.  He  came  at  length  to  a  large  iron  door,  which, 
on  his  knocking,  opened  of  itself,  and  he  found  himself 
in  a  deep  vault.  From  the  middle  of  the  roof  hung  a 
lamp  nearly  burnt  out,  and  beneath  it  was  an  immense 
stone  table,  around  which  sat  steel-clad  warriors  bending 
down,  and  resting  their  heads  on  their  crossed  arms.  He 
who  sat  at  the  end  of  the  table  then  arose ;  it  was  Ilolger 
the  Dane ;  but  in  lifting  his  head  from  his  arm,  the  stone 
table  burst  asunder,  for  his  beard  had  grown  into  it. 
'^  Reach  me  thy  hand !  ''  said  he  to  the  slave ;  but  the 
latter,  not  venturing  to  give  his  hand,  held  out  an  iron 
bar  instead,  which  Holger  so  squeezed  that  the  marks  re- 
mained visible.  At  length  letting  it  go,  he  exclaimed : 
"  It  gladdens  me  that  there  are  still  men  in  Denmark  !  " 
1  The  castle  at  Elsinore,  which  guards  the  passage  of  the  Sound. 


DAxNISH  TRADITIONS.  223 

BISHOP  WILLIAM'S  FOOT-MARK. 
At  the  door  on  the  south  side  of  Roeskilde  ^  cathedral^ 
there  is  still  to  be  seen  on  the  threshold  the  place  where 
Bishop  William  in  his  anger  set  his  foot,  when  he  pre- 
vented King  Svend  Estrithsen  from  entering  the  church, 
and  excommunicated  him,  for  having  profaned  the  holy 
edifice  with  unjust  bloodshed. 

BISHOP  WILLIAMS  DEATH  AND  BURIAL. 
When  the  tidings  reached  Bishop  William  of  Roeskilde 
that  his  king  and  master,  Svend,  surnamed  Estrithsen, 
was  dead,  at  an  advanced  age,  in  Jutland,  he  prepared  to 
go  and  meet  the  king^s  body.  Before  he  set  out  he  went 
into  the  church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  called  the  grave- 
diggers  to  him,  ordered  them  first  to  dig  a  grave  for  the 
king  and  then  one  for  himself;  as  he  felt  certain  that  he 
should  immediately  follow  his  beloved  master.  He  then 
entered  a  carriage  and  proceeded  to  meet  the  royal  corpse. 
On  reaching  Topshoge  forest  he  observed  two  remarkably 
high  trees,  which  he  ordered  his  attendants  to  fell  and  to 
form  a  coffin  of  them.  Supposing  that  the  bishop  intended 
the  coffin  for  the  king^s  body,  they  executed  his  order  and 
placed  the  coffin  on  a  vehicle  to  be  conveyed  after  them. 
But  on  emerging  from  the  forest.  Bishop  AVilliam  seeing 
the  king's  body  drawing  nigh,  ordered  the  driver  to  stop ; 
he  then  descended  from  the  carriage,  spread  his  cloak  on 
the  ground,  fell  on  his  knees,  and  prayed  to  God  for  peace 
and  a  happy  departure.  When  the  attendants,  who  were 
standing  by,  had  long  wondered  that  the  bishop  still  con- 
tinued prostrate,  they  raised  his  head  and  saw  that  he 
was  no  more.  They  then  laid  his  body  in  the  coffin  and 
conveyed  it  back  to  Roeskilde.    Thus  was  his  corpse  borne 

1  Formerly  the  capital  of  Denmark  and  the  residence  of  the  Danish 
monarchs,  whose  burial-place  is  in  its  venerable  cathedral. 


224  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

after  the  king^s,  and  buried  in  tlie  quire,  in  the  place 
that  he  had  himself  selected. 

Afterwards,  when  Bishop  Svend  Norbagge '  was  re- 
building the  church  of  hewn  stone,  and  all  was  completed 
as  far  as  the  quire,  it  being  found  that  Bishop  William^s 
burial-place  occupied  too  much  room,  he  ordered  it  to  be 
removed.  In  the  night  there  came  a  man  clad  in  priestly 
attire  to  the  precentor,  who  lay  asleep,  and  ordered  him 
to  greet  Bishop  Svend  and  say  to  him,  that  he  ought  to 
have  been  satisfied  with  the  honour  of  completing  the  re- 
construction of  the  church,  and  not  to  have  separated  his 
body  from  the  king^s ;  adding,  that  if  Bishop  Svend  had  led 
a  less  godly  life,  he  would  have  taken  revenge  on  himself, 
but  now  he  would  be  revenged  on  the  building  only  that 
he  had  raised.  With  these  words  he  thiTist  at  the  wall 
with  his  staff  so  that  a  whole  column  came  falling  down 
in  fi'agments.  The  precentor,  on  awaking  from  his  dream, 
saw  that  the  column  was  thrown  dowTi,  and  found  himself 
l5dng  amid  the  rubbish,  but  without  having  suffered  any 
injury.  When  informed  of  this  occurrence.  Bishop  Svend 
answered,  that  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  Bishop 
William  was  so  hasty  and  unyielding  after  his  death,  see- 
ing that  he  had  been  so  during  his  whole  life. 

For  a  long  time  the  grave  remained  untouched,  until 
the  death  of  Bishop  Asker,  when  it  was  thought  that  the 
most  honourable  place  for  him  was  by  the  side  of  Bishop 

1  Of  this  prelate,  a  Norwegian  by  birth,  Saxo  (pp.  559,  sg.)  relates  a 
story  worth  repeating : — When  raised  to  the  episcopal  dignity,  Svend, 
though  well  versed  in  his  own  native  literature,  was  miserably  deficient  in 
Latin,  The  preference  shown  him  by  the  king  excited  the  envy  of  many, 
and  by  way  of  rendering  him  ridiculous,  it  was  contrived,  when  he  had  to 
celebrate  mass,  to  lay  before  him  a  book  in  which  the  first  two  letters  of 
famutum,  in  the  prayer  for  the  king,  were  erased ;  so  that  in  his  ignorance 
he  prayed  God  to  protect  his  majesty,  mulum  snum.  On  inspecting  the 
book,  the  king  at  once  perceived  the  trick,  and  caused  the  bishop  (whom 
he  loved  for  his  virtues)  to  apply  himself  to  the  study  of  the  liberal  arts, 
in  which  he  afterwards  excelled. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  225 

William,  of  which  opinion  were  the  precentor  Herman, 
the  schoolmaster  Arnfast,  and  the  provost  Isaac.  These 
three  opened  the  grave,  and  found,  on  examining  it, 
Bishop  William^s  cope,  which  spread  around  so  sweet  and 
pleasant  an  odour,  that  they  thence  concluded  he  must  be 
blessed  in  heaven.  The  odour  was  at  the  same  time  so 
powerful,  that  for  three  days  those  who  had  touched  the 
cope  could  not  wash  it  off  their  fingers.  But  when  they 
threw  his  bones  aside  with  no  respect,  each  received  his 
punishment.  Herman  the  precentor  got  the  St.  Anthony's 
fire  in  his  nose,  of  which  within  three  days  he  died.  The 
schoolmaster,  who,  by  way  of  remedy  for  an  increasing 
debility  of  the  limbs,  took  to  drinking,  became  such  a 
sufferer  that  he  vomited  up  his  liver,  and  confessed  to 
Bishop  Absalon,  who  visited  him,  that  he  suffered  all  be- 
cause of  that  sin :  he  entered  a  cloister  and  died  three 
months  after.  Provost  Isaac,  who  saw  how  the  other  two 
were  punished,  sold  all  that  he  owned  and  founded  the 
convent  of  St.  Mary  in  Roeskilde,  but  nevertheless  died 
of  a  wasting  sickness. 

THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  INHUMANITY. 

When  King  Cnut  the  Saint  was  pursued  to  the  church 
of  St.  Alban  in  0 dense,  he  knelt  down  before  the  high 
altar,  prayed  to  God  for  forgiveness  of  his  sins,  and  pre- 
pared himself  for  death.  While  there  kneeling  he  suffered 
severely  from  thirst,  and  therefore  besought  a  Jutlander, 
who  peered  in  at  a  window,  to  be  so  compassionate  as  to 
give  him  a  little  drink  of  water.  The  man  thereupon  ran 
to  a  brook  and  brought  some  water  in  a  jug;  but  when 
in  the  act  of  reaching  it  in  to  the  king,  another  Jutlander, 
who  was  standing  by,  struck  the  vessel  with  his  spear,  so 
that  all  the  water  was  spilt  on  the  church  floor.  Then  said 
the  king  to  him  who  had  broken  the  jug :  "  Dost  thou 
deny  me  a  little  di'ink  of  water  ?  ^^     And  having  said  this, 

L  5 


2.26  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

he  was  slain  by  a  stone  that  was  cast  at  him  (a.d.  1086). 
But  the  pitiless  Jute  met  with  his  reward.  He  became 
mad  and  suffered  from  burning  thirst_,  and  one  day  having 
laid  himself  down  by  a  spring  to  diaw  up  water,  he  slipt 
half  way  down  into  the  well  and  remained  hanging  by  the 
legs,  with  his  head  close  to  the  water,  though  without 
touching  it,  and  so  perished. 

SVEND  GRATHE'S  MILITARY  CHEST. 

In  Jutland,  near  the  village  of  Kragelund,  there  is  a 
large  morass  called  Graa-Mose.  It  was  formerly  called 
Grathe  Mose,  it  having  been  there  that  Svend  Grathe  was 
slain  by  King  Valdemar  (a.d.  1157).  Connected  with 
this  place  is  the  following  tradition.  When  Svend  Grathe 
saw  that  the  battle  was  lost,  he  caused  his  large  military 
chest  to  be  cast  into  the  slough  (for  such  at  that  time  it 
was),  from  which  cause  there  is  seen,  as  in  every  place 
where  treasure  is  concealed,  lights  burning  by  night. 
Hitherto  it  has  been  sought  for  in  vain ;  and  a  school- 
teacher, who  had  one  night  stuck  pegs  where  he  saw  the 
lights,  found  them  all  pulled  up  on  the  following  morning. 

THE  TWO  CHURCH  TOWERS. 

Herr  Asser  Ryg  resolved  on  building  a  church  at  Fien- 
neslovlille;  but  before  the  same  was  finished,  he  was 
obliged  to  go  to  the  wars  with  his  kinsmen.  A'Vlien  on  the 
eve  of  departure,  he  desired  his  wife,  who  was  at  the  time 
pregnant,  that  if  she  brought  him  a  son,  to  place  a  tower 
on  the  church,  but  if  a  daughter,  then  to  omit  that  orna- 
ment. MTien  he  returned  some  time  after,  lo,  there  stood 
the  church  with  two  towers !  His  wife  had  brought  him 
two  sons,  and  these  were  Absalon  and  Esbcrn  Snare. 

The  words  of  Saxo  (see  Dahlmann,  Gesch.  v.  Danneni.  i,  279,  note) 
render  this  tradition  rather  dou])tful :  •'  quanqiuim  (Hesbernus)  natu  prae- 
stet."     Absalon  was  tlie  celebrated  archbishop  of  Lund  and  still  more 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  227 

celebrated  statesman  and  warrior  under  Valdemar  I.,  surnamed  the  Great. 
His  brother,  Esbern  (Asbioru),  was  also  a  distinguished  statesman  and 
warrior. 

ARCHBISHOP  ABSALON'S  DEATH. 

Absalon  had  wronged  a  peasant,  who,  when  on  his  death- 
bed, cited  the  archbishop  before  the  judgement-seat  of 
God ;  and  at  the  moment  when  the  peasant  died,  Absalon 
was  also  called  to  his  account.  It  befell  at  the  same  time  in 
the  monastery  of  Soro,  that  the  brethren,  who  had  received 
no  tidings  of  the  archbishop^s  death,  heard,  on  the  eve- 
ning of  the  same  day,  a  mournful  voice  near  the  altar, 
saying  :  "  Sora  !   Sora  !  pro  me  supplex  ora  !  ^' 

DANNEBROG. 

While  King  Yaldemar  the  Victorious  was  fighting 
against  the  heathen  Livonians,  with  the  view  of  converting 
them  to  the  Christian  faith,  Archbishop  Andrew  of  Lund 
stood,  like  the  Moses  of  his  time,  on  a  high  hill,  offering 
up  prayers  to  God  for  the  success  of  the  Danish  arms. 
And  it  is  said,  that  as  long  as  he  was  able  to  hold  his 
arms  aloft,  the  Danes  were  successful ;  but  the  instant  he 
let  them  sink,  through  the  weakness  of  age,  the  heathens 
gained  the  advantage.  On  which  account,  the  other 
priests,  who  were  present,  supported  his  arms  as  long  as 
the  conflict  lasted.  It  was  in  this  battle  the  miracle  took 
place,  that,  when  the  Danish  principal  banner  was  lost  in 
the  heat  of  the  contest,  there  fell  from  heaven  a  banner 
bearing  a  white  cross  on  a  red  field,  and  to  this  the  Danes 
owed  the  victory.  This  precious  banner  was  preserved 
for  a  long  time  after,  and  it  was  the  general  belief,  that 
wherever  it  was,  there  was  victory  certain.  They  named 
it  the  Dannebrog.  On  the  spot  where  this  battle  was 
fought,  the  town  of  Wolmar  was  afterwards  built,  and  so 
named  after  King  Valdemar. 


228  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

DANNEBROG  SHIPS. 

On  Gienner  Mark,  about  a  mile  from  Apenrade^,  there 
are  still  the  remains  of  an  ancient  monument  called  the 
Dannebrog  ships.  It  is  said  to  have  originally  consisted 
of  twenty  greater  or  smaller  stones,  shaped  into  the  figure 
of  ships,  and  set  up  on  a  level  spot  in  the  form  of  an  oval, 
so  that  the  end  of  one  stone  is  parted  from  the  next  only 
by  another  stone  standing  up  between  them. 

Of  these  stones  it  is  related,  that  when  King  Valdemar 
II.  had  conquered  the  heathen  Livonians,  through  the  aid 
of  the  miracle  of  the  Dannebrog,  he,  on  his  way  back  to 
Denmark,  caused  these  stones  to  be  set  up  near  the  bay 
formed  by  the  Baltic  on  the  east  of  the  rural  village  of 
Gienner,  as  a  lasting  monument  of  his  victory,  on  which 
account  they  were  called  the  Dannebrog  ships. 

In  the  course  of  time  some  of  these  stones  have  been 
broken  and  placed  in  the  fences  of  the  peasants ;  there  is, 
nevertheless,  still  a  remnant  of  them  left  standing,  and 
ancient  people,  who  have  seen  more  of  them,  declare  that 
they  had  the  form  of  ships. 

ST.  NIELS  (NICHOLAS),  THE  PATRON  OF  AARHUUS. 

When  King  Cnut  the  Sixth  was  on  his  way  from  North - 
to  South- Jutland,  and  was  in  Haderslev^,  where  he  in- 
tended to  pass  the  night,  there  came  a  soothsayer  to  him, 
who  had  knowledge  of  the  stars.  This  man  declared  he 
had  read  in  the  heavens  that  on  the  next  night  a  child 
would  be  conceived,  who  in  the  course  of  time  should 
acquire  great  renown  and  be  in  favour  both  with  God  and 
man.    On  hearing  this,  the  king  was  instantly  seized  with 

1  A  town  on  the  east  coast  of  Sleswig. 

"  Or,  Ger.  Hadersleben,  a  town  of  Slcswig.  South  Jutland  is  another 
name  for  the  duchy  of  Sleswig,  wluch  it  bore  till  the  close  of  the  14th 
century. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  229 

a  strong  desire  to  be  the  father  of  so  fortunate  a  babe,  and 
forthwith  gave  orders  that  a  noble  young  lady  should  be 
secretly  conducted  to  him  on  the  following  night  and  share 
his  bed.  This  took  place  as  he  had  commanded,  and  the 
said  young  lady,  at  the  expiration  of  nine  months,  brought 
a  boy  into  the  world,  who  cost  his  mother  her  Hfe.  This 
prince,  who  at  his  baptism  received  the  name  of  Niels, 
was  delivered  to  the  king's  sister,  to  be  reared  by  her 
until  he  was  sufficiently  grown  up  to  be  conducted  to  the 
court,  there  to  be  instructed  in  martial  exercises,,  and 
knightly  demeanour.  When  Prince  Niels  had  been  some 
time  at  court,  it  came  to  his  knowledge  that  his  existence 
had  cost  his  mother  her  life,  which  circumstance  had  such 
an  effect  on  his  mind,  that  from  that  moment  he  entirely 
altered  his  course  of  life ;  so  that  it  was  said  of  him,  that 
from  that  time  he  never  laughed.  The  dissipations  of  the 
court  were  so  distasteful  to  him,  that  he  sought  solitude, 
and  devoted  himself  to  praying  and  fasting  to  that  degree, 
that  every  Friday  he  partook  only  of  bread  and  water, 
renounced  the  use  of  Hnen,  clothed  himself  in  a  garment 
of  hair,  and  passed  the  nights  in  devout  prayer  on  his 
bare  knees.  At  last  he  resolved  wholly  to  forsake  the 
turmoil  of  the  world,  and  withdrew  to  Aarhuus,  there  to 
pass  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  that  city  he  founded  a 
monastery  with  a  church,  which  was  afterwards  called  by 
his  name.  To  this  cloister  he  retired,  and  chose  a  monk 
named  Hugo  to  live  with  him,  besides  whom  he  associated 
with  no  one. 

A  short  time  before  his  death,  which  happened  in  the 
year  1180,  a  revelation  took  place.  The  before-mentioned 
Hugo,  who  slept  in  the  same  apartment  with  the  prince, 
saw  in  the  night  a  procession  of  young  clergymen  enter 
the  chamber,  clad  in  their  robes  of  ceremony,  with  purple 
copes,  and  bearing  lighted  wax  tapers  in  their  hands.  At 
the  brilliancy  of  the  light  Hugo  awoke,  rose  from  his  bed 


230  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

fell  on  his  knees  before  his  young  master^  and  related  to 
him  the  vision  he  had  seen,  asking  what  it  betokened  ? 
The  prince  answered  that  it  was  a  message  from  heaven,, 
to  announce  that  he  should  die  on  the  night  following. 
The  next  day  he  summoned  to  him  his  friends  in  the  city 
and  all  the  monks  of  the  convent,  gave  them  kind  ex- 
hortations, and  bade  them  farewell.  He  then  distributed 
liberal  alms  among  the  poor,  and  departed  hence,  as  he 
had  predicted,  on  the  following  night,  after  having  di- 
rected to  be  buried  in  the  church  of  St.  Oluf  by  the  sea, 
which  church  he  had,  during  his  life,  enriched  with  royal 
donations.  After  his  death,  it  seemed  to  Bishop  Svend 
of  Aarhuus  that  the  spot  chosen  by  the  prince  was  too 
mean  for  so  exalted  a  personage;  he  would,  therefore, 
have  had  his  body  borne  to  the  conventual  church  of  St. 
Nicholas;  but  it  happened  that  a  star  was  seen  to  fall 
from  heaven  on  the  eastern  side  of  St.  Oluf  s  church, 
which  w^as  interpreted  to  signify  that  the  prince  by  that 
miracle  repeated  his  wish  and  command;  so  that  the 
bishop  was  forced  to  comply.  After  his  burial  in  that 
church,  divers  miracles  took  place  there  from  time  to  time. 
By  the  grave  a  wooden  cross  w^as  erected,  w^hich  in  the 
course  of  time  having  become  decayed,  these  words  were 
heard  thrice  repeated :  "  Make  a  new  cross  of  oak  from 
Skeibye  forest,  and  set  it  on  the  mound  where  St.  Niels 
is  buried  !^^  This  was  done  as  ordered,  and  the  trunk 
that  was  brought  from  the  forest  was  so  large  and  heavy, 
that  five  yoke  of  oxen  could  hardly  draw  it  into  Aarhuus. 
Near  to  the  grave  there  stood  a  large  apple-tree.  A 
person  having  once  climbed  up  this  tree  for  the  purpose 
of  stealing  the  fruit,  became  palsied  both  head  and  foot, 
so  that  he  could  neither  descend  nor  even  move,  before  he 
had  prayed  to  the  saint  for  forgiveness,  and  made  a  vow 
that  he  would  never  again  be  tempted  to  rob  him  of  his 
apples. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  231 

There  was  a  box  placed  by  the  grave,  which  day  and 
night  stood  open  to  receive  the  pious  gifts  of  every  one 
who  had,  through  the  intercession  of  the  saint,  recovered 
from  bUndness,  deafness,  or  other  corporal  infirmity.  From 
this  box  a  thief  was  once  tempted  to  carry  off  a  pair  of 
curiously  wrought  eyes  of  silver,  which  a  man,  who  had 
been  restored  to  sight  at  St.  Niels'  grave,  had  placed  in 
it.  This  thief  came  from  Horsens,  and  desiring  to  hasten 
back  with  his  booty,  ran  the  whole  night  on  the  way,  as 
he  thought,  to  that  town ;  but  at  day-break  met  a  priest 
just  entering  a  churchyard,  from  whom  he  learned  that 
he  was  still  in  St.  Oluf  s  churchyard,  and  that,  notwith- 
standing all  his  running,  he  had  not  stirred  from  the  spot. 
He  then  confessed  his  enormous  sin,  and  having  given 
back  the  silver  eyes,  without  difficulty  found  the  way  back 
to  Horsens. 

A  cow  belonging  to  a  poor  woman  having  died,  St. 
Niels  restored  it  to  life.  He  did  in  like  manner  with  a 
flock  of  sheep  in  Randlev ;  and  a  hawk,  which  had  died 
on  King  Valdemar's  hand,  became  again  living  on  calling 
on  St.  Niels. 

He  was  once  standing  near  some  workmen,  who  were 
cutting  timber  in  Viby  forest  for  a  church  that  was  to  be 
built.  Hearing  them  complain  of  thirst,  he  forthwith 
caused  a  spring  to  gush  out  for  their  refreshment,  which 
still  bears  his  name,  and  is  visited  by  the  sick. 

After  St.  Niels  had  performed  many  such  miracles,  and 
his  shrine  been  richly  gifted,  there  arose  in  the  time  of 
King  Eric  Menved  an  apprehension,  that  the  sweet  and 
powerful  odour,  which  issued  from  his  grave,  would  tempt 
Marsk  Stig  and  his  band  of  robbers  over  from  the  isle  of 
Hielm,  not  far  from  Aarhuus.  In  consequence  of  this 
apprehension,  both  St.  Niels  and  his  shrine  were  removed 
to  St.  Clement's  church  in  Aarhuus;  but  from  that  time 
he  performed  no  more  miracles,  and  the  pleasant  odour 


232  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

from  his  bones  entirely  ceased  and  returned  not  again — 
not  even  after  he  had  been  made  a  saint  by  the  pope. 

LITTLE  KIRSTEN'S  (CHRISTINE'S)  GRAVE. 
Just  without  the  north  door  of  Vestervig^  church  there 
is  a  remarkably  long  grave-stone,  with  a  cross  engraved 
on  it,  and  an  illegible  inscription.  Beneath  it  hes  Little 
Kirsten,  the  sister  of  King  Valdemar  the  First.  During 
the  absence  of  the  king  she  entered  into  an  illicit  connec- 
tion with  Buris,  prince  of  the  Wends,  and  brother  to  the 
queen,  by  whom  she  became  pregnant.  When  the  king 
on  his  return  observed  what  had  taken  place,  he  called, 
as  it  is  said.  Little  Kirsten  out  to  dance,  and  danced  her 
to  death.  Prince  Buris  he  ordered  to  be  blinded  and  cast 
into  prison.  After  a  time,  when  the  king's  anger  was 
somewhat  mitigated,  he  allowed  the  unhappy  prince  to 
choose  another  prison,  and  he  chose  the  monastery  of 
VesteiTig,  where  he  was  kept  confined  until  his  death  in 
a  tower,  which  stood  where  the  churchyard  now  is ;  and 
it  is  related  that  he  had  a  chain  round  his  body  so  long 
that  he  could  go  from  his  tower  to  Kirsten' s  grave,  which 
he  daily  visited.  The  queen,  his  sister,  on  the  other  hand, 
who  had  always  hated  Little  Kirsten,  came  one  day  riding 
that  way,  and  to  show  her  contempt,  galloped  over  the 
grave ;  but  the  stone  proved  less  hard  than  her  heart,  and 
received  the  dints  of  the  horse's  hoofs. 

MARSK  STIG. 
After  the  death  of  Marsk  Stig  at  Hielm^,  his  corpse 
was  conveyed  by  night  to  the  church  of  Hintzeholm,  and 

1  A  town  on  the  Liimfiord,  on  the  west  side  of  Jutland. 

-  Stig  Andersen  was  Marsk  (i.  e.  Marshal)  of  the  kingdom.  He  was 
one  of  the  assassins  of  King  Erik  Glipping,  who,  it  is  said,  had  dis- 
honoured his  wife.  Under  the  reign  of  Erik  Menved,  son  of  the  murdered 
king,  the  Marsk  being  outlawed,  fortified  himself  on  Hielm,  a  little  island 
off  the  coast  of  Jutland  in  the  Cattegat.    See  Danske  Viser,  ii.  115-162. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  233 

there  secretly  buried  by  his  followers,  who  would  not  have 
it  known  where  he  rested,  lest  his  remains  should  suffer 
insult.  But  at  the  time  they  brought  the  body  to  the 
church,  it  happened  that  a  servant  girl  saw  a  light  in  the 
building  and  men  carrying  in  a  corpse.  This  she  told  to 
the  priest,  and  the  grave  was  afterwards  searched.  But 
the  priest  not  knowing  who  it  was  that  had  been  so  buried, 
made  no  mention  of  the  circumstance,  but  took  the  velvet 
that  was  over  the  coffin,  a  part  of  which  he  gave  to  the 
girl.  A  considerable  time  after  this  event,  the  same  girl 
became  the  wife  of  one  of  Marsk  Stig's  followers,  who  one 
day  noticing  the  velvet  on  a  cushion,  inquired  of  her 
whence  she  got  it  ?  She  thereupon  recounted  what  had 
taken  place ;  but  as  he  was  fearful  that  his  master^ s  rest- 
ing-place might  thereby  be  one  day  discovered,  he  killed 
her,  although  he  entertained  much  affection  for  her. 

KING  VALDEMAR  AND  QUEEN  HELVIG. 


Once  when  king  Valdemar  was  in  the  act  of  mounting 
his  horse,  and  had  already  set  one  foot  in  the  stirrup,  he 
fell  into  deep  thought,  and  so  continued  standing,  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  those  present.  At  length  one  of 
his  attendants  ventured  to  ask  him  why  he  thus  continued 
standing  ?  The  king  answered,  that  if  he  could  not  inform 
him,  nor  procure  him  information  whether  that  over  which 
he  was  pondering  would  happen  or  not,  he  must  never 
again  appear  before  him.  With  this  answer  the  man  went 
away  full  of  sorrow ;  he  wandered  about  in  the  forest,  and 
knew  not  to  which  side  he  should  turn.  At  length  he 
observed  a  woman  in  the  forest  sitting  by  a  fire,  who  on 
his  approach  asked  him  why  he  appeared  so  sorrowful, 
and  on  his  informing  her,  laughed  at  him,  saying  :  ''  Greet 
thy  master  and  tell  him,  that  Sweden  can  easily  fall  to 


234  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

Denmark^  if  he  will  receive  Queen  Helvig  into  favour  !  '■' 
Queen  Helvig  was  in  disgrace,  and  had  been  repudiated 
by  the  king ;  for  which  reason,  on  hearing  the  man's  an- 
swer, he  was  very  angry,  and  said  that  such  should  never 
be  the  case. 

It  happened,  however,  as  through  a  miracle,  that  as  the 
king  was  once  hunting  in  the  forest  near  the  castle  of 
Soborg,  where  Queen  Helvig  was  at  the  time  residing, 
he  saw  a  damsel,  with  whose  beauty  he  was  so  smitten 
that  he  ordered  his  attendants  to  conduct  her  to  him  at 
midnight.  But  when  the  servants  came  to  employ  force 
against  this  young  person,  announcing  to  her  at  the  same 
time  the  king's  will.  Queen  Helvig,  who  had  received  in- 
formation of  the  whole  affair,  resolved  on  putting  on  the 
young  girl's  clothes,  and  letting  herself  be  conducted  by 
the  attendants  to  the  king  her  consort.  She  became  preg- 
nant, and  gave  birth  to  a  daughter,  afterwards  the  cele- 
brated Queen  Margaret,  who  united  Sweden  with  Denmark 
and  Norway. 

This  and  the  three  following  traditions  refer  to  King  Valdemar  IV. 
surnamed  Atterdag  (from  atter,  again,  and  dag,  day),  in  conseqnence,  it 
is  supposed,  of  his  frequent  use  of  the  expression  "  Morgen  er  atter  en 
Dag"  (To-morrow  is  again  a  day).  His  queen,  Helvig,  was  confined  in 
the  castle  of  Soborg  until  her  death,  on  account  of  the  affair  with  Folker 
Lovmandsen.     See  p.  236. 

II. 

Once  when  king  Volmar  was  about  to  mount  on  horse- 
back, he  continued  standing  with  his  left  foot  in  the 
stirrup,  and  appeared  lost  in  thought.  At  this  moment  a 
man  was  led  by  whom  the  king  had  condemned  to  death, 
who  falling  on  his  knees,  prayed  for  his  life.  The  king 
starting  said  :  ^^  If  thou  canst  enable  me  to  know  what 
the  thought  was  that  has  just  passed  from  my  mind,  and 
whether  it  will   be    accomplished,   thou  shalt    be   free." 


DANISH   TRADITIONS.  235 

Hereupon  the  man  got  permission  to  travel  over  the  coun- 
try to  all  those  skilled  in  secret  knowledge ;  but  no  one 
could  answer  his  inquiry.  One  evening  he  came  toBorbierg, 
a  steep  cliff  lying  out  in  the  sea.  Here  he  struck  thrice 
with  the  white  staff  he  had  in  his  hand^  and  the  dwarf  of 
the  cliff  came  out.  He  could,  however,  afford  no  infor- 
mation :  "  but  I  have/^  said  he,  "  a  great-grandfather  in 
Dagbierg  Daas,  who  is  an  old  and  very  sagacious  man  : 
try  your  luck  with  him.^^  The  man  took  staff  in  hand 
and  hied  away  to  Dagbierg,  but  fared  not  a  whit  better 
there ;  the  dwarf  knew  nothing  whatever  :  ''  But  I  have 
a  great-great-grandfather  in  the  Rodsteen  (Red-stone)  on 
Fuur ;  if  he  can^t  inform  you,  no  one  can.^^  The  man  then 
dragged  on  to  the  isle  of  Fuur,  and  it  happened  to  be  just 
midnight  when  he  stood  by  the  cave  and  knocked  three 
times.  A  very  little  old  man  came  tottering  forth.  "  Yes, 
I  can  help  thee,  sure  enough  ;  but  first  thou  shalt  tell  me 
three  truths.''^  The  man  bethought  himself  a  moment, 
and  said  :  "  Much  have  I  travelled  and  far  have  I  been  ^, 
yet  never  have  seen  so  firm  a  house  as  thine." — '^^  Yes,  that  I 
can  well  believe,  for  it  is  a  cave  of  one  stone  ; — now  again  ! " 
— "  Much  have  I  travelled  and  far  have  I  been,  yet  never 
have  seen  so  much  gold  and  silver  in  one  spot.'^ — "  Yes, 
that  is  very  possible ;  but  now  another." — "  Much  have  I 
travelled  and  far  have  I  been,  yet  never  have  seen  so  little 
a  man  with  so  long  a  beard."  For  it  was  so  long  that 
the  little  man  almost  trod  on  it.  ''  Yes,"  said  the  man- 
nikin,  ^'  and  now  I  will  tell  thee  what  the  king  was  think- 
ing about,  and  that  is,  whether  he  could  get  Denmark, 
Norway  and  Sweden  hammered  together;  but  that  will 
only  take  place  under  his  daughter."  The  man  was 
heartily  rejoiced,  appeared  with  his  answer  before  the 
king,  and  got  remission  of  his  sentence  according  to 
promise. 

^  Almost  the  words  of  Odin  in  the  Eddaic  poem,  Vafthrudnir's  Mai. 


236  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

QUEEN  HELVIG  AND  FALK  LOHMAN. 

When  King  Valdemar  Atterdag  discovered  that  Queen 
Helvig  was  unfaithful  to  him,  and  held  illicit  intercourse 
with  Falk  Lohman,  he  caused  the  latter  to  be  hanged 
without  the  Strand-gate  at  Nyborg  ^,  and  adjudged  the 
queen  to  witness  the  execution  from  the  ramparts.  The 
prison  in  which  he  was  confined  was  in  the  castle,  and  till 
within  a  few  years  was  shown,  under  the  name  of  Falk 
Lohman's  chamber.  But  the  queen  yet  appears  mourn- 
ing on  the  ramparts,  and,  it  is  said,  sometimes  speaks  to 
the  sentinels,  one  of  whom  so  won  her  favom*,  that  she 
promised  him  he  should,  every  morning,  in  a  certain  place 
and  under  a  particular  stone  find  a  dollar.  For  some  time 
the  soldier  regularly  found  his  dollar,  but  having  fallen 
sick  and  sending  one  of  his  comrades  to  fetch  it,  there 
was  no  dollar  there,  nor  has  one  been  found  under  the 
stone  from  that  time. 

QUEEN  MARGARET  WHEN  A  CHILD. 

Queen  Helvig  had  forfeited  the  favour  of  the  king  her 
husband,  and  for  several  years  been  confined  in  Gurre 
castle,  because  she  had  caused  Tovelille,  the  king's  mis- 
tress, to  be  killed  in  a  bath.  It  happened  that  the  king, 
when  once  riding  over  the  'Copper-bridge,^  noticed  a 
pretty  little  girl,  in  a  peasant^s  dress,  standing  at  the  castle 
gate.  Being  much  pleased  with  the  child,  he  placed  her 
before  him  on  his  horse.  "Now,^^  said  the  little  one, 
"we  will  ride  to  court.''  ''What  wilt  thou  do  there?'' 
asked  the  king.  "  Beg  forgiveness  for  my  mother.  Queen 
Helvig,"  answered  the  child.  This  so  softened  the  king's 
anger,   that  he  took  his  queen  again  into   favour.     The 

1  A  fortified  town  on  the  island  of  Fyen,  whence  is  the  regular  passage 
over  to  Seeland. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  237 

little  girl  was  named  Margaret ;  she  grew  up  and  became 
queen  of  the  three  northern  realms. 

PROPHECY  OF  KING  FREDERIC  THE  FIRST'S  ACCESSION  TO 
THE  THRONE. 

In  the  year  1515^  when  King  Christian  II.  was  cele- 
brating his  marriage  in  the  palace  at  Copenhagen^  and 
the  assembled  nobles  were  sitting  amid  joy  and  festivity^ 
Duke  Frederic,  the  king's  paternal  uncle,  entered  the  hall. 
Among  the  nobles  present  was  Ditlef  Rewentlow,  who  was 
reported  to  be  well  skilled  in  astronomy  and  the  black  art. 
When  he  saw  the  duke  entering,  he  hastily  rose,  saying 
to  those  around  him  :  "  Stand  up,  ye  Danish  nobles  !  and 
advance  to  meet  your  future  king !  "  Which  prophecy, 
after  a  lapse  of  eight  years,  was  fulfilled,  and  Ditlef  Re- 
wentlow,  on  the  accession  of  Frederic  I.,  became  his  chan- 
cellor and  privy  counsellor. 

SPECTACLES  DUCATS. 

In  the  reign  of  King  Christian  IV.  a  gold  mine  was 
discovered  in  Norway,  from  which  the  king  caused  some 
half-ducats  to  be  coined.  But  some  foreign  traders  having 
denied  that  it  was  Norwegian  gold,  it  being  quite  unheard 
of  to  find  gold  in  Norway,  the  king  was  indignant ;  and 
therefore,  when  more  gold  was  afterwards  found  there,  he 
ordered  half-  and  quarter-ducats  to  be  coined,  bearing  for 
device  a  pair  of  spectacles,  thereby  signifying  that  those 
who  were  still  doubtful,  might  put  on  their  spectacles  to 
see  the  better. 


238  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

OF  HISTORICAL  PERSONS,  FAMILY  TRADI- 
TIONS, ETC. 

THE  ARMS  OF  THE  BILLE  FAMILY. 

In  tlic  arms  of  tlie  noble  family  of  Bille  there  is  a 
dwarf  or  little  wild  man,  concerning  wlioni  there  is  the 
follomng  tradition. 

Many  hundred  years  ago  there  was  a  great  drought  in 
the  countr)^,  so  that  all  the  water-mills  were  stopt,  and  the 
people  could  get  no  corn  ground.  During  this  calamity 
a  land-proprietor  of  the  above-mentioned  family  was  walk- 
ing in  his  court-yard,  much  perplexed  and  dejected,  when 
a  little  dwarf  came  to  him,  whose  body  was  all  shaggy, 
and  in  his  hand  carrying  a  tree  that  had  been  torn  up  by 
the  roots.  Standing  before  the  proprietor,  he  asked  him 
why  he  was  so  sad?  To  which  the  other  answered, 
"  What  can  it  avail  if  I  tell  thee,  for  thou  canst  not  help 
me."  The  dwarf  replied,  ^'  Thou  art  sad  because  thou 
canst  not  get  thy  corn  ground,  and  hast  many  children 
and  people  that  require  bread.  But  I  \\\\\  show  thee  a 
place  on  thy  own  grounds  where  thou  canst  build  seven 
mills  that  shall  never  lack  water."  And  having  pointed 
out  to  him  the  spot,  Herr  Bille  built  there  the  seven  mills 
still  existing  by  Ellebro  Dam,  which  are  never  at  a  stand 
for  want  of  water,  winter  or  summer. 

It  is  further  related  that  the  same  dwarf  gave  him  a 
little  white  horn,  which,  as  long  as  it  remained  in  his 
family,  should  preserve  them  in  prosperity.  This  horn,  it 
is  said,  was  long  preserved  at  Soholm  in  Seeland. 

HERR  ESKE  BROK. 
Herr  Eske  Brok,who  dwelt  at  Vemmeltoft,  going  one  day 
into  the  fields,  amused  himself  with  striking  the  air  w^ith 
his  stick,  when  suddenly  a  hat  fell  at  his  feet,  which  he 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  239 

ordered  his  servant  to  take  up,  and  placed  it  on  his  own 
head ;  hut  had  no  sooner  done  so  than  he  became  invisi- 
ble. He  then  tried  it  on  his  servant  with  the  same  result; 
so  that  whoever  had  the  hat  on  became  invisible  to  others. 
Greatly  delighted  with  his  prize,  he  took  it  home  with 
him.  Shortly  after  a  bareheaded  boy  came  to  the  gate, 
requesting  to  speak  with  Herr  Eske  Brok.  When  the 
latter  appeared,  the  boy  requested  to  have  his  hat  back, 
which  Herr  Eske  had  struck  from  his  head  with  a  stick, 
offering  a  hundred  ducats  for  it,  and  afterwards  more,  if 
he  would  let  him  have  it.  But  all  that  the  boy  could  say 
was  to  no  purpose,  for  Herr  Eske  had  taken  a  particular 
fancy  to  the  hat.  At  length  the  boy  promised  him,  that 
if  he  would  give  it  back,  his  posterity  should  never  come  to 
want  anything,  and  by  this  means  got  the  hat  from  the 
^  junker,^  who  thought  that  with  such  a  promise  it  was  well 
paid.  But  the  boy,  w^hen  going  out  at  the  door,  said : 
"Thou  shalt  leave  no  sons  behind  thee,  but  daughters 
only  !  '^  And  so  it  proved  in  the  sequel,  for  Herr  Eske^s 
wife  brought  forth  several  sons  all  dead-born,  and  he  him- 
self died  the  last  of  his  race. 

THE  HALF-FULL  BOTTLE. 
When  the  Swedes  above  a  hundred  years  since  invaded 
Holstein,  it  happened  that  after  a  battle  in  which  the 
Danes  were  victorious,  a  soldier,  who  had  his  post  on  the 
field,  had  with  great  difficulty  obtained  a  bottle  of  beer  to 
allay  his  burning  thirst.  When  about  to  drink  he  heard 
a  Sw^ede,  who  had  lost  both  his  legs,  calling  to  him  in  a 
faint  voice,  and  begging  a  refreshing  draught.  The  soldier 
thereupon  went  to  him,  and  seeing  his  deplorable  condi- 
tion, bent  forwards  to  reach  him  the  bottle ;  but  at  the 
same  moment  the  treacherous  enemy  fired  his  pistol  at 
him,  hoping  even  in  death  to  have  his  revenge.  But  the  ball 
missed,  for  our  Lord  held  his  hand  over  the  compassionate 


240  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

soldier.  Rising  up  he  drank  half  the  contents  of  the 
bottle,  and  then  held  it  out  to  the  traitor  saying  :  "  Scoun- 
drel !  now  thou  shalt  have  only  the  half.^' 

When  this  reached  the  ears  of  the  king,  he  ordered  the 
soldier  to  be  called  before  him,  and  gave  him  a  coat  of 
arms,  in  which  was  a  half-filled  bottle ;  and  this  bearing 
has  continued  in  his  family,  which  yet  lives  in  Flensborg. 

HERR  ERLAND  LIMBEK. 

The  Limbeks  were  an  eminent  race  in  Denmark,  but  are 
now  extinct ;  from,  it  is  said,  the  following  cause. 

While  Herr  Erland  Limbek  was  residing  at  Graven- 
gaard  in  Jutland,  there  one  day  came  a  dwarf  to  him  as 
he  was  walking  in  his  fields,  complaining  that  he  was  en- 
gaged in  hostilities  with  another  dwarf,  and  feared  that  he 
was  hardly  strong  enough  to  withstand  him,  unless  Herr 
Erland  would  come  to  his  aid  on  a  certain  day.  He  at 
the  same  time  promised  the  knight  that  if  he  would  do  so, 
his  race  should  be  powerful  and  prosperous  as  long  as  the 
world  lasted.  Herr  Erland  promised  to  assist  the  dwarf, 
and  fixed  both  time  and  place ;  but  being  one  night  un- 
able to  sleep,  and  tossing  himself  about  in  the  bed,  his  wife 
asked  him  why  he  was  so  restless  ?  He  then  imparted  to 
her  the  promise  he  had  made  to  the  dwarf,  whereupon  she 
exclaimed :  '^  God  forbid,  my  dear  husband  !  that  you 
should  have  intercourse  with  such  demons  !  '^  and  per- 
suaded him  to  break  his  word.  Some  time  after,  on  a 
Christmas  eve,  as  Herr  Erland  was  sitting  merry  with  his 
family  and  friends,  the  door  of  the  room  was  opened,  and 
a  little  dwarf  in  a  habit  of  gold  embroidery  entered,  saying 
to  the  knight :  '^  Had  you  kept  your  word,  I  would  have 
kept  mine ;  but  now  your  race  shall  from  day  to  day  de- 
generate and  be  despised,  and  at  last  be  extinguished,  and 
the  last  of  your  family  shall  be  mad  !  "  Hereupon  Herr 
Erland  became  angry,   and  said  :    "  Dost  thou   threaten 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  241 

me?"  and  attempted  to  strike  him,  but  the  dwarf  retired 
to  the  door.  The  knight  then  ordered  a  servant  to  seize 
him,  but  the  dwarf  shpt  away  in  haste,  yet  was,  neverthe- 
less, jammed  in  the  doorway,  so  that  he  lost  one  of  his 
shoes,  which  proved  to  be  of  pure  gold.  From  this  event 
the  knight  acquired  the  name  of  Herr  Erland  Guldsko. 

THE  FAMILY  OF  MONRAD. 

The  family  of  Monrad  is  said  to  descend  from  a  miller 
in  Hungary,  who  in  a  war  with  the  Turks  raised  a  body 
of  men  and  destroyed  a  large  Turkish  force,  whereby  he 
relieved  a  corps  of  Imperialists.  As  a  reward  for  so  im- 
portant a  service,  the  emperor  made  him  a  general  and 
raised  him  to  the  rank  of  noble,  giving  him  shield  and 
helmet,  and  commanding  him  to  bear  in  his  shield  a  half- 
moon,  in  remembrance  of  the  Turks,  and  a  mill-wheel, 
that  he  might  remember  his  former  condition ;  whence 
he  and  his  posterity  acquired  the  name  of  Mondrad^ 

THE  NAME  AND  ARMS  OF  THE  ROSENKRANDSES. 


The  first  of  the  Rosenkrands  family  was  Herr  Eric.  In 
company  with  Stie  Hvide  he  made  a  journey  to  Rome, 
where  the  pope  gave  him  a  wreath  (krands)  of  roses,  which, 
as  a  remembrance,  he  caused  to  be  represented  on  his 
helmet,  whence  his  family  acquired  its  name.  This  Herr 
Rosenkrands  lies  buried  in  Hiorringholms  Mark. 

II. 

In  the  year  663  the  young  Herr  Styge,  a  son  of  the 
king  of  Denmark,  made  a  journey  to  King  Ekuin  in  Eng- 
land, for  the  purpose  of  helping  him  in  war.  There,  on 
account  of  his  valour,  he  became  a  great  favourite,  parti - 

^  From  Ger.  Mond,  moon,  and  Rad,  wheel. 

M 


242  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

ciilarly  of  the  ladies  ;  but  the  one  that  loved  him  most 
was  the  daughter  of  Reduval,  the  prince  royal^  and  he,  on 
his  part,  also  loved  her.  He  therefore  continued  at  court 
throughout  the  winter ;  but  when  summer  came  the  prin- 
cess was  pregnant.  After  his  departure  from  England,  the 
princess  was  delivered  of  a  son,  which  she  laid  in  a  golden 
coffer,  with  a  consecrated  candle  and  salt,  because  he  had  not 
been  baptized,  and  placed  the  coffer  out  on  the  sea-strand. 
One  day  her  father,  the  prince  royal,  Ueduval,  happening  to 
ride  by,  found  the  infant,  and  concluding  from  the  golden 
coffer  that  he  was  of  high  parentage,  he  had  him  reared 
and  gave  him  the  name  of  Carl.  After  the  king's  death, 
the  prince  royal,  Reduval,  ascended  the  throne  of  England, 
of  which  he  was  the  first  Christian  king.  Carl  in  the 
meanwhile  grew  up  and  became  distinguished  for  bravery, 
so  that  the  king  thought  he  could  not  do  better  than 
marry  him  to  his  daughter.  When  the  wedding  was  just 
about  to  take  place,  the  princess  disclosed  to  the  bride- 
groom that  he  was  her  own  son  by  Prince  Styge  of  Den- 
mark. At  this  intelligence  the  king  was  so  exasperated, 
that  he  declared  at  first  she  should  perish  on  the  pile; 
but  the  young  Carl  interceded  for  her  and  effected  a  mar- 
riage with  her  and  Prince  Styge,  who  had  been  separated 
from  her  for  nineteen  years. 

In  remembrance  of  these  events  Prince  Carl  divided  his 
shield  into  four  parts  by  a  white  cross,  whereby  he  beto- 
kened that  he  was  a  Christian ;  he  next  painted  it  trans- 
ATrsely  red  and  blue,  thereby  betokening  that  he  was  both 
a  Danish  and  an  English  prince.  In  the  first  quarter  he 
placed  a  white  lion  crowned,  to  denote  Denmark ;  in  the 
fourth  another  white  lion  for  England.  In  the  second  and 
third  quarters  he  placed  a  black  and  white  chess-board, 
thereby  signifying  the  separation  that  had  so  long  existed 
between  his  father  and  mother.  And  these  are  the  arms 
of  Rosenkrands. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  243 

THE  ARMS  OF  THE  TROLLE  FAMILY. 
The  Trolles  were  in  their  time,  particularly  in  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  one  of  the  first  families 
in  Denmark.  In  allusion  to  their  name,  they  bore  in 
their  coat  a  Troll  or  demon,  and  wherever  monuments  of 
the  family  are  to  be  seen,  this  demon  is  to  be  seen  also. 
Even  in  the  cathedral  of  Roeskilde,  he  is  represented  on 
the  iron  lattice  which  encloses  the  sepulchral  chapel  of  the 
family.  He  there  appears  larger  than  life  with  a  long  tail 
and  claws  in  a  half-flying  attitude,  the  eff'ect  of  which, 
when  viewed  on  a  sudden,  is  somewhat  startling.  The 
Trolle  family  is  now  extinct.  One  of  its  most  illustrious 
members  was  Admiral  Herluf  Trolle,  the  founder  of  the 
school  of  Herlufsholm  in  the  seventeenth  century,  the  Eton 
or  Winchester  of  Denmark  ^ 

MAJOR  GENERAL  SVANWEDEL. 

About  two  hundred  years  ago  there  dwelt  at  Norre-Vos- 
borg  in  Jutland  a  proprietor  named  Svanwedel.  He  had 
been  a  major-general  in  the  Swedish  war,  and  was,  more- 
over, skilled  in  the  black  art.  On  one  occasion,  during 
the  war  in  Scania,  he  was  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  and 
had  with  him  only  a  small  body  of  troops.  But  he  ma- 
naged to  help  himself;  for  in  the  night  he  transformed  a 
quantity  of  rushes,  that  were  growing  in  the  field,  into  sol- 
diers, with  whose  aid  he  attacked  and  beat  the  enemy. 
Next  morning  these  soldiers  were  all  rushes  again  standing 
on  the  field  as  before. 

AVTjen  he  died  at  Vosborg,  his  body  was,  according  to 
usage,  deposited  in  the  castle  chapel  before  being  conveyed 
to  the  church.  One  evening,  as  his  daughter  entered  the 
chapel,  he  rose  up  in  his  cofiin  and  directed  her  to  send 
for  Magister  Niels,  the  priest  of  Huusby.     Although  this 

*  Kohl's  Reisen  in  Danemark,  i.  p,  283.     See  also  p.  91. 

M  2 


244  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

JMagister  Niels,  during  the  generaPs  life-time,  had  been 
constantly  quarreling  with  him,  he  nevertheless  came  with- 
out delay,  havhig  with  him  a  sharp  axe.  He  then  shut 
himself  in  the  chapel  with  the  corpse,  but  what  passed  be- 
tween them  no  one  knows ;  only  such  a  noise  was  heard 
within  that  the  whole  mansion  shook  with  it.  At  length 
all  was  again  silent,  and  Master  Niels  came  out  with  his 
axe,  looking  deadly  pale.  From  that  time  the  general 
remained  quiet  in  his  coffin,  and  was  buried  with  great 
pomp  in  Ulvborg  church. 

TRADITIONS  OF  TOWNS  AND  OTHER  PLACES. 
THE  RAMPARTS  OF  COPENHAGEN. 

Many  years  ago,  when  the  ramparts  were  being  raised 
round  Copenhagen,  the  etirth  always  sank,  so  that  it  was 
not  possible  to  get  it  to  stand  firm.  They  therefore  took 
a  little  innocent  girl,  placed  her  on  a  chair  by  a  table,  and 
gave  her  playthings  and  sweetmeats.  While  she  thus  sat 
enjoying  herself,  twelve  masons  built  an  arch  over  her, 
which  when  completed  they  covered  over  with  earth,  to 
the  sound  of  music  w^th  drums  and  trumpets.  By  this 
process  they  are,  it  is  said,  rendered  immoveable. 

It  is  a  universal  tradition  that  every  kind  of  building  is  strengthened 
when  any  living  being  is  buried  beneath  it.  For  such  sacrifices,  a  lamb, 
a  swine,  or  poultry,  are  generally  chosen.  Ileinrich  Heine  (Die  roman- 
tische  Schule,  270),  says  on  this  subject :  "  In  the  middle  age  the  opinion 
prevailed,  that  when  any  buiUling  was  to  be  erected,  something  hving 
must  be  killed,  on  tlie  blood  of  which  the  foundation  must  be  laid,  by 

which  process  the  building  would  continue  firm  and  immoveable 

And  in  ballads  and  traditions  the  remembrance  is  still  preserved  how 
children  or  animals  were  slaughtered,  for  the  purpose  of  strengthening 
large  buildings  with  their  blood." 

THE  IMAGE  OF  ST.  OLUF. 

St.  Oluf  had  a  chapel  at  Taasingc,  in  which  his  image 
was  preserved.     This  it  was  the  custom  of  the  peasants  to 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  245 

carry  about  their  fields,  after  they  had  put  their  seed  in 
the  ground,  that  they  might  have  a  plentiful  harvest.  It 
once  happened  that  a  countryman,  who  had  been  carry- 
ing the  image  about  his  fields,  and  ought  to  have  restored 
it  to  its  place  in  the  chapel,  thought  it  advisable  to  wait 
till  the  following  day,  but  having  no  better  place  where- 
in to  deposit  it,  he  laid  it  in  the  oven.  Next  morning  the 
servant  maid  having  to  bake,  and  not  knowing  that  St. 
Oluf  was  there,  put  fire  in  the  oven,  and  so  the  image 
was  burnt.  From  that  time  it  is  said  that  the  village  has 
no  good  luck  to  expect. 

SECRET  PASSAGES  UNDER  AALBORG. 

Under  the  town  of  Aalborg  there  are  many  secret  pas- 
sages, which  are  relics  of  the  monkish  times.  The  largest 
of  these  is  said  to  lead  from  the  old  convent,  used  at  pre- 
sent partly  as  an  hospital  and  partly  as  a  school,  and  is 
supposed  to  extend,  under  the  fiord,  as  far  as  Sundby, 
where  there  was  formerly  a  convent  of  nuns.  The  descent 
to  this  passage  was  well  secured;  for  first  it  was  closed 
with  a  brazen  door,  on  which  many  beautiful  figm-es  were 
sculptured,  and  next  with  four  doors  of  iron,  one  within 
another.  One  side  passage  led  from  this  chief  one  to  the 
church  of  St.  Mary,  under  the  mansion  in  which  King 
Hans  died.  The  ascent  into  the  church  was  through  a 
tomb.  Another  branch  led  from  the  chief  passage  to  St. 
Budolf  s  church,  and  thence  to  the  ^  Murede  Port''s  ' 
bridge.  A  third  branch  led,  in  an  opposite  direction, 
from  St.  Mary's  church,  or  from  the  convent,  to  the  old 
castle  of  Aalborghuus. 

A  student  once  undertook  to  explore  these  passages, 
which  he  entered  with  a  cord  bound  fast  round  his  body. 
In  one  hand  he  had  a  sword,  in  the  other  a  light.  At  the 
outside  of  the  entrance  he  had  placed  people,  who  at  a 


246  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

given  sign  should  draw  him  back  by  means  of  the  cord. 
But  after  he  had  been  in  two  hours  without  making  any 
sign,  they  drew  the  cord,  the  end  of  which  was  burnt  off. 
The  student  ^^■as  never  again  heard  of. 

OF  CHURCHES  AND  CONVENTS. 
OF  CHURCHES. 

When  King  Cnut,  surnamed  the  Saint,  was  building 
the  first  churches  in  the  country,  he  wished  them  to  be  so 
strong  that  they  might  last  until  the  end  of  the  world. 
He  therefore  prayed  to  God  for  direction  how  he  might 
build  strong  and  masterly.  He  then  went  to  the  sea- 
shore, where  there  lay  much  froth  (skura).  This  he  or- 
dered the  masons  to  take  and  to  build  with  it.  Through 
his  sanctity  this  froth  became  as  hard  as  stone,  and  the 
churches  that  have  such  walls  will  never  decay  as  long  as 
the  world  endures. 

Of  the  so-called  froth-walls  many  instances  occur  among  the  old 
country  churches  of  Denmark.  They  consist  of  a  porous  mass  which 
the  peasants  call  fraa  (froth),  the  production  of  which  the  master-masons 
declare  is  to  them  a  perfect  riddle.  Notwithstanding  its  porosity,  it  is 
extremely  durable.  From  the  description  it  would  seem  to  be  of  the  na- 
ture of  travertin  or  peperin,  of  which  the  ancient  builders  made  use,  and 
which  is  still  much  used  in  the  South.  As  long  as  it  Ues  in  its  natural 
bed  it  is  so  soft  that  it  may  be  cut  out  with  a  spade,  but  by  the  influence 
of  the  atmosphere  it  increases  in  hardness  from  year  to  year. 

THE  TOWER  OF  ST.   MARY^S  IN  COPENHAGEN. 

In  the  year  1534,  when  a  spire  was  being  placed  on  the 
tower  of  St.  IMary's  cathedral  in  Copenhagen,  a  carpenter^s 
man  had  an  altercation  with  his  master,  and  in  his  anger 
boasted  that  he  was  as  able  a  workman  as  himself.  To 
make  an  end  of  the  dispute,  the  master  laid  a  beam  out 
from  the  top  of  the  tower,  took  an  axe  in  his  hand,  went 
out  on  the  Ijcam,  and  struck  the  axe  fast  in  the  end  of  it. 
Having  done  this,  and  being  safely  returned,  he  ordered 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  247 

his  man  to  go  and  fetch  him  the  axe.  The  man  went 
without  hesitation,  but  while  standing  on  the  end  of  the 
beam,  and  in  the  act  of  seizing  tlie  axe,  it  seemed  to  him 
that  there  were  two,  and  he  asked  :  ''  Master  !  wliich  is  it 
to  be?^*  The  master  then  knew  how  it  was  with  him, 
and  answered  only  :  "  God  be  merciful  to  thy  poor  soul !  '^ 
At  the  same  instant  the  man  reeled  from  the  beam. 

A  story  nearly  the  same  is  related  of  the  tower  of  St.  Cnut's  church  in 
Odense,  but  in  which  the  man,  when  on  the  end  of  the  beam,  looked  over 
the  town,  and  in  his  trepidation  cried :  "  Master !  Bulbro  is  coming  nearer ! " 
Jjulbro  is  a  small  place  near  Odense. 

THE  CHIMES  IN  THE  TOWER  OF  ST.  NICHOLAS. 

During  the  great  fire  at  Copenhagen,  and  while  the 
church  of  St.  Nicholas  was  enveloped  in  flames,  the  tower 
long  stood  reeling  from  one  side  to  another.  People,  too, 
relate  who  heard  it,  that  the  chimes  in  the  meanwhile 
played  of  themselves  the  psalm :  "  God  knows  how  near 
me  is  mine  end.^^ 

THE  SEA-TROLL  IN  THE  ISSEFIORD. 

In  former  days  there  dwelt  in  the  Issefiord^  a  Trolly 
wdio  was  accustomed  to  stop  every  vessel  that  entered  the 
fiord  and  demand  a  man  from  each.  This  calamity  had 
been  long  endured,  when  it  became  known  that  the  power 
of  the  Troll  would  last  until  the  head  of  Pope  Lucius 
should  be  shown  him,  who  had  been  beheaded  in  Rome 
many  centuries  before.  Some  monks  were  accordingly 
forthwith  sent  to  Rome  to  fetch  the  head.  When  the  ship 
returned  and  was  about  to  run  into  the  fiord,  the  Troll 
made  his  appearance ;  but  as  soon  as  they  held  forth  the 
head  and  the  Troll  got  a  sight  of  it,  he  with  a  horrid  howl 

1  The  Issefiord  or  firth  runs  from  the  Cattegat  in  various  directions  into 
Seeland.  The  city  of  Roeskilde  is  built  on  the  south  end  of  one  of  its 
arms  called  the  Roeskilde  fiord. 


248  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

transformed  himself  into  a  rock.  In  Roeskildc  cathedral 
many  representations  are  to  be  seen  which  may  be  ex- 
plained by  this  tradition. 

ROESKILDE  CATHEDRAL. 

In  the  year  1084  Roeskilde  cathedral  was  dedicated  to 
Pope  Lucius^  who  in  the  year  253  had  suffered  martyrdom, 
he  having  offered  to  be  the  patron  saint  of  the  church. 
For  before  the  church  was  built,  Bishop  Svend  Norbagge^ 
despatched  two  canons  to  Rome  to  fetch  some  relic  of  a 
saint  to  whom  the  church  might  be  dedicated.  The  im- 
mense number  of  relics  of  all  sorts  which  they  found  there 
caused  them  no  small  embarrassment,  but  in  order  to 
choose  a  fitting  one,  they  sought  to  strengthen  their  judge- 
ment by  prayer.  While  thus  engaged  in  devotion,  one 
of  the  canons  fell  asleep,  when  Pope  Lucius  appeared 
before  him,  proffered  his  patronage,  and  gave  such  an 
exact  description  of  his  skull,  that  they  easily  found  it 
among  all  the  others.  This  skull  was  accordingly  chosen 
and  conveyed  to  Denmark,  where,  set  in  gold,  it  was  long 
preserved  as  the  most  precious  possession  of  Rocskilde 
cathedral. 

VEIBY  CHURCH. 

In  Veiby  church  in  Seeland  there  was  formerly  kept  a 
man^s  dried-up  hand.  Of  this  it  is  related  that  it  had 
belonged  to  a  man,  who  many  years  before  was  burnt  for 
having  murdered  his  father,  and  therefore  could  not  be 
consumed  by  the  fire. 

KALLUNDBORG  CHURCH. 

When  Esbern  Snare^  was  building  Kallundborg^  church, 

1  See  page  224.  2  See  page  226. 

3  A  town  on  the  west  coast  of  Seeland.  Esbern  Snare's  chnrdi  still 
exists,  the  five  towers  of  which  render  it  a  conspicuous  object  for  miles 
around.     In  tlic  castle,  not  a  vestige  of  which  remains,  Cllri^tian  II.  died 


DANISH   TRADITIONS.  249 

the  work  at  first  did  not  succeed^,  but  there  came  a  Troll 
to  him  offering  his  service,  and  with  him  Esbern  Snare 
made  an  agreement,  that  when  the  chm-ch  was  finished, 
he  should  either  say  what  the  Troll's  name  was,  or  should 
give  him  his  heart  and  his  eyes.  The  work  now  went  on 
well,  and  was  supported  by  stone  pUlars.  But  when  it 
was  nearly  complete,  one  half-pillar  only  being  wanting, 
Esbern  Snare  began  to  feel  alarmed,  because  he  was  still 
ignorant  how  the  Troll  was  called.  He  went  wandering 
about  the  fields  sorrowing,  and  one  day,  being  weary  and 
sad,  he  lay  down  on  Ulshoi  Banke  to  rest.  He  there  heard 
a  Troll-wife  within  the  mound  saying :  "  Be  still,  my 
child,  to-morrow  Fin  thy  father  will  come  and  give  thee 
Esbern  Snare's  eyes  and  heart  to  play  with.^^  On  hearing 
these  words,  Esbern  became  himself  again  and  returned 
to  the  church.  At  this  moment  the  Troll  entered,  bring- 
ing the  half-pillar  that  was  wanting,  when  Esbern,  on 
seeing  him,  saluted  him  by  his  name  of  Ein.  Hearing 
this,  the  Troll  was  so  angry,  that  he  flew  off  through  the 
air  with  the  half-pillar ;  and  therefore  the  church  h;is  only 
three  pillars  and  a  half  ^ 

Kallundborg  church  has  five  spires,  built  by  Esbern 
Snare.  The  highest,  which  stands  in  the  middle,  iis  for 
his  mother,  and  the  four  standing  about  it  for  his  four 
daughters,  one  of  whom  was  lame,  and  therefore  one  of 
the  spires  is  less  than  the  others. 

RACHLOV   CHURCH. 

To  the  north-east  of  Kallundborg  lies  the  village  of 
Bachlov ;  but  the  church  is  a  considerable  chstance  from 
it  in  the  open  field.     This  circumstance  is  thus  accounted 

(1559),  after  a  confinement  of  twenty-seven  years,  viz.  seventeen  at  Son- 
derborg  and  ten  at  Kallundborg.     King  Albert  of  Sweden  was  also  im- 
prisoned in  the  castle  of  Kallundborg  by  Queen  Margaret. 
1  See  pp.  39,  101. 

M  5 


250  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

for.  While  the  village  church  was  building,  it  was  found 
that  what  had  been  built  up  during  the  day  was  constantly 
thrown  down  in  the  night.  It  was  therefore  determined, 
by  the  advice  of  some  sagacious  persons,  to  place  two 
red  bulls  on  the  spot,  for  the  purpose  of  di-iving  away 
the  evil  spirits ;  and  this  was  done  accordingly.  But  on 
the  following  morning,  one  of  the  bulls  was  found  killed 
outright,  near  to  the  town;  the  other  was  discovered 
standing  out  in  the  field  on  an  eminence,  wounded  and 
misused.  Hence  the  folks  clearly  enough  saw  that  the 
evil  spirits  had  no  power  in  this  place,  and  therefore  re- 
solved there  to  erect  their  church. 

THE  ALTAR-PIECE  IN  SORO  CHURCH. 

The  altar-piece  in  Soro  church  represents  the  Last 
Supper.  It  was  at  first  determined  that  the  twelve 
apostles  should  be  painted  after  the  twelve  professors  of 
Soro  Academy,  but  as  they  could  not  agree  who  should  be 
Judas,  twelve  peasants  were  fetched  from  the  village  of 
Haverup,  after  whom  the  twelve  apostles  were  painted. 
Of  these,  Andrew  the  shoemaker  offered  himself  for  Judas, 
but  afterwards  sank  into  all  kinds  of  depravity,  and  things 
went  extremely  ill  with  him. 

BLOOD  SPOTS  ON  THE  WALL  OF  KARISE  CHURCH. 

A  hunter  in  Stevnsherred  was  desirous  of  being  an  un- 
erring shot.  He  therefore  took  the  sacrament,  but  held 
the  bread  in  his  mouth  until  he  came  out  of  church.  He 
then  loaded  his  piece,  put  the  bread  into  it,  and  fired  it 
against  the  church  wall.  On  the  place  where  he  struck 
the  wall  there  is  a  hole,  out  of  which  blood  flows,  and 
which  may  still  be  seen. 

Of  another  huntsman  it  is  said  that  he  stuck  the  wafer 
on  the  church  wall  and  shot  at  it. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  251 

THE  CHURCH  AT  FALSTER. 

There  once  dwelt  on  tlie  island  of  Falster  a  lady  of  rank_, 
who  was  extremely  rich_,  but  had  neither  son  nor  daughter 
to  inherit  her  wealth.  She  therefore  resolved  to  make  a 
pious  use  of  it,  and  caused  a  church  to  be  built  that  was 
both  spacious  and  magnificent.  When  the  church  was 
finished,  she  caused  altar-candles  to  be  lighted,  and  going 
through  the  quire  to  the  altar,  she  cast  herself  on  her 
knees  and  prayed  to  God  that,  in  reward  for  her  pious 
gift,  he  would  add  as  many  years  to  her  life  as  the  church 
should  stand.  Then  from  time  to  time  her  relations  and 
servants  died;  but  she  who  had  preferred  so  foolish  a 
prayer,  continued  to  live.  At  length  she  had  no  longer 
a  friend  or  relation  to  converse  with,  and  saw  children 
grow  up,  become  aged  and  die,  and  their  children  again 
grow  old,  while  she  herself  was  wasting  through  extreme 
age,  so  that  she  gradually  lost  the  use  of  all  her  senses. 
Sometimes,  however,  she  recovered  her  voice,  though  for 
one  hour  only  at  midnight  every  Christmas.  On  one  of  these 
nights  she  desired  to  be  laid  in  an  oaken  coffin  and  placed 
in  the  church,  that  she  might  there  die;  but  that  the 
priest  should  attend  her  every  Christmas  night  to  receive 
her  commands.  From  that  time  her  coffin  has  stood  m 
the  church,  but  she  has  not  yet  been  permitted  to  die. 
Every  Christmas  night  the  priest  comes  to  her,  lifts  the 
lid  of  the  coffin,  and  as  he  gradually  raises  it,  she  rises 
slowly  up.  When  sitting  up,  she  asks  :  "  Is  my  church 
yet  standing  ?  "  And  when  the  priest  answers  '^  Yes,"  she 
sighs  and  says  : — 

"  Ak !  give  Gud,  at  min  Kirke  var  brajndt ; 
Thi  da  er  forst  al  min  Jammer  fuldendt !  " 

Ah !  God  grant  that  my  church  were  bm-nt ; 
For  then  only  wouhl  my  affliction  be  ended. 

She  then  sinks  back  again  into  the  coffin,  the  priest  lets 


252  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

the  lid  fall,   and    docs   not    come  again   until  the   next 
Christmas  night. 


MARIBO   CHURCH. 

In  Mai'ibo  church,  by  one  of  the  pillars,  there  is  set  up 
the  image  of  a  monk  pointing  to  another  pillar,  in  which, 
the  tradition  tells  us,  a  treasure  was  hidden  by  the  monks 
when  they  were  compelled  to  leave  the  placed 

AARHUUS  CATHEDRAL, 

Aarhuus  cathedral  was,  in  the  time  of  Catholicism, 
dedicated  to  St.  Clement;  because  that  saint,  after  his 
martyrdom,  was  cast  ashore,  bound  to  an  anchor,  near 
Aarhuus,  after  having  been  tossed  about  on  the  ocean  for 
eleven  hundred  years.  He  was  there  buried,  and  in 
memory  of  him  his  figure  with  the  anchor  is  to  be  seen 
on  the  altar-piece. 

Before  the  Reformation,  it  was  a  custom  in  the  same 
cathedral,  during  the  solemn  service  of  Good  Friday  eve, 
to  send  forth  a  tremendous  voice,  through  a  hole  in  the 
vaulting  of  the  church,  saying  :  "  Ever  accursed  be  Judas ! " 
On  this  occasion  a  large  hunting  horn  was  used,  which 
till  our  time  was  preserved  in  the  church.  During  the 
malediction  a  hollow,  trembling  voice  was  sent  forth  from 
the  upper  gallery  of  the  north  transept,  uttering  the 
words  of  Judas :  "  I  have  sinned  in  that  I  have  betrayed 
the  innocent  blood." 

RIBE  CATHEDRAL. 

In  Kibe  cathedral  there  is  a  door  called  Cat's-hcad  door 
(Kathoved  Dor),  in  memory  of  an   old  tradition,  to  wit, 

1  The  learned  antiquary  Arndt  is  reported  to  have  deckxred  that  he 
found  in  the  Vatican  lihrary  a  memorandum  stating  that  a  treasure  of 
inanuscripts  and  documents  was  concealed  in  a  pillar  of  Maribo  church. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS,  253 

that  once  on  a  time  a  poor  skipper  belonging  to  llibe 
came  to  an  island  where  the  inhabitants  were  plagued 
with  an  overwhelming  number  of  mice.  Luckily  he  had 
a  cat  on  board,  which  he  took  on  shore  with  him^  and  so 
destroyed  or  drove  off  a  vast  number  of  them.  His  cat 
he  sold  to  the  inhabitants,  for  which  having  received  a 
considerable  sum,  he  sailed  home  and  returned  to  the 
island  with  a  whole  cargo  of  cats,  by  which  traffic  he 
became  so  rich,  that  he  had  whereon  to  live  for  the  rest 
of  his  life.  When  the  hour  of  death  drew  nigh,  he  re- 
solved to  employ  his  wealth  in  building  a  church  in  Ribe, 
as  a  memorial  of  which  benefit  there  is,  we  are  told,  a 
representation  in  the  said  church  of  a  cat  and  four  mice. 

The  above-mentioned  skipper  may  be  styled  the  Danish  Whittington. 
There  was  also  an  Italian  Whittington,  of  whom  it  is  related,  in  a  letter 
from  Lorenzo  Magalotti  to  Ottavio  Falconieri  (Idelers  Handb.  der  ital. 
Lit.  i.  355),  that  he,  Ansaldo  degli  Ormanni  by  name,  having  arrived  at 
one  of  the  Canary  islands,  was  invited  by  the  king  to  dinner.  During  the 
repast  he  observed  that  all  the  attendants  went  about  with  long  sticks, 
for  the  purpose  of  driving  away  the  rats,  which  made  constant  attacks  on 
the  viands.  Seeing  this,  he  hastened  to  his  ship  and  returned  with  two 
cats,  which  in  an  incredibly  short  time  made  an  appalling  slaughter  among 
the  enemy.  He  made  a  present  of  these  cats  to  the  king,  who  in  return 
bestowed  on  him  immense  riches.  On  his  return  to  his  native  country 
he  related  how  he  had  acquired  his  wealth  ;  whereupon  a  certain  Giocondo 
de'  Fisanti  resolved  on  trying  his  luck  there.  Having  sold  his  house,  he 
embarked  with  a  quantity  of  pearls  and  other  precious  things,  in  the  behef 
that  the  king  would  no  doubt  prize  such  gifts  much  more  highly  than  two 
cats.  On  his  arrival  he  accordingly  presented  his  gifts  to  the  king,  who 
valued  them  much,  but  having  nothing  which  he  considered  more  pre- 
clous  than  the  two  cats,  he  gave  one  of  them  to  Giocondo,  who  by  his 
speculation  was  reduced  to  a  state  of  poverty. 

THE  CHURCH  AT  ERRITSO. 

Many  years  ago  there  lived  at  Erritso,  near  Fredericia, 
a  very  poor  man,  who  one  day  said  :  "  If  I  had  a  large 
sum  of  money,  I  would  build  a  church  for  the  parish.^^ 
The  following  night  he  dreamed  that  if  he  went  to  the 


251  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

south  bridge  at  Veile,  he  would  make  his  fortune.  He 
followed  the  intimation,  and  strolled  backwards  and  for- 
wards on  the  bridge,  until  it  grew  late,  but  without  seeing 
any  sign  of  his  good  fortune.  When  just  on  the  point  of 
returning,  he  was  accosted  by  an  officer,  who  asked  him 
why  he  had  spent  the  whole  day  so  on  the  bridge.  He 
told  him  his  dream,  on  hearing  which  the  officer  related  to 
him  in  return,  that  he  also,  on  the  preceding  night,  had 
dreamed,  that  in  a  barn  at  Erritso,  belonging  to  a  man 
whose  name  he  mentioned,  a  treasure  lay  buried.  But 
the  name  he  mentioned  was  the  nian^s  own,  who  prudently 
kept  his  own  counsel,  hastened  home,  and  found  the  trea- 
sure in  his  barn.  The  man  was  faithful  to  his  word  and 
built  the  church. 

There  is  a  story  nearly  similar  to  the  above  related  of  a  treasure  at 
Tanslet  on  the  isle  of  Alsen.  The  reader  will,  no  doubt,  be  agreeably 
surprised  at  meeting  with  a  tradition  of  near  kin  to  the  foregoing,  respect- 
ing the  reputed  founder  of  Dundonald  castle,  in  Ayrshire  : 

Donald  Din,  or  Din  Donald,  was  originally  a  poor  man,  but  had  the 
faculty  of  dreaming  lucky  dreams.  Upon  one  occasion  he  dreamed,  thrice 
in  one  night,  that  if  he  were  to  go  to  London  Bridge,  he  would  become  a 
wealthy  man.  He  went  accordingly,  saw  a  man  looking  over  the  parapet 
of  the  bridge,  whom  he  accosted  courteously,  and,  after  a  little  conversa- 
tion, intrusted  with  the  secret  of  the  occasion  of  his  visiting  London 
Bridge.  The  stranger  told  him  that  he  had  made  a  very  fooHsh  errand, 
for  he  himself  had  once  had  a  similar  vision,  which  directed  him  to  go  to  a 
certain  spot  in  Ayrshire,  in  Scotland,  where  he  would  find  a  vast  treasure  ; 
and,  for  his  part,  he  had  never  once  thought  of  obeying  the  injunction. 
From  his  description  of  the  spot,  the  sly  Scotsman  at  once  perceived  that 
the  treasure  in  question  must  be  concealed  in  no  other  place  than  his  own 
humble  kail-yard  at  home,  to  which  he  immediately  repaired,  in  full 
expectation  of  finding  it.  Nor  was  he  disappointed  ;  for,  after  destroying 
many  good  and  promising  ca])bages,  and  completely  cracking  credit  with 
his  wife,  who  esteemed  him  mad,  he  found  a  large  potful  of  gold  coin, 
with  the  proceeds  of  which  he  built  a  stout  castle  for  himself,  and  be- 
came the  founder  of  a  flourishing  family  ^ 


Chambers,  Pop.  Rh.  p.  12. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  40'0 

THE  ALTAR-PIECE  IN  SLESWIG  CATHEDRAL. 

Master  Hans  Briiggemann,  born  in  Husum,  was  a 
skilful  artizan  and  able  man.  It  was  he  who  made  the 
beautiful  altar-piece  for  the  monks  of  Bordesholm,  which^ 
in  the  year  1666,  was  removed  to  the  cathedral  of  Sleswig, 
on  which,  it  is  said,  he  and  his  men  laboured  for  seven 
years,  and  of  which  every  figure  was  steeped  in  oil,  to  pre- 
vent injury  from  worms.  When  the  work  was  finished. 
King  Christian  II.  and  his  queen  Elizabeth  came  to  sec 
it ;  on  which  occasion,  Briiggemann,  availing  himself  of 
the  opportunity,  carved  likenesses  of  them  both  in  wood, 
which  he  placed  on  two  pillars  on  each  side  of  the  altar. 

When  the  Liibeckers  saw  this  work,  they  wished  Hans 

Briiggemann  to  execute  an  altar-piece  for  them  equally 

beautiful.     This  he  not  only  engaged  to  do,  but  also  to 

make  one  still  more  beautiful.     Hereat  the  monks  of  Bor- 

desholm  were  stung  by  jealousy,  and  gave  him  something 

which  caused  a  fluxion  and  weakness  of  his  eyes,  so  that 

he  could  no  longer  work.     He  died  in  the  town  of  Eider- 

stadt,  near  Bordesholm. 

Of  the  altar-piece  of  the  church  of  Norre-Broby  in  Fyen  it  is  also  said, 
that  when  the  artist  had  completed  it,  he  was  asked  whether  he  could 
execute  another  better  or  equally  good,  and  on  his  answering  in  the  affir- 
mative, *  they  '  put  out  his  eyes.  See  a  similar  story  of  a  clock  at  Cam- 
bray  in  Wolf,  Niederl.  Sagen,  p.  444. 

TRADITIONS  RELATING  TO  MANSIONS. 
HERLUFSHOLM. 

When  Fru  Birgitte  Gioe  was  dead  and  the  council  of 
the  realm  had  the  direction  of  the  school  of  Herlufsholm, 
it  reached  the  ears  of  some  of  the  family  that  the  deed  of 
gift  was  lost,  a  circumstance  from  which  they  hoped  to  de- 
rive advantage.  The  rector  and  the  clergyman  of  the  place 
were  consequently  summoned  to  Copenhagen,  and  found 
themselves  in  no  trifling  embarrassment  by  their  inability 


256  DANISH   TRADITIONS. 

to  find  the  document.  But  when  the  priest^  full  of 
anxiety,  had  lain  down  on  his  bed,  the  night  previous  to 
his  departure  for  Copenhagen,  Fru  Birgitte  Gioe  appeared 
before  him ;  for  she  was  unwilling  that  after  her  death  the 
school  should  come  to  nothing,  through  the  avarice  of  her 
family.  The  priest  saw  her  go  to  an  old  table,  and  strike 
several  blows  on  one  of  its  legs.  At  this  he  was  greatly 
surprised,  and  the  following  morning,  on  examining  the 
table,  he  found,  in  a  secret  drawer,  the  lost  document, 
which,  accompanied  by  the  rector,  he  produced  in  Copen- 
hasren,  and  thus  saved  the  school  of  Herlufsholm. 

VAARGAARD. 

Many  years  ago  there  dwelt  at  Vaargaard  a  lady  named 
Fru  Ingeborg,  the  widow  of  one  of  the  family  of  Scheel, 
a  great  oppressor  of  the  peasantry,  whom  he  deprived  of 
a  meadow  called  Agersted  Enge.  But  if  the  lord  had  been 
unjust  and  cruel  to  his  tenants^  his  widow  was  still  more 
so.  Once  on  the  anniversaiy  of  her  husband^s  death, 
being  on  her  way  to  church,  she  said  to  her  coachman, 
"  I  would  fain  know  how  things  go  with  my  poor  hus- 
band.^^  To  which  the  coachman,  whose  name  was  Claus, 
and  who  was  a  sly  knave,  answered  :  "  Ay,  gracious  lady  ! 
but  that  is  not  easy  to  say,  though  he  will  certainly  not  be 
suffering  from  cold ;  for  it  is  no  doubt  warm  enough  where 
he  is."  At  this  the  lady  was  highly  exasperated  and 
threatened  to  take  his  life,  if  on  the  third  Sunday  following 
he  did  not  bring  her  intelligence  how  it  fared  with  her  late 
husband.  Claus,  who  well  knew  that  his  lady  mistress 
never  failed  to  keep  her  word  when  she  promised  any  evil, 
resolved  in  the  first  instance  to  consult  with  the  priest  at 
Albek,  who  was  as  stiff  in  his  book  as  any  bishop,  and  un- 
derstood equally  well  both  how  to  keep  people  in  their 
graves  and  to  call  them  forth.  But  this  priest,  on  consult- 
in""  with  a  relation,  was  apprehensive  that  the  task  would 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  257 

prove  too  hard  for  him.  Fortunately,  however,,  the  coach- 
man had  a  brother  who  was  a  priest  in  Norway ;  of  him 
therefore  it  woukl  be  safest  to  seek  counsel,  seeing  that 
the  Norwegian  priests  are  more  cunning  in  such  matters 
than  any  others.  Glaus  consequently  made  a  trip  to 
Norway,  and  found  his  brother,  who  instantly  addressed 
him  with  :  "  Welcome,  Glaus  !  things  must,  indeed,  be 
desperate  with  you,  since  you  come  all  the  way  to  me ! " 
From  these  words  the  coachman  saw  plainly  that  his 
brother  was  perfectly  aware  how  matters  stood.  On  the 
following  day  Glaus  asked  him  for  advice  and  help.  After 
some  consideration,  he  answered  :  "  I  can,  it  is  true,  com- 
pel your  dead  master  to  re-appear ;  but  it  will  prove  a 
dangerous  business  if  you  are  afraid  of  him,  for  you  must 
yourself  tell  him  your  message."  It  was  now  resolved  that 
on  the  following  night  at  twelve  o^ clock  they  would  go  to 
a  cross  road  in  a  large  forest,  and  summon  him  forth.  At 
the  hour  and  place  appointed  the  priest  began  to  read  so 
that  the  coachman's  hair  stood  on  end.  At  once  a  dread- 
ful uproar  was  heard,  and  a  red-hot  chariot,  with  horses 
spouting  fire  on  every  side,  carae  dashing  through  the 
forest,  and  stopt  at  the  place  where  they  were  standing. 
Glaus  instantly  knew  his  master  again,  although  he  was 
red-hot.  "  Who  will  speak  with  me  ?  "  roared  the  master 
from  the  chariot.  Glaus  took  off  his  hat  and  said  :  "  I 
have  to  greet  my  gracious  master  from  my  gracious  mis- 
tress, and  to  inquire  how  he  fares  since  his  death."  "  Tell 
her,"  answered  his  master,  '^  that  I  am  in  hell,  where  there 
is  a  seat  making  for  her,  which  only  wants  the  last  step  ; 
when  that  is  laid  down  she  will  be  fetched,  if  she  does  not 
restore  Agersted  Enge  !  But  as  a  proof  that  thou  hast 
spoken  with  me,  I  will  give  thee  my  wedding  ring,  which 
thou  canst  show  her."  The  priest  then  whispered  to  the 
coachman  that  he  should  hold  out  his  hat,  and  in  the 
same  moment  the  ring  fell  into  the  hat,  through  which  it 


258  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

burned  a  liole  and  fell  on  the  ground,  from  which  Claus 
took  it  up.  In  the  next  moment,  both  chariot  and  horses 
were  away. 

On  the  third  Sunday  Claus  was  standing  outside  of 
Vaar  churchyard  when  Fru  Ingeborg  was  driven  by.  On 
seeing  him  the  gracious  lady  instantly  inquired  what  mes- 
sage he  had  brought,  when  the  coachman  related  to  her 
all  that  he  had  seen  and  heard,  and  gave  her  the  ring, 
which  she  instantly  recognised.  '^^It  is  well,"  said  she, 
^'  thou  hast  saved  thy  life.  If  I  am  to  be  with  my  hus- 
band when  I  am  dead,  be  it  so,  but  x\gersted  Enge  I  will 
never  give  back  !  " 

Shortly  after  there  was  a  pompous  spectacle  in  Vaar 
church.  It  was  the  gracious  lady^s  funeral.  But  she 
soon  re-appeared  by  night,  and  committed  so  much  mis- 
chief in  the  castle  yard,  that  the  miller  and  the  mill-folks 
ran  to  the  priest  at  Albek,  who  read  over  her,  conjured 
her  out  of  the  yard,  and  laid  her  in  a  pond  hard  by  called 
Pulsen.  Beyond  this  he  had  no  power  over  her,  but  is 
obliged  to  allow  her  every  year  to  approach  a  cock^s  step 
nearer  to  Vaargaard ;  and  it  is,  moreover,  said  that  when- 
ever in  this  manner  she  reaches  the  spot  from  whence  she 
was  driven  by  the  priest,  Vaargaard  will  sink  in  ruin. 
On  the  place  where  she  was  conjured  into  Pulsen  not  a 
blade  of  grass  ever  grows,  and  by  the  scorched-up  streaks 
in  the  field  it  may  be  seen  how  many  cock^s  steps  she  has 
already  gone. 

TRADITIONS  OF  PRIESTS  AND  ^YISE  MEN. 
ST.  ANDREW  OF  SLAGELSE. 

In  the  year  1205  therfe  lived  in  Slagelse  a  priest  of  St. 
Peter's  church  who  was  known  by  the  name  of  Holy 
Anders.  Of  this  holy  man  it  is  related,  that  with  eleven 
others  he  sailed  to  the  Holy  Land  ;  but  that  when  on  the 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  259 

eve  of  returning,  and  the  wind  being  fair,  he  would  not 
proceed  on  the  voyage  until  he  had  heard  mass  at  Joppa. 
When  the  mass  was  ended  and  his  companions  were  al- 
ready on  their  way  back,  he  found  himself  in  much  tribu- 
lation on  the  sea-shore  viewing  the  distant  vessel,  when  a 
man  rode  up  to  him  and  desired  him  to  mount  before 
him.  Anders  did  so ;  but  as  they  rode  along  he  fell 
asleep  in  the  stranger^s  arms.  On  waking  he  looked 
about  him  with  astonishment,  for  he  found  himself  on  a 
mound  just  outside  of  Slagelse,  and  had,  nevertheless, 
been  to  St.  James  of  Compostella  in  Portugal  i,  to  St. 
Olaf  s  in  Drontheim,  and  many  other  holy  places.  But 
a  long  time  elapsed  before  his  companions,  who  had  left 
him  at  Joppa,  returned  to  Denmark,  whereat  all  people 
greatly  marvelled. 

He  was  so  holy  a  man  that  when  he  performed  his  de- 
votions in  the  open  air,  he  was  wont  to  hang  his  cap  and 
gloves  on  the  sun-beams  ^,  and  thereby  acquired  an  extra- 
ordinaiy  reputation,  and  at  length  became  the  patron  saint 
of  Slagelse.  It  once  happened  that  when  he  would  thus 
hang  his  gloves  on  a  sun-beam,  they  fell  to  the  ground,  at 
which  he  was  deeply  afflicted  and  asked  our  Lord,  in  what 
respect  he  had  sinned,  seeing  that  the  miracle  no  longer 
succeeded,  and  was  then  given  to  understand  that  one  of 
the  inmates  of  the  monastery  had  stolen  a  hedge-stake, 
and  so  defiled  the  sacred  community.  The  mound  on 
which  St.  Anders  was  awakened,  acquired  from  that  event 
the  name  of  the  Hvilehoi  (mound  of  rest),  which  it  retains 
until  this  day. 

St.  Anders  interested  himself  also  in  the  welfare  of  the 
people  of  Slagelse,  by  going  with  their  petition  to  King 

1  Sic. 

2  The  monks  of  Adewert  also  hung  their  caps  and  cowls  on  the  sun- 
beams.    See  Wolf,  Niederl.  S.  p.  411. 


260  DANISH   TRADITIONS. 

Valdemar,  in  consequence  of  which  the  king  promised  to 
add  to  the  land  belonging  to  Slagelse  as  much  as  St. 
Anders  could  ride  round  on  a  colt  a  day  old,  during  the 
time  the  king  was  in  the  bath.  He  took  the  king  at  his 
word,  and  rode  with  such  speed  that  the  courtiers  were 
obliged,  from  time  to  time,  to  run  to  the  king  in  the  bath, 
saying  that  if  he  did  not  make  haste,  St.  Anders  would 
ride  round  the  whole  country.  To  this  act  the  town  of 
Slagelse  is  indebted  for  its  extensive  town  fields. 

On  the  Hvilehoi  there  stands  a  cross  with  the  inscrip- 
tion :  "  In  memoriam  divi  Andrese,  quiescentis  Joppse  et 
heic  loci  expergefacti."  When  this  cross  was  once  suffered 
to  fall  into  decay,  a  general  murrain  among  the  cattle 
ensued,  but  which  ceased  the  instant  a  new  cross  was  set 
up. 

MASTER  LAURIDS. 

In  Hadsherred  in  Jutland  there  was  once  a  priest  by 
name  Master  Laurids.  He  could  lay  the  dead  and  call 
them  from  their  graves,  and,  consequently,  it  hardly  need 
be  said,  had  many  contests  with  the  devil,  in  all  which, 
however,  his  Satanic  Majesty  invariably  came  off  second 
best. 

It  once  happened  to  Master  Laurids,  when  returning 
from  a  short  journey,  that  on  passing  Skandrup  church, 
his  horses  stopt,  and  were  unable  to  draw  the  carriage 
from  the  spot ;  but  Master  Laurids,  who  well  understood 
how  matters  were,  shook  his  head  and  ordered  his  man  to 
take  off  the  right  hind-wheel  and  lay  it  in  the  basket 
behind ;  for  he  knew  that  it  was  the  devil  who  had  placed 
himself  on  it  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  carriage  heavy. 
This  was  more  than  the  devil  had  bargained  for,  for  he 
had  now  to  get  down,  take  his  station  under  the  carriage, 
and  hold  it  up.  In  this  fashion  Master  Laurids  made 
him  follow  during  the  whole  night.     When  at  length  he 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  261 

set  him  at  liberty,  the  fiend  cast  the  axletree  from  his 
shoulder  with  such  force  that  it  was  broken  by  the  fall, 
at  which  Master  Laurids  smiling,  said :  ''  See  !  he  can  do 
that  yet  \" 

That  the  devil  on  such  occasions  must  go  under  the  carriage  instead 
of  the  fourth  wheel  was  a  universal  popular  belief  not  only  in  Denmark, 
but  in  other  countries.  A  Catholic  legend  relates  a  similar  miracle  of 
St.  Benedict,  which  has  supplied  the  subject  of  a  well-known  composition 
by  the  painter  Ditlef  Lindau  at  Rome. 

THE  PRIEST  OF  NORRE-YILSTRUP. 

At  the  close  of  the  last  century  there  lived  in  the  village 
of  Norre-Vilstrup,  near  Yeile  ^,  a  priest  who  knew  more 
than  his  Paternoster,  and  who  employed  the  extraordinary 
power,  which  he  had  acquired  in  the  Black  School  ^,  for 
the  profit  and  happiness  of  his  parishioners ;  on  which  ac- 
count he  was  much  beloved  and  respected.  For  the  sake 
of  this  power,  he  had,  it  was  said,  sworn  to  wear  only  one 
garter ;  and  it  was  well  known  to  all  that  he  never  did 
wear  two. 

To  the  parsonage  there  was  attached  a  little  thicket, 
which  lay  at  a  short  distance  from  the  village,  from  which 
the  priest's  kindling  wood  and  fire-wood  were  sometimes 
stolen.  He  one  day  asked  his  servants  whether  they  had 
no  fire-wood  to  fetch  from  thence  ?  To  which  they 
answered  that  for  some  time  past  there  was  none.  "  You 
may  at  all  events,^'  said  he,  "  take  a  wagon  and  drive 
out.'^  They  did  so,  and  there  found  a  man  from  the  til- 
lage who  had  piled  up  a  large  quantity  of  brushwood, 
which  he  was  about  to  carry  off,  but  which  the  priest's 
men  took  away  and  carted  home. 

The  provost  Petrus  iEgidii  at  Brons  was  a  magician.  A  youth,  who 
wanted  to  go  to  Ribe,  took  the  provost's  horse  from  the  meadow  ;  but  the 

1  A  small  town  on  the  east  side  of  Jutland. 

2  See  more  about  the  Black  School  in  North  German  Popular  Tradi- 
tions. 


262  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

animal  would  not  go  forwards,  and  the  lad  could  not  get  off  his  hack, 
even  when  a  couple  of  millers'  men  endeavoured  to  assist  hira.  He  was 
therefore  obliged  to  ride  to  the  priest.  "  Art  thou  there  ?  "  said  the  good 
man;  "  go  and  take  the  horse  back  to  the  field,  and  play  nie  no  more  such 
pranks  ^" 


He  was  a  very  holy  man,  performed  many  miracles,  was 
on  that  account  made  bishop  of  Viborg,  and  after  his 
death  canonized  by  the  pope. 

Before  his  sanctity  was  known,  he  was  once  expelled  by 
the  monks  from  the  convent,  and  driven  away ;  but  meet- 
ing one  of  the  conventual  servants,  who  had  been  sent 
out  to  fetch  water,  he  besought  him  to  let  him  drink  out 
of  his  pitcher.  He  did  so,  when  Kield  turned  the  water 
to  wine,  which  he  ordered  the  servant  to  take  to  the  con- 
vent with  his  greeting  to  the  brothers,  and  the  request 
that  they  would  drink  that  wine  to  his  health.  He  was 
then  speedily  recalled  and  received  with  great  joy. 

One  morning  early,  when  reading  mass  at  the  altar,  the 
lights  were  suddenly  extinguished,  so  that  it  was  quite 
dark ;  but  he,  nevertheless,  continued  reading  the  mass. 

After  his  death,  the  report  of  his  sanctity  reached  the 
pope  at  Rome,  who  caused  his  name  to  be  enrolled  in  the 
catalogue  of  saints.  His  body  was  laid  in  a  costly  shrine, 
and  suspended  by  golden  chains  from  the  vaulted  roof  of 
the  chapel.  His  richly  gilded  coffin,  called  St.  KieUFs 
ark,  was  held  in  great  veneration  until  the  Reformation, 
when  it  was  taken  down  and  placed  behind  the  altar  in 
the  cathedral,  where  it  perished  in  the  great  fire. 

1  Rhode,  Haderslev-Amt,  quoted  by  Miillenhoff,  p.  600. 

2  The  oldest  and  most  remarkable  town  in  Jutland.  From  the  remotest 
times  the  Danish  monarchs  on  their  accession  received  homage  at  Viborg, 
and  here  were  held  the  assemblies  of  the  States  of  the  kingdom.  Its 
venerable  cathedral  perished  by  fire  in  1726.  In  its  crypt  masses  were 
sung  for  the  soul  of  the  murdered  king,  Eric  Clipping  (a.d.  1287),  which 
were  continued  till  long  after  the  Reformation. 


DANISH   TRADITIONS.  263 

TREASURES  AND  TREASURE-DIGGERS. 
THE  TREASURE  IN  HVIRVEL  BAKKE. 

Hvirvel  Bakke  is  said  to  be  quite  full  of  gold^  whence 
it  is  that  on  every  Christmas  eve  it  appears  to  be  on  fire. 
If  any  one  would  only  venture  to  shoot  over  the  bakke ^, 
he  might  no  doubt  take  the  whole  of  it,  but  now-a-days 
no  one  dares  do  such  a  thing. 

THE  TREASURE  IN  DAUGBIERG-DAUS. 

At  Daugstrup,  not  far  from  Viborg,  there  is  a  barrow 
called  Daugbierg-Daus.  Of  this  barrow  it  is  said  that  it 
is  always  enveloped  in  a  blue  mist,  and  that  under  it  lies 
a  large  copper  kettle  full  of  money.  One  night  two  pea- 
sants went  to  dig  for  this  treasure,  and  had  already  pro- 
ceeded so  far  as  to  get  hold  of  the  two  handles  of  the 
kettle ;  when  all  sorts  of  wonderful  things  took  place,  for 
the  purpose  of  diverting  them  from  their  undertaking. 
At  one  moment  they  saw  a  large  black  dog  with  a  red-hot 
tongue,  then  came  a  cock  drawing  a  load  of  hay^,  next 
came  a  chariot  with  four  black  horses ;  but  in  spite  of  all 
this  the  men  did  not  allow  themselves  to  speak,  and  went 
on  with  their  digging.  At  length  a  clown  passing  by, 
stopt  before  them  and  said  :  "  See  !  Daugbierg  is  on  fire  !^' 
and  when  they  looked  in  that  direction,  it  was  precisely 
as  if  the  whole  village  stood  in  a  blaze^.     At  this  moment 

^  Bakke  is  a  small  hill  or  rising  ground.  "  See  p.  119. 

3  A  similar  superstition  prevailed  in  Scotland.  About  a  century  ago,  we 
are  told,  that  the  laird  of  Craufurdland  and  his  domestics,  when  on  the 
point  of  drawing  up  a  pot  of  gold  from  tiie  bottom  of  a  pool,  heard  a  noise 
overhead,  which  caused  them  to  let  go  their  prize  and  look  upwards. 
They  perceived  a  terrific  figure  standing  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  using 
violent  gesticulations,  and  crying. 
Tip  tow ! 

Craufurdland 's  a'  in  a  low  ! 
Whereupon  the  laird,  believing  that  the  evil  one  had  set  fire  to  his  house, 
in  order  to  divert  him  from  his  researches,  left  the  scene,  followed  by  his 


264  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

one  of  the  men  forgot  to  keep  silence^  and  at  the  instant 
he  began  to  cry  out  the  treasure  sank,  and  although  they 
have  often  since  endeavoured  to  raise  it,  the  Trolls  have 
always  prevented  them  by  their  sorcery. 

In  digging  up  a  treasure  the  strictest  silence  is  necessary  ;  hence  Oehlen- 
schlaeger  in  his  poem  '  Skattegraveren  '  (The  Treasure-digger)  says  : 
Men  hvis  et  Ord  du  taler,  But  if  a  ^vord  thou  utter, 

Forsvinder  den  igien.  It  vanishes  again. 

THE  TREASURE  ON  FUUR. 

The  little  isle  of  Fuur  in  the  Liimfiord  rests  on  a  vast 
stone,  in  the  middle  of  which  dwells  a  Troll.  When  the 
shepherds  in  the  field  place  their  ear  to  the  ground,  they 
sometimes  hear  him  locking  and  unlocking  his  great 
money  chests;  and  a  peasant,  who  for  three  Christmas 
nights  went  thither  at  midnight,  saw  at  the  third  time, 
the  Troll  sitting  on  the  hillock  displaying  all  his  treasures. 
If  any  one  shoots  over  such  things,  he  can  freely  take  of 
them  as  much  as  he  will,  and  so  did  this  peasant.  But 
when  he  was  on  his  return  home  and  very  near  his  dwell- 
ing, it  seemed  to  him  to  be  in  flames.  In  his  alarm  he 
cast  from  him  all  he  had  taken,  and  when  he  reached 
home  all  was  safe,  but  the  treasure  was  gone. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  isle  a  small  part  of  the  stone 
may  be  clearly  seen  among  high,  heath-grown  hills,  and 
many  names  are  there  inscribed  of  persons  who  have 
visited  the  spot.  On  a  level  with  the  earth  is  a  hole 
through  which  a  person  can  enter  the  stone,  but  it  is  not 
known  how  far  any  one  can  go,  as  the  greater  number  do 
not  venture  beyond  five  steps. 

THE  TREASURE  IN   LODAL. 

In  Sallingherred  there  is  a  valley  called  Lodal,  where 
formerly  a  light  was  seen  burning  every  night.     But  it 

servants,  and  ran  home  to  save  what  he  could.  Of  course  there  was  no 
fire  whatever  at  the  house. — Chamhers,  Popular  Rhymes,  etc.  p.  13. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  265 

happened  tliat  a  Holsteiner  came  to  the  place_,  who  desired 
to  be  shown  the  way  to  Lodal,  it  having  been  revealed  to 
him  in  a  dream^  that  on  the  spot  where  a  Ught  was  to  be 
seen  burning  he  should  dig  and  find  a  treasure.  He  dug 
accordingly  and  found  in  the  earth  a  capacious  copper  kettle 
full  of  gold,  but  upon  the  gold  there  lay  a  large  black 
poodle'  with  a  ring  round  its  neck.  This  he  carefully 
lifted  from  the  kettle,  laid  it  on  his  great  coat,  and  so  got 
possession  of  the  treasure,  of  which  he  distributed  a  por- 
tion to  the  peasants  who  had  assisted  him,  and  then  de- 
parted. From  that  time  the  light  ceased  to  burn;  but 
sometimes  the  dog  may  be  seen  running  about  in  Lodal. 

TRADITIONS  OF  ROBBERS. 
THYRE  BOLOXE  AND  HER  SONS. 

Close  along  an  arm  of  the  Issefiord  in  Seeland,  the  road 
passes  through  Borreveile  forest,  where  is  yet  to  be  seen 
the  so-called  Thyre^s  cave. 

This  Thyre,  surnamed  Boloxe,  with  her  twelve  sons  were 
notorious  robbers,  but  being  at  length  captured,  were  all 
executed  at  Roeskilde^.  The  following  tradition  concern- 
ing them  is  still  current  among  the  peasantry  thereabouts. 

It  often  happens,  when  any  one  drives  past  the  cave  by 
night,  that  the  horses  suddenly  begin  to  sweat  violently, 
and  are  scarcely  able  to  drag  the  carriage.  A  countryman, 
who  on  such  an  occasion  descended  from  his  vehicle  and 
peeped  through  the  left  side  of  the  headstall,  saw  that  he 
had  Thyre  Boloxe  and  her  twelve  sons  sitting  behind.  His 
only  resource  was  to  take  ofi"  the  hind  wheel  and  lay  it  in 
the  vehicle^;  for  by  so  doing  all  such  spectres  are  com- 
pelled to  run  under  the  carriage,  for  the  purpose  of  hold- 
ing up  the  axle-tree. 

^  See  pages  119,  263.  2  jn  the  year  1716.        3  See  page  260. 

N 


266  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

ST^RK  OLGER. 

In  Ugilt  krat  (thicket),  between  Hioring  and  Flad- 
strand,  when  the  country  thereabouts  had  much  forest 
land,  there  was  a  robber  who  called  himself  Stserk  (Strong) 
Olger  or  Ole.  He  robbed  and  murdered  whenever  he  had 
an  opportunity,  but  he  was  particularly  notorious  for  mur- 
dering pregnant  w  omen.  At  length  the  men  having  armed 
themselves,  surrounded  the  entire  wood  and  captured  him, 
when  he  thus  confessed  :  "  It  is  well  that  you  have  caught 
me  this  time ;  for  henceforth  no  bond  would  have  bound 
or  hand  held  me ;  for  I  had  already  eaten  the  hearts  of 
six  unborn  childi'en  !  Could  I  but  have  got  the  seventh  ! " 


On  Voldborg's  day,  that  is  the  day  preceding  Whit- 
sunday, there  was  in  former  times  a  great  merry-making 
throughout  the  country,  or,  as  it  was  called,  the  riding  in 
of  summer.  The  youth  of  both  sexes  prepared  themselves 
for  the  festival,  and  decorated  themselves  with  their  best 
for  the  procession.  The  young  men's  procession,  in  which 
all  were  on  horseback,  was  headed  by  two  stewards,  who 
rode  forward  to  announce  their  approach.  These  were 
followed  by  two  old  men,  each  holding  in  his  hand  a  long 
pole  decorated  with  ribands,  garlands,  silk  handkerchiefs, 
and  whatever  else  might  appear  showy.  After  them  came 
the  Count  of  May  (Maigreve)  with  his  two  attendants, 
and  lastly  the  whole  procession,  two  and  two,  all  clad  in 
blue  or  red  frocks,  with  white  napkins  from  the  shoulder 
down  under  the  opposite  arm,  and  ribands  fluttering  in 
their  hats.  The  INlay-count  had  two  garlands,  one  over 
each  shoulder,  while  every  other  had  one  only.  In  the 
middle  of  the  procession  rode  the  musicians,  playing  on 
violins,  drums  and  fifes.  When  they  came  to  a  boundary, 
a  garland  was  laid  on  the  place  of  entrance  ;  and  when  in 
the  villages  or  at  the  mansions  they  met  any  young  females, 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  267 

they  threw  garlands  to  them,  which  was  an  invitation  to 
their  guild  or  feast.  When  they  entered  a  town  or  village, 
both  stewards  went  to  a  house  and  begged  that  the  proces- 
sion might  enter ;  and  when  permission  was  granted,  they 
rode  thrice  round  the  court,  and  on  passing  the  windows 
saluted  the  inmates.  They  then  dismounted,  and  the 
leading  singers  began  to  sing,  the  rest,  at  the  end  of  every 
verse,  falling  in  with  "  med  Glaede  ^^  (with  joy).  On 
coming  to  a  particular  verse,  two  of  the  party  went  to  the 
church,  where  they  knelt  on  the  threshold,  and  while  in 
that  position  the  others  sang  the  rest  of  the  song.  They 
afterwards  danced  a  while,  and  were  regaled  with  beer  and 
brandy,  and  sometimes  received  money  also.  They  then 
remounted  their  horses,  rode  again  round  the  court,  and 
proceeded  further  in  the  same  order. 

When  the  girls  ran  summer  in,  they  assembled  where 
the  festival  or  guild  was  to  be,  clad  in  green  with  white 
napkins,  and  garlands  on  their  heads  and  over  their 
shoulders.  Thence  they  proceeded  to  the  fields  and 
formed  themselves  in  a  circle,  when  the  steward  tried  a 
garland  on  each,  until  he  found  one  that  it  fitted:  she 
was  then  Countess  of  May  (Maigrevinde).  The  procession 
then  went  its  round.  Whoever  would  receive  them  raised 
a  pole  adorned  with  flowers  and  garlands,  as  a  sign.  Ac- 
cording to  other  accounts,  the  Count  of  May,  on  their  re- 
turn, cast  a  garland  on  the  girl  he  chose  for  Countess. 

FRIAR  RUUS  \     (Continued  from  p.  179.) 
In  consequence  of  his  skill  in  the  culinary  art,  and  of 

^  From  *  Die  Deutschen  Volksbiicher  von  Karl  Simrock,'  6  Bd.  As  a 
more  detailed  narrative  of  the  doings  of  Friar  Runs,  after  he  became  head 
cook,  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  reader,  I  add  the  sequel  of  liis  story, 
abridged  from  the  metrical  account  of  him  in  the  above-named  work, 
which  I  had  not  at  hand  when  translating  the  portion  of  his  history  already 
given.  In  the  German  story  he  is  called  Rausch,  which  is  the  same  as  the 
Danish  Runs,  and  signifies  drunkennesSf  debauchery. 

n2 


268  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

certain  secret  services  rendered  by  liim  to  the  abbot  and 
monks  of  Esrom,  Runs  was,  by  universal  suffrage,  elected 
a  member  of  the  brotherhood,  in  which  character  he  so- 
journed   among   them    during  a  period  of  seven  years. 
Having  much  leisure  on  his  hands,  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  sitting  at  the  convent  gate  and  amusing  himself  with 
cutting  oaken  cudgels.     On  being  asked  for  what  purpose 
he  designed  the  cudgels,  he  answered,  that  it  was  well  to 
be  prepared  in  case  of  thieves  coming  by  night.     Shortly 
after,  a  dispute  ensues  among  the  brethren  about  a  female, 
one  party  being  headed  by  the  abbot,  the  other  by  the 
prior.     Both  parties  apply  to  Runs  for  cudgels,  and  both 
receive  a  supply.    A  battle  then  takes  place  between  them 
in  the  church,  where  they  are  assembled  at  matins,  during 
which  Kuus  extinguishes  the  lights,  and  in  the  heat  of  the 
melee  hurls  a  heavy  bench  in  the  midst  of  the  combatants. 
After  the  limbs  of  many  are  broken,  and  others  more  or 
less  maimed.  Runs,  with  a  sanctified  countenance,  appears 
among  them  wdth  a  light,   reproves  them  for  their  un- 
seemly conduct,  and  exhorts  them  to  peace  and  concord. 

Some  time  after  this  event.  Runs  goes  out  to  amuse 
himself,  and  forgets  to  prepare  supper  for  the  convent. 
As  he  is  hurrying  home  he  sees  a  cow  grazing,  which  he 
kills,  taking  Avith  him  a  hind  quarter.     In  the  preceding 
part  we  have  seen  that  the  owner  of  the  cow  hes  in  wait  for 
the  thief  and,  while  concealed  in  a  hollow  tree,  sees  Lucifer 
with  a  company  of  devils  assemble  on  its  summit.     These 
recount  to  their  prince  their  several  exploits.  Runs  among 
the  rest,  who  promises  to  bring  with  him  all  the  brother- 
hood, but  that  they  should  previously  murder  each  other. 
When  the  devils  had  taken  flight,  the  peasant  hastened  to 
the  convent,  where  he  related  to  the  abbot  all  he  had 
heard  while  in  the  tree.     At  his  recital  the  holy  man  w^as 
not  a  little  terrified,  and,  having  assembled  the  fraternity, 
related  to  them  all  that  the  man  had  told  him.     There- 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  269 

upon  tliey  betake  themselves  to  prayer,  and  ring  for 
mass,  when  the  abbot,  takmg  Runs  with  him,  orders  him 
to  remain,  without  stirring  from  the  spot  during  the 
whole  mass.  Upon  Runs  saying  he  could  no  longer  stay, 
during  the  administration  of  the  sacrament,  the  abbot 
conjures  him  into  the  form  of  a  horse.  On  promising  to  do 
no  more  harm,  he  is  set  free  and  passes  over  to  England. 

In  England  he  enters  the  king^s  fair  daughter,  where- 
upon her  father  sends  for  all  the  wise  and  learned  men 
from  Paris  and  elsewhere  ;  but  not  one  of  them  is  power- 
ful enough  to  cast  forth  the  evil  spirit  from  the  body  of 
the  princess.  At  length  the  demon  himself  exclaims  : 
"  I  am  Brother  Runs.  No  one  can  expel  me  from  this 
fair  vessel,  save  the  abbot  of  Esrom,  to  whom  I  have  sworn 
obedience.^'  This  dignitary  had,  it  seems,  in  the  mean 
while,  become  as  holy  again  as  ever.  The  abbot  is,  conse- 
quently, sent  for,  who  casts  out  the  evil  spirit,  commanding 
him  to  stand  before  him  in  a  horse's  form ;  when,  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  the  king  and  all  present,  the  abbot 
binds  him  with  a  heavy  chain. 

Seeing  a  quantity  of  lead  lying  close  by,  the  abbot  re- 
quested, as  his  sole  reward,  to  have  as  much  of  it,  for  the 
roof  of  his  convent,  as  Runs  could  carry  on  his  back. 
Runs  carries  accordingly  the  enormous  weight  of  three 
hundred  thousand  pounds.  The  king  and  the  abbot  then 
sit  down  to  dinner,  but  before  they  have  finished  their 
repast.  Runs  appears  before  them,  telling  them  he  has 
carried  the  lead  and  waits  for  further  orders,  asking,  at  the 
same  time,  whether  he  should  take  the  palace  and  set  it 
by  the  side  of  the  convent.  The  abbot  desires  him  to  let 
the  palace  stand,  and  merely  conduct  him  safely  back  to 
Esrom.  Then  taking  leave  of  the  king,  after  giving  him 
his  blessing,  the  holy  man  gives  his  hand  to  the  devil  ^, 

1  According  to  the  Danish  metrical  version,  Runs  takes  the  abbot  on 
his  back.     Thiele,  ii.  p.  148,  1st  edit. 


270  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

who  forthwith  sets  him  down  safe  and  sound  at  his  own 
gate.  The  fiend  then  asks  where  his  future  residence  is 
to  be,  when  the  abbot  assigns  him  a  neighbouring  hill,  in 
which  he  is  to  sojourn  till  doomsday. 

DANISH  POPULAR  BELIEFS 

1.  If  a  girl  wishes  to  know  what  sort  of  a  husband  she 
is  to  have,  she  must  on  New  Yearns  eve  pour  some  melted 
lead  into  a  glass  of  water,  and  the  following  morning 
observe  what  form  it  has  assumed.  If  it  resembles  a  pair 
of  scissors,  she  will  inevitably  get  a  tailor ;  if  a  hammer, 
he  will  be  a  smith,  etc.  Another  method,  equally  effica- 
cious, is  to  break  an  egg  into  a  glass  of  water,  and  judge 
from  the  figure  it  takes. 

2.  If  girls  are  desirous  of  seeing  their  future  husbands, 
let  them  on  the  eve  of  the  Epiphany,  before  going  to  bed, 
repeat  the  following  verses  : — 

Ye  three  holy  kings,  to  you  I  pray. 
That  ye  to-night  will  let  me  see 
Whose  cloth  I  shall  spread. 
Whose  bed  I  shall  make. 
Whose  name  I  shall  bear. 
Whose  bride  I  shall  be. 

3.  Another  formula,  probably  to  be  repeated  on  the 
anniversary  of  St.  Lucy  (Dec.  13),  is  the  following  : — 

Lucy  the  gentle 
Shall  give  me  to  know 
Whose  cloth  I  shall  spread. 
Whose  bed  I  shall  make. 
Whose  child  I  shall  bear, 
Whose  beloved  I  shall  be. 
In  whose  arm  I  shall  sleep. 

4.  It  is  a  custom  among  the  girls  on  St.  John^s  day  to 
gather  St.  John's-wort  (hypericum)  and  place  it  between 

1  Thiele,  ill.  p.  95,  sqq.,  edit.  1820. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  271 

the  beams  under  the  roof,  in  order  to  form  from  it  a  judge- 
ment as  to  the  future.  The  usual  mode  is,  to  place  one 
plant  for  themselves  and  another  for  their  sweetheart :  if 
these  grow  together,  it  is  a  presage  of  a  wedding.  Or 
they  set  the  plants  between  the  beams,  that  they  may 
know  from  them  which  of  their  relations  shall  have  a  long 
life,  and  which  a  short  one.  If  the  plant  grows  up  to- 
wards the  roof,  it  is  a  good  sign ;  but  if  downwards,  it 
betokens  sickness  and  deaths 

5.  When  lads  and  lasses  wish  to  know  who  shall  re- 
move from,  and  who  shall  stay  in,  the  house,  they  cast  a 
shoe  over  their  head  towards  the  door.  If  it  fall  so  that 
the  heel  is  turned  towards  the  door,  the  party  will  remain  ; 
if  the  toe  lies  towards  the  door,  they  will  remove. 

6.  If  a  person  sees  the  cuckoo  for  the  first  time  in  the 
year  while  he  is  yet  fasting,  it  is  said,  "The  cuckoo  befools 
us.^'  If  it  is  a  male  person,  he  shall  not  find  any  cattle 
or  anything  else  he  may  seek  after.  If  it  is  a  girl,  she 
must  be  on  her  guard  against  young  men,  lest  she  be  be- 
fooled by  them.  If  it  is  old  folks,  they  have  good  reason 
to  fear  sickness. 

7.  If  servants  see  the  stork,  for  the  first  time  in  the 

1  The  heathen  festival  of  the  Summer  Solstice,  or  Death  of  Baldur, 
was.  it  seems,  by  the  Christian  missionaries  made  to  coincide  with  the 
anniversary  of  the  Nativity  of  St.  John  the  Baptist.  Instead  of  Baldur's 
brow  (see  vol.  i.  p.  22,  note  2),  the  plant  appropriated  to  the  Christian 
holyday  was  the  hypericum  (or  androssemum),  which  in  England  also  was 
once  "  considered  as  powerful  for  the  expulsion  of  witches,  and  for  the 
prognostication  of  the  fates  of  young  men  and  maidens.  In  Lower  Saxony 
girls  gather  sprigs  of  it,  and  fasten  them  to  the  w^alls  of  their  chamber. 
If  the  sprig,  the  next  morning,  remains  fresh,  a  suitor  may  be  expected; 
if  it  droops  or  withers,  the  maiden  is  destined  to  an  early  grave.  Hyp. 
perforatum  was  the  species  used  in  this  country."  Walker's  Flora  of 
Oxfordshire,  p.  217.  Finn  Magnusen,  *  Den  iEldre  Edda,'  i.  p.  17.  The 
name  androsaemum  (aj/opds-  aTjua)  is  probably  an  alhision  to  the  decol- 
lation of  the  Baptist ;  the  plant  containing  a  reddish  fluid. 


272  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

year^  flying,  it  betokens  tliat  they  will  change  their  place 
during  that  year.  If  they  see  it  standing,  they  will  con- 
tinue in  their  situation. 

8.  To  discover  a  thief,  particularly  among  the  servants, 
it  was  formerly  the  custom  to  ^'^niake  the  sieve  move.^' 
For  this  purpose,  the  master  placed  a  sieve  in  equilibrium 
on  the  point  of  a  pair  of  scissors,  and  then  repeated  the 
names  of  all  the  servants,  at  the  same  time  watching  the 
sieve,  which  would  infallibly  begin  to  move,  when  the 
thief  was  named. 

9.  When  anything  is  stolen,  recourse  should  be  had  to 
the  ^'  cunning  folks,'^  who  have  the  faculty  of  forcing  the 
thief  to  bring  back  the  stolen  property. 

10.  From  Christmas  day  till  New  Yearns  day  nothing 
that  runs  round  may  be  set  in  motion  ;  there  must,  con- 
sequently, be  neither  spinning  nor  winding  ^ 

11.  On  Christmas  night  at  midnight  the  cattle  rise  in 
their  stalls. 

12.  If,  when  sitting  at  table  on  Christmas  eve,  you 
msh  to  know  whether  any  of  those  present  will  die  before 
the  next  Christmas,  go  out  silently  and  peep  through  one 
of  the  window  panes :  the  person  who  appears  sitting  at 
table  without  a  head,  will  die  in  the  following  year  ^. 

13.  At  a  party  it  is  not  good  for  thirteen  to  sit  down 
to  table ;  for  then  one  of  them  must  die  before  a  year  is 
over. 

14.  To  cut  one's  nails  on  a  Friday  brings  luck. 

15.  When  your  nails  or  hair  have  been  cut,  the  cuttings 
should  either  be  burnt  or  buried ;  for  if  evil-disposed  per- 

»  Seep.  Ill,  No.  48. 

2  In  Anspach,  when  on  Christmas  or  New  Year's  eve  the  candles  of 
a  Chi'istmas  tree  are  lighted,  a  person  has  only  to  ohserve  the  shadows  of 
those  present,  to  discover  who  will  die  in  the  coming  year  :  in  the  shadow 
they  will  appear  without  heads. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  273 

sons  get  possession  of  them,  tliey  may  bewitcli  the  person 
who  had  borne  them^ 

16.  If  a  person  finds  a  broken  needle  on  the  ground, 
before  he  has  said  his  morning  prayer,  he  will  get  either 
blows  or  bad  words^. 

17.  If  the  eyes  of  a  corpse  stand  open,  it  betokens  that 
one  of  the  same  family  will  die  shortly  after. 

18.  Clothes  and  linen  that  have  belonged  to  one  dead, 
soon  decay  and  fall  in  pieces,  even  as  the  corpse  rots  in 
the  grave. 

19.  A  corpse  must  not  be  buried  in  the  clothes  of  a 
living  person ;  because  as  the  clothes  rot  in  the  grave,  so 
will  the  person  to  whom  the  clothes  had  belonged  con- 
sume and  waste. 

20.  When  the  tallow  round  a  burning  candle  curls 
itself  like  a  shaving,  it  forebodes  the  death  of  some  one, 
most  commonly  of  the  person  towards  whom  it  points^. 

21.  One  must  not  weep  over  the  dying,  still  less  let 
tears  fall  on  them ;  for  then  they  cannot  rest  in  the  grave'*. 

22.  If  in  the  morning  blue  spots  appear  on  the  body, 
they  are  the  pinches  of  a  spectre,  and  betoken  the  death 
of  a  relative  or  dear  friend. 

23.  It  was  the  custom  formerly,  when  a  person  died,  to 
cause  the  bells  to  toll  immediately,  while  the  departed 
soul  was  passing  to  heaven^. 

24.  When  dogs  howl  they  forebode  death. 

^  In  Swabia  the  superstition  is  universal,  that  cuttings  of  hair  must  be 
burnt,  or  cast  into  running  water ;  for  if  a  bird  should  get  them  and  carry 
them  away,  either  the  person's  hair  will  fall  off,  or  the  witches  may  harm 
him.     Journal  von  und  flir  Deutschl.  1788,  p.  441. 

2  Holberg's  Uden  Hoved  og  Hale,  Act  1 .  Sc.  2. 

3  In  England  too,  on  the  same  occasion,  we  say,  "  See !  there  is  a 
winding-sheet  in  the  candle."  <  See  vol.  i.  p.  292. 

5  Om-  passing  bell,  still  in  use,  though  the  belief  in  which  it  originated 
has  long  ceased  to  prevail. 


n5 


Ji74  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

25.  When  a  magpie  perches  on  a  house,  it  is  a  sign 
that  strangers  are  coming. 

26.  If  swallows  or  storks  build  their  nests  on  the  house, 
they  must  not  be  disturbed:  they  bring  good  luck^ 

27.  If  you  find  a  four-lobed  clover,  or  a  twin  nut,  or  a 
skilling,  you  must  keep  it,  as  either  of  them  brings  luck. 

28.  On  going  out  in  the  morning  you  should  take 
notice  whom  you  meet ;  it  not  being  good  to  meet  an  old 
woman ;  nor  is  it  a  good  sign  if  a  hare  runs  across  the 
way^. 

29.  If  a  person  washes  to  see  the  devil  or  have  any 
communication  with  him,  he  must  walk  round  the  church 
thrice,  and  at  the  third  time  stop  at  the  church  door,  and 
either  cry  "  Come  out,^^  or  whistle  through  the  key-hole. 

30.  If  any  one  washes  to  know  w^hether  a  deceased  per- 
son has  had  intercourse  with  the  devil  during  his  life,  let 
him  peep  through  the  harness  of  the  horses  that  draw  the 
hearse;  when,  if  such  has  been  the  case,  he  will  see  a 
black  dog  sitting  behind  the  carriage. 

31.  Whoever  possesses  the  book  of  Cyprian^,  can  by 
reading  out  of  it  perform  all  sorts  of  conjurations;  but 
when  in  possession  of  the  book,  a  person  cannot  easily 
get  rid  of  it ;  for  whether  he  sells,  or  burns,  or  buries  it, 
it  always  returns  to  its  owner. 

32.  If  any  one  has  the  book  of  Cyprian,  he  can  read 

^  Olaf  Tryggvason,  although  a  Christian,  observed  whether  the  crow 
stood  on  its  right  or  left  foot,  and  predicted  good  or  evil  accordingly ; 
whence  his  enemies  nicknamed  him  krdkabein  (crow-leg). 

2  "  The  coal-miners  in  the  north  of  England  account  it  specially  un- 
lucky to  cross  a  woman  on  their  way  to  the  pit,  and  many  a  miner,  if  he 
catches  a  glimpse,  or  fancies  he  does  so,  of  the  flutter  of  a  female  dress, 
will  turn  on  his  heel  and  go  back  to  bed  again."— Morning  Chronicle, 
Dec.  20th,  1819.  This  superstition  was  no  doubt  brought  over  by  the 
Scandinavian  settlers  in  the  north  of  England. 

»  See  pp.  18G-188. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  275 

the  devil  to  him ;  but  he  must  be  prepared  to  give  him 
such  work  to  do  as  will  cause  him  annoyance.  But  it  is 
a  bad  affair,  if  a  person  does  not  also  know  how  to  read 
him  away  again. 

33.  Only  those  children  that  are  born  on  a  Sunday  or 
a  holy  day  can  see  spirits  ^ 

34.  If  any  one  is  afraid  of  spectres,  let  him  strew  flax- 
seed before  his  door;  then  no  spirit  can  cross  the  thresh- 
old. A  preventive  equally  efficacious  is,  to  place  one^s 
slippers  by  the  bed-side  with  the  heels  towards  the  bed^. 
Spectres  may  also  be  driven  away  by  smoking  the  room 
with  the  snuff  of  a  tallow  candle ;  while  wax  lights  attract 
them :  hence  it  partly  arises  that  churches  are  always 
haunted.  Another  preventive  is,  to  place  steel  at  the 
door. 

35.  If  you  nail  a  horseshoe  fast  to  the  step  of  the  door, 
no  spirit  can  enter  ^. 

36.  When  the  peasant  women  have  prepared  their 
dough,  they  are  accustomed  to  make  a  cross  either  on  the 
dough  or  on  the  bread  made  from  it ;  that  the  trolls  may 
not  injure  it. 

37.  If  a  person  enters  the  church  too  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  may  happen  to  see  the  dead,  how  they  sit  in  the 
pews. 

38.  Trolls  dare  not  pronounce  the  word  cross,  but  call 
it  merely  "  here  and  there. ^^ 

39.  When  out  fishing,  men  must  be  careful  not  to 
quarrel  about  the  draught ;  nor  must  one  envy  another ; 
as  the  fish  will  then  instantly  disappear  from  the  spot. 

40.  If  a  person  dies  who,  it  is  feared,  will  re-appear, 
as  a  preventive,  let  a  basinful  of  water  be  thrown  after  the 
corpse,  when  it  is  carried  out. 

41.  It  is  absurd  to  shoot  at  a  spectre,  as  the  bullet  will 

'  See  p.  203.  ^  Holberg's  Uden  Hoved  og  Hale,  Act  i.  Sc.  2. 

3  A  superstition  equally  common  in  England. 


276  DANISH  TRADITIONS. 

return  on  him  who  shot  it.     But  if  the  piece  be  loaded 
with  a  silver  button,  that  will  infallibly  take  effect  ^ 

42.  The  third  night  after  burial  the  dead  are  wont  to 
walk. 

43.  A  pregnant  woman  must  not  walk  over  a  place 
where  a  knife  has  been  ground;  as  it  causes  a  difficult 
delivery.  But  if  she  spits  thrice  on  the  spot,  there  is  no 
danger. 

44.  If  a  child  is  weighed  immediately  after  it  is  born, 
it  will  not  thrive  afterv/ards. 

45.  If  a  child  be  lifted  out  of  one  window  and  taken  in 
through  another,  it  will  never  grow  bigger. 

46.  If  a  lying-in  woman  dies  before  delivery,  she  will 
give  birth  forty  weeks  after  in  the  grave.  For  which  rea- 
son, a  needle,  thread,  scissors,  &c.  should  be  buried  with 
her,  that  she  may  sew  the  baby-linen. 

47.  By  the  breast-bone  of  a  Martinmas  goose  it  may 
be  known  how  the  winter  will  be.  The  white  in  it  is  a 
sign  of  snow ;  but  the  brown  forebodes  very  severe  cold. 
It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  the  foremost  part  by  the 
neck  foretells  of  winter  before  Christmas ;  but  the  hinder 
part  of  winter  after  Christmas. 

48.  As  the  weather  is  on  the  day  of  the  Seven  Sleepers 
(July  27),  so  it  will  continue  for  seven  weeks. 

49.  It  often  happens  that  mariners  in  the  wide  ocean 
see  a  ship — in  all  respects  resembling  a  real  one — sailing 
by,  and  at  the  same  instant  vanishing  from  their  sight. 
It  is  the  spectre-ship,  and  forebodes  that  a  vessel  will 
soon  go  to  the  bottom  on  that  spot. 

50.  Every  seventh  year  the  cock  lays  an  egg.  When 
it  is  hatched,  a  basihsk  comes  forth,  which  kills  people 
merely  by  looking  at  them.  It  is  also  said,  that  this 
animal  can  be  killed  only  by  holding  a  mirror  before  it, 
it  being  so  ugly  that  it  cannot  survive  the  sight  of  itself-. 

1  See  pp.  6,  191,  192,  note  ^  2  See  p.  212. 


DANISH  TRADITIONS.  277 

51.  If  you  desire  to  know  your  future  fortune  at  New 
Yearns  tide^  take  a  loaf,  a  knife  and  a  skilling,  with  which 
go  out  and  look  at  the  moon,  when  the  new  moon  shines. 
If  then  you  open  a  psalm-book,  you  will  be  able  from 
what  the  place  contains  to  judge  of  the  most  important 
things. 

52.  On  the  eve  of  Maundy  Thursday  the  country  folks 
cast  axes  and  iron  wedges  on  the  sown  fields,  and  fasten 
steel  on  all  their  doors,  that  the  witches  may  not  injure 
them. 

53.  A  ringing  in  the  left  ear  betokens  that  somebody 
is  speaking  ill  of  you ;  but  good,  if  the  ringing  be  in  the 
right  ear. 

54.  If  any  one  goes  to  church  on  Maundy  Thursday, 
and  has,  without  knowing  it,  a  pullet's  egg  (i.  e.  the  first 
egg  a  hen  lays)  with  him,  he  will  see  all  the  women  that 
are  witches  with  sieves  or  milk-pails  on  their  heads. 

55.  The  following  is  recommended  as  a  remedy  for  the 
tooth-ache. — Take  an  elder-twig,  first  put  it  into  your 
mouth,  then  stick  it  in  the  wall,  saying,  "  Depart,  thou 
evil  spirit. '^ 

56.  As  a  cure  for  the  ague,  it  is  good  to  stick  a  twig 
of  elder  in  the  ground,  but  without  uttering  a  word  while 
so  doing.  The  disease  will  then  pass  into  the  twig,  and 
attach  itself  to  the  first  person  that  unfortunately  ap- 
proaches the  spot. 

57.  In  Norway  it  is  thought  unlucky  to  meet  a  hare, 
but  lucky  to  meet  a  bear  or  a  wolf. 


INDEX. 


A. 

AaLBORG,  secret  passages  under, 

245. 
Aarhuus  Cathedral,  anecdotes  of,  252. 
Aasgaardsreia  or  Wild  Hunt,  descrip- 
tion of,  25.     See  Wild  Hunt. 
Abel  (King),  account  of  Mm  and  his 

hunt,  198. 
Absalon  (Bp.),  anecdote  attending  his 

birth,  226  ;  of  his  death,  227. 
Aerolites,  52. 
Altar-cups.     See  Cups. 
Ague,  cure  for  the,  277. 
Andrew  (St.)  of  Slagelse,  legend  of, 

258. 
Animals,  Mystic,  83. 
Ardea  nigra  or  Odin's  swallow,  51. 
Asker  (Bp.),  224. 
Axel  Thordsen   and  Fair  Valdborg, 

story  of,  43. 
Axle-tree  supported  by  Trolls  and 

spectres,  260,  265. 


B. 


Basilisk,  account  of  the,  212,  276. 

Bear,  84,  277. 

Belief  (Popular),  Swedish,  108-113  ; 

Danish,  270. 
Bergtagning,  67. 
Berg-trolls,  56,  63,  83. 
Biaraan  or  Bare,  account  of  the,  105. 
Bierg-riser,  4. 


Bille  family,  origin  of  their  arms,  238. 

Biorn,  the  Swede,  59. 

Blakulle,  84,  105. 

Blocksberg,  witches  ride  to,  185. 

Bondevette,  story  of,  139. 

Bordesholm,  altar-piece  at,  removed 
to  Sleswig,  255. 

Bornholm,  Trolls  in,  125,  126. 

Botrad,  71. 

Bottle,  the  half-full,  239. 

Brok  (Eske),  anecdote  of,  238. 

Brownie  described,  165. 

Briiggemann  (Hans)  carves  the  altar- 
piece  of  Sleswig  cathedral,  255. 

Brunmigi,  account  of  the,  23. 

Bullet  of  silver,  virtue  of,  6, 191, 192, 
275. 

Buris  (Prince),  his  amoiir  with  Kir- 
sten,  232. 

Butter,  witches',  106. 

Button  (Silver).    See  Bullet. 


C. 


Cats,  witches  in  the  form  of,  32. 

Cattle  transformed  to  mice,  11. 

Changelings,  anecdotes  of,  174,  175. 

Children,  superstitions  concerning, 
276. 

Christmas  or  Yule  pastimes  in  Swe- 
den, description  of,  49 ;  customs 
at,  107. 

Christmas  celebrated  by  the  Trolls,  89. 

Christmas,  superstitions  of,  272. 


280 


INDEX. 


Churches,  ohjects  of  abhorrence  to 
the  Trolls,  85  ;  one  at  Fienneslov- 
lille,  226 ;  built  of  froth,  246  ;  tra- 
ditions of,  246-255. 

Church-grim,  account  of  the,  102, 
166,  167. 

Church-lamb,  account  of,  102,  210. 

Church-sow,  210. 

Clement  (St.), patron  of  Aarhuus,  252. 

Clover,  four-lobed,  274. 

Cnut  the  Great,  59. 

Cuut  the  Saint  (King),  of  his  death, 
225. 

Cnut.     See  Knud. 

Cock  (Red)  a  symbol  of  fire,  7;  a 
guardian  of  treasure,  119. 

Copenhagen,  story  of  the  ramparts 
of,  244  ;  of  St.  Marv's  church,  246 ; 
St.  Nicholas',  247. 

Cuckoo,  superstitions  connected  with 
the,  83,  107,  271. 

Cups  (Altar)  stolen  from  Trolls,  90, 
140,  144,  146,  148. 

Cyprianus,  account  of,  and  of  his 
book,  186-188,  274. 

D. 

Dagmar  (Queen),  her  death  foretold 
by  a  mermaid,  176. 

Dam-horse,  account  of  the,  208  bis, 

Dannebrog,  origin  of  the,  227. 

Dannebrog  Ships,  account  of,  228. 

Daoine  Shi,  81. 

Death,  superstitions  connected  with, 
273,  275,  276. 

Devil  plays  at  cards,  179;  how  ex- 
pelled, ib. ;  a  scholar  assigns  him- 
self to  the,  180;  his  footstep,  ib.', 
his  contract  with  Jens  Plovgaard, 
181 ;  outwitted,  182  ;  transactions 
with  the  lady  of  Kiolbygaard,  183 ; 
a  feast  with  him,  184,  185  ;  super- 
stitions concerning  the,  274. 

Dogs,  guardians  of  treasure,  119,  263, 
265  ;  howling  of,  273. 

Dragons  (Fiery)  in  Norway,  31 ;  or 
White  Serpent,  98,  99 ;  at  Alsted, 
207;  at  Ostbicrg  Bakker,  ib. 
Drakes  in  the  south  of  France,  13. 
Dronthcim   (Bp.   of),    story   of    his 

cattle,  10. 
Dwarfs,    belief  concerning,    1,   56; 
their  skill,  57  ;  origin  of,  115. 


E. 


Ear,  ringing  in  the,  277. 

Edenhall,  cup  at,  145. 

Ekuin,  a  king  of  England,  241. 

Elder,  Superstitions  concerning  the, 
168,  277. 

Elf-altars,  62. 

Elf-dances,  70. 

Elf-folk.     See  Elves. 

Elfin  Gardens,  67. 

Elf-king,  of  his  tune,  81. 

Elves,  account  of,  62  ;  held  in  dread, 
64 ;  of  flying  elves,  63  ;  elf-dances, 
70  ;  water-elves,  76  ;  origin  and 
stories  of,  115,  sqq.,  121;  live 
under  the  hearth,  127;  an  elf- 
wedding,  ib. ;  send  for  a  midwife, 
and  deprive  her  of  sight,  128,  129  ; 
decoy  a  boy,  136 ;  decoy  a  bride, 
138. 

Epiphany  eve,  superstition  connected 
with,  270. 

Eric  (King),  his  dream,  58. 

En-itso  Church,  foundation  of,  253. 

Esbern  Snare,  anecdote  attending  his 
birth,  226 ;  anecdote  of  him  and 
Kallundborg  church,  248. 


F. 


Falster  Church,  anecdote  of,  251. 

Feggeklit,  account  of,  221. 

Fienneslbvlille  Church,  226. 

Finlap,  story  of  a,  193, 

Finn,  the  giant,  builds  Lund  cathe- 
dral, 101 ;  turned  to  stone,  102. 

Finngalkn  described,  24. 

Finnish  superstition,  55,  193. 

Fishing,  superstitions  concerning,  1 1 1, 
275. 

Fossegrim,  account  of  the,  23. 

Fountain  Maidens,  77. 

Fox,  84. 

Frederic  I.,  prophecv  concerning,  237. 


G. 


Gardbo,  18. 

Gertrud's  bird,  account  of,  25. 

Ghosts,  19.     See  Spectres. 

Giants:  one  turned  to  stone,  9;  in 


INDEX. 


281 


h 


Sweden,  56 ;  one  builds  Lund  ca- 
thedral, 101. 

Giantesses,  marriages  of,  with  men, 
86,  87;  one  carries  off  a  plough- 
man, 140. 

Gioe  (Birgitte),  255. 

Goose,  of  its  breast-bone,  276. 

Grave-sow,  account  of  the,  210. 

Grim,  account  of  the,  23.  See  Church- 
grim. 

Gron-Jette,  account  of  the,  195. 

Gunnar  (Sir)  of  Loholm,  77. 

Gyfr  or  Gygr, 

Gyvri, 

H. 

Habitation-Tree,  71. 

Habor  and  Signelil,  story  of,  220. 

Hair-cutting,  272. 

Hans  Adolf,  duke  of  Holstein-Ploen, 

187. 
Hare,  unlucky  to  meet  a,  277. 
Helen's  Well,  215-217. 
Hel-horse,  account  of  the,  209. 
Helvig  (Queen),  anecdotes  of,  233- 

236. 
Herlufsholm,  by  whom  founded,  243 ; 

anecdote  of,  255. 
Holger  the   Dane   under    Kronborg 

castle,  222. 
Horgabrudar,  62,  73,  78. 
Horn  (the  Oiestad),  14,  15;  one  at 

Liungby,  90. 
Horns  Jager,  account  of,  197. 
Horseshoe,  superstition  concerning  a, 

275. 
Hoskelreia,  27. 
Huldra  or  Hulla,  account  of,  1,  2,  3  ; 

manied,  10,  15. 
Huldreman,  6. 
Huntsman,  the  flying,  195. 
Hyldemoer,  account  of  the,  167. 


Jotuns,  4,  56. 

Issefiord,  of  the  Troll  in  the,  247. 

Jula-mot,  50. 

Julgalt,  50. 

Juniper-Tree,  superstition  connected 

with  the,  73. 
Jutuls,  account  of  them,  4,  5. 


K. 


Kallundborg  Church,  anecdote  of, 
248. 

Karise  Church,  blood  spots  at,  250. 

Kelpy,  22. 

Kield  (St.)  of  Viborg,  legend  of,  262. 

Kiolbygaard  (Lady  of),  her  transac- 
tions with  the  devil,  183. 

Kirkegrim.     See  Church-grim. 

Kirsten  (Little),  her  grave,  232. 

Klint-king  of  Moen,  story  of  the,  124. 

Kuud's  (St.)  at  Odense,  spectres 
there,  204. 

Kuud  Lavard  (St.),  his  well,  217. 

Knm-remurre,  storv  of,  123. 

Kronborg  Castle,  222. 


L. 


Lady-bird,  dedicated  to  V.  M.,  104. 

Lagno,  runic  inscription  at,  62. 
Lakes,  etc.,  traditions  of,  203. 
Land-marks,  punishment  for  removal 

of,  97,  202  bis,  203  bis,  211. 
Lapplanders,  their  magical  skill,  55, 

57,  193. 
Laurids  (Master),  anecdote  of,  260. 
Lawrence  or  Lars,  legend  of,  101. 
Limbek  (Erland),  anecdote  of,  240. 
Lofjerskor  described,  71,  73. 
Lucius   (St.),  patron  of    Roeskilde, 

247,  248. 
Lucy's  (St.)  day,  superstition  on,  270. 
Lund  Cathedral,  legend  of,  101. 


L    J. 

Jack  o*  Lanterns,  traditions  concern- 
ing, 97,  211  bis. 

Jellinge  Barrows,  account  of,  221. 

Jens  Plovgaard,  his  contract  with  the 
devil,  181. 

John's  (St.)  eve.  See  Midsummer  eve. 

Jons  Jffger,  account  of,  198. 

Jode  of  Upsala,  story  of  the,  124, 196. 


M. 

Magpie,  83,  84,  274. 

Mansion  (the  sunken)  near  Aarhuus, 

214. 
Mara  or  Qvaildrytterinde,  account  of 

the,  18,  169  bis,  170. 
Margaret  (Queen),  anecdote  of,  236. 
Margygr,  27. 
Maribo  Church,  anecdote  of,  252. 


282 


INDEX. 


MarraenniU,  27. 

Mary  (Virgin),  plants  named  after 
her,  103  ;  Lady-bird,  104. 

Maundy  Thursday,  custom  on,  277. 

May-count  and  countess,  266,  267. 

Melting  or  Casting,  a  species  of 
witchcraft,  47. 

Merman,  "{accounts  of,  27,  76,  77, 

Mermaid,/      170,  171  iw. 

Mice,  84. 

Midsummer  day  and  eve,  supersti- 
tions connected  with,  106,  270. 

Midwife,  anecdote  of  a,  11.  . 

Modernat,  50. 

Monrad  (Family  of), their  origin,  241. 

Mount  raised  on  (red)  pillars  bv  the 
Trolls,  89,  117,  132,  137, 138,' 146, 
151. 

Mount-Folk.  See  Trolls  and  Berg- 
trolls, 

Mount-Trolls  cast  stones  at 
churches,  85 ;  anecdotes  of,  86- 
89 ;  celebrate  Christmas,  89.  See 
Trolls. 

Muro.     See  Mara. 

Mylingar,  95. 

Mystic  animals,  83. 


N. 


Nails,  cutting  of,  272. 

Neck,  description  of  the  Swedish,  78, 
80;  superstitions  connected  with 
the,  82,  83. 

Necke-brod  (Neck-bread),  81. 

Needles,  superstition  concerning,  273. 

New  Year's  eve  and  day,  supersti- 
tions connected  with,  270,  277. 

Niels  (St.),  legend  of,  228. 

Night-raven,  account  of  the,  210. 

Nisse  or  Niss,  account  of  the,  16; 
origin  of,  115;  porridge  set  for 
them,  158,  159;  drive  a  plough, 
159;  help  to  thrash,  160;  not  to 
be  got  rid  of,  161  ;  love  of  horses, 
162  ;  not  to  be  watched,  ib. ;  their 
gratitude,  163  ;  their  revenge,  163, 
164. 

Nok,  account  of  the.  20. 

Norbagge  (Bp.  Svend),  224. 

Norre-Broby,  altar-piece  at,  255. 

Norre-Vilstrup,  anecdote  of  the  priest 
of,  261. 

Nut,  twin,  274. 


0. 

Odin,  modem  traditions  of,  50. 

Ointment,  for  the  eves,  virtue  of,  11, 
12,  129  ;  used  by  witches,  184, 185. 

Olaf  (St.),  his  parentage,  34;  death 
of,  35  ;  miracles  of,  ib. ;  enshrined, 
ib. ;  his  shrine  and  relics,  36 ;  a 
substitute  for  Thor,  37  ;  turns 
Trolls  into  stone,  ib. ;  of  the  first 
church  erected  by  him  and  the 
Troll  Vind  and  Viider,  39  ;  builds 
a  church  at  Vaaler,  40  ;  petrifies  a 
giantess,  42 ;  his  wager  with  a 
giantess,  ib. ;  story  of  his  image, 
244. 

Olger  (Staerk),  account  of,  266. 

Owl,  83. 

P. 

Palne-Jaeger,  account  of,  196. 

Pestilence  in  Jutland,  219. 

Phane,  Gron-Jette's  wife,  195. 

Phynnodderie,  165. 

Plants.  Alfexing  (cynosurus  ca^ru- 
leus),  70  ;  alfnafver  (hchen  apho- 
sus),  71;  juniper,  73;  neck-roses, 
81 ;  neck-root  (cicuta  virosa),  82  ; 
Our  Lady's  bunch  of  keys  (cows- 
lip), 103  ;  Our  Lady's  bed-straw 
(galium  venim  luteum),  ib.  ;  Our 
Lady's  flax,  104  ;  Our  Lady's  hand, 
ib.;  Satan's  hand, /■/!». ;  Our  Lady's 
pincushion,  ib. ;  Our  Lady's  man- 
tle, ib. ;  St.  John's  wort  (hvperi- 
cum),  106,  270;  elder,  168,"  277; 
clover,  274. 

Plovgaard  (Jens),  181. 

Pregnant  women,  superstitions  con- 
cerning, 276. 

Puck,  22. 

PysUngar,  94. 

Q. 

Qvrcldntterinde.     See  Mara. 
Qvajrnknurre,  account  of  the,  23. 

R. 

Ra,  a  Swedish  elf,  73. 

Rachlciv  Church,  anecdote  of,  249. 

Ram  in  the  Getaberg,  97. 

Rats,  84. 


INDEX. 


283 


Rat-hunter,  account  of  one,  219. 

Ravens,  94. 

Ribe  Cathedral,  anecdote  of,  252. 

Rickets,  spell  or  charm  for,  47. 

Riser,  4. 

Robbers,  traditions  of,  265,  266. 

Rocking  Stones,  54. 

Roeskilde  Cathedral  rebuilt   by  Bp. 

Svend  Norbagge,  224  ;  of  St.Lucius 

its  patron,  248. 
Roretrold,  account  of  the,  23. 
Rosenkrands,  arras  and  family  of,  241. 
Runs  (Friar),  account  of,  177,  267. 


Sand-hills  at   Nestved,  their  origin, 

218. 
Scheel  (Fru  Ingeborg),  story  of,  256. 
Seal,  84. 

Sea-Snake,  account  of,  28. 
Shellycoat,  82. 
Ship  (Spectre-),  276. 
Shoemaker  (Jerusalem),  212. 
Shoopiltee,  22. 

Siegfried  (St.),  of  his  well,  82. 
Sieve,  superstition  with  a,  272. 
Signekjerring,  "j^  pretends  to  cure  dis- 
Signerska,        j       eases,  47,  62. 
Siora,  a  Swechsh  elf,  75. 
Skogsnerte,  or  Skogsnufvor,  3. 
Skogsni,  anecdotes  of  the,  73,  sq. 
Skrat,  95. 

Sleepers  (Seven),  276. 
Sleswig    Cathedral,    altar-piece    in, 

255. 
Snakes,  83. 
Snogskilde,  217. 
Soetrold,  21. 
Sonargoltr,  50. 

Soro  Church,  altar-piece  there,  250. 
Spectacles  Ducats,  237. 
Spectres   in    St.   Knud's   church    at 

Odense,  204 ;  of  Hans   Nab,  ib. ; 

at  Lille  Varlose,  205 ;   of  Master 

Mads,  206 ;    how  to  drive   them 

away,  275,  276. 
Spinning,     suj^erstitions     connected 

with.  111,  272. 
Stake  (Haraldj,  anecdote  of  his  wife, 

64. 
Stig  (Marsk),  his  funeral,  232. 
Stork,    superstition   connected   with 

the,  271,  274. 


Strand-varsel,  account  of,  166,  167. 

Stromkarl,  account  of  the,  79,  80 ; 
his  melody,  81. 

Sunday's  Child,  203,  275. 

Svanwedel  (Major-General),  243. 

Svend  FaiUing,  story  of,  141. 

Svend  Grathe  (King),  his  miUtary 
chest,  226. 

Svend  Norbagge  (Bp.)  rebuilds  Roes- 
kilde cathedral,  224  ;  anecdote  of 
iL 

Swallows,  274. 


T. 


Tailor,  adventure  of  one  with  the 
Trolls,  32. 

Theft,  superstitious  usage  in  case  of, 
54,  272  bis. 

Thor,  modern  traditions  of,  51. 

Thorbagge  (scarabaeus  stercorarius), 
53. 

Thorer  Brack,  story  of,  53,  sg. 

Thor's  (Helige)  well,  103, 

Thorwiggar,  52. 

Thundering  Stones,  54. 

Thurser  or  Thusser,  beUef  concern- 
ing, 1,2;  one  carries  off  a  girl,  9. 

Thvre  Boloxe,  account  of,  265. 

Tiis  Lake,  its  origin,  213. 

Toads,  83. 

Toft-vffitte,  18. 

Tomte,  account  of  the,  18,  91-94. 

Tomte-gubbe,  18. 

Tooth-ache,  remedy  for  the,  277. 

Treasure-diggers,  anecdotes  of,  119. 

Treasures— in  Hvirvel  Bakke,  263  ; 
Daugbierg  Dans,  ib. ;  on  Fuur,  264  ; 
in  Lodal,  ib. 

Trees,  sacred,  72;  bewitched,  218, 
219. 

Trolle  (Gustaf),  59  ;  origin  of  the 
name  of,  91  ;  arms  of,  213;  Her- 
luf  Trolle  founds  Herlufsholm,  ib. 

Trolls,  one  builds  Drontheim  cathe- 
dral, 39  ;  their  fear  of  thunder,  52  ; 
Christian  traditions  of,  61  ;  at  a 
wedding,  100  ;  origin  of,  115  ;  give 
cloihes,  horseshoes  and  beer,  120, 
121;  depart  from  Thyland,  121; 
one  in  Bodedys  restores  a  son  to 
his  father,  122;  story  of  Knurre- 
murre,  123  ;  account  of,  at  Born- 
holm,  125, 126;   borrow  beer,  126; 


284 


INDEX. 


borrow  a  skirt,  127;  fetch  a  mid- 
v'ife,  128, 130, 131  ;  their  artifices, 
128,  129 ;  deprive  a  woman  of 
sight,  129  hh  ;  steal  beer,  132, 133, 
140;  one  falls  into  the  fire,  132; 
steal  a  woman,  133 ;  partake  of 
their  neighbour's  dinner,  134  ;  pre- 
vent the  buikhng  of  Brobierg 
church,  137  ;  decoy  a  lad,  ib. ;  de- 
coy a  bride,  138 ;  steal  Bondevette's 
wife,  ib. ;  their  names,  147,  151  ; 
their  riches,  148 ;  glove,  149 ;  a 
Troll  outwitted,  ib. ;  their  dwell- 
ings under  the  cows  or  hearth,  150 ; 
one  baptized,  151 ;  their  desire  to 
be  saved,  ib. ;  fear  of  the  cross, 
152  ;  fear  of  thunder,  ib. ;  hatred 
of  bells,  154,  155  ;  their  persons 
described,  154;  depart  from  Vend- 
syssel,  155  ;  how  to  render  them 
visible,  156 ;  depart  from  iEro,  ib. ; 
shavings  and  coals  given  by  them 
turn  to  gold,  157;  cast  stones  at 
churches,  158 ;  one  attempts  to 
inundate  Kundby,  213  ;  one  in  the 
Issefiord,  247  ;  cannot  pronounce 
cross,  275. 
Troms  Church,  witches  assemble  at, 
190. 

U. 

Udburrer  or  Udbore,  20. 
Udde-hat  described,  100. 
Ulf  Jarl,  59. 
Underground  Folk.    See  Trolls. 


V. 

Vfetter,  belief  concerning,  1, 
Valdborg  (Fair).     See  Axel. 


2. 


Valdemar  (King),  account  of  his  hunt, 

199  ;  anecdotes  of,  233-236. 
Varganior,  96. 

Veiby  Church,  anecdote  of,  248. 
Vind  and  Vader,  a  Troll,  39,  40. 
Voldborg's  day  described,  266. 


W. 


Wandering  Jew,  account  of  the,  212. 

"NVater-elves,  76. 

^yeasel,  84. 

Wells— St.  Siegfried's,  82;  Tlelige 
Thor's,  103;  traditions  of,  215. 

Wenvolf,  account  of  the,  18,  96,  168, 
sq.;  how  recognised,  169;  how  to 
be  freed,  ib. 

White  Serpent.     See  Dragons. 

Wild  Hunt,  25,  27,  83. 

Wilham  (Bishop),  his  foot-mark,  223; 
his  death  and  burial,  ib. 

Wind,  the  Finlaps  make,  193. 

Witches,  their  nocturnal  rides,  84, 
184,  185  ;  how  to  become  invisible 
to,  189;  how  expelled,  ib.;  trans- 
form a  man  into  a  horse,  190  ;  one 
transformed  into  a  mare,  ib. ;  one 
shot  as  a  duck,  191,  as  hares,  192 ; 
die  with  difficulty,  ib. ;  how  they 
mav  be  seen,  277. 

Witches'  Butter,  106. 

Wolf,  84,  277. 

Woman  (old),  not  lucky  to  meet  an, 
274;  superstitions  concerning,  270. 

Y. 

Yule- Hog,  50. 

Yule -Pastimes.      See    Christmas    or 

Yule  Pastimes. 
Yule-Straw,  104  ;  its  virtues,  105. 


LONDON: 

PRINTED    BY    RICHARD    TAYLOR, 
RED  LION  COURT,  FLEET  STREET. 


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Northern  mythology  :  comprising  the  i^ 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00162  7951