CONTENTS

Page

The Master Smith 171

Gudbrand on the Hillside 180

The Blue Belt 185

The Three Princesses of Whiteland 203

Rich Peter, the Pedlar 211

The Best Wish 226

The Husband who was to Mind the House 238

Farmer Weathersky 241

Lord Peter 252

Boots and his Brothers 259

Tatterhood 266

Katie Woodencloak 275

Soria Moria Castle 291

The Lad that Went to the North Wind 306

The Cat on the Dovrefell 310

The Three Sisters Trapped in a Mountain 312

INTRODUCTION.

NORSE POPULAR TALES.

The Norseman came from the East, and brought a common stock of tradition with them. Settled in the Scandinavian peninsula, they developed themselves through Heathenism, Romanism, and Lutheranism, in a locality little exposed to foreign influence, so that even now the Dale-man in Norway or Sweden may be reckoned among the most primitive examples left of peasant life. We should expect, then, that these Popular Tales, which, for the sake of those ignorant in such matters, it may be remarked, had never been collected or reduced to writing till within the last few years, would present a faithful picture of the national consciousness, or, perhaps, to speak more correctly, of that half consciousness out of which the heart of any people speaks in its abundance. Besides those world-old affinities and primaeval parallelisms, besides those dreamy recollections of its old home in the East, we should expect to find its later history, after the great migration, still more distinctly reflected; to discover heathen gods masked in the garb of Christian saints; and thus to see the proof that a nation more easily changes the form than the essence of its faith, and clings with a toughness which endures for centuries to what it has once learned to believe.

In the Norse mythology, Frigga, Odin's wife, who knew beforehand all that was to happen, and Freyja, the goddess

INTRODUCTION

of love and plenty, were prominent figures, and often trod the earth; the three Norns or Fates, who sway the minds of men, and spin their destinies at Mimirs' well of knowledge, were awful venerable powers, to whom the heathen world looked up with love and adoration and awe. To that love and adoration and awe, throughout the middle age, one woman, transfigured into a divine shape, succeeded by a sort of natural right, and round the Virgin Mary's blessed head a halo of lovely tales of divine help beams with soft radiance as a crown bequeathed to her by the ancient goddesses. She appears as divine mother, spinner and helpful virgin. Flowers and plants bear her name. In England one of our commonest and prettiest insects is still called after her, but which belonged to Freyja, the heathen "Lady," long before the western nations had learned to adore the name of the mother of Jesus.

The Norseman's god was a god of battles, and victory his greatest gift to men! but this was not the only aspect under which the Great Father was revered. Not victory in the fight alone, but every other good gift came down from him and the ^sir. Odin's supreme will was that treasure-house of bounty towards which, in one shape or the other, all mortal desires turned, and out of its abundance showers of mercy and streams of divine favour constantly poured down to refresh the weary race of men. All these blessings and mercies, nay, their very source itself, the ancient language bound up in a single word, which, however expressive it may still be, has lost much of the fullness of its meaning in its descent to these later times. This word was "Wish," which originally meant the perfect ideal, the actual fruition of all joy and desire, and not, as now, the empty longing for the object of our desires. From this original abstract meaning, it was but a step to pass to the concrete.

INTRODUCTION

to personify the idea, to make it an immortal essence, an attribute of the divinity, another name for the greatest of all Gods himself. And so we find a host of passages in early writers, in every one of which "God" or "Odin" might be substituted for "Wish" with perfect propriety. Here we read how "The Wish" has hands, feet, power, sight, toil, and art. How he works and labours, shapes and masters, inclines his ear, thinks, swears, curses, and rejoices, adopts children, and takes men into his house; behaves, in short, as a being of boundless power and infinite free-will. Still more, he rejoices in his own works as in a child, and thus appears in a thoroughly patriarchal point of view as the Lord of creation, glorying in his handiwork, as the father of a family in early times was glad at heart when he reckoned his children as arrows in his quiver, and beheld his house full of a long line of retainers and dependents. For this attribute of the Great Father, for Odin as the god of Wish, the Edda uses the word "Oski," which literally expresses the masculine personification of "Wish," and it passed on and added the word, osk, wish, as a prefix to a number of others, to signify that they stood in a peculiar relation to the great giver of all good. Thus, we have oska-steinn, wishing-stone, i. e. a stone which plays the part of a divining rod, and reveals secrets and hidden treasure; oska-byrr, a fair wind, a wind as fair as man's heart could wish it; osk-barn and oska-barn, a child after one's own heart, an adopted child, as when the younger Edda tells us that all those who die in battle are Odin's choice-bairns, his adopted children, those on whom he has set his heart,—an expression which, in their turn, was taken by the Icelandic Christian writers to express the relation existing between God and the baptized; and, though last, not least, oska-maer, wish-maidens, another name for the Valkyries—Odin's corse-

INTRODUCTION

choosers, — who picked out the dead for him on the field of battle, and waited on the heroes in Valhalla.

Now, let us see what traces of this great god "Wish" and his choice-bairns and wishing-things we can find in these Tales, faint echoes of a mighty heathen voice, which once proclaimed the goodness of the great Father in the blessings which he bestowed on his chosen sons. We have the "one-eyed Odin," degenerated into an old hag, or rather —^by no uncommon process—we have an old witch fused by popular tradition into a mixture of Odin and the three Nornir. Again, when he gets that wondrous ship "which can sail over fresh water and salt water, and over high hills and deep dales," and which is so small that he can put it into his pocket, and yet, when he came to use it, could hold five hundred men, we have plainly the Skithblathnir of the Edda to the very life. So also in the Best Wish, the whole groundwork of this story rests on this old belief; and when we meet that pair of old scissors which cuts all manner of fine clothes out of the air, that tablecloth which covers itself with the best dishes you could think of, as soon as it was spread out, and that tap which, as soon as it was turned, poured out the best of mead and wine, we have plainly another form of Frodi's wishing-quern,—another recollection of those things of choice about which the old mythology has so much to tell.

The notion of the arch-enemy of God and man, of a fallen angel, to whom power was permitted at certain times for an all-wise purpose by the Great Ruler of the universe, was as foreign to the heathendom of our ancestors as his name was outlandish and strange to their tongue. This notion Christianity brought with it from the East; and though it is a plant which has struck deep roots, grown distorted and awry, and borne a bitter crop of superstition,

INTRODUCTION

it required all the authority of the Church to prepare the soil at first for its reception. To the notion of good necessarily follows that of evil. The Eastern mind, with its Or-muzd and Ahriman, is full of such dualism, and from that hour, when a more than mortal eye saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven, the kingdom of darkness, the abode of Satan and his bad spirits, was established in direct opposition to the kingdom of the Saviour and his angels. The North had its own notion on this point. Its mythology was not without its own dark powers; but though they too were ejected and dispossessed, they, according to that mythology, had rights of their own. To them belonged all the universe that had not been seized and reclaimed by the younger race of Odin and ^sir; and though this upstart dynasty, as the Frost Giants in Promethean phrase would have called it, well knew that Hel, one of this giant progeny, was fated to do them all mischief, and to outlive them, they took her and made her queen of Niflheim, and mistress over nine worlds. There, in a bitterly cold place, she received the souls of all who died of sickness or old age; care was her bed, hunger her dish, starvation her knife. Her walls were high and strong, and her bolts and bars huge; ''Half blue was her skin, and half the colour of human flesh. A goddess easy to know, and in all things very stern and grim." But though severe, she was not an evil spirit. She only received those who died as no Norseman wished to die. For those who fell on the gory battlefield, or sank beneath the waves, Valhalla was prepared, and endless mirth and bliss with Odin. Those went to Hel who were rather unfortunate than wicked, who died before they could be killed. But when Christianity came in and ejected Odin and his crew of false divinities, declaring them to be lying gods and demons, then Hel fell with the rest; but fulfilling her fate, out-

INTRODUCTION

lived them. From a person she became a place, and all the Northern nations, from the Goth to the Norseman, agreed in believing Hell to be the abode of the devil and his wicked spirits, the place prepared from the beginning for the everlasting torments of the damned. One curious fact connected with this explanation of Hell's origin will not escape the reader's attention. The Christian notion of Hell is that of a place of heat, for in the East, whence Christianity came, heat is often an intolerable torment, and cold, on the other hand, everything that is pleasant and delightful. But to the dweller in the North, heat brings with it sensations of joy and comfort, and life without fire has a dreary outlook ; so their Hel ruled in a cold region over those who were cowards by implication, while the mead-cup went round, and huge logs blazed and crackled in Valhalla, for the brave and beautiful who had dared to die on the field of battle. But under Christianity the extremes of heat and cold have met, and Hel, the cold uncomfortable goddess, is now our Hell, where flames and fire abound, and where the devils abide in everlasting flame.

Still, popular tradition is tough, and even after centuries of Christian teaching, the Norse peasant, in his popular tales, can still tell of Hell as a place where fire-wood is wanted at Christmas, and over which a certain air of comfort breathes, though, as in the goddess Hel's halls, meat is scarce.

We have got then the ancient goddesses identified as evil influences, and as the leader of a midnight band of women, who practised secret and unholy rites. This leads us at once to witchcraft. In all ages and in all races this belief in sorcery has existed. Men and women practised it alike, but in all times female sorcerers have predominated. This was natural enough. In those days women were priestesses;

INTRODUCTION

they collected drugs and simples; women alone knew the virtues of plants. Those soft hands spun linen, made lint, and bound wounds. Women in the earliest times with which we are acquainted with our forefathers, alone knew how to read and write, they only could carve the mystic runes, they only could chant the charms so potent to allay the wounded warrior's smart and pain. The men were busy out of doors with ploughing-, hunting, barter, and war. In such an age the sex which possessed by natural right booklearning, physic, soothsaying, and incantation, even when they used these mysteries for good purposes, were but a step from sin. It is curious indeed to trace the belief in witches through the middle Age, and to mark how it increases in intensity and absurdity. At first, the superstition seemed comparatively harmless, and though the witches themselves may have believed in their unholy power, there were not wanting divines who took a common-sense view of the matter, and put the absurdity of their pretensions to a practical proof. Such was that good parish priest who asked, when an old woman of his flock insisted that she had been in his house with the company of "the Good Lady," and had seen him naked and covered him up, "How, then did you get in when all the doors were locked?" "We can get in," she said, "even if the doors are locked." Then the priest took her into the chancel of the church, locked the door, and gave her a sound thrashing with the pastoral staff, calling out, "Out with you, lady witch." But as she could not, he sent her home saying, "See now how foolish you are to believe in siich empty dreams." But as the Church increased in strength, as heresies arose, and consequent persecution, then the secret meetings of these sectarians, as we should now call them, were identified by the hierarchy with the rites of sorcery and magic, and with the relics of the wor-

INTRODUCTION

ship of the old gods. By the time, too, that the hierarchy was estabhshed, that beHef in the fallen angel, the Arch-Fiend, the Devil, originally so foreign to the nations of the West, had become thoroughly ingrafted on the popular mind, and a new element of wickedness and superstition was introduced at those unholy festivals. About the middle of the thirteenth century, we find the mania for persecuting heretics invading tribes of the Teutonic race from France and Italy, backed by all the power of the Pope. Like jealousy, persecution too often makes the meat it feeds on, and many silly, if not harmless, superstitions were rapidly put under the ban of the Church. Now the "Good Lady" and her train begin to recede, they only fill up the background while the Prince of Darkness steps, dark and terrible, in front, and soon draws after him the following of the ancient goddess. Now we hear stories of demoniac possession; now the witches adore a demon of the other sex. With the male element, and its harsher, sterner nature, the sinfulness of these unholy assemblies is infinitely increased; folly becomes guilt, and guilt crime.

The frequent transformation of men into beasts, in these tales, is another striking feature. This power the gods of the Norseman possessed in common with those of all other mythologies. Europa and her Bull, Leda and her Swan, will occur at once to the reader's mind; and to come to closer resemblances, just as Athene appears in the Odyssey as an eagle or a swallow perched on the roof of the hall, so Odin flies ofif as a falcon, and Loki takes the form of a horse or bird. This was only part of that omnipotence which all gods enjoy. But the belief that men, under certain conditions, could also take the shape of animals, is primaeval, and the traditions of every race can tell of such transformations. Herodotus had heard how the Neurians, a Slavonic race.

INTRODUCTION

passed for wizards amongst the Scythians and the Greeks settled round the Black Sea, because each of them, once in the year, became a wolf for a few days, and then returned to his natural shape. The Latins called such a man, a turnskin, — VersipelUs, an expression which exactly agrees with the Icelandic expression for the same thing, and which is probably the true original of our turncoat. In Petronius the superstition appears in its full shape, and is worth repeating. At the banquet of Trimalchion. Niceros gives the following account of the turnskins of Nero's time:—

"It happened that my master was gone to Capua to dispose of some second-hand goods. I took the opportunity, and persuaded our guest to walk with me to the fifth milestone. He was a valiant soldier, and a sort of grim water-drinking Pluto. About cock-crow, when the moon was shining as bright as midday, we came among the monuments. My friend began addressing himself to the stars, but I was rather in a mood to sing or to count them; and when I turned to look at him, lo! he had already stripped himself and laid down his clothes near him. My heart was in my nostrils, and I stood like a dead man; but he 'circumminxit vestimenta,' and on a sudden became a wolf. Do not think I jest; I would not lie for any man's estate. But to return to what I was saying. When he became a wolf, he began howling, and fled into the woods. At first I hardly knew where I was, and afterwards, when I went to take up his clothes, they were turned into stone. Who then died with fear but I? Yet I drew my sword, and went cutting the air right and left, till I reached the villa of my sweetheart. I entered the courtyard. I almost breathed my last, the sweat ran down my neck, my eyes were dim, and I thought I should never recover myself. My Melissa wondered why I was out so late, and said to me,— 'Had you come sooner you might at least have helped us, for a wolf has entered the farm, and worried all our cattle; but he had not the best of the joke, for all he escaped, for our slave ran a lance through his neck.' When I heard this, I could not doubt how it was, and, as it was clear daylight, ran home as fast

INTRODUCTION

as a robbed innkeeper. When I came to the spot where the clothes had been turned into stone, I could find nothing but blood. But when I got home, I found my friend the soldier in bed, bleeding at the neck like an ox, and a doctor dressing his wound. I then knew he was a turnskin; nor would I ever have broken bread with him again; no, not if you had killed me."

A man who had such a gift of greed was also called lycanthropus, a man-wolf or wolf-man, which term the Anglo-Saxons translated literally in Canute's Laws vere-vulf, and the early English werewolf. In old French he was loupgaroii, which means the same thing; except that garou means man-wolf in itself without the antecedent loup, so that, as Madden observes, the whole word is one of those reduplications of which we have an example in lukewarm.

It was not likely that a belief so widely spread should not have extended itself to the North; and the grave assertions of Olaus Magnus in the sixteenth century, and his Treatise de Gentibus Septentrionalibus, show how common the belief in were-wolves was in Sweden so late as the time of Gus-tavus Vasa. In mythical times the Volsunga Saga expressly states of Sigmund and Sinfjotli that they became werewolves,—which, we may remark, were Odin's sacred beasts,—just in the same way as Brynhildr and the Valkyries, or corse-choosers, who followed the god of battles to the field, and chose the dead for Valhalla when the fight was done, became swan-maidens, and took the shape of swans. In either case, the wolf's skin or the swan's feathery covering was assumed and laid aside at pleasure, though the Volundr Quidr, in the Edda, and the stories of "the Fair Melusina," and other medieval swan-maidens, show that any one who siezed that shape while thus laid aside, had power over its wearer. In latter times, when this old heroic belief degenerated into the notion of sorcery, it was sup-

INTRODUCTION

posed that a girdle of wolfskin thrown over the body, or even a slap on the face with a wolfskin glove, would transform the person upon whom the sorcerer practised into the shape of a ravening wolf, which fled at once to the woods, where he remained in that shape for a period which varied in popular belief for nine days, three, seven, or nine years. While in this state he was especially ravenous after young children, whom he carried off as the were-wolf carried off William in the old romance, though all were-wolves did not treat their prey with the same tenderness as that werewolf treated William.

But the favourite beast for Norse transformations in historic times, if we may judge from the evidence afforded by the Sagas, was the bear, the king of all their beasts, whose strength and sagacity made him an object of great respect. This old belief, then, might be expected to be found in these Norse Tales, and accordingly we find men transformed into various beasts. Of old these transformations, as we have already stated, were active, if we may use the expression, as well as passive. A man who possessed the gift, frequently assumed the shape of a beast at his own will and pleasure, like the soldier in Petronius. Even now in Norway, it is matter of popular belief that Finns and Lapps, who from time immemorial have passed for the most skillful witches and wizards in the world, can at will assume the shape of bears; and it is a common thing to say of one of those beasts, when he gets unusually savage and daring, "that can be no Christian bear." On such a bear, in the parish of Ofoden, after he had worried to death more than sixty horses and six men, it is said that a girdle of bearskin, the infallible mark of a man thus transformed, was found when he was at last tracked and slain. The tale

XVll

INTRODUCTION

called "Farmer Weathersky," in this collection, shows that the belief of these spontaneous transformations still exists in popular tradition, where it is easy to see that Farmer Weathersky is only one of the ancient gods degraded into a demon's shape. His sudden departure through the air, horse, sledge, and lad, and all, and his answer, "I'm at home, alike north, and south, and east, and west;" his name itself, and his distant abode, surrounded with the corpses of the slain, sufficiently betray the divinity in disguise. His transformation, too, into a hawk answers exactly to that of Odin when he flew away from the Frost Giant in the shape of that bird. But in these tales such transformations are for the most part passive; they occur not at the will of the person transformed, but through sorcery practised on them by some one else.

But we should ill understand the spirit of the Norsemen, if we supposed that these transformations into beasts were all that the national heart has to tell of beasts and their doings, or that, when they appear, they do so merely as men-beasts, without any power or virtue of their own. From the earliest times, side by side with those productions of the human mind which speak of the dealings of men with men, there has grown up a stock of traditions about animals and their relations with one another, which form a true Beast Epic, and is full of the liveliest traits of nature. Here too, it was reserved for Grimm to restore these traditions to their true place in the history of the human mind, and to show that the poetry which treats of them is neither satirical nor didactic, though it may contain touches of both these artificial kinds of composition, but, on the contrary, purely and intensely natural. It is Epic, in short, springing out of that deep love of nature and close observation of the habits of animals which is only possible in an early and simple stage of society. It used to be the fashion, when

INTRODUCTION

these Beast traditions were noticed, to point to ^sop as their original, but Grimm has sufficiently proved that what we see in vEsop is only the remains of a great world-old cycle of such traditions which had already, in ^sop's day, been subjected by the Greek mind to that critical process which a late state of society brings to bear on popular traditions; that they were then already worn and washed out and moralized.

The horse was a sacred animal among the Teutonic tribes from the first moment of their appearance in history, and Tacitus has related, how in the shade of those woods and groves which served them for temples, white horses were fed at the public cost, whose backs no mortal man crossed, whose neighings and snortings were carefully watched as auguries and omens, and who were thought to be conscious of divine mysteries. In Persia, too, the classical reader will remember how the neighing of a horse decided the choice for the crown. In England, at any rate, we have only to think of Hengist and Horsa, the twin heroes of the Anglo-Saxon migration, as the legend ran,—heroes whose name meant "horse,"—and of the vale of the White Horse in Berks, where the sacred form still gleams along the down, to be reminded of the sacredness of the horse to our forefathers. The Eddas are filled with the names of famous horses, and the Sagas contain many stories of good steeds, in whom their owners trusted and believed as sacred to this or that particular god. Such a horse is Dapplegrim, who saves his master out of all his perils, and brings him to all fortune, and is another example of that mysterious connection with the higher powers which animals in all ages have been supposed to possess.

Such a friend, too, to the helpless lassie is the Dun Bull in Katie Woodencloak, out of whose ear comes the "Wish-

INTRODUCTION.

ing Cloth," which serves up the choicest dishes. The story is probably imperfect, as we should expect to see him again in human shape after his head was cut off, and his skin flayed; but, after being the chief character up to that point, he remains from that time forth in the background, and we only see him darkly in the man who comes out of the face of the rock, and supplies the lassie's wants when she knocks on it. Dun, or blue, or mouse-colour, is the favourite colour for fairy kine. Thus the cow which Guy of Warwick killed was dun. The Huldror in Norway have large flocks of blue kine. In Scotland runs the story of the Mouse-coloured Elfin Bull. In Iceland the colour of such kine is apalgrar, dapple grey. This animal has been an object of adoration and respect from the earliest times, and we need only remind our readers of the sanctity of cows and bulls among the Indians and Egyptians, of "the Golden Calf" in the Bible; of lo and her wanderings from land to land'; and, though last, not least, of Audhumla, the Mythic Cow in the Edda, who had so large a part in the creation of the first Giant in human form.

We now come to a class of beings which plays a large part, and always for ill, in these Tales. These are the Giants or Trolls. In modern Norse tradition there is little difference between the names, but originally Troll was a more general expression for a supernatural being than Giant, which was rather confined to a race more dull than wicked. In the Giants we have the wantonness of boundless bodily strength and size, which, trusting entirely to these qualities, falls at last by its own weight. At first, it is true, that proverbial wisdom, all the stores of traditional lore, all that could be learnt by what may be called rule of thumb, was ascribed to them.

This race, and that of the upstart 2Es\r, though almost

INTRODUCTION

always at feud, still had their intervals of common intercourse, and even social enjoyment. Marriages take place between them, visits are paid, feasts are given, ale is brewed, and mirth is fast and furious. Thor was the worst foe the giants ever had, and yet he met them sometimes on good terms. They were destined to meet once for all on that awful day, "the twilig'ht of the gods," but till then, they entertained for each other some sense of mutual respect.

The Trolls, on the other hand, with whom mankind had more to do, were supposed to be less easy tempered, and more systematically malignant, than the Giants, and with the term were bound up notions of sorcery and unholy power. But mythology is a proof of many colours, in which the hues are shot and blended, so that the various races of supernatural beings are shaded off, and fade away almost imperceptibly into each other; and thus, even in heathen times, it must have been hard to say exactly where the Giant ended and the Troll began. But when Christianity came in, and heathendom fell; when the godlike race of the .^sir became evil demons instead of good genial powers, then all the objects of the old popular belief, whether .^sir, Giants, or Trolls, were mingled together in one superstition, as "no canny." They were all Trolls, all malignant; and thus it is that, in these tales, the traditions about Odin and his underlings, about the Frost Giants, and about sorcerers and wizards, are confused and garbled; and all supernatural agency that plots man's ill is the work of Trolls, whether the agent be the arch enemy himself, or giant, or witch, or wizard.

In tales such as "The Old Dame and Her Hen," "The Giant who had no Heart in his Body," "Shortshanks," "Boots and the Troll," "Boots who ate a match with the Troll," the easy temper of the old Frost Giants predomi-

INTRODUCTION

nates, and we almost pity them as we read. In another, "The Big Bird Dan," we have a Troll Prince, who appears as a generous benefactor to the young Prince, and lends him a sword by help of which he slays the King of the Trolls, just as we sometimes find in the Edda friendly m.eet-ings between the ;^sir and this or that Frost Giant. In "Tatterhood," the Trolls are very near akin to the witches of the Middle Age. In other tales, as "The Blue Belt," "Farmer Weathersky," a sort of settled malignity against man appears as the direct working and result of a bad and evil spirit,—the supernatural dwellers of the woods and hills, who go to church, and eat men, and porridge, and sausages indifferently, not from malignity, but because they know no better, because it is their nature, and because they have always done so. In one point they all agree,—in their place of abode. The wild pine forest that clothes the spurs of the fells, but more than all, the interior recesses of the rocky fell itself, is where the Trolls live. Thither they carry off the children of men, and to them belong all the untold riches of the mineral world. There, in caves and clefts in the steep face of the rock, sits the Troll, as the representative of the old giants, among heaps of gold and silver and precious things. They stride off into the dark forest by day, whither no rays of the sun can pierce; they return home at nightfall, feast themselves full, and snore out the night. One thing was fatal to them,—the sight of the sun. If they looked him full in the face, his glory was too great for them, and they burst, as in "Lord Peter." This, too, is a deeply mythic trait. The old religion of the North was a bright and lively faith; it lived in the light of joy and gladness; its gods were the "blithe powers;" opposed to them were the dark powers of mist and gloom, who could

INTRODUCTION

not bear the glorious face of the Sun, of Baldr's beaming visage, or the bright flash of Thor's levin bolt.

In one aspect, the whole race of Giants and Trolls stands out in strong historical light. There can be little doubt that, in their continued existence amongst the woods, and rocks, and hills, we have a memory of the gradual suppression and extinction of some hostile race, who gradually retired into the natural fastnesses of the land, and speedily became mythic. Nor, if we bear in mind their natural position, and remember how constantly the infamy of sorcery has clung to the Finns and Lapps, shall we have far to go to seek this ancient race, even at the present day. Between this outcast nomad race, which wandered from forest to forest, and from fell to fell, without a fixed place of abode, and the old natural powers and Frost Giants, the minds of the race which adored Odin and the ^sir soon engendered a monstrous man-eating cross-breed of supernatural beings, who fled from contact with the intruders as soon as the first great struggle was over, abhorred the light of day, and looked upon agriculture and tillage as a dangerous innovation which destroyed their hunting fields, and was destined finally to root them out from off the face of the earth. This fact appears in countless stories all over the globe, for man is true to himself in all climes, and the savage in Africa or across the Rocky Mountains, dreads tillage and detests the plough as much as any Lapp or Samoyed. "See what pretty playthings, mother!" cries the Giant's daughter, as she unties her apron, and shows her a plough, and horses, and peasant. ''Back with them this instant," cries the mother in wrath, "and put them down as carefully as you can, for these playthings can do our race great harm, and when these come we must budge." "What sort of an earthworm is this?" said one Giant to another, when they met a man

INTRODUCTION

as they walked. "These are the earthworms that will one day eat us up, brother," answered the other; and soon both Giants left that part of Germany. Nor does this trait appear less strongly in these Norse Tales.

Enough surely has now been said to show that the old religion and mythology of the Norseman still lives disguised in these popular tales. Besides this internal evidence, we find here and there, in the written literature of earlier days, hints that the same stories were even then current and continue to be so, among the lower classes. Thus, in King Sverri's Saga we read, "And so it was just like what is said to have happened in old stories of what the king's children suffered from their stepmother's ill-will." And again, in Olof Tryggvason's Saga by the monk Odd, "And better is it to hear such things with mirth than stepmother's stories which shepherds tell, where no one can tell whether anything is true, and where the king is always made the least in their narrative." But, in truth, no such positive evidence is needed. These mythical deep-rooted germs, throwing out fresh shoots from age to age in the popular literature of the race, are far more convincing proofs of the early existence of these traditions than any mere external evidence.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN

POPULAR TALES AND TRADITIONS.

STORY OF KING GRAM.

SkioU), King of Yutland (Denmark), and the bordering districts of Sweden and Norway, ruled his people with love and kindness. He abolished all cruel laws, introducing in their stead just and humane regulations. It was said that he had come over the sea on a shield from unknown regions, having been sent by his father for the welfare of his people. By means of a bloody duel with a rival, he had won his beautiful and clever wife, Anhild. She gave birth to a son, who received the name of Gram. He resembled his father in mind and body, but was of a very passionate nature, and therefore constantly engaged in war and strife. He was accompanied on all his expeditions by his faithful comrade, Bessi, who protected him in battle with shield and sword. For this reason, Gram gave him Hroar's fair daughter in marriage; whilst he himself sued for the hand of Gro, a daughter of Siglrygg, King of Sweden, celebrated for her beauty and courage. But he received a scornful refusal, and was informed that she was already promised to a more desirable suitor. Gram immediately started with an army and a fleet in prder to avenge the insult; and having heard that his en-

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

emy could only be wounded with gold, he took with him a club encased in that metal, instead of a sword. Landing on the Swedish coast, he clothed himself in goat's skins, and in this disguise wandered for many weeks, a terror to all whom he encountered. It chanced that the beautiful Gro was walking one day in the same direction. She did not fly at such an unusual sight, for she soon perceived that the seeming monster was filled with admiration at the sight of her, and stood like one enchanted. Besides, he spoke so kindly and pleasantly that she willingly answered him; and then, throwing off his disguise, he revealed to her astonished gaze a hero and a king. Each felt and inspired a mutual passion, and then and there they exchanged vows of eternal love. Gram now requested the consent of the king, who, being averse to his proposal, marched against him with a large army. But Gram's invincible valour spread confusion among the enemy, who fled in all directions, whilst both Gro's suitor and the king were numbered among the slain. Hereupon, Gram conquered the whole of Sweden, and on the day of his marriage he placed the royal crown on the head of his fair young bride.

Gram's next care was to have his fleet splendidly decorated, and all the vessels painted, so that the dragon's heads in the bowsprit could be seen from a very great distance. A specially large and curiously shapen vessel was built for himself and his queen. It resembled the form of a dragon; in front, the head was ornamented with a golden crown, silver teeth, and a blood-red tongue; the helm at the back represented the tail of the dragon, the

STORY OF KING GRAM

sails the wings of the monster, and the rudders his feet. When all was completed Gram set sail, and steered under a favourable wind towards Hledra. The crew were stationed on the deck in gay apparel and glistening armour. The shield of peace, composed of pure silver, sparkled from the mast of the Orlog ship, and the king himself, with the queen at his side, sat on the throne overlooking the whole procession. It was thus that Gram entered the harbour of the capital. Old Skiold stood on the shore with his comrades and a large assembly of people. They welcomed the victorious hero, whose celebrated deeds were sung in all northern lands; and when they reached the court, Skiold proclaimed loudly that from that time forth Gram should rule in unity with him over Denmark. All the nobles present joyfully assented to this, except Earl Ingo, who envied the young king his fame and power. Furtively he stole from the assembly, and spread the report among his vassals, and, indeed, throughout all Denmark, that "Skiold was too old, and Gram too young; the government should belong to a better and more experienced man." As a raging fire often arises from a tiny spark, so this secret discontent ripened into a general rebellion. Then Gram arose in arms at the head of his faithful followers. Victory attended him everywhere; and Ingo, after having been defeated in a great battle, fied to Swipdager, King of Norway.

Gram now returned to Hledra, generously rewarded his warriors, and freed the people from their taxes for several years. At the same time he was heavily afflicted by the loss of those who were nearest and dearest to him

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

on earth. First, his father died; then Gro' also breathed her last, after having presented him with a son, and when his faithful comrade, Bessi, was also gathered to his forefathers, Gram was left alone in the midst of his worldly prosperity.

The news that Swipdager, at the instigation of Ingo, was preparing to invade Denmark, first aroused him from the melancholy into which he had fallen. He gathered all his brave warriors together, and was preparing to march against the enemy, when a Finlander came to him with the news that Humbel, the ruler of Finland, had a wonderfully beautiful daughter, whom he kept in confinement, because it had been prophesied that her marriage would cause some great misfortune to fall upon him. The old man showed him the picture of the maiden in a magic mirror, and the king was so enraptured with her loveliness, that he forgot his former queen, and the war by which he was threatened, and straightway sailed with his fleet to Finland. The king of that country not being prepared to oppose him, received the royal hero at his court, and, told his daughter Signe to fill him a goblet of mead. Gram on seeing the maiden, thought that in reality she was far more lovely than in the magic mirror, and when she sang a song to the sweet tones of the harp, praising the hero who had slain many a giant with his club, and had successfully fought for the crown of Swithiod, he fell so deeply in love with her that he then and there sought her hand in marriage. Humbel, not daring to refuse him, granted his request, whereupon Gram set sail, in order to terminate his quarrel with the Northmen. But, just as

STORY OF KING GRAM

he was on the point of opening the battle, the old F'in-lander again appeared before him, holding the magic mirror in his hand. When Gram looked into it, he saw a sight that filled him with rage. The court of Finland rose before his view, and there he saw a princely hero in glistening armour, and in his hand Humbel was placing that of his daughter, although evidently much against her will.

"It is Henry, the celebrated Duke of Saxony, whom thou now seest/' said the magician; "the faithless king has promised him the hand of the noble Signe, and the wedding will soon take place." Gram lifted his sword in his fury, in order to destroy the mirror and its hateful representation, but both man and mirror had v^anished like a passing shadow from before his eyes. He rushed like one distraught to the shore, embarked on one of his vessels, and sailed for Finland. Wind and weather were favourable, the ship bounded swiftly over the crested waves, and they soon reached their place of destination. The king wrapt himself in a large cloak to hide his costly apparel, drew his hat low over his forehead, and thus approached the palace, whence sounds of feasting and of revelry proceeded. He passed himself off as a man skilled in medicine, who was capable of healing all wounds, and of curing pains of every kind. On hearing this the king was pleased, and offered him a seat among the men in waiting.

Beer and mead were drunk to such an excess that the minds of the guests succumbed to their potent influence. Then Gram took a stringed instrument from one of the

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

singers, and as he sang the praises of manly courage and womanly faith, Signe, who sat next to her bridegroom, raised her soft eyes to his face.

She recognised him,—she rose. Then the king threw off his disguise, rushed among the intoxicated guests, drew his sword and killed the duke and all who opposed him, and finally carried the maiden away to his vessel in safety. Lightly their ship bounded over the waves, as if drawn by invisible hands, and the sea-nymphs laughed, and the nixies sang marriage-songs, and the wedding was soon after celebrated in the castle at Hledra. The king was beside himself with joy in the possession of his fair bride, who won all hearts by her beauty and wisdom. Moreover, they were now no longer threatened by war, for the Northmen had retreated, without venturing to engage in battle.

Years went by, rich in love and happiness, till suddenly the report spread that Swipdager had once more risen in arms, and was expecting the forces of the Saxons, who were coming to his aid. The energies of the king were thus again awakened by this approaching danger; he summoned his soldiers to battle, and the warriors of Denmark and Swithiod, eager for fame and plunder, readily enlisted under the banner of their great ruler.

The hostile factions soon found themselves face to face. When the first rays of the sun shone through the morning mist, horns were sounded for the attack. Then the war-cry arose; arrows and javelins whistled through the air, swords and lances clashed against helmets and shields. Gram and his warriors broke wildly through the

STORY OF KING GRAM

ranks of their adversaries, filling all hearts with dismay. The hostile forces retreated before the superior strength of the fo€, until at last all had fled except the rear-guard, commanded by Swipdager. Just at this moment, white sails appeared in the distance, coming nearer and nearer, till the vessels reached the shore. Many armed warriors disembarked, arranged themselves in ranks, and marched against the enemy, who, confident that the victory was won, were scattered hither and thither, pursuing the flying Northmen. When Gram saw the Saxons, he knew well the extent of the danger which threatened him; and determined either to make himself master of the occasion by killing Swipdager, or else, if the fates so willed it, to lose his life upon the field of battle. When the combat was at its fiercest, a bold Saxon suddenly forced his way through the ranks. He clove in two the shield of the Danish king, who thereupon grasped his sword to aim a desperate blow at his adversary, but it unfortunately caught in the boughs of a neighbouring oak, and before he had time to disentangle it, he was felled to the ground by Swipdager's sword.

Swipdager was victorious; many of his enemies lay dead on the battle-field, and the rest he had put to flight. Denmark was tributary to him, and he now made preparations for fresh conquests. He marched into Hledra, and gave orders that the two sons of the slain king should be brought to him, so as to prevent them, when older, from avenging the death of their father. But nowhere could they be found; they seemed to have disappeared from off the face of the earth, for since Gram's death no one had

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

seen them. Swipdager now marched against Swithiod, in order that that land also should be subject to him. As the Swedish warriors were headed by no very able man, it took him but a very short time to subdue them. In consequence of his many conquests, Swipdager was now looked upon as the greatest monarch of his time, and ambassadors were sent from distant lands to do homage to the great ruler of the North. He had been successful in everything, except in his search for Gram's sons, to whom he was desirous of offering compensation for the loss they had sustained at his hands. For Swipdager was in reality a good and kind man, and it was only through the cunning- of Ingo that he had been induced to take part in any violent proceedings; after the death of the latter his better feelings prevailed, and he longed for reconciliation.

Meanwhile, the princes, Guthorm and Hadding, had been in safe keeping. A mighty warrior named Wagnoft had taken the children during the battle from the arms of their dying mother Signe, and had fled with them into an almost inaccessible wilderness in Sweden. He thought it better that they should be brought up among bears and wolves than that they should fall victims to the fury of the enemy. They grew into fine strong youths, who learnt under his tuition to bend the bow, to wield the sword, and to slay the wild beasts of the forest. As they grew older, their expeditions took them into more inhabited parts, and people began to suspect who the brothers were. When the rumour reached Swipdager's ears, he immediately sought out the strangers in their retreat, and spoke to them kind words of reconciliation. He pointed out

STORY OF KING GRAM

to them the poverty of their present mode of life, and promised them not only abundance of wealth, but also that he would give them to hold, as his vassals, their father's kingdom of Denmark. Guthorm, who was of a kind and friendly disposition, laid his hand in that of the king, and gladly acceded to his proposals; but Had-ding answered never a word. The image of his dead father seemed to rise before his view, while at his side stood Wagnoft, like a spirit of vengeance, knowing of no atonement.

Swipdager, despising the anger of his obstinate opponents, left them to their fate, and returned to the castle, accompanied by Guthorm.

Hadding and Wagnoft now felt that their hiding-place was no longer secure, and they therefore wandered over hill and vale, till they reached the sea-shore. Some pirates, who happened to be sailing by, took them on board, and on hearing that Hadding was of royal descent, chose him as their king, and under his guidance gained much fame and plunder. One of their most important battles was fought in Kurland, against Lokir, the king of that country. Hadding pressed through the thick of the battle, in order to fight face to face with the king, but he soon found himself in a most perilous situation, surrounded on all sides by the enemy, separated from his friends and deprived of all weapons of defence. Death seemed inevitable, when suddenly an old man, blind of one eye, and whom no sword or spear could harm, approached. He strode over the battle-field, towering above all other men, as if he were a god come to rule the

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

earth. Hadding felt himself enveloped in the old man's mantle, raised in the air, and carried away with lightning speed. When at last he was set down on firm ground, he found himself on a lonely coast, but the old man had disappeared as soon as the cloak had been withdrawn from him. Nevertheless, when Hadding once more ventured into the interior of the land, he again fell into Lo-kir's power, who gave orders that he should be thrown before a wild bear. But, fortunately, he had learnt in his youth the nature of wild animals, and lay on the ground stiff and motionless as a corpse. The bear turned him from side to side with his paws, when suddenly Hadding sprang to his feet, threw himself on the monster, and strangled him. The young hero, whose great strength had awakened much admiration, was once more conducted to his prison; but he sang the guards to sleep, and escaped from the dungeon where he was confined into a fresh green wood. There the little birds welcomed him with sweet songs, and inspired him with hope and happiness.

After many years Hadding again met with his fonner companions. At their head he devastated the country far and wide, revenged himself on Lokir, conquered the stronghold Diina, and demanded, as ransom, an amount of gold equal to the weight of the governor of the town. As the latter was a very fat man, and weighed no less than three hundredweight, he had to give up all the gold in his kingdom.

Hadding now crossed over to Sweden with a formidable army, in order to avenge himself on Swipdager, and

lO

STORY OF KING GRAM

thereby fulfil the oath which he had sworn as a boy. For by day and night the spirit of his father was ever before him, reminding him of the filial duty he was called upon to perform.

The great king of the north thought it would be no difficult matter to overcome this adventurer, but he was somewhat alarmed when he saw that Hadding was accompanied by a very large army. He would gladly have deferred the battle till he had obtained some reinforcements, but Hadding discovered his enemies among the mountains, where they had pitched their camps and straightway commenced the attack.

Amidst the roar of the battle and the flashing of the swords, Hadding's one care was to find out the conqueror of his vanquished father. Revenge was the one desire of his heart; revenge was his battle cry!

At last he saw his enemy encouraging his disheartened soldiers, and leading them on to battle. Hadding pressed forward—at last he stood before the great king, and with the cry, ''Gram's son sends thee to hell!" he felled him lifeless to the ground. Thus the battle was terminated, and the Northmen were either dispersed, or shared the fate of their king, and found their death on the battlefield. Denmark and Swithiod fell into the hands of the conqueror; it was only in Norway that Asmund, Swip-dager's son, asserted himself.

Hadding was guilty of bloodshed, and Asmund, swearing that he should be made to repent it, sold all his possessions in order to collect a formidable army with which to march against him. His sentiments were shared by

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

his lovely wife Gunhild, to whom Swipdager had been as a second father. She accompanied her husband as far as Upsala, where he was met by Hadding. The latter was threatened by great dangers during the combat, for the bravest of his warriors lay lifeless around him, and he was hard pressed by the enemy on every side. Breathless and exhausted, he rallied himself for one last desperate effort to ward off his impending fate.

Then Asmund, thirsting for revenge, and elated at his success, made a bold attack upon his enemy, when suddenly a mighty warrior rose, as if from the ground, between him and Gram's son. It was Wagnoft, who had saved Hadding from destruction when a boy. He killed Asmund with one blow from his club, and then led on Hadding's warriors to victory.

Hadding gave orders that the corpses of the slain should be solemnly burnt on two large funeral piles, and the ashes of friends and foes honourably interred; he also commanded that Asmund's body should be buried in the ground with all the observances of royalty. Before the grave was filled in, a fair woman approached, clad in deep mourning. She did not lament, nor did she utter a word; but her tears fell on the coffin. It was Gund-hild, the young widow of the slain king, who, beautiful and noble as a goddess, mourned for him whom she loved. First she looked down into the depths of the grave, then, raising her beautiful eyes to the bright blue sk)^ above, as if she would say: "From earth to heaven; from the night to light," she hastily drew forth a dagger, and pierced her heart, so as to be for ever united with him

STORY OF KING GRAM

she loved so dearly. A lofty mound was afterwards raised over the grave of Asmund and Gundhild, as a memorial of their love and fidelity.

Uffo, a brother of Asmund, now ruled in Norway, and determined to carry on the war, as he was eager to avenge the death both of his father and his brother.

During the first year no events of importance took place. Then the Swedes sent an invitation to the king of the Northmen, inviting him to be their ruler. Bitterly resenting their desertion, Hadding marched into Swith-iod with a great army, and laid waste the fertile country of his enemies far and wide. But when, after five years, he sent his fleet on an expedition, misfortune also fell tO' his share. His warriors suffered from the most pressing want, the horses and even the dogs were slaughtered and consumed, until at last roots and herbs were the only means of subsistence left to them. Under these trying circumstances, when many of his soldiers were ill and others had deserted him, Hadding was forced to join with the enemy in battle. He fought nobly and bravely to the last, but his efforts were in vain, and he was forced to fly with a handful of followers into his own kingdom. Here he found that his treasury had been robbed by the faithless officials to whom it had been entrusted, but the men of Denmark still remained true to their king, so that the enemy did not attempt an invasion.

For some little time Hadding occupied himself with home affairs, but his restless spirit soon drove him on to fresh enterprises. One of these brought him to Noreg, where an earl named Hakin was about to marry his lovely

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

daughter Regenhild to a man whom she both hated and feared. The maiden's complaints were all in vain; the wedding-guests were already assembled, and the goblet was circulating freely, when an uninvited guest appeared, in the person of Hadding, who with his followers walked straight up to the bridegroom, and killed him with a mighty blow from his club. He then requested the earl to bestow upon him the hand of the fair Regenhild, and Hakin, not daring to refuse him, complied with his request. After the wedding Hadding returned to Hledra, where he would gladly have remained quietly in the company of his noble and lovable wife, had not the enemy forced him to take up arms once more.

Uffo, the brother of Asmund, was still thirsting to revenge himself on Hadding, yet did not dare attack him in his own country. At length he invited him to a reconciliation at Upsala, to which Hadding readily consented, appearing on the appointed day with a suite of armed followers. According to agreement, Swithiod was to be divided between the two rulers, and the past was to be forgiven and forgotten. After a grand banquet, Had-ding's followers passed out one by one through a narrow doorway, outside which Uffo had had a cunning contrivance erected, by means of which each one that passed through it had his head dissevered from his body. Meanwhile Uffo detained Hadding with flattering speeches, so that he would not have noticed the strategem had not the last of his warriors uttered a piercing cry. Then he understood it all, and turned upon Uffo with drawn sword, but he found that the traitor had vanished.

STORY OF KIi\G GRAM

On looking around him, he perceived a small iron door, which with some difficulty he broke open, and passed into the open air. A protecting god spread a thick fog around him, so that his enemies could not pursue him, and he escaped in safety.

Uffo, disappointed in his expectations, now promised the hand of his daughter and his whole kingdom to the man who would bring him Hadding's head. There was only one who was willing to undertake such a dangerous enterprise, and that was Thuning, who had loved the beautiful princess for many years. He collected a large number of the people who lived on the icy shores of the White Sea, and who honoured neither God nor man, and with these and the Northmen he marched against Denmark.

Hadding, wishing to save his own land from devastation, sailed with an army and fleet along the Norwegian coast. In passing an island, they were surprised at the sight of an old man, wearing a broad-brimmed hat low down on his forehead, and a long, flowing mantle of pale blue, who beckoned to them as they passed. In spite of the remonstrances of his companions, Hadding took him on board. Then they noticed that the old man had only one eye, which shone like the sun, and, moreover, his whole appearance seemed to change, and he looked so tall and imposing that the sailors whispered to each other that Odin had come among them, and they willingly obeyed his commands. After the army had landed in safety, the old man placed the warriors in ranks, while he himself remained stationed with the rear-guard.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

The battle commenced as usual with the sound of the horn and the battle-cry. The mysterious old man shot seven arrows simultaneously from a huge bow, and they never missed their mark. When the enemy saw that fortune was against them, they had recourse to magic, and drew down a thick fog over the Danish army, so that they could no longer distinguish their opponents. On the other hand, the voice of the one-eyed stranger was heard like the rolling of thunder, and at the same time a cloud passed over them with lightning-speed, which dispelled the fog, and drove hail and sleet into the faces of the enemy. In the confusion which ensued Hadding killed the traitor Uffo, and also his enemy Thuning.

But there was still one man left who could carry on Uffo's work of revenge, and that was Hunding, Swip-dager's youngest son. As, however, he was of a peaceful disposition, Hadding invited him to a reconciliation in the holy temple at Upsala. Here these two men stood face to face, whose forefathers had hated each other so long, with such a deadly hatred, and here they were finally reconciled to each other. Soon after Hadding received the sad news that his beloved wife Regenhild was on her death-bed. He travelled wath all speed to Hledra, where he found his queen at the point of death. Softly she whispered these words in his ear: "I will hover about thee, and guard thee from all harm and danger," and then her gentle spirit took its flight.

Hadding felt very lonely and forsaken after the death of his fair queen, for all his old comrades had been called to their last resting-place, his son Frodi was absent

STORY OF KING GRAM

on various expeditions, and his daughter Ulfhild, who had married a rich man named Guthorm, cared httle for her old father. While resting one day upon his couch, he heard the tones of a harp, and a soft, sweet voice singing. It was the voice of his departed queen, and as he raised himself to listen, he saw her standing before him, with the silvery rays of the moon lighting up her transfigured form. He would fain have taken her in his arms, but she motioned him away, and told him she had come to warn him against the wickedness of his own daughter. Then she gradually disappeared from before his gaze, and only the soft tones of the harp convinced him that it was not all a dream. Soon after a messenger came from his daughter Ulfhild, asking him to attend at a grand feast given in his honour. He accepted the invitation, but remembering the prophetic warning he had received, he wore armour under his outer garments, and commanded his followers to do likewise. They soon found themselves seated round the banquet-table at Guth-orm's court. Then Ulfhild rose, and crying, "Happiness to the great king!" she poured a goblet of wine over the table. This was the appointed signal, and the serving-men, drawing forth daggers, attacked the unsuspecting guests. But Hadding and his companions, who were protected by their armour, drew their swords, and punished the men as they deserved. When, however, fresh numbers came to the aid of their assailants, Hadding found himself in a most perilous situation; a few of his followers stood by him faithfully, others escaped on horseback to tell the sad news wherever they went that

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

the great king had fallen a victim to the cunning of his unnatural and wicked daughter.

Meanwhile Hunding had passed his days in peace and happiness. When he heard of the violent death of his friend Hadding, he was deeply grieved, and ordered a great banquet to be prepared in his memory, to which he invited all the chief men of his kingdom. The feast was still progressing when the door suddenly opened, and Hadding entered. Hunding fell upon his neck and wept like a child, while he heard with delight how his friend had escaped from the hands of his would-be-assassins.

But that same night, Hunding, in groping his way through the banqueting-room, after dark, fell into a huge cask of sweet mead, and was drowned.

Sadly Hadding returned to Hledra, for now that his friend was dead it seemed as if the last tie that bound him to earth was rent asunder. The image of his beloved wife often appeared to him in his dreams, beckoning him to follow her; he felt the touch of her hand and of her kiss upon his lips, and he knew that his earthly joys and sorrows would soon be over for ever. He bequeathed his crown and kingdom to his son Frodi, and then he gladly went whither his beloved called him.

•HELGI, SON OF HIORWARD

HELGI, SON OF HIORWARD.

"Earl At!i, my trusty friend wilt thou journey to King Swavnir, and woo his fair daughter Sigurhn for me? Last Yule I beheld her in her father's court, where I tarried as a winter guest, and I have not forgotten her since." So spoke King Hiorward to his foster-brother Atli. "So late in the season it will be hard to cross the icy mountain-crests and the swampy fens of the valleys," answered the Earl; "nevertheless for my liege lord I will adventure the fight with the fierce frost-giants (hrim-thurses)."

Well found in arms and royal gifts, Atli journeyed to Swavnir. He was hospitably received; but when he named the suit he was come upon, Earl Framnar, Sigur-lin's governor, bethought him that King Hiorward had three wives already, and his foster-child was too good to be an understrapper. So the wooer was sent away with a flea in his ear. Not discouraged by the evil tidings the Earl brought him, the King determined to make another attempt himself, and take an army with him. When with much toil they had gained the mountain crest, he looked down on Swavaland, and saw towns and villages on fire, and parties of horse riding about, laying waste the land. He learnt from fugitives that Hrodmar, a neighbouring king, who had also sued for Sigurlin's hand and been rejected, had in a pitched battle beaten and slain Swavnir, and now with cruel ravages

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

was hunting about for his daughter, whom Earl Framnar had hidden away by magic. On hearing this, the King and his men moved down the mountain, till they came to a river, and there pitched their camp. Atli, who had the night-watch, quietly crossed the water, and soon arrived at a great building, whose entrance was guarded by a giant eagle. He pierced him through with his javelin, and in the house he found the fair Sigurlin, and Framnar's daughter Alof. The maidens were in great alarm, but the brave Earl pacified them, and brought them to his lord. Having thus found what they sought, the King ordered a retreat. The two maidens soon began to trust and love their deliverers, and consented to a wedding, which was held with great splendour in the royal castle.

The fruit of the royal marriage was a son, who grew up strong and handsome; but to the great sorrow of his parents, he was dumb. He heard and understood all that was said, but he never learnt even to say father and mother. All the pains taken to get him to speak were thrown away; and so it came to pass that he was thought little of, and had not so much as a name given him. It was only his older half-brother Hedin that paid much attention to him, taking him out for forays in the woods and fields, and when they grew older, on more serious expeditions. One day, as they were resting on the edge of the forest after a hard fight, they saw nine valkyries on their white steeds high up in the air. One of them let herself down, and halted in front of them, beautiful as Freya's companion. Coming up to the dumb youth

HELGL SON OF HIORWARD

she said: "Helgi, for so thou shalt be named henceforth, the hour is come for thee to shew the hero-spirit that sleeps in thy soul. I am Swava, King Eilimi's daughter, and am appointed to shield thee in the shower of spears." The youth in amazement gazed at the wondrous apparition: "You have given me a name," he cried, "but I will not have it without you."

"It is too soon to speak so bold a word; first prove by deeds that thou deservest a shield-maiden's love." So saying, she hastened after her companions.

"Happy Helgi!" cried his brother Hedin, "thou wilt win the glorious maid, and skalds shall one day sing thy fame."

Great was the joy in Hiorward's hall when the dumb son came before his sire, and in a clear voice asked for a band of warriors, that he might avenge his mother's father on King Hrodmar, who had slain him. Many warriors mustered round him, and he marched away as if to certain victory. The war soon blazed in the enemy's land, and the young hero was ever foremost in the fray. And if the storm of battle pressed him sore, and the strength of his arm grew slack, he saw the valkyrie hovering above him, catching the shot on her shining shield, and he felt new strength to tread the path of victory. In vain did Hrodmar hope to avoid him by skulking in the rear; he sought him out and felled him with a fatal stroke of the sword. In vain did the giant Hati seek to avenge his lord; he too was stricken to death, and sank on the bloody ground. Terror went before Helgi, and the hosts of the enemy turned their faces to flight. Victory fol-

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

lowed him by land and by sea. Hati's daughter Hrim-gerd, a grim sea-maiden (meerminne), tried to sink the hero's fleet, but Swava came sailing in the storm-cloud, and guided the black-bosomed sea-drakes safely into harbour. Crowned with glory, the hero came home to the castle of his fathers, and the harps of skalds rang with his praises. He had now fulfilled the conditions prescribed by the shield-maid; and the next spring he set out for King Eilimi's court. When he made known his suit, the king gave a willing consent, and the loving Swava was not loth to obey her father. The feast of betrothal was held at once: Helgi fastened the golden circlet round the slender arm of his affianced, and when her lips rested on his in a long kiss of troth, he felt such rapture as the wounded hero feels on the battle-field, when with a kiss the valkyrie lifts him out of earthly trouble to immortal bliss. But the bridal was put off till Helgi should return from an expedition against Alfur, the son of Hrodmar, who threatened him with war because he had refused to pay the fine for killing his father. At parting, Swava held him long in her arms: she was loth to let him go, feeling that she had no longer the power to protect him, for by affiance to a mortal man she had stept out of the ranks of shield-maidens.

Alfur was well provided for war, and a skillful general. The fortune of battle shifted from side to side all the summer; at length Helgi won a victory, and drove his antagonist into the bleak highland. He took towns and castles, but could not wholly overcome the resistance of a people fighting for their freedom and their ancient line

HELGI, SON OF HIORWARD

of sovereigns. Petty warfare went on even in the winter. Still Helgi was everywhere victorious; he meant to keep Yule at his father's court, and in the spring to fetch home his beloved Swava. Snowstorms delayed him on the journey, and before he could reach home, tidings came that Alfur with many warriors had forced his way back into his kingdom, had raised the whole population, and defied him to the "holm-gang." This was joyful news to Helgi, for now he hoped to finish the never-ending strife at a blow. But first he continued his journey. On his way he saw his brother Hedin come riding in wild haste and with distracted looks, aside from the main road. The moment he spied Helgi, he galloped toward him, and fell weeping on his neck. "Save me, brother!" he cried, "save me from myself. I have done wickedly, and brought heavy woe upon us." Then, in broken sentences, he went on: "On Yule-day there met me a strange woman, riding on a wolf. She was neither old nor young, neither foul nor fair; she offered me her attendance. I took her for a wanton, and spurned her away. She answered, threatening, that I should rue it at the Bragi-drinking. That evening we drank deep, and were at the height of our mirth, when the boar of Freyr was brought in, and the Bragi-cup was handed round. Every one bragged of some bold action he would do-, and I—the dark Norn whispered the words in my ear—I vowed that I would win my brother's bride from him, the shield-maid Swava. But never will I fight the man that I love best on earth. I will wash out the wicked vow in my own blood. Fare well and happily!" He was rushing

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

away, but Helgi held him back, and said: "Hear me, brother, while like a vala I foretell the future. My fylgia has parted from my side, and has turned herself to thee; therefore in the fight with Alfur I shall fall, and Swava, if she hearken to my prayer, will give her hand to thee. Look, Hedin, the coward begs hard for a bit more of earthly bliss; the hero looks the dark Korn boldly in the face, and says. Ay, spin thy black thread, and northward cast it for me! it reaches no farther than to dying; the entrance to Odin's Hall it cannot bar against me."

It was in vain that Hedin tried to keep him away from the battle, that he offered to lead the army for him, and to die in his stead: he kept to his purpose. In the spring the two brothers marched against Alfur, who fell back before them to the borders of King Eilimi's dominions. There he made a stand, and a stubborn fight began. It lasted all day, and still was undecided; but Helgi had received his death-wound from the sword of his desperate foe. In the evening Hedin and his comrades in arms stood round the dying hero. Swava, too, having heard of the fight, had come in haste from her father's castle, which stood near. Helgi knew her, and a glad smile hovered round his pale lips. "Give me the bridal kiss, my beloved, the valkyrie's kiss that summons me to Odin; then rest in Hedin's arms, he is worthy of thee." She made no wailing, she shed no tears; she said: "A true woman loves but once, and not again. Take, Hedin, the sister's kiss, but thou, Helgi, whom alone I can love, the kiss of the valkyrie. We shall soon meet again at the blissful gathering in Freya's Folkwang."

LEGEND OF TANNHAUSER

Her Ups rested on his, as though she would catch his last breath. She stayed in the camp till the mound was raised over the departed hero, and then returned to Eilimi's castle. Her words came true; she died soon, and found, as she had wished, a resting-place beside the man whom alone she had loved.

LEGEND OF TANNHAUSER.

Ond evening when the noble knight Tannhauser was sitting in a miserable wayside inn, grumbling over the fate that had made him a poor man instead of a prince, he was startled by a loud knocking at the door. He felt a moment's terror lest it should be the bailiffs come to arrest him for debt; but instead of that, it was his good lord, Duke Friedrich of Badenberg, who ruled the rich Danubian land of Austria.

The duke chid the young man for his debts and follies, and then, giving him a purse full of gold, desired him to return to court, where his music and society were much missed.

So Tannhauser once more returned to court, and took part in the gay doings there. He also aided his liege lord in many a famous battle waged against the enemies of the realm. He was a great favourite of his master, both because of his gift of song, and because of his bravery. So Friedrich gave him the fair estate of Leopoldsdorf, near Vienna, as well as a large sum of money.

The Hohenstaufens, too, looked upon him favourably, both the Emperor Frederick H., and his son Konrad, who ruled in Germany after him. The minstrel received 4 25

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

many gifts at their hands, and was devoted to their service.

But although large sums were thus continually passing into his coffers, he was always in debt. In course of time his patron the Duke was killed in the battle of the Leitha. He mourned him deeply, and wrote a number of beautiful songs in memory- of the man who had been so kind to him. But at length his poetic soul began to turn with more pleasure to cheerful themes, so he collected what little remained of his wealth, and, setting out in the bright summer days, he wandered from castle to castle, and from town to town, sometimes hungry, sometimes happy, as he was ill or well received. He travelled through Bavaria, and remained some time at Niirnberg, where song was loved and studied; and after that he crossed the Alps into Italy. At Pavia, he made the acquaintance of a German knight, who was much drawn to the fascinating minnesinger, and he, in his turn, to the knight's fair daughter, Kunigunde. The old knight, on being asked for his daughter's hand, replied that he liked Tannhauser very much, and would give him his daughter willingly if he had the wherewithal to support her. Minstrelsy was all very well, he added, but it would not keep a family in bread and butter. "You have both your sword and your harp to trust to," he concluded with a smile; "go, and make enough money to set up house, and then I will give you Kunigunde,"

Tannhauser took leave of his lady-love, promising to return in a year with the needful provision; and he hopefully intended to keep his promise.

LEGEND OF TANNHAUSER

He rode away sad at heart; but the weather was so beautiful, and the birds were singing so gaily, that he could not remain sad long. He sang wherever he could get an audience, but sweet and joyous as was the music he made, it brought him no' gold. He therefore tried what his sword could do for him, and fought under the banner of King Konrad, against his rival Heinrich Raspe, the "pope's king," thereby helping to win the battle of Ulm. He was handsomely rewarded for his assistance. Then he went back to Italy, and fought there also' for the Hohenstaufens, for which service he was richly paid. Once, soon after this, he sought and found shelter for the night in a castle where many knights were assembled. After supper he delighted every one with his minstrelsy. But immediately after he had ceased to sing, a stranger came in, dressed in black garm.ents embroidered with gold, and wearing black feathers in his cap. He had a harp in his hand, and, seating himself, began to play and sing in a deep, powerful, and yet melodious, voice. His song was strange and eerie in its effect. The guests all glanced at each other in silence when it was done. They felt ill at ease, they knew not why.

Tannhauser, throwing off the unaccountable feeling that possessed him, caught up his harp, and sang a merry ditty about woods and birds and flowers, and soon both he and the other guests were restored to their former cheerfulness. After that, they all began to play at dice. Tannhauser won large sums, and lost them again immediately to the black stranger, and not only these, but some of the money he had put aside for his marriage.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

The next day, when he left the castle, the stranger went with him, remained with him all day, and before night fell, had won all his money from him. Seeing how sad Tannhauser looked, the stranger laughed, and said:

*'Do not pull such a long face over so small a matter as the loss of a few gold pieces, but come with me to Wart-burg; Landgrave Hermann has summoned a minstrel tournament to meet, in which the prizes are lands and wealth, but he who fails will lose his head. My name is Klingsohr, and I come from Hungary. I am willing to enter into an alliance with you. Your songs are like the bliss of heaven; mine, like the horrors of hell. If we are successful, you may have the wealth—I shall take the heads; if, on the other hand, we lose, we shall go together to heaven or hell; what does it matter which ? You shudder like a weakling tO' hear me talk thus, for you believe the tales the priests tell you about fire and brimstone; but instead of that, it is the realm of Dame Venus, who gives her friends the most exquisite pleasures earth can afford, and both silver and gold in abundance. If you do' not care for the minstrel tournament, you can visit the fair queen on the road to Wartburg, for she lives in the Horselberg, which we shall have to pass."

Tannhauser listened to his companion with a shudder; but when he went on to describe the unspeakable glories of the Horselberg, and to tell of the marvellous charms of the queen, he felt a growing desire to see Dame Venus with his own eyes. So he set out with his strange companion, forgetting, or nearly forgetting, Kunigunde, and his love for her.

LEGEND OF TANNHAUSER

When the travellers approached the mountains of Thu-ringia they were joined by a tall and stately man in full armour, with his sword at his side, and a white staff in his hand. As they walked on together, they exchanged confidences as to who they were, and from whence they came. The new-comer said :

"People call me the faithful Eckhard, the Harlung-'s comfort, for I took care of the noble youths for many years; but, alas! wicked Ermenrich, and his evil counsellor Sibich, slew them in my absence, and all I could do was to avenge their death."

"The Harlungs, Ermenrich, Sibich," repeated Tann-hiiuser thoughtfully, "it must have been long ago."

"Three or four hundred years or even more may have passed since then," answered Eckhard. "I find it difficult to reckon time after the manner of men; but ever since those old days I have been busily employed in warning people away from the Venus Mount."

Klingsohr burst out laughing, and cried, "Spare your words, old fool; so you are one of the idiots who blaspheme Dame Venus."

"Get thee behind me, tempter," said Eckhard; "I am going to take the good knight to the Wartburg, where he may win glory and wealth."

"And I am going on to prepare his lodging in our queen's palace," answered the other, as he set off at a brisk pace towards the mountains.

The minstrel and Eckhard continued their way quietly, talking the while. At last they came to the beautiful Horselthal, with its meadows, trees, and rushing stream,

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

and, a little farther on, to a bleak mountain, out of which came a confused sound as of waves beating a rock-bound coast, the roar and clatter of a water-mill, human cries of rage, and the howling of wild beasts.

"That is the Horselberg," said Eckhard, "the place where Dame Venus holds her court, with the wicked who are under her dominion. Keep thine eyes and ears both shut, lest the temptress entangle thee in her net."

The nearer the travellers came to the mountain, the more the confused and discordant sounds they had at first heard resolved themselves intO' harmony. Through a door in the rock they could see knights, beautiful women, and dwarfs. All seemed to be enjoying themselves to the utmost. At the entrance sat a fair woman in royal robes. The moment she saw Tannhauser she smiled, and signed to him to approach. Eckhard in the same moment entreated him by all he held sacred to beware of the temptress, who was outwardly like an angel of light, but inwardly a fiend incarnate. He would have said more, but Venus interrupted him by beginning to sing a wondrous song about all the joys that awaited those who entered her kingdom; and Tannhauser, as thoroughly enchanted as though a magic spell had been cast over him, thrust Eckhard aside, and hastened to the queen of beauty, who stretched out her arms towards him. She half drew him over the threshold, and he half staggered across. Then the door shut, and the faithful Eckhard saw him no more.

It would be impossible to describe all the wonders and delights that greeted the eyes and ears of the lost knight. Every day brought new pleasures, which he enjoyed to the

LEGEND OF TANNHAUSER

Utmost. But at length he began to tire of it, and confessed to himself that satiety was not happiness. He had a horror of himself, and of the self-indulgent life he was lead-mg; and his conscience, once awake, left him no peace. After an inward struggle, he made up his mind to go and seek out a pious priest, tell him all, and entreat him to show him how he might gain absolution.

Tannhauser felt much happier when he had formed this resolution. He went to Queen Venus, and asked her to let him go. At first she refused, and then consented, saying that he might come back to her if he did not find what he was going away to seek. So he went out into the sweet fresh air, which was so pure that it gave him new life, but in a little while his resolution faltered. Could he be able to find a priest to shrive him!

He told his tale to priests, abbots, and bishops, but they one and all declared that they could not help him, that the Holy Father at Rome was the only person on earth who had power to absolve a sinner who had had dealings with the powers of the under-world.

He went to Rome, and confessed all his sin and sorrow to the Pope, whom he found walking in the garden, and awaited the answer of his Holiness with a broken and contrite heart. But the Pope replied with harsh voice and unbending brow:

"You are an adherent of the cursed race of Hohen-staufen; you have dwelt among the lost spirits in hell, and have been one with them: I tell you plainly that God can no more pardon you than this dry stick can put forth leaves and flowers"; so saying, he thrust his gold-headed

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

walking stick into the ground, and walked away leaving it there.

Tannhauser then exclaimed in his misery, "What shall I do ? The high-priest of the Lord has cast me off, heaven is closed against me, and men will have nought to do with me."

At this moment an unknown voice broke in, "There is a higher than this priest, even He whose dwelling is in heaven, and He that came to redeem men from their sins, and who said, 'Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' "

Tannhauser started when he heard himself addressed, and, turning around, beheld the faithful Eckhard.

"Alas," he answered, "it is too late; I cannot, dare not, pray any more. I will now return tO' Dame Venus, and the pleasures she offers me."

So he went back to the Horselberg in spite of Eckhard's entreaties; for he was utterly hopeless.

Novv^ it came to pass, three days after, that the Pope again walked in his garden, and behold, the walking-stick which he thrust into the ground had taken root, and put forth leaves and blossoms. The sight filled him with amazement, and he remembered the words of the Saviour: "Be ye also merciful, even as your Father in heaven is merciful." And he sent out messengers in search of Tannhauser ; but he could not be found, for he had returned to Dame Venus.

THE WEREWOLF

THE WEREWOLF.

SWEDISH.

There was once a king, who ruled over a large kingdom. He was married to a beautiful queen, by whom he had only one child, a daughter. Hence it naturally followed that the little one was to her parents as the apple of their eye, and was dear to them beyond all other things, so that they thought of nothing with such delight as of the pleasure they should have in her when she grew up. But much falls out contrary tO' expectation; for before the princess was out of her childhood, the queen, her mother, fell sick and died. Now, it is easy to imagine that there was sadness not only in the royal court, but over the whole kingdom, for the queen was greatly beloved by all. The king himself was so deeply afflicted that he resolved never to marry again, but placed all his comfort and joy in the little princess.

In this manner a considerable time passed on; the young princess grew from day to day taller and fairer, and everything she at any time desired was by her father immediately granted her; many attendants being placed about her, for the sole purpose of being at hand to execute all her commands. Among these there was a woman who had been previously married, and had two daughters. She was of an agreeable person, and had a persuasive tongue, so that she well knew how to put her words together; added tO' all which she was as soft and pliant

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

as silk; but her heart was full of artifices and all kinds of falsehood. No sooner was the queen dead than she began to devise plans how she might become consort to the king, and her daughters be honoured as kings' daughters. With this object she began by winning the affection of the young princess, praised beyond measure all that she said or did, and all her talk ended in declaring how happy they would be if the king would take to himself a new wife. On this subject the conversation often-est turned both early and late, till at length the princess could not believe otherwise than that all the woman said was true. She therefore asked her what description of wife it were most desirable that the king should select. The woman, in many words, all sweet as honey, answered, "111 would it become me to give an opinion in such a case, hoping only he may choose for his queen one who will be kind to my little princess. But this I know, that were I so fortunate as to be the object of his choice, I should think only of what might please the princess; and if she wished to wash her hands, one of my daughters should hold the basin, and the other hand her the towel." This and much more she said to the princess, who believed her, as children readily believe all that is told them is true.

Not a day now passed in which the king was free from the solicitations of his daughter, who incessantly besought him to marry the handsome waiting-woman; but he would not. Nevertheless, the princess would not desist from her entreaties, but spoke incessantly precisely as she had been taught by the false waiting-woman.

THE WEREWOLF

One day, when she was talking- in the same strain, the king broke forth : "I see very well that it must at length be as yon have resolved, greatly as it is against my wish; but it shall be only on one condition." "What is the condition?" asked the princess, overjoyed. "It is," said the king, "that, as it is for your sake if I marry again, you shall promise me that if at any future time you shall be discontented with your stepmother or your stepsisters, I shall not be troublea with your complaints and grievances." The princess made the promise, and it was settled that the king should marry the waiting-woman, and make her queen over all his realm.

As time passed on the king's daughter grew up to be the fairest maid in all the land; while the queen's daughters were as ugly in person as in disposition, so that no one had a good word for them. There could not, therefore, fail of being a number of young princes and knights, from both east and west, coming to demand the young princess; w^hile not one vouchsafed to woo either of the queen's daughters. At this the stepmother was sorely vexed at heart, however she might conceal her feelings, being, to all outward appearance, as smooth and humble as before. Among the suitors there was a king's son from a distant country, who was both young and valorous, and as he passionately loved the princess, she listened to his addresses, and plighted her faith to him in return. The queen observed all this with a jaundiced eye; for she w-ould fain have had the prince marry one of her own daughters, and, therefore, resolved that the young couple should never be united with each other.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

From that moment her thoughts were solely bent on the destruction both of them and their love.

An opportunity soon offered itself to her; for just at that time intelligence was received that an enemy had invaded the country, so that the king was obliged to take the field. The princess was now soon made to learn what kind of a stepmother she had got; for hardly had the king departed before the queen began to show her true disposition, so that she now was as cruel and malignant as she had previously appeared to be friendly and obliging. Not a day passed on which the princess did not hear maledictions and hard words; nor did the queen's daughters yield to their mother in wickedness. But a lot still more cruel awaited the young prince, the lover of the princess. While engaged in the chase he had lost his way, and got separated from his companions. Availing herself of the opportunity, the queen practised on him her wicked arts, and transformed him into a werewolf, so that for the remainder of his days he should be a prowler of the forest. When evening drew on, and the prince did not appear, his men returned home; and the sorrow may be easily imagined with which the princess was overwhelmed when she was informed how the chase had terminated. She wept and mourned day and night, and would not be comforted. But the queen laughed at her affliction, and rejoiced in her false heart that everything had turned out so agreeably tO' her wishes.

As the princess was one day sitting alone in her maiden-bower, it entered her mind that she would visit the forest in which the young prince had disappeared.

THE WEREWOLF

She went, therefore, to her stepmother, and asked permission to go to the wood, that she might for a little while forget her heavy affliction. To her request the queen would hardly give her consent, as she was always more inclined to say no than yes; but the princess besought her so earnestly that at last her stepmother could no longer withhold her permission, only ordering one of her daughters to accompany and keep watch over her. A long dispute now arose between mother and daughters, neither of the stepsisters being willing to go with her, but excusing themselves, and asking what pleasure they could have in following her who did nothing but weep. The matter ended by the queen insisting that one of her daughters should go with the princess, however much it might be against her wall. The maidens then strolled away from the palace and reached the forest, where the princess amused herself with wandering among the trees, and listening to the song of the little birds, and thinking on the friend she loved so dearly, and whom she now had lost; the queen's daughter following all the while, with a heart full of rancorous feeling for the princess and her grief.

After having wandered about for some time they came to a small cottage that stood far in the dark forest. At the same moment the princess was seized with a burning thirst, and entreated her stepsister to accompany her to the cottage, that she might get a draught of water. At this the queen's daughter became only more ill-humoured, and said, "Is it not enough that I follow you up and down in the wild wood? Now, because you are a prin-

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

cess, you require me to gO' into such a filthy nest. No^ my foot shall never enter it. If you will go, go alone." The princess took no long time to consider, but did as her stepsister said, and entered the cabin. In the little apartment she saw an aged woman sitting on a bench, who appeared so stricken with years that her head shook. The princess saluted her, as was her wont, in a friendly tone, with "Good evening, good mother! may I ask you for a little drink of water?" "Yes, and right welcome," answered the old woman. "Who are you that come under my humble roof with so kind a greeting?" The princess told her that she was the king's daughter, and had come out to divert herself, with the hope, in some degree, of forgetting her heavy affliction. "What affliction have you, then?" asked the old woman. "Well may I grieve," answered the princess, "and never more feel joyful. I have lost my only friend, and God alone knows whether we shall ever meet again." She then related tO' the old woman all that had taken place, while the tears flowed from her eyes in such torrents that no one could have refrained from pitying her. When she had concluded, the old woman said, "It is well that you have made your grief known to me; I have experienced much, and can, perhaps, give you some advice. When you go from hence you will see a lily growing in the field. This lily is not like other lilies, but has many wonderful properties. Hasten, therefore, to pluck it. If you can do so, all will be well; for then there will come one who will tell you what you are to do." They then parted; the princess having thanked her, continued

THE WEREWOLF

her walk, and the old woman remained sitting on her bench and shaking- her head. But the queen's daughter had been standing during the whole time outside the door, murmuring and fretting that the princess staid so long.

When she came out she had to hear much chiding from her stepsister, as was to be expected; but to this she gave very little heed, thinking only how she should find the flower of which the old woman had spoken. She therefore proceeded further into the forest, and in the selfsame moment her eye fell on a spot where there stood a beautiful white lily in full bloom before her. On seeing it she was so' glad, so glad, and instantly ran to gather it, but it vanished on a sudden and appeared again at some distance. The princess was now eager beyond measure, and no longer gave heed tO' the voice of her stepsister, but continued running; though every time she put forth her hand tO' take the flower it was already away, and immediately afterwards reappeared at a short distance farther off. Thus it continued for a considerable time, and the princess penetrated further and further into the dense forest, the lily all the while appearing and vanishing, and again showing itself, and every time looking taller and more beautiful than before. In this manner the princess at length came to a high mountain, when on casting her eyes up to the summit, there stood the flower on the very edge, as brilliant and fair as the brightest star. She now began to climb up the mountain, caring for neither the stocks nor the stones that lay in the way, so great was her ardour. When she at

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

length had gained the mountain's top, lo! the lily no longer moved, but continued stationary. The princess then stooped and plucked it, and placed it in her bosom, and was so overjoyed that she forgot both stepsister and everything in the world besides.

For a long time the princess could not sufficiently feast her eyes with the sight of the beautiful flower. It then on a sudden entered her mind, what her stepmother would say, when she returned home, for having staid out so long. She looked about her before returning to the palace, but on casting a glance behind her she saw that the sun had gone down, and that only a strip of day yet tarried on the mountain's summit; while down before her the forest appeared so dark and gloomy, that she did not trust herself to find the way through it. She was now exceedingly weary and exhausted, and saw no alternative but that she must remain for the night where she was. Sitting then down on the rock, she placed her hand under her cheek and wept, and thought on her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and all the bitter words she must hear when she returned home, and on the king, her father, who was absent, and on the beloved of her heart, whom she should never see again; but abundantly as her tears flowed she noticed them not, so absorbing was her afiliction. Night now drew on, all was shrouded in darkness, the stars rose and set, but the princess still continued sitting on the same spot, weeping without intermission. While thus sitting, lost in thought, she heard a voice greeting her with, "Good evening, fair maiden! Why do you sit here so lonely and sorrowful ?"

THE WEREWOLF

She started and was greatly surprised, as may easily be imagined; and on looking back there stood a little, little old man, who nodded and looked so truly benevolent. She answered, "I may well be sorrowful, and never more be glad. I have lost my best beloved, and have, moreover, missed my path in the forest, so that I am fearful of being devoured by the wild beasts." *'Oh," said the old man, "don't be disheartened for that. If you will obey mc in all that I say, I will help you." To this the princess readily assented, seeing herself forsaken by the whole world besides. The old man then drew forth a flint and steel, and said, "Fair maiden! now, in the first place, you shall kindle a fire." The king's daughter did as she was desired, gathered moss, twigs, and dry wood, and kindled a fire on the mountain's brow. When she had done this the old man said to her, "Go now further on the mountain, and you will find a pot full of tar: bring it hither." The princess did so. The old man continued: "Now set the pot on the fire." The princess did SO'. "When, now, the tar begins to boil," said the old man, "cast your white lily into the pot." This seemed to the princess a very hard command, and she prayed earnestly that she might retain her lily; but the old man said: "Have you not promised to obey me in all that I desire, Do as I tell you; you will not repent." The princess then, with eyes averted, cast the lily into the boiling pot, although it grieved her to the heart; so dear to her was the beautiful flower.

At the same instant a hollow roaring was heard from the forest, like the cry of a wild beast, which came nearer

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

and nearer, and passed into a hideous howl, so that the mountain re-echoed on every side. At the same time was heard a cracking and rusthng among the trees, the bushes gave way, and the princess beheld a huge gray wolf come rushing out of the forest just opposite to the spot where they were sitting. In her terror she would gladly have fled from it; but the old man said, "Make haste, run to the brow of the mountain, and the moment the wolf comes before you, empty the tar-pot over him." The princess, although so terrified that she was hardly conscious of what she did, nevertheless followed the old man's direction, and poured the tar over the wolf, just as he came running towards her. But now a wonderful event took place, for scarcely had she done so when the wolf changed his covering, the great gray skin started off from him, and, instead of a ravenous wild beast, there stood a comely youth with eyes directed towards the brow of the mountain; and when the princess had so far recovered from her fright that she could look on him, whom did she behold before her but her own best beloved, who had been transformed into a werewolf!

Now let any one, whoi can, imagine what the feelings of the princess were at this moment. She stretched out her arms towards him, but could neither speak nor answer, so great were her surprise and joy. But the prince ran up the mountain and embraced her with all the ardour of the truest affection, and thanked her for having restored him. Nor did he forget the little old man, but thanked him in many kind words for his powerful aid. They then sat down on the mountain-top and con-

THE WEREWOLF

versed lovingly with each other. The prince related how he had been changed intO' a wolf, and all the privations he had suffered while he had tO' range about the forest; and the princess recounted to him her sorrow and all the tears she had shed during his absence. Thus they sat throughout the night, heedless of the passing hour, until the stars began gradually to retire before the daylight, so that the surrounding objects were visible. When the sun had risen they perceived that a wide road ran from the foot of the hill quite up to the royal palace. Then said the old man, **Fair maiden, turn about. Do you see anything yonder?" "Yes," answered the princess, "I see a horseman on a foaming horse; he rides along the road at full speed." "That," said the old man, "is a messenger from the king, your father. He will follow forthwith with his whole army." Now was the princess glad beyond measure, and wished instantly to descend tO' meet her father; but the old man held her back, saying: "Wait: it is yet too soon. Let us first see how things will turn out."

After some time the sun shone bright, so that its rays fell on the palace down before them. Then said the old man, "Fair maiden, turn about. Do you see anything yonder?" "Yes," answered the princess, "I see many persons coming out of my father's palace, some of whom proceed along the road, while others hasten towards the forest." The old man said, "They are your stepmother's servants. She has sent one party to meet the king and bid him welcome; but the other is going to the forest in search of you." At hearing this the princess was

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

troubled, and was with difficulty induced to remain, but wished to go down to the queen's people: but the old man held her back, saying-, "Wait yet a little while; we will first see how things turn out."

For some time the princess continued with her looks directed towards the road by which the king was to come. Then said the old man again, "Fair maiden, turn about. Do you observe anything yonder?" "Yes," answered the princess, "there is a great stir in my father's palace; and see! now they are busy in hanging the whole palace with black." The old man said, "That is your stepmother and her servants. They wish to make your father believe that you are dead." At this the princess was filled with anxiety, and prayed fervently, saying, "Let me go, let me go, that I may spare my father so great an affliction." But the old man detained her, saying, "No, wait. It is still too soon. We will first see how things turn out,"

Again another interval passed, the sun rose high in the heaven, and the air breathed warm over field and forest; but the royal children and the little old man continued sitting on the mountain where we left them. They now observed a small cloud slowly rising in the horizon, which grew larger and larger, and came nearer and nearer along the road; and as it moved they saw that it glittered with weapons, and perceived helmets nodding and banners waving, heard the clanking of swords and the neighing of horses, and at length recognised the royal standard. Now it is easy to imagine that the joy of the princess exceeded all bounds, and that she only longed to go and

THE WEREWOLF

greet her father. But the old man held her back, saying, "Turn about, fair maiden, do you see nothing at the king's palace?" "Yes," answered the princess, "I see my stepmother and my stepsisters coming out clad in deep mourning, and holding white handkerchiefs to their faces, and weeping bitterly," The old man said, "They are now pretending to mourn for your death; but wait awhile, we have yet to see how things will turn out."

Some time after, the old man asked again, "Fair maiden, turn about. Do you observe anything yonder ?" "Yes," answered the princess, "I see them come bearing a black coffin. Now my father orders it to be opened. And see! the queen and her daughters fall on their knees, and my father threatens them with his sword." The old man said, "The king desired to see your corpse, and so your wicked stepmother has been forced to confess the truth." On hearing this, the princess entreated fervently : "Let me go, let me go, that I may console my father in his great affliction." But the old man still detained her, saying, "Attend to my counsel, and stay here a little while. We have not yet seen how everything will terminate."

Another interval passed, and the princess, and the prince, and the little old man, still continued sitting on the mountain. Then said the old man, "Turn about, fair maiden. Do you observe anything yonder?" "Yes," answered the princess, "I see my father, and my stepmother, and my stepsisters, coming this way with all their attendants." The old man continued, "They

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

have now set out in search of you. Go down now, and bring the wolfskin which is lying below." The king's daughter did so, and the old man then said, "Place yourself on the brink of the mountain." The princess did so, and at the same moment perceived the queen and her daughters coming along the road just beneath the mountain where they were sitting, ''Now," said the old man, "cast the wolfskin straight down." The princess obeyed, and cast the wolfskin as the old man had directed. It fell exactly over the wicked queen and her two daughters. But now a wonderful event took place, for hardly had the skin touched the three women than they changed their guise, gave a hideous howl, and were transformed into three fierce werewolves, which at full speed rushed into the wild forest.

Scarcely had this taken place before the king himself with all his men came to the foot of the mountain. When he looked up and beheld the princess, he could not at first believe his eyes, but stood immovable, thinking it was a spectre. The old man then cried, "Fair maiden, hasten now down and gladden the heart of your father." The princess did not wait to be told a second time, but, taking her lover by the hand, was in an instant at the mountain's foot. When they reached the spot where the king was standing, the princess fell on her father's breast and wept for joy; the young prince also wept; even the king himself shed tears, and tO' every one present their meeting was a delightful spectacle. Great joy was there and many embracings, and the princess related all she had suffered from her stepmother and stepsisters, and

THE WEREWOLF

all about her beloved prince, and the little old man who had so kindly assisted them. But when the king turned to thank him he had already vanished, and no one could ever say either who he was or whither he went.

The king and all his suite now returned to the palace, on their way towards which much was said both about the little old man and what the princess had undergone. On reaching home the king ordered a sumptuous banquet to be prepared, to which he invited all the most distinguished and exalted persons of his kingdom, and bestowed his daughter on the young prince; and their nuptials were celebrated with games and rejoicings for many days. And I, too, was at the feastings; and as I rode through the forest I was met by a wolf with two young ones; they were ravenous, and seemed to suffer much. I have since learned that they were no other than the wicked stepmother and her two daughters.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN.

FROM SOUTH SMALAND.

There was once a king, who was so devoted to the chase that he knew of no greater pleasure than hunting the beasts of the forest. Early and late he would stay-out in the field with hawk and hound, and always had good success. It nevertheless one day happened that he could start no game, though he sought on all sides from early morn. When evening was drawing on, and he was about to return home with his attendants, he suddenly perceived a dwarf, or "wild man," running before him in the forest. Putting spurs to his horse, the king instantly went in pursuit of him, and caught him. His extraordinary appearance caused no little surprise, for he was little and ugly as a Troll, and his hair resembled shaggy moss. To whatever the king said to him he would return no answer, good or bad. At this the king was angry, and the more so as he was already out of humour, in consequence of his bad luck at the chase. He therefore commanded his followers to keep a strict watch over the wild man, so that he might not escape, and then returned to his palace.

In those times it was an old-established custom for the king and his men to hold drinking meetings till a late hour in the night, at which much was said, and still more drunk. As they were sitting at one of these meetings, and making themselves merry, the king, taking up a

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

large horn, said: "What think ye of our sport to-day? When could it before have been said of us, that we returned home without some game?" The men answered: "It is certainly true as you say, and yet, perhaps, there is not so good a sportsman as you to be found in the whole world. You must not, however, complain of our day's luck; for you have caught an animal, whose like was never before seen or heard of." This discourse pleased the king exceedingly, and he asked what they thought he had best to do with the dwarf. One of the courtiers answered: "You should keep him confined here in the palace, that it may be known far and near what a great hunter you are; provided that you can guard him so that he does not escape; for he is crafty and perverse withal." On hearing this, the king for some time sat silent; then raising the horn, said: "I will do as thou sayest, and it shall be through no fault of mine, if the wild man escapes. But this I vow, that if any one lets him loose, he shall die, even if it be my own son." Having said this, he emptied the horn, so that it was an inviolable oath. But the courtiers cast looks of doubt on each other; for they had never before heard the king so speak, and could plainly see that the mead had mounted to his head.

On the following morning, when the king awoke, he recollected the vow he had made at the drinking party; and accordingly sent for timber and other materials, and caused a small house or cage to be constructed close by the royal palace. The cage was formed of large beams, and secured by strong locks and bars, so that no one

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

co'Uld break through. In the middle of the wall there was a little opening or window, for the purpose of conveying the food to the prisoner. When all was ready, the king had the wild man brought forth, placed him in the cage, and took the keys himself. There must the dwarf now sit day and night, both goers and comers stopping to gaze on him; but no one ever heard him complain, or even utter a single word.

Thus did a considerable time pass, when war broke out, and the king was obliged to take the field. When on the eve of departure, he said to his queen: "Thou shalt rule over my realm, and I will leave both land and people in thy care. But thou shalt promise me one thing, that thou wilt keep the wild man, so that he escape not while I am absent." The queen promised to do her best both in that and all things besides; and the king gave her the keys of the cage. He then pushed his barks from the shore, hoisted sail on the gilded yards, and went far, far away to distant countries; and to whatever place he came, he was there victorious. But the queen stood on the shore, looking after him as long as she could see his pendants waving over the ocean, and then, with her attendants, returned to the palace, there to sit sewing silk on her knee, awaiting her consort's return.

The king and queen had an only child, a prince, still of tender age, but who gave good promise of himself. After the king's departure, it one day happened that the boy, in his wanderings about the palace, came to the wild man's cage, and sat down close by it playing with

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

his gold apple. While he was thus amusing himself, his apple chanced to pass through the window of the cage. The wild man instantly came forwards and threw it out. This the boy thought a pleasant pastime, and threw his apple in again, and the wild man cast it back, and thus they continued for some time. But at length pleasure was turned to sorrow, for the wild man kept the apple and would not throw it back. When neither threats nor prayers were of any avail, the little one burst into tears. Seeing this, the wild man said: "Thy father has acted wickedly towards me, in making me a prisoner, and thou shalt never get thy apple again, unless thou procurest my liberty." The boy answered: "How shall I procure thy liberty? Only give me my gold apple! my gold apple!" "Thou shalt do as I now tell thee," replied the wild man. "Go to the queen, thy mother, and desire her to comb thee. Be on the watch, and steal the keys from her girdle, then come and open the door. Thou canst afterwards restore the keys in the same manner, and no one will be the wiser." In short, the wild man succeeded in persuading the boy, who stole the keys from his mother, ran down to the cage, and let the wM man come out. At parting, the dwarf said: "Here is thy gold apple, as I promised, and thou hast my thanks for allowing me to escape. Another time, when thou art in trouble, I will help thee in return." He then ran off.

When it was known in the royal palace that the wild man had fled, there was a great commotion; the queen sent people on the roads and ways to trace him; but he

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

was away and continued away. Thus some time passed, and the queen was more and more troubled, for she was in daily expectation of her consort's return. At last she descried his ships come dancing- on the waves, and a multitude of people were assembled on the shore to bid him welcome. On landing, his first inquiry was, whether they had taken good care of the wild man; when the queen was obliged to confess what had taken place. At this intelligence the king was highly incensed, and declared he would punish the perpetrator, be he whoever he might. He then caused an investigation to be made throughout the palace and every man's child was called forth to bear witness; but no one knew anything. At last the little prince came forward. On appearing before his father he said: "I know that I have incurred my father's anger; nevertheless I cannot conceal the truth; for it was I who let the wild man escape." On hearing this the queen grew deadly pale, and every other with her; for the little prince was the favourite of all. At length the king spoke: "Never shall it be said of me that I broke my vow, even for my own flesh and blood; and thou shalt surely die as thou deservest." Thereupon he gave orders to his men to convey the young prince to the forest, and there slay him; but to bring his heart back, as a proof that his order had been fulfilled.

Now there was sorrow among the people such as the like had never before been experienced; every one interceded for the young prince, but the king's word was irrevocable. The young men had, therefore, no alternative ; so taking the prince with them, they set out on their

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

way. When they had penetrated very far into the forest, they met a man driving swine; whereupon one of the men said to his companion: "It seems to me not good to lay violent hands on a king's son: let us rather purchase a hog, and take its heart; for no one will know it not to be the prince's heart." This to the other seemed wisely said; so they bought a hog of the man, slaughtered it, and took out its heart. They then bade the prince go his way and never return.

The king's son did as they had directed him; he wandered on as far as he was able, and had no other sustenance than the nuts and wuld berries, which grew in the forest. When he had thus travelled a long distance, he came to a mountain, on the summit of which stood a lofty fir. He then thought to himself: "I may as well climb up into this fir, and see whether there is any path." No sooner said than done. When he reached the top of the tree, and looked on all sides, he discerned a spacious palace lying at a great distance, and glittering in the sun. At this sight he was overjoyed, and instantly bent his steps thither. On his way he met with a boy following a plough, with whom he exchanged clothes. Thus equipped he at length reached the palace, entered it, and asked for employment; so was taken as a herd-boy, to watch the king's cattle. Now he ranged about the forest both late and early; and as time went on he forgot his sorrow, and grew, and became tall and vigorous, so that nowhere was to be found his like.

Our story now turns to the king, to whom the palace belonged. He had been married, and by his queen had

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

an only daughter. She was much fairer than other damsels, and was both kind and courteous; so that he might be regarded as fortunate, who should one day possess her. When she had completed her fifteenth winter, she had an innumerable host of suitors, whose number, although she gave each a denial, was constantly increasing; so that the king at length knew not what answer to give them. He one day, therefore, went up to his daughter in her bower, and desired her to make a choice, but she would not. In his anger at her refusal he said: "As thou wilt not thyself make a choice, I will make one for thee, although it may happen not to be altogether to thy liking." He was then going away, but his daughter held him back, and said: "I am well convinced that it must be as you have resolved; nevertheless, you must not imagine that I will accept the first that is offered, as he alone shall possess me, who is able to ride to the top of the high glass mountain fully armed." This the king thought a good idea, and, yielding to his daughter's resolution, he sent a proclamation over the whole kingdom, that W'hosoever should ride fully armed to the top of the glass mountain, should have the princess to wife.

When the day appointed by the king had arrived, the princess was conducted to the glass mountain with great pomp and splendour. There she sat, the highest of all, on the summit of the mountain, with a golden crown on her head and a golden apple in her hand, and appeared so exquisitely beautiful, that there was no one present who would not joyfully have risked his life for her sake. Close at the mountain's foot were assembled all the suit-

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

ors on noble horses and with splendid arms, which shone like fire in the sunshine; and from every quarter the people flocked in countless multitudes to witness the spectacle. When all was ready, a signal was given with horns and trumpets, and in the same instant the suitors galloped up the hill one after another. But the mountain was high, and slippery as ice, and was, moreover, exceedingly steep; soi that there was no one, who, when he had ascended only a small portion, did not fall headlong to the bottom. It may, therefore, well be imagined there was no lack of broken legs and arms. Hence arose a noise of the neighing of horses, the outcry of people and the crash of armour that was to be heard at a considerable distance.

While all this was passing, the young prince was occupied in tending his cattle. On hearing the tumult and the rattling of arms, he sat on a stone, rested his head on his hand, and wept; for he thought of the beautiful princess, and it passed in his mind how gladly he would have been one of the riders. In the same moment he heard the sound of a footstep, and, on looking up, saw the wild man standing before him. "Thanks for the past," said he. "Why sittest thou here lonely and sad?" "I may well be sad," answered the prince. "For thy sake I am a fugitive from my native land, and have now not even a horse and arms, that I might ride to the glass mountain, and contend for the princess." "Oh," said the wild man, "if that's all, a remedy may easily be found. Thou hast helped me, I will now help thee in return." Thereupon taking the prince by the hand, he

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

led him to his cave deep down in the earth, and showed a suit of armour hanging on the wall, forged of the hardest steel, and so bright that it shed a bluish light all around. Close by it stood a splendid steed, ready-saddled and bridled, scraping the ground with his steel-shod hoofs, and champing his bit. The wild man then said to him: "Arm thyself quickly, and ride away, and try thy fortune. I will, in the mean time, tend thy cattle." The prince did not require a second bidding, but instantly armed himself with helm and harness, buckled spurs on his heels, and a sword by his side, and felt as light in his steel panoply as a bird in the air. Then vaulting into the saddle, he gave his horse the rein, and rode at full speed to the mountain.

The princess's suitors had just ceased from their arduous enterprise, in which none had won the prize, though each had well played his part, and were now standing and thinking that another time fortune might be more favourable, when on a sudden they see a young knight come riding forth from the verge of the forest directly towards the mountain. He was clad in steel from head to foot, with shield on arm and sword in belt, and bore himself so nobly in the saddle that it was a pleasure to behold him. All eyes were instantly directed towards the stranger knight, each asking another who he might be, for no one had seen him before. But they had no long time for asking; for scarcely had he emerged from the forest, when, raising himself in the stirrups, and setting spurs to his horse, he darted like an arrow straight up the glass mountain. Nevertheless, he did not reach

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

the summit, but when about half way on the declivity, he suddenly turned his charger and rode down the hill, so that the sparks flew from his horse's hoofs. He then disappeared in the forest as a bird flies. Now, it is easy to imagine, there was a commotion among the assembled multitude, of whom there was not one that was not stricken with wonder at the stranger, who, I hardly need say it, was no other than the prince. At the same time all were unanimous that they had never seen a nobler steed or a more gallant rider. It was, moreover, whispered abroad that such was also the opinion of the princess herself, and that every night she dreamed of nothing but the venturous stranger.

The time had now arrived when the suitors of the princess should make a second trial. As on the first occasion, she was conducted to the glass mountain, the attempt to ascend which by the several competitors was attended with a result similar in every respect to what has been already related.

The prince in the meanwhile was watching his cattle, and silently bewailing his inability to join in the enterprise, when the wild man again appeared before him, who, after listening to his complaints, again conducted him to his subterranean abode, where there hung a suit of armour formed of the brightest silver, close by which stood a snow-white steed ready saddled and fully equipped, pawing the ground with his silver-shod hoofs and champing his bit. The prince, following the directions of the wild man. having put on the armour and mounted the horse, galloped away to the glass mountain.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

As on the former occasion, the youth drew on him the gaze of every one present; he was instantly recognised as the knight who had already so distinguished himself; but he allowed them little time for observation, for setting spurs to his horse, he rode with an arrow's speed up the glassy mountain, when, having nearly reached the summit, he made an obeisance to the princess, turned his horse, rapidly rode down again, and again disappeared in the forest.

The same series of events took place a third time, excepting that on this occasion the prince received from the wild man a suit of golden armour, cased in which he, on the third day of trial, rode to the mountain's summit, bowed his knee before the princess, and from her hand received the golden apple. Then casting himself on his horse, he rode at full speed down the mountain, and again disappeared in the forest. Now arose an outcry on the mountain! The whole assemblage raised a shout of joy; horns and trumpets were sounded, weapons crashed, and the king caused it to be proclaimed aloud that the stranger knight, in the golden armour, had won the prize. What the princess herself thought on the occasion, we will leave unsaid; though we are told that she turned both pale and red, when she presented the young prince with the golden apple.

All that now remained was to discover the gold-clad knight, for no one knew him. For some time hopes were cherished that he would appear at court, but he came not. His absence excited the astonishment of all, the princess looked pale and was evidently pining away, the

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

king became impatient, and the suitors murmured everyday. When no alternative appeared, the king commanded a great assemblage to be held at his palace, at which every man's son, high or low, should be present, that the princess might choose among them. At this meeting there was not one who did not readily attend, both for the sake of the princess, and in obedience to the king's command, so that there was assembled an innumerable body of people. When all were gathered together, the princess issued from the royal palace in great state, and with her maidens passed among the whole throng; but although she sought in all directions, she found not what she sought. She was already surveying the outermost circle, when suddenly she caught sight of a man who was standing concealed amid the crowd. He wore a broad-brimmed hat, and was wrapped in a large gray cloak, like those worn by herdsmen, the hood of which was drawn up over his head, so that no one could discern his countenance. But the princess instantly ran towards him, pulled down his hood, clasped him in her arms and cried: "Here he is! here he is!" At this all the people laughed, for they saw that it was the king's herd-boy, and the king himself exclaimed: "Gracious heaven support me! What a son-in-law am I likely to have!" But the young man, with a perfectly unembarrassed air, said: "Let not that trouble you! You will get as good a king's son, as you yourself are a king." At the same moment he threw aside his cloak, and where were now the laughers, when, in place of the grey herdsman, they saw before them a comely young

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

prince clad in gold from head to foot, and holding in his hand the princess's golden apple! All now recognized in him the youth who had ridden up the glass mountain. Now, it is easy to imagine, there was joy, the like of which was never known. The prince clasped his beloved in his arms with the most ardent affection, and told her of his family and all he had undergone. The king allowed himself to rest, but instantly made preparations for the marriage, to which he invited all the suitors and all the people. A banquet was then given such as has never been heard of before or after. Thus did the prince gain the king's daughter and half the kingdom; and when the feastings had lasted about seven days, the prince took his fair young bride in great state to his father's kingdom, where he was received as may easily be conceived, both the king and the queen weeping for joy at seeing him again. They afterwards lived happily, each in his kingdom. But nothing more was heard of the wild man.

1. In "Runa, En skrift for Faderneslandets Fornvanner" utgifven af Richard Dybeck, Stockh. 1842, Haft i, p. 7, there is a similar tradition from Westmanland, which tells of a knight who captured an animal, the like of which had never been seen, it being overgrown with moss. It was kept in a tower, and released by the knight's young son, who was playing at ball close by. For this the boy was taken to the forest to be slain; but the servants, touched by his lamentations, killed a kid in his stead, the heart of which they showed for the boy's.

While wandering in the forest he meets with the animal he had liberated, and goes with him into the mountain, where he stays for some years. A proclamation is then sent through the country that the princess will accept for a husband him who shall be able to ride up a mountain, on which she will one day show herself. The knight's son now gets horse and clothing, and rides away to contend for the princess; but on reaching the

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

middle of the mountain he is struck by a javelin cast from below. He, nevertheless, continues his course, and at length stands before the princess, who gives him a silk handkerchief to bind up his wound, and a day is fixed for the wedding.

When the day arrived, the wonderful animal, ugly as he is, desires to accompany the bridegroom, but contents himself with a place under the table. He there gives hiin a rusty sword, desiring him to touch him with it, when the old king's memory is drunk. The youth complies with his desire, when, to the astonishment of all, the old king, who, it was thought, had been carried off to the mount*, rises up. There was afterwards great rejoicing and tumult, and the king himself wishes the young couple joy.

2. According to an Upland version, a king one day lost his way in a forest, where he met with an old man who received him hospitably. The old man was immensely rich in gold and silver, which excited the king's avarice. The old man refuses to tell his name, and the king has him cast into a tower, telling him he should never be released unless he disclosed who he was.

Some time after, as the king's son was running about the court, he found a key, with which he opened the tower, and set the old man at liberty. At this the king was bitterly enraged, drove the prince from the country, and forbade him ever to return. On entering the forest, the boy met the old man, who desired him to follow him, which he did. They then took the old man's little gray horse, loaded it with gold and silver, and went to another kingdom. There the prince grew up, and became very tall and powerful; and his greatest pleasure was to ride on the gray horse over hill and dale.

It happened that the king who ruled the land had a daughter, who had a vast number of suitors. Her father, therefore, issued a proclamation, that whoever could ride up the glass mountain and take down a golden crown that was fixed on its summit, should possess the princess. When the prince received this intelligence, he went to the king's court and offered his services as a scullion; but when the suitors were to begin their competition, he ran home, got arms from his foster-father, together with the little gray horse, and rode at full speed up to the mountain's peak. Yet he did not take the golden crown, but rode down on the other side and away. On the second day he did the like; on the third day he took the crown, but rode away, so that no one knew who he was.

Some time after, as the princess was sitting in her maiden-bower, the door was opened, and in stepped the scullion. He had the golden crown in his hand, and told her that he had taken it; but that he was willing to give it back, that the prin-

*Berg-tagen (mount-taken) means carried off into a mountain by Trolls, concerning which see Thorpe, "Northern Mythology and Traditions," vol. ii. p. 67.

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

cess might exercise her own free will. This pleased the princess exceedingly, and she prayed her father to assemble all the men of his kingdom together at his court. The king did so.

When they were all assembled, the princess went forward to the scullion, gave him the golden crown, and chose him for her husband. At this there was a great wondering; but the prince, casting ofif his coarse grey cloak, stood there no longer a scullion, but a powerful king's son. He obtained the princess, and with her half the kingdom.

3. A variation from Gothland omits the introductory part about the wild man, and in its place tells of a poor peasant, whose youngest son was accustomed to sit in the chimney-corner, exposed to the insults of his brothers.

The king who ruled over the country had an only daughter, who had made a vow to marry no one who could not ride up a glass mountain. Whereupon the king issued a proclamation to that effect throughout his kingdom. When the day of trial came, the two elder sons of the peasant mounted their father's old jade and rode ofif to the glass mount; but the youngest boy might not accompany them, and therefore ran along the road weeping. Here he was met by a little old man, who asked him why he was so sorrowful. The boy told him the cause, when the old man replied: "Wait, I will help thee. Here is a pipe; take it, and place thyself under that tall pine yonder. When thou blowest in one end of the pipe, there shall come forth a charger with a suit of armour hanging on the pommel of his saddle; and when thou blowest in the other end, the whole shall disappear.' Hereupon the boy instantly ran to the tree, blew in the pipe, armed himself, and went his way. In passing his brothers, their old nag was so frightened that it ran with its two riders into a ditch, where we will for the present leave them.

The boy then rode on to the glass mountain, where he found an innumerable multitude of people, some with broken legs, others with broken arms, from their attempt to ascend the mountain. He did not, however, allow himself to be frightened, but galloped away, and reached the summit of the mountain, where the princess was sitting. She then threw to him her golden apple, which fastened itself to his knee, and he instantly rode back down the mountain, hastened home to the chimney-corner, and found great pleasure in hearing his two brothers relate about a strange prince who had frightened their horse into a ditch.

When the princess had long been waiting in vain for the successful rider, the king sent messengers over his whole kingdom, to ascertain whether any one had a golden apple on his_ knee. The messengers also came to the peasant's hut. When it was discovered that the youngest son had the apple, there was, it may easily be imagined, no small astonishment among them.

THE PRINCESS ON THE GLASS MOUNTAIN

The messengers desired the boy to accompany them to the king; but he would not, stole out of the hut, blew in his pipe, clad himself in complete armour, and rode alone to the royal palace, where he was instantly recognized, and obtained the princess. But the old peasant and his two elder sons have not recovered from their astonishment to this day.

4. In a version of the story from West Gothland, it is related how a poor peasant boy, as he was digging in a sand-pit, came to a hall, in which he found three horses and three suits of armour, one of silver, another of gold, and the third of precious stones.

The boy afterwards set out to wander about the world, and came at length to a royal palace, where he got employment as a scullion. The king, whose palace it was, had an only daughter, who had been carried away by a Troll, and could appear only on three successive Thursday evenings, on the summit of a high glass mountain; but if any one could ride up the mountain, and take the golden apple from her hand, she would be released. Hereupon the king, who was in great affliction, sent forth a proclamation, that whosoever would deliver the princess should have her to wife, together with half his kingdom.

When the first Thursday evening arrived, the boy ran to the sand-pit, clad himself in the silver armour, and rode half-way up the mountain. On the second Thursday evening he took the golden armour, and rode so high that his horse had one forefoot on the mountain's summit. On the third evening he took the armour of precious stones, rode up to the princess and got the golden apple. He then rode back to the sand-pit.

The king then issued an order that every male throughout the kingdom should appear at his court. The princess goes forth and recognizes her deliverer. The scullion casts oflf his rags, and stands in the armour of precious stones. The king gives him his daughter, and half the kingdom.

^Z

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

THE THREE DOGS.

There was once a miller who had three children, two girls and a boy. When the miller died, and the children divided the property, the daughters took the entire mill, and left their brother nothing but three sheep, that he tended in the forest. As he was one day wandering about, he met an old man, with whom he exchanged a sheep for a dog named Snipp; on the following day the same old man met him again, when he exchanged another sheep with him for a dog named Snapp; and on the third day his third sheep, for a dog named Snorium. The three dogs were large and strong, and obedient to their master in everything.

When the lad found there was no good to be done at home, he resolved to go out in the world and seek his fortune. After long wandering he came to a large city, in which the houses were hung with black, and everything betokened some great and universal calamity. The youth took up his quarters with an old fisherman, of whom he inquired the cause of this mourning. The fisherman informed him that there was a huge serpent named Turenfax, which inhabited an island out in the ocean; that every year a pure maiden must be given him to be devoured; and that the lot had now fallen on the king's only daughter. When the youth had heard this, he formed the resolution of venturing a contest with the serpent, and rescuing the princess, provided fortune would befriend him.

THE THREE DOGS.

On the appointed day the youth sailed over to the island, and awaited whatever might happen. While he was sitting, he saw the young princess drawing near in a boat, accompanied by a number of people. The king's daughter stopped at the foot of the mountain and wept bitterly. The youth then approached her, greeted her courteously, and comforted her to the best of his power. When a short time had passed thus, he said: "Snipp! go to the mountain-cave, and see whether the serpent is coming." But the dog returned, wagged his tail, and said that the serpent had not yet made his appearance. When some time had elapsed, the youth said : "Snapp! go to the mountain-cave, and see whether the serpent is coming." The dog went, but soon returned without having seen the serpent. After a while the youth said: "Snorium! go to the mountain-cave, and see whether the serpent is coming." The dog went, but soon returned trembling violently. The youth could now easily guess that the serpent was approaching, and, consequently, made himself ready for the fight.

As Turenfax came hastening down the mountain, the youth set his dogs Snipp and Snapp on him. A desperate battle then ensued; but the serpent was so strong that the dogs were unable to master him. When the youth observed this, he set on his third dog, Snorium, and now the conflict became even fiercer; but the dogs got the mastery, and the game did not end until Turenfax received his death-wound.

When the serpent was dead the king's daughter thanked her deliverer with many affectionate expressions

SCANDINAVIAN AND NORTH GERMAN TALES

for her safety, and besought him to accompany her to the royal palace. But the youth would try his luck in the world for some time longer, and therefore declined her invitation. It was, however, agreed on between them that the youth should return in a year and woo the fair maiden. On parting the princess brake her gold chain in three, and bound a portion round the neck of each of the dogs. To the young man she gave her ring, and they promised ever to be faithful tO' each other.

The young man now travelled about in the wide world, as we have said, and the king's daughter returned home. On her way she was met by a courtier, who forced her to make oath that he and no other had slain Turenfax. This courtier was thenceforward looked upon as a most doughty champion, and got a promise of the princess. But the maiden would not break her faith to the youth, and deferred the marriage from day to day.

When the year was expired, the youth returned from his wandering, and came to the great city. But now the houses were hung with scarlet, and all things seemed to indicate a great and general rejoicing. The youth again took up his quarters with the old fisherman, and asked what might be the cause of all the joy. He was informed that a courtier had killed Turenfax, and was now about to celebrate his nuptials with the king's daughter. No one has heard what the miller's son said on receiving this intelligence; though it may easily be imagined that he was not generally delighted at it.

When dinner-time care, the youth felt a longing to partake of the king's fare, and his host was at a great

THE THREE DOGS.

loss how this could be brought to pass. But the youth said: "Snipp! go up to the palace, and bring me a piece of game from the king's table. Fondle the young princess ; but strike the false courtier a blow that he may not soon forget." Snipp did as his master had commanded him; he went up to the palace, caressed the fair princess, but struck the courtier a blow that made him black and blue; then, seizing a piece of game, he ran off. Hereupon there arose a great uproar in the hall, and all were filled with wonder, excepting the king's daughter; for she had recognised her gold neck-chain, and thence divined who the dog's master was.

The next day a similar scene was enacted. The youth was inclined to eat some pastry from the king's own table, and the fisherman was at a loss how this could be brought about. But the youth said: "Snapp! go up to the palace, and bring me some pastry from the king's table. Fondle the young princess; but strike the false courtier a blow that he may not soon forget." Snapp did as his master had commanded him; he went up to the palace, broke through the sentinels, caressed the fair princess, but struck the false courtier a blow that made him see the sun both in the east and west; then, seizing a piece of pastry, he ran off. Now there was a greater uproar than on the preceding day, and every one wondered at what had taken place, excepting the king's daughter; for she again recognised her gold neck-chain, whereby she well knew who the dog's master was.