This capacity in such supernatural beings to carry huge burdens of
stone or earth has furnished an explanation of many islands and mounds
along the maritime parts of Britain and the countries bordering
the Baltic Sea. Ailsa Craig, that stands so picturesquely in the
middle of the Firth of Clyde, was the handiwork of a carline, who,
for some object which is not very clear, undertook to carry a huge
hill from Scotland to Ireland. Before she had got half-way over, her
apron-strings broke and the rock fell into the sea, whence it has
projected ever since as the well-known island. In proof of the legend a
hollow among the Carrick hills is pointed out as the place from which
the mass of rock was removed.
Along the Baltic coasts many similar tales are told. Thus the island of
Hven was dropped where it stands by the giantess Hvenild, who wished to
carry some pieces of Zealand over to the south of Sweden. Sex seems to
have counted for little in the nature or amount of work accomplished,
for witches and warlocks, giants and giantesses, were equally popular
and equally powerful. A mighty giant in the Isle of Rugen, vexed that,
as his home stood on an island, he had always to wade from it when he
wished to cross over to Pomerania, resolved to make a causeway for his
greater convenience. So, filling his apron with earth, he proceeded
to carry out his purpose, but soon the weight of his burden broke an
opening in the apron, and such a quantity of stuff fell out as to
form the nine hills of Rambin. Stopping the hole, however, he went
on until another bigger rent was torn open, from which earth enough
tumbled to the ground to make thirteen of the other little hills that
now appear in that district. But he succeeded at last in reaching
the sea with just enough of earth left in the apron to enable him to
make the promontory of Prosnitz Hook and the peninsula of Drigge.
There still remained, however, a narrow passage between Pomerania and
Rugen which he had no material left to bridge over, and so in a fit
of rage and vexation he fell dead, and his undertaking still remains
incomplete.[18] The geologist who has studied the singular forms and
distribution of the 'glacial drift' can best appreciate this and
similar attempts to account for the shapes and grouping of these still
enigmatical mounds and ridges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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