Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpretedAnderson, Rasmus Björn
Religion
Norse mythology; or, The religion of our forefathers, containing all the myths of the Eddas, systematized and interpreted
Anderson, Rasmus Björn
Mythology, Norse; Northmen -- Religion; Old Norse literature; Tales, Medieval
The elves still retain their distinction into _white_ and _black_. The
white or good elves dwell in the air, dance on the grass, or sit in the
leaves of trees; the black or evil elves are regarded as an underground
people, who frequently inflict sickness or injury on mankind, for which
there is a particular kind of doctors and doctresses in most parts of
Scandinavia. The elves are believed to have their kings, and to
celebrate their weddings and banquets, just the same as the dwellers
above ground. There is an interesting intermediate class of them called
in popular tradition hill-people (_haugafolk_), who are believed to
dwell in caves and small hills. When they show themselves they have a
handsome human form. The common people seem to connect with them a deep
feeling of melancholy, as if bewailing a half-quenched hope of
salvation. Their sweet singing may occasionally be heard on summer
nights out of their hills, when one stands still and listens, or, as it
is expressed in the ballads, lays his ear to the elf-hill; but no one
must be so cruel as by the slightest word to destroy their hopes of
salvation, for then the spritely music will be turned into weeping and
lamentation. The Norsemen usually call the elves _hulder_ or
_huldrefolk_, and their music _huldreslaat_. It is in the minor key, and
of a dull and mournful sound. Norse fiddlers sometimes play it, being
thought to have learned it by listening to the underground people among
the hills and rocks. There is also a tune called the elfkings’ tune,
which several of the good fiddlers know right well, but never venture to
play, for as soon as it begins both old and young, and even inanimate
objects, are compelled to dance, and the player cannot stop unless he
can play the air backwards, or that some one comes behind him and cuts
the strings of his fiddle. Ole Bull and Thorgeir Andunson, the people
think, learned to play the fiddle from the hill-people. The little
underground elves, who are thought to dwell under the houses of mankind,
are described as sportive and mischievous, and as imitating all the
actions of men. They are said to love cleanliness about the house and
place, and to reward such servants as are neat and cleanly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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