The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
"A long, long time ago there lived in Rügen a mighty Giant named
Balderich. He was vexed that the country was an island, and that he had
always to wade through the sea when he wanted to go to Pomerania and the
main land. He accordingly got an immense apron made, and he tied it
round his waist and filled it with earth, for he wanted to make a dam of
earth for himself from the island to the main-land. As he was going with
his load over Rodenkirchen, a hole tore in the apron, and the clay that
fell out formed the Nine-hills. He stopped the hole and went on; but
when he he had gotten to Gustau, another hole tore in the apron, and
thirteen little hills fell out. He proceeded to the sea with what he had
now remaining, and pouring the earth into the waters, formed the hook of
Prosnitz, and the pretty little peninsula of Drigge. But there still
remained a small space between Rügen and Pomerania, which so incensed
the Giant that he fell down in a fit and died, from which unfortunate
accident his dam was never finished."[239]
A Giant-maiden commenced a similar operation on the Pomeranian side
"in order," said she, "that I may be able to go over the bit of water
without wetting my little slippers." So she filled her apron with sand
and hurried down to the sea-side. But there was a hole in the apron
and just behind Sagard a part of the sand ran out and formed a little
hill named Dubbleworth. "Ah!" said she, "now my mother will scold me."
She stopped the hole with her hand and ran on as fast as she could.
But her mother looked over the wood and cried, "You nasty child, what
are you about? Come here and you shall get a good whipping." The
daughter in a fright let go the apron, and all the sand ran out and
formed the barren hills near Litzow.[240]
The Dwarfs took up their abode in the Nine-hills. The White ones own
two of them, and the Brown ones seven, for there are no Black ones
there. These dwell chiefly on the coast-hills, along the shore between
the Ahlbeck and Mönchgut, where they hold their assemblies, and
plunder the ships that are wrecked on the coast.
* * * * *
The Neck is called in Rügen Nickel. Some fishers once launched their
boat on a lonely lake. Next day when they came they saw it in a high
beech-tree. "Who the devil has put the boat in the tree?" cried one. A
voice replied, but they saw no one, "'Twas no devil at all, but I and
my brother Nickel."[241]
* * * * *
The following stories Mr. Arndt, who, as we have observed, is a native
of Rügen, says he heard in his boyhood from Hinrich Vieck, the
Statthalter or Bailiff of Grabitz, who abounded in these legends; "so
that it is, properly speaking," says he, "Hinrich Vieck, and not I,
that relates." we therefore see no reason to doubt of their
genuineness, though they may be a little embellished.[242]
_Adventures of John Dietrich._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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