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
Another celebrated House-spirit was King Goldemar, who lived in great
intimacy with Neveling von Hardenberg, on the Hardenstein at the Ruhr,
and often slept in the same bed with him. He played most beautifully
on the harp, and he was in the habit of staking great sums of money at
dice. He used to call Neveling brother-in-law, and often gave him
warning of various things. He talked with all kinds of people, and
used to make the clergy blush by discovering their secret
transgressions. His hands were thin like those of a frog, cold and
soft to the feel; he let himself be felt, but no one could see him.
After remaining there for three years, he went away without offending
any one. Some call him King Vollmar, and the chamber in which he lived
is still said to be called Vollmar's Chamber. He insisted on having a
place at the table for himself, and a stall in the stable for his
horse; the food, the hay, and the oats were consumed, but of man or
horse nothing more than the shadow ever was seen. When one time a
curious person had strewed ashes and tares in his way to make him
fall, that his foot-prints might be seen, he came behind him as he was
lighting the fire and hewed him to pieces, which he put on the spit
and roasted, and he began to boil the head and legs. As soon as the
meat was ready it was brought to Vollmar's chamber, and people heard
great cries of joy as it was consumed. After this there was no trace
of King Vollmar; but over the door of his chamber was found written,
that in future the house would be as unfortunate as it had hitherto
been fortunate; the scattered property would not be brought together
again till the time when three Hardenbergs of Hardenstein should be
living at the same time. The spit and the roast meat were preserved
for a long time; but they disappeared in the Lorrain war in 1651. The
pot still remains built into the wall of the kitchen.[292]
_The Heinzelmänchen._
It is not over fifty years since the Heinzelmänchen, as they are called,
used to live and perform their exploits in Cologne. They were little
naked mannikins, who used to do all sorts of work; bake bread, wash, and
such like house-work. So it is said, but no one ever saw them.
In the time that the Heinzelmänchen were still there, there was in
Cologne many a baker, who kept no man, for the little people used
always to make over-night, as much black and white bread as the baker
wanted for his shop. In many houses they used to wash and do all their
work for the maids.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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