FOLK-LORE AND LEGENDS
SCANDINAVIAN

W. W. Gibbings
18 Bury St., London, W.C.

1890

PREFATORY NOTE.

Thanks to Thiele, to Hylten-Cavallius and Stephens, and to Asbjörnsen and Moe, Scandinavian Folklore is well to the front. Its treasures are many, and of much value. One may be almost sorry to find among them the originals of many of our English tales. Are we indebted to the folk of other nations for all our folk-tales? It would almost seem so.

I have introduced into the present volume only one or two stories from the Prose Edda. Space would not allow me to give so much of the Edda as I could have wished.

In selecting and translating the matter for this volume, I have endeavoured to make the book such as would afford its readers a fair general view of the main features of the Folklore of the North. C.J.T.

CONTENTS

PREFATORY NOTE.
CONTENTS
THE WONDERFUL PLOUGH.
HOW A LAD STOLE THE GIANT'S TREASURE.
TALES OF CATS.
THE MAGICIAN'S DAUGHTER
THE HILL-MAN INVITED TO THE CHRISTENING.
THE MEAL OF FROTHI.
THE LOST BELL.
MAIDEN SWANWHITE AND MAIDEN FOXTAIL.
TALES OF TREASURE.
HOLGER DANSKE.
TALES FROM THE PROSE EDDA
THE STRANGE BUILDER.
THOR'S JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF GIANTS.
THE DEATH OF BALDUR.
THE PUNISHMENT OF LOKI.
ORIGIN OF TIIS LAKE.
THERE ARE SUCH WOMEN.
TALES OF THE NISSES.
THE DWARFS' BANQUET.
THE ICELANDIC SORCERESSES.
THE THREE DOGS.
THE LEGEND OF THORGUNNA.
THE LITTLE GLASS SHOE.
HOW LOKI WAGERED HIS HEAD.
THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN DIETRICH.
HOW THORSTON BECAME RICH.
GUDBRAND.
THE DWARF-SWORD TIRFING.

THE WONDERFUL PLOUGH.

There was once a farmer who was master of one of the little black dwarfs that are the blacksmiths and armourers, and he got him in a very curious way. On the road leading to this farmer's ground there stood a stone cross, and every morning as he went to his work he used to stop and kneel down before this cross, and pray for some minutes.

On one of these occasions he noticed on the cross a pretty, bright insect, of such a brilliant hue that he could not recollect having ever before seen the like in an insect. He wondered greatly at this, but still he did not disturb it. The insect did not remain long quiet, but ran without ceasing backwards and forwards upon the cross, as if it was in pain and wanted to get away.

Next morning the farmer again saw the very same insect, and again it was running to and fro in the same state of uneasiness. The farmer began now to have some suspicions about it, and thought to himself—

"Would this now be one of the little black enchanters? It runs about just like one that has an evil conscience, as one that would, but cannot, get away."

A variety of thoughts and conjectures passed through his mind, and he remembered what he had often heard from his father and other old people, that when any of the underground people chance to touch anything holy they are held fast and cannot quit the spot, and so they are extremely careful to avoid all such things.

"But," thought he, "you may even be something else, and I should, perhaps, be committing a