“There was once a boy called Lars; he was a stout and handsome fellow, but he had determined that he would not marry unless he found a girl who was willing to promise him faithfulness in life and in death.
“Now it happened that in the village Lars came from, the menfolk had to fetch food for them and theirs from the depths of the sea, and few of them grew especially old in years. But the womenfolk, who remained ashore, were well-off, and had ample time to wear out both two and three husbands before they received their marching orders. So it was not to be wondered at, that the boy who demanded such an unreasonable promise from the girls was never accepted when he went a-courting.
“But then luck would have it that there a girl from the south came to serve as maid at the merchant’s. She was amiable and very beautiful to look at, and went with scarlet-red stockings and open shoes. And all the boys ran crazy after her.
“Lars was no better than the others. He followed the stranger girl about, and asked if she would be his sweetheart and promise him faithfulness in life and in death. And she answered yes. For as mentioned, Lars was a stout fellow. And he also owned a farm and a fembøring and had money in the bank.
“They agreed to marry as soon as the winter fishing season was over; however, the heart of man may plot his path, but the Lord confirms his course. Lars was lost at sea that autumn, about a month after the betrothal.
“When word of his death came, the stranger girl wept and bewailed him so that it was almost unbearable for those who lived in the same house. And she constantly wanted to go thither Lars lay.
“The merchant admonished her for the inappropriate wish she bore on her tongue, and exhorted her to let the dead rest in peace until the Lord called him forth from the depths of the sea on the day of resurrection. And so did the parson. But she didn't even hear. And they agreed to give her over to time, which heals so many a wound.
“As mentioned, she wept and she carried on for the sweetheart she had lost, and she rolled the scarlet-red stockings together, and placed them beneath the draw in her chest, for it was inappropriate for a mourning girl to wear red on her legs. And she dressed in black, from top to toe.
“But however things did or didn’t go, time is merciful, and little by little her grief stilled. When the winter was over, and the spring came with birdsong and sunshine and daylight nights, the girl betrothed herself again. It was to a rich old man who didn’t have many days to lose, and a wedding was prepared at quite a pace, and half the fjord was invited along.
“When the wedding day came, it was beautiful weather, both at sea and ashore. The bride had a veil and a garland, and scarlet-red stockings, and she was like a newly-opened rosebud to see beside the aged bridegroom.
“The company came safe and sound to the church and back, and the guests sat at the table. Uppermost sat the bridal couple, then the elders and those who should be especially honoured. Thereafter sat all the adults, couple by couple, as many as could be seated around the tables in the parlour.
“But the children and the youngest of the youths, for whom there was no place at the first table setting, played on the grassy hill outside the house.
“Just as they played, they saw a fellow come walking up the sea road. He was dressed in his work clothes, and he carried his hat in his left fist, with the crown downwards and the brim up. One or another of the playmates thought they recognised the fellow, and stared in fear. But he didn’t appear to look their way, and walked past without greeting them. Up the steps he went, and into the wedding house, just as the guests, refreshed with a dram and good sodd, sat enjoying the roast veal.
“Everyone around the tables saw that it was the late Lars who came, and true to tell, they had expected something like this. And they dreaded terribly to have to witness what would happen now.
“Straight to the bride he went, taking her by her right wrist.
“She rose, her face as pale as death, left the table and stood straight as a post, with the grip of her dead sweetheart around her wrist.
“‘If there is any one of you sitting here, who will do so well by me as to take the garland off the bride, then they shall have a hat full of silver dollars,’ said Lars, showing forth the filled hat he carried upside down. For the revenant had no power to take her with him while she still wore the garland with the blessing of the altar.
“But no one moved.
“And he went with the bride right across the parlour floor and out of the house, and stopped by the children and the youngest of the youths, who had stopped playing, and stood close together, staring in fear.
“‘If anyone here will take the garland off the bride, then they shall have a hat full of silver dollars,’ said Lars, showing forth the hat he was carrying in his hand.
“But there was not one in the company who reached out their hand to do such a deed, you may know.
“And Lars dragged the bride down the sea road, and she wept and begged so beautifully that they might save her, and called his name, whose bride she had been.
“But no one, no one had the power to free her from the grip of the one she had promised herself to, when she had promised him faithfulness in life and in death.
“Down in the mooring place lay a boat on land. There was a vagrant in the boat, and when Lars had promised him a hat full of silver dollars to take the garland off the bride, he didn’t hesitate to grasp the hat and pull the garland off.
“Up at the wedding farm, they heard a terrible scream as the revenant stormed into the sea with the bride, and dragged her with him into the depths of the sea where he himself lay.
“But when the vagrant looked in the hat, it was full of broken shells and sand. This was his pay for not showing mercy to the unfortunate whom no one else could help.
“Here she finished, she who told me this. And here I finish, and give you, Kari Aronste, your turn.”
“Now you thought to dumbfound me, mother Rebekka. But thankfully the mouth works even if the body is worn out, and now you shall hear a truthful story that happened to old Madam Berg at Nordsand. And I shall call the story:
No comments:
Post a Comment