Latest / The Book of Dreams and Ghosts / Chapter XIII

Transcript

Chapter XIII · The Book of Dreams and Ghosts

0:03
Chapter thirteen of the Books of Dreams and Ghosts. This is a LibriVox recording.
0:10
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to
0:15
volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Radhika Thamangut the Book of
0:23
Dreams and Ghosts by Andrew Lang. The Marvels at Froda, The following tale
0:30
has all the direct, simplicity and truth to human nature which mark the ancient
0:36
literature of Iceland. Befo might have envied the profusion of detail, the large
0:43
chest with the lock and the small box, and so on. Some of
0:48
the minor portents, such as the disturbances among inanimate objects, and the appearance
0:54
of a glow of mysterious light the fate Moon, recur in modern tales of
1:00
haunted houses. The combination of Christian exorcism, then a novelty in Iceland,
1:06
with legal proceedings against the ghosts, is especially characteristic the Marvels at Froda.
1:15
During that summer in which Christianity was adopted by law in Iceland one thousand a
1:21
d it happened that a ship came to land at snow Fell Nests. It
1:27
was a Dublin vessel manned by Irish and Hebridians, with few Morsemen on board.
1:34
They lay there for a long time during the summer, waiting for a
1:38
favorable wind to sail into the firth, and many people from the nests went
1:42
down to trade with them. There was on board a Hebridian woman named Thorgunna,
1:49
of whom her shipmates said that she owned some costly things, the like
1:55
of which would be difficult to find in Iceland. When Thurid, the housewife
2:01
at Froda, heard of this, she was very curious to see the articles,
2:07
for she was a woman that was fond of show and finery. She
2:10
went to the ship and asked Thorganna whether she had any woman's apparel that was
2:16
finer than the common. Thorgunna said that she had nothing of the kind to
2:22
sell, but had some good things of her own that she might not be
2:25
affronted at feasts or other gatherings. Thorid begged a sight of these, and
2:32
Thorganna showed her treasures. Thorid was very much pleased with them and thought them
2:39
very becoming, though not of high value. She offered to buy them,
2:44
but Thorganna would not sell. Thorid then invited her to come and stay with
2:49
her, because she knew that Thorganna was well provided and thought that she would
2:53
get the things from her in course of time. Thorgannaugh answered, I am
3:00
well pleased to go stay with you, but you must know that I have
3:04
very little mind to pay for myself, because I am well able to work
3:08
and have no dislike to it. Though I will not do any dirty work.
3:15
I must be allowed to settle what I shall pay for myself out of
3:19
such property as I have. Although Thorgana spoke in this fashion, yet Thorid
3:27
would have her to go with her, and her things were taken out of
3:30
the ship. These were in a large chest with a lock and a small
3:35
box, and both were taken home to Froda. When Thorgunna arrived there,
3:40
she asked for her bed to be shown to her, and was given one
3:45
in the inner part of the hall. Then she opened up the chest and
3:49
took bedclothes out of it. They were all very beautiful, and over the
3:54
bed she spread English coverlets and a silken quilt. Out of the chest.
4:00
She also brought a bed curtain and all the hangings that belonged to it,
4:05
and the whole outfit was so fine that folk thought they had never seen the
4:11
like of it. Then said Thorid the housewife, name the price of all
4:16
your bedclothes and hangings. Thorganna answered, I will not lie among straw for
4:23
you, although you are so stately and bear yourself so proudly. Thorid was
4:29
ill pleased at this, and offered no more to buy the things. Thorgunno
4:34
worked at cloth making every day when there was no hay making, but when
4:40
the weather was dry she worked among the dry hay in the home field,
4:45
and had a rake made for herself, which she alone was to use.
4:49
Thorganno was a big woman, both broad and tall, and very stout.
4:55
She had dark eyebrows and her eyes were close set, her brown and in
5:00
great abundance. She was well mannered in her daily life, and went to
5:05
church every day before beginning her work. But she was not of a light
5:10
disposition, nor of many words. Most people thought that Thorgunna must be in
5:15
the sixties, yet she was a very active woman. At this time,
5:21
one thorer wooden Leg and his wife Thorgrima charmed Cheek, were being maintained at
5:30
Froda, and there was little love between them. And Thorgunna. The person
5:36
that she had most ado with was Jarton, the son of the house.
5:42
Him she loved much, but he was rather cold towards her, and this
5:46
often vexed her. Jarton was then fifteen years old and was both big of
5:51
body and manly in appearance. The summer that year was very wet, but
5:58
in the autumn the dry days. By this time the hay work at Froda
6:03
was so far advanced that all the home field was mown, and nearly the
6:09
half of it was quite dry. There came then a fine, dry day,
6:14
clear and bright, with not a cloud to be seen in the sky.
6:18
The rod the yeomen rose early in the morning and arranged the work of
6:24
each one. Some began to cart off the hay, and some to put
6:29
it into stalks, while the women were set to toss and dry it.
6:33
Thorgunna also had her share assigned to her, and the work went on well
6:38
during the day. When it drew near to three in the afternoon, a
6:44
mass of dark clouds was seen rising in the north, which came rapidly across
6:48
the sky and took its course right above the farm. They thought it certain
6:54
that there was rain in the cloud and the Rod bade his people rake the
6:59
hay together, but Thorgunna continued to scatter hers in spite of the orders that
7:04
were given. The clouds came on quickly, and when they were above the
7:10
homestead of Froda, there came such darkness with them that the people could see
7:15
nothing beyond the home field. Indeed they could scarcely distinguish their own hands.
7:20
Out of the cloud came so much rain that all the hay, which was
7:26
lying flat, was quite soaked. When the cloud had passed over and the
7:30
sky cleared again, it was seen that blood had fallen amid the rain.
7:36
In the evening, there was a good draft, and the blood soon dried
7:41
off all the hay, except that which Thorgunna had been working at. It
7:46
did not dry, nor did the rake that she had been using. Thorid
7:50
asked Thorgunna what she supposed this marvel might portend. She said that she didn't
7:57
know, but it seems to me most likely that it is an evil omen
8:01
for some person who is present here. In the evening, Thorgna went home
8:07
and took off her clothes, which had been stained with the blood. Then
8:11
she lay down in her bed and breathed heavily, and it was found that
8:16
she was taken with sickness. The shower had not fallen anywhere else than at
8:22
Froda. That evening, Thorgunna would taste no food. In the morning,
8:28
Thoraud came to her and asked about her sickness and what end she thought it
8:33
would have. She answered that she did not expect to have any more illnesses.
8:39
Then she said, I consider you the wisest person in the homestead here,
8:43
and so I shall tell you what arrangements I wish to make about the
8:48
property that I leave behind me and about myself, For things will go as
8:52
I tell you. Though you think there is nothing very remarkable about me,
8:58
it will do you little good to depart from my instructions, for this affair
9:03
has so begun that it will not pass smoothly off unless strong measures are taken
9:07
in dealing with it. The rod answered, there seems to me great likelihood
9:16
that your forebodings will come true, And therefore said he, I shall promise
9:20
to you not to depart from your instructions. These are my arrangements, said
9:26
Thorgunna, that I will have myself taken to Skullholt for my mind forebodes me
9:33
that that place will, sometime or other be the most glorious spot in this
9:39
land. I know also that by now there are priests there to sing the
9:43
funeral service over me. So I ask you to have me carried thither,
9:50
and for that you shall take so much of my property that you suffer no
9:54
loss. In the matter of my other effects, Thoridge shall have the scarlet
9:58
cloth that I own, and I give it to her so that she may
10:03
readily consent to my disposing of the rest as I please. I have a
10:07
gold ring, and it shall go to the church with me. But as
10:13
for my bed and bed hangings, I will have them burned with fire,
10:16
because they will be of service to no one. I do not say this
10:24
because I grudge that anyone should possess these treasures if I knew that they would
10:28
be of use to them. Rather, am I so earnest in this matter,
10:33
because I should be sorry for folk to fall into such trouble for me,
10:37
as I know will be the case if my words are not heated.
10:41
The rod promised to do as she asked him, and after this Thorgunna's sickness
10:46
increased so that she lay but a few days before she died, the body
10:52
was first taken to the church, and the rod had a coffin made for
10:56
it. On the following day, the rod had all the beads clothes carried
11:01
out into the open air and made a pile of wood beside them. Then
11:05
Thorid, the housewife, came up and asked what he was going to do
11:09
with the bedclothes. He answered that he was to burn them with fire,
11:13
as Thorgunna had directed him. I will not have such treasures burned, said
11:18
Thorid. The rod answered. She declared strongly that it would not do to
11:24
depart from what she said. That was mere jealousy, said Thorid. She
11:31
grudged any other person the use of them, and that was why she gave
11:35
these orders. But nothing terrible will happen, though her words were set aside.
11:39
I doubt, said he, whether it will be well to do otherwise
11:43
than as she charged me. Then Thorid laid her arms round his neck and
11:50
besought him not to burn the furnishings of the bed. And so much did
11:54
he press him in this that his heart gave way to her, and she
11:58
managed it so that that the rod burned the mattresses and pillows, while she
12:03
took for herself the quilt and coverlets and all the hangings. Yet neither of
12:09
them was well pleased. After this, the funeral was made ready. Trustworthy
12:15
men were sent with the body and good horses which the rod owned. The
12:20
body was wrapped in linen, but not sewed up in it, and then
12:24
laid in the coffin. After this they held south over the heath as the
12:31
paths go, and went on until they came to a farm called Lower Nests,
12:37
which lies in the tongues of staff Holt. There they asked leave to
12:41
stay overnight, but the farmer would give them no hospitality. However, as
12:48
it was close on nightfall, they did not see how they could go on,
12:52
for they thought it would be dangerous to deal with the White River by
12:54
night. They therefore unloaded their horses and carried the body into an outhouse,
13:01
after which they went into the sitting room and took off their outer clothes,
13:07
intending to stay there overnight without food. The people of the house were going
13:11
to bed by daylight, and after they were in bed, a great noise
13:16
was heard in the kitchen. Some went to see whether thieves had not broken
13:20
in, and when they reached the kitchen they saw there a tall woman.
13:24
She was quite naked, with no clothes whatever upon her, and was busy
13:30
preparing food. Those who saw her were so terrified that they dared not go
13:35
near her at all. When the funeral party heard of this, they went
13:39
thither and saw what the matter was. Thorgunna had come there, and it
13:45
seemed advisable to them all not to meddle with her. When she had done
13:50
all that she wanted, she brought the food into the room, set the
13:54
tables, and laid the food upon them. Then the funeral party said to
13:58
the farmer, it may happen in the end before we part that you will
14:03
think it dearly bought that you would show us no hospitality. Both the farmer
14:11
and the housewife answered, we will willingly give you food, and do you
14:15
all other services that you require. Soon as the farmer had offered them this,
14:20
Thorgunna passed out of the room into the kitchen, and then went outside.
14:24
Nor did she show herself again. Then a light was kindled in the
14:30
room, and the wet clothes of the guests were taken off and dry ones
14:33
given them in their place. After this they sat down at the table and
14:39
blessed their food, while the farmer had wholy water sprinkled all over the house.
14:45
The guests ate their food, and it harmed no man, although Thorgunna
14:50
had prepared it. They slept there that night and were treated with great hospitality.
14:56
In the morning they continued their journey, and things went fair, very
15:00
smoothly with them. Wherever this affair was heard of, most people thought it
15:05
best to do them all the service that they required, and of their journey
15:09
no more is to be told. When they came to Scowhold, they handed
15:13
over the precious things which Thorgunna had sent thither, the ring and other articles,
15:20
all of which the priests gladly received. Thorgunna was buried there, while
15:24
the funeral party returned home, which they all reached in safety. At Froda
15:31
there was a large hall with a fireplace in the middle and a bed closet
15:35
at the inner end of it, as was then the custom. At the
15:39
outer end were two store closets, one on each side. Dry fish were
15:46
piled in one of these, and there was meal in the other. In
15:50
this hall, fires were kindled every evening, as was the custom, and
15:54
folk sat round these fires for a long while before they went to supper.
16:00
On that evening on which the funeral party came home, while the folk at
16:03
Froda were sitting around the fires, they saw a half moon appear on the
16:08
paneling of the hall, and it was visible to all those who were present.
16:14
It went round the room backwards and against the sun's course, nor did
16:18
it disappear so long as they sat by the fires. The rod asked thor
16:23
rear wooden Leg what this might portend. It is the moon of fate,
16:30
said Tharier, and debts will come after it. This went on all that
16:34
week that the fate moon came in every evening. The next tidings that happened
16:41
at Froda were that the shepherd came in and was very silent. He spoke
16:47
little, and that in a frenzied manner. Folk were most inclined to believe
16:52
that he had been bewitched, because he went about by himself and talked to
16:56
himself. This went on for some time, but one evening, when two
17:00
weeks of winter had passed, the shepherd came home, went to his bed
17:06
and lay down there. When they went to him in the morning, he
17:10
was dead. And was buried at the church. Soon after this there began
17:15
great hauntings. One night, the rear wooden leg went outside and was at
17:22
some distance from the door. When he was about to go in again,
17:26
he saw that the shepherd had come between him and the door. Thuria tried
17:30
to get in, but the shepherd would not allow him. Then Thurier tried
17:34
to get away from him, but the shepherd followed him, caught hold of
17:38
him, and threw him down at the door. He received great hurt from
17:44
this, but was able to reach his bed. There he turned black as
17:48
cold, took sickness, and died. He was also buried at the church
17:52
there and after this both the Shepherd and Thoria were seen in company, at
17:57
which all the folk became full of fear, as was to be expected.
18:03
This also followed upon the burial of the Rear, that one of the Rod's
18:08
men grew ill and lay three nights before he died. Then one died after
18:14
another, until six of them were gone. By this time the Christmas Fast
18:18
had come. Although the fast was not then kept in Iceland, the store
18:25
closet in which the dried fish were kept was packed so full that the door
18:30
could not be opened. The pile reached nigh up to the rafters, and
18:34
a ladder was required to get the fish off the top of it. One
18:40
evening, while the folk were sitting round the fires, the fish were torn,
18:44
but when search was made, no living thing could be found there.
18:48
During the winter, a little before Christmas, the rod went out to nest
18:53
for the fish he had there. There were six men in all in a
18:57
ten or boat, and they stayed out there all night. The same evening
19:03
that the rod went from home. It happened at Froda, when folk went
19:07
to sit by the fires that had been made, that they saw a seal's
19:11
head rise up out of the fireplace. A maid servant was the first who
19:15
came forward and saw this marvel. She took a washing bag which lay beside
19:22
the door, and struck the seal's head with this, but it rose up
19:26
at the blow and gazed at Thorgunna's bed hangings. Then one of the men
19:30
went up and beat the seal, but it rose higher at every blow,
19:36
until it had come up above the fins. Then the man fell into a
19:40
swoon, and all those who were present were filled with fear. Then the
19:45
lad Jarton sprang forward, took up a large iron sledge hammer and struck at
19:49
the seal's head. It was a heavy blow, but it only shook its
19:53
head and looked around. Then Jarton gave it stroke after stroke, and the
20:00
seal went down as though he were driving in a stake. Jarton hammered away
20:07
till the seal went down so far that he beat the floor close again above
20:11
its head. And during the rest of the winter all the portents were most
20:17
afraid of Jarden. Next morning, while the Rod and the others were coming
20:22
in from nests with the fish, they were all lost out from any The
20:26
boat and the fish drove on shore there, but the bodies were never found.
20:33
When the news of this reached Froda, Jarton and Thrid invited their neighbors
20:38
to the funeral banquet, and the ale prepared for Christmas was used for this
20:44
purpose the first evening of the feast, However, after the folk had taken
20:48
their seats, there came into the hall the Rod and his companions, all
20:53
dripping wet. The folk greeted the rod well, thinking this a good omen
20:59
for at that time it was firmly believed that drowned men who came to their
21:04
own funeral feast were well received by Ran the sea goddess, and the old
21:11
beliefs had as yet suffered little, though folk were baptized and called Christians.
21:18
The Rod and his fellows went right along the hall where the folk sat,
21:23
and passed into the one where the fires were, answering no man's greeting.
21:30
Those of the household who were in the hall ran out, and the Rod
21:33
and his men sat down beside the fires, where they remained till they had
21:38
fallen into ashes. Then they went away again. This befell every evening while
21:45
the banquet lasted, and there was much talk about it among those who were
21:49
present. Some thought that it would stop when the feast was ended. When
21:56
the banquet was over, the guests went home, leaving the place very dull
22:00
and dismal. On the evening, after they had gone, the fires were
22:06
kindled as usual, and after they had burned up, there came in the
22:11
Rod with his company, all of them wet. They sat down by the
22:15
fire and began to wring their clothes. And after they had sat down,
22:19
there came in the rear wooden leg and his five companions, all covered with
22:25
earth. They shook their clothes and scattered the earth on the Rod and his
22:30
fellows. The folk of the household rushed out of the hall, as might
22:34
be expected, and all that evening they had no light nor any warmth from
22:40
the fire. Next evening, the fires were made in the other hall,
22:45
as the dead men would be less likely to come there. But this was
22:48
not so, for everything happened just as it had done on the previous evening,
22:55
and both parties came to sit by the fires. On the evening,
23:00
Jarton advised that a large fire should be made in the hall, and a
23:03
little fire in another and smaller room. This was done, and things then
23:10
went on in this fashion, that the Rod and the others sat beside the
23:14
big fire, while the household contented themselves with the little one, and this
23:18
lasted rip through Christmas tide. By this time there was more and more noise
23:26
in the pile of fish, and the sound of them being torn was heard
23:30
both by night and day. Some time after this, it was necessary to
23:36
take down some of the fish, and the man who went up on the
23:38
pile saw this strange thing that up out of the pile there came a tail
23:45
in appearance like a singed oxtail. It was black and covered with hair like
23:51
a seal. The man laid hold of it and pulled, and called on
23:55
the others to come and help him. Others then got up on the heap,
24:00
both men and women, and pulled at the tail, but all to
24:03
no purpose. It seemed to them that the tail was dead. But while
24:07
they tugged at it, it flew out of their hands, taking the skin
24:11
off the palms of those who had been holding it the hardest, and no
24:15
more was ever seen of the tail. The fish were then taken up,
24:21
and every one was found to be torn out of the skin. Yet no
24:25
living thing was to be found in the pile. Following upon this, thor
24:30
Grima charm Cheek, the wife of the Rear wooden Leg, fell ill and
24:36
lay only a little while before she died, And the same evening that she
24:40
was buried, she was seen in company with her husband, Thor Rear.
24:45
The sickness then began a second time, after the tail had been seen,
24:48
and now the women died more than the men. Another six persons died in
24:55
this attack, and some fled away on account of the ghosts and the hauntings.
25:00
In the autumn, there had been thirty in the household of whom eighteen
25:04
were dead and five had run away, leaving only seven behind. In the
25:07
spring, when these marvels had reached this pitch, it happened one day that
25:15
Jarton went to Helgafel to see his uncle's Snorri and asked his advice as to
25:21
what should be done. There. Had then come to Helgafel a priest whom
25:26
Gazur the White had sent to Snorri, and this priest Snorri sent to Froda
25:32
along with Jardon, his son Thorn, and six other men. He also
25:37
gave them this advice that they should burn all Thorgunnah's bed hangings and hold a
25:42
law court at the door, and there prosecute all those men who were walking
25:48
after death. He also bade the priest hold service there, consecrate water,
25:55
and confess the people. They summoned men from the nearest farms to accompany then,
26:00
and arrived at Froda on the evening before Candlemass, just at the time
26:06
when the fires were being kindled. Thurid the housewife, had taken the sickness
26:11
after the same fashion as those who had died. Jarton went in at once
26:17
and saw that the Rod and the others were sitting by the fire as usual,
26:22
He took down Thorgunna's bed hangings, went into the hall, and carried
26:26
out a live coal from the fire. Then all the bedgear that Thorgunna had
26:32
owned was burned. After this, Jarton summoned Thoria wooden Leg, and Thord
26:38
summoned the Rod on the charge of going about the homestead without leave and depriving
26:45
men of both health and life. All those who sat beside the fire were
26:49
summoned in the same way. Then a court was held at the door,
26:55
in which the charges were declared and everything done as in a regular law court.
27:00
Opinions were given, the case summed up, and judgment passed. After
27:06
sentence had been pronounced on the rear wooden Leg, he rose up and said,
27:11
now we have sat as long as we can bear. After this he
27:15
went out by the other door from that at which the court was held.
27:19
Then sentence was passed on the Shepherd, and when he heard it, he
27:23
stood up and said, now I shall go, and I think it would
27:27
have been better before. When thor Grimau heard sentence pronounced on her, she
27:33
rose up and said, now we have stayed while it could be borne.
27:40
Then one after another was summoned, and each stood up as judgment was given
27:44
upon him. All of them said something as they went out, and showed
27:48
that they were loath to part. Finally, sentence was passed on the Rod
27:53
himself, and when he heard it, he rose and said, little peace
27:59
I find here, and let us all flee now, and went out.
28:03
After that, then Jarton and the others entered, and the priest carried holy
28:08
water and sacred relics all over the house. Later on in the day he
28:15
held solemn service, and after this all the hauntings and ghost walkings at Froda
28:21
seized, while Thorid recovered from her sickness and became well again. End of
28:29
chapter thirteen.