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Chapter XI · The Book of Dreams and Ghosts

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Chapter eleven of the Book of Dreams and Ghosts. This is a LibriVox recording.
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All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to
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volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Dan Grazinski. The Book
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of Dreams and Ghosts by Andrew Lang, Chapter eleven. A question for physicians.
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Professor William James opinion, hysterical disease, little Hands, domestic arson,
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the Whim case, the Saucepan began It, The Nursemaid Boots fly Off investigation,
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Emma's partial confession, corroborative evidence, question of disease, Repeated Chinese cases,
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Haunted Missus Chang, Mister Nu's female Slave, the Great Amherst Mystery run
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is a show failure, Later miracles, the fire Raiser Arrested, parallels a
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Highland case, a Hero of the forty five, Donald Naboulkan, Donald's him
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Icelandic cases, The Devil of Yalta Stadt, more haunted houses. A physician,
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as we have seen, got the better of the demon in Missus Chopoff's
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case, at least while the lady was under his care. Really, these
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disturbances appear to demand the attention of medical men if the whole phenomena are caused
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by imposture, the actors or actresses display a wonderful similarity of symptoms and an
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alarming taste for fire raising. Professor William James, the well known psychologist,
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mentions ten cases whose resemblances suggest a natural type, and we ask is it
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a type of hishysterical disease? He chooses, among others, an instance in
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doctor Nevia's book on demon possession in China, and there is another in Peru.
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He also mentions the great Amherst mystery, which we give, and the
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Rarick case in Scotland sixteen ninety six, related by Telfer, who prints on
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his margins the names of the attesting witnesses of each event lairds, clergymen and
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farmers. At Rerick, as in Russia, the little hand was seen by
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Telfer himself, and the fire raising was endless at Amherst. Io as in
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a pair of recent Russian cases and others, there was plenty of fire raising
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by a lucky chance. An English case occurred at wem in Shropshire in November
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eighteen eighty three. It began at a farm called the Woods, some ten
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miles from Shrewsbury. First, a saucepanful of eggs jumped off the fire in
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the kitchen the tea things leaping from the table were broken. Cinders were thrown
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out of the fire and set some clothes in a blaze. A globe leapt
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off a lamp. A farmer, mister Lee, saw all the windows of
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the upper story as if it were on fire, but it was no such
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matter. The nurse maid ran out in a fright to a neighbor's and her
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dress spontaneously combusted as she ran. The people attributed these and similar events to
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something in the coal or in the air, or to electricity. When the
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nurse girl, Emma Davies, sat on the lap of the school mistress,
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Miss Maddox, her boots kept flying off, like the bootlaces in the Demon
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of Sprayton. All this was printed in the London papers, and on fifteen
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November the Daily Telegraph and Daily News published Emma's confession that she wrought by sleight
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of hand and foot. On seventeenth November, mister Hughes went from Cambridge to
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investigate for some reason. Investigation never begins till the fun is over, And
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the ninth the girl now in a very nervous state. No wonder had been
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put under the care of a doctor Mackie. This gentleman and miss Turner said
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that things had occurred since Emma came for which they could not account. On
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thirteenth November, however, Miss Turner, looking out of a window, spotted
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at Emma throwing a brick and pretending that the flight of the brick was automatic.
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Next day, Emma confessed to her tricks, but steadfastly denied that she
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had cheated at Woods Farm and Weston Lullingfield, where she had also been.
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Her evidence to this effect was so far confirmed by Missus Hampson of Woods Farm
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and her servant Priscilla Evans. When examined by mister Hughes, both were quite
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certain that they saw crockery rise by itself into air off the kitchen table when
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Emma was at a neighboring farm. Mister Lee's Priscilla also saw crockery come out
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of a cupboard in detachments and fly between her and Emma, usually in a
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slanting direction, while Emma stood by with her arms folded. Yet Priscilla was
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not on good terms with Emma, unless then Missus Hampson and Priscilla fabled it
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is difficult to see how Emma could move objects when she was standing at some
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considerable distance, standing, in fact, in quite another farm. Similar evidence
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was given and signed by miss Maddox, the schoolmistress, and mister and Missus
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Lee. On the other hand, Missus Hampson and Priscilla believed that Emma managed
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the fire raising herself. The flames were very high and white, and the
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articles were very little singed. This occurred also at Rerick in sixteen ninety six,
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but mister Hughes attributes it to Emma's use of paraffin, which does not
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apply to the Rarit case, and smells a good deal. Nothing is said
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about a smell of paraffin. Only one thing is certain. Emma was at
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last caught in a cheat. This discredits her, but a man who cheats
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at cards may hold a good hand by accident in the same way. If
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such wonders can happen, as so much worldwide evidence declares, they may have
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happened at Woods Farm, and Emma, in a very nervous state, may
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have feigned then, or rather did feign them later. The question for the
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medical faculty is does a decided taste for willful fire raising often accompany exhibitions of
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dancing, furniture and crockery gratuitously given by patients of hysterical temperament. This is
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quite a normal inquiry. Is there a nervous malady of which the symptoms are
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domestic arson and amateur leegedimain? The complaint, if it exists, is a
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very old standing and why prevalence including Russia, Scotland, New England, France,
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Iceland, Germany, China and Peru. As a proof of the identity
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of symptoms in this malady, we give a Chinese case. The Chinese,
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as to diabolical possession are precisely of the same opinion as the inspired authors of
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the Gospels. People are possessed, and, like the woman having a spirit
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of divination in the acts of the Apostles, make a good thing out of
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it. Thus, missus Coo was approached by a native Christian. She became
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rigid, and her demon, speaking through her, acknowledged a Catholic verity and
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said that if missus Coo were converted, he would have to leave and recovering
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her every day consciousness, missus Ko asked what Sewa, her demon had said.
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The Christian told her, and perhaps she would have deserted her erroneous courses,
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but her fellow villagers implored her to pay homage to the demon. They
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were in the habit of resorting to it for medical advice, as people do
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to Missus Piper's demon in the United States. So Missus Ko decided to remain
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in the business. The parallel to the case and the acts is interesting,
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haunted Missus Chang. Mister Chang of that ilk Chang Chang ten ts was a
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man of fifty seven, a graduate in letters. The ladies of his family
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having accommodated the demon with a shrine in his house, mister Chang said he
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would have none of that nonsense. The spirit then entered into Missus Chang,
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and the usual fire raising began all over the place. The furniture and crockery
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danced in the familiar way, and objects took to disappearing mysteriously even when secured
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under lock and key. Mister Chang was as unlucky as mister Chin. At
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his house, doors would open of their own accord. Footfalls were heard as
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of persons walking in the house, although no one could be seen. Plates
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bowls and the teapot which suddenly rised from the table into the air. Missus
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Chang, now tried the off chance of there being something in Christianity, stayed
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with a native Christian, the narrator, and felt much better. She could
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enjoy her meals and was quite a new woman. As her friend could not
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go home with her. Missus Fong, a Native Christian, resided for a
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while at mister Chang's comparative. Quiet was restored and Missus Fung retired to her
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family. The symptoms returned. The native Christian was sent for and found mister
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Chang's establishment full of buckets of water for extinguishing the sudden fires. Missus Chang's
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daughter in law was now possessed and drank wine in large quantities. Though ordinarily
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she would not touch it. She was staring and tossing her arms wildly.
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A service was held and she soon became her usual self. In the afternoon,
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when the devil's went out of the ladies, the fowls flew into a
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state of wild excitement, while the swine rushed furiously about and tried to climb
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a wall. The family have become Christians, the fires have ceased. Mister
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Chang is an earnest inquirer, but opposed, for obvious reasons, to any
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public profession of our religion. In mister New's case, strange noises and rappings
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were frequently heard about the house. The buildings were also set on fire in
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different places in some mysterious way. The Christians tried to convert mister New,
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but as the devil now possessed his female slave, whose success in fortune telling
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was extremely lucrative, mister New said that he preferred to leave well alone and
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remain wedded to his idols. We next offer a recent colonial case in which
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the symptoms, as mister Pecksniff said, were chronic the Great Amherst Mystery.
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On thirteenth February eighteen eighty eight, mister Walter Hubble, an actor by profession,
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being duly sworn before a notary public in New York, testified to the
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following story. In eighteen seventy nine, he was acting with a strolling company
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and came to Amherst in Nova Scotia. Here he heard of a haunted house,
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known to the local newspapers as the Great Amherst Mystery. Having previously succeeded
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in exposing the frauds of spiritualism. Mister Hubble determined to investigate the affair of
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Amherst. The haunted house was inhabited by Daniel Teed, the respected foreman,
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in a large shoe factory. Under his roof were Missus Teed, as good
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a woman as ever lived, little Willie, a baby boy, and Missus
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Teed's two sisters, Jenny, a very pretty girl, and Esther, remarkable
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for large gray eyes, pretty little hands and feet, and candor of expression.
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A brother of Teed's and a brother of Missus made up the family.
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They were well off and lived comfortably in a detached cottage of two stories.
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It began when Jenny and Esther were in bed one night, Esther jumped up,
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saying that there was a mouse in the bed. Next night, a
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green bandbox began to make a rustling noise and then rose afoot in the air
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several times. On the following night, Esther felt unwell and was swelling visibly
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before the weary eyes of her alarmed family. Reports like thunder pealed through her
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chamber under a serene sky. Next day, Esther could only eat a small
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piece of bread and butter and a large green pickle. She recovered slightly in
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spite of the pickle. But four nights later, all her and her sister's
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bedclothes flew off and settled down in a remote corner. At Jenny's screams,
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the family rushed in and found Esther fearfully swollen. Missus T replaced the bed
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clothes, which flew off again, the pillow, striking John Ted in the
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face. Mister T then left the room, observing in a somewhat unscientific spirit
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that he had had enough of it. The others, with a kindness which
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did them credit, sat on the edges of the bed and repressed the desire
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of the sheets and blankets to fly away. The bed, however, sent
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forth peals like thunder when Esther suddenly fell into a peaceful sleep. Next evening,
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doctor Karit arrived, and the bolster flew at his head and then went
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back again under Esther's. While paralyzed by this phenomenon unprecedented in his practice,
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the doctor heard a metal point scribbling on the wall. Examining the place where
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the sound proceeded, he discovered this inscription, Esther Cox, you are mine
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to kill. Mister Hubble has verified the inscription and often later recognized the hand
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in writing, which came out of the air and fell at our feet.
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Bits of plaster now gyrated in the room, accompanied by peals of local thunder.
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The doctor admitted that his diagnosis was at fault. Next day he visited
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his patient. When potatoes flew at him, he exhibited a powerful sedative,
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but pounding noises began on the roofs and were audible at a distance of two
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hundred yards, as the doctor himself told mister Abbell. The clergy now investigated
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the circumstances, which they attributed to electricity. Even the most exclusive class frequented
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mister Teed's house till December, when Esther had an attack of diphtheria. On
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recovering, she went on to visit friends in Sackville, New Brunswick, where
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nothing unusual occurred. On a return, the phenomenon broke forth afresh, and
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Esther heard a voice proclaimed that the house would be set on fire. Lighted
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matches then fell from the ceiling, but the family extinguished them. The ghost
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then set a dress on fire, apparently as by spontaneous combustion, and this
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kind of thing continued. The heads of the local fire brigades suspected Esther of
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these attempts at arson, and doctor Nathan Tupper suggested that she should be flogged.
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So mister Teed removed Esther to the house of a mister White. In
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about a month, all, as missus Nickleby's lover said, was gas gaiters.
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The furniture either flew about or broke into flames. Worse, certain pieces
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of iron placed as an experiment on Esther's lap became too hot to be handled
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with comfort, and then flew away. Mister Hubble himself now came on the
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scene, and, not detecting imposture, thought that there was money in it.
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He determined to run Esther as a powerful attraction. He lecturing and Esther,
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sitting on the platform, not pay. The audience hurled things at mister
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Hubble, and these were the only volidle objects. Mister Hubble therefore brought Esther
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back to her family at Amherst, where, in Esther's absence, his umbrella
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and a large carving knife flew at him with every appearance of malevolence. A
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great armchair next charged at him like a bull. And to say that mister
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Hubble was owd would indeed seem an inadequate expression of my feelings. The ghosts.
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Then thrice undressed little William public in derision of his tears and outcries.
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Fire raising followed, and that would be a hard heart which could read the
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tale unmoved. Here it is in the simple eloquence of mister Hubble. This
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was my first experience with Bob the demon as a fire fiend, and I
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say candidly that until I had had that experience, I never fully realized what
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an awful calamity it was to have an in visible monster somewhere within the atmosphere,
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going from place to place about the house, gathering up old newspapers into
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a bundle and hiding it in the basket of soiled linen or in a closet,
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then go and steal matches out of the match box in the kitchen or
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somebody's pocket, as he did out of mine, and after kindling a fire
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in the bundle, tell esther that he had started a fire, but would
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not tell where, or perhaps not tell her at all, in which case
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the first intimation we would have was the smell of the smoke pouring through the
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house, and then the most intense excitement, everybody running with buckets of water.
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I say it was the most truly awful calamity that could possibly befall any
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family, infidel or Christian, that could be conceived in the mind of man
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or ghost. And how much more terrible did it seem in this little cottage
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where all were strict members of church, prayed, sang hymns, and read
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the Bible. Poor miss Teed, on mister Hubble's remarking that the cat was
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not tormented, she was instantly lifted from the floor to a height of five
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feet and then dropped on Esther's back. I never saw any cat more Frightened,
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she ran out into the front yard, where she remained for the balance
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rest of the day. On twenty seventh June, a trumpet was heard in
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the house all day. The Reverend ra Temple now prayed with Esther and tried
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a little amateur exorcism, including the use of slips of paper inscribed with Habacook,
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chapter two, verse three, The ghosts cared no more than Voltaire for
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Sachochaine de Habacook. Things came to such a pass, matches simply raining all
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around that mister Teed's landlord, a mister Bliss, evicted Esther. She went
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to a mister Van Omberg's and mister Teed's cottage was in peace. Some weeks
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later, Esther was arrested for incendiarism in a barn, was sentenced to four
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months imprisonment. Was soon released in deference to public opinion. She married,
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had a family, and ceased to be a mystery. This story is narrated
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with an amiable simplicity, and is backed more or less by extracts from Amherst
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and other local newspapers. On making inquiries, I found that opinion was divided.
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Some held that Esther was a mere impostor and fire raiser. From other
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sources I obtained curious tales of the eccentric flight of objects in her neighborhood.
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It is only certain that Esther's case is identical when Madame Chopoff's and experts in
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hysteria may tell us whether that malady ever takes the form of setting fire to
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the patient's wardrobe and to things in general. After these modern cases of disturbances,
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we we may look at a few old or even ancient examples. It
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will be observed that the symptoms are always of the same type, whatever the
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date or country. The first is Gaelic of last century. Donald Bann and
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the Bochan. It is fully a hundred years ago since there died in luck
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Aber a man named Donald Ban, sometimes called the son of Angus, but
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more frequently known as Donald Ban of the Bocan. This surname was derived from
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the troubles caused to him by a Bocan, a goblin, many of whose
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doings are preserved in tradition. Donald drew his origin from the honorable house of
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Keppuk and was the last of the hunters of Makvich Ronald. His home was
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at Monacy and later at Inverlaire in Glen Spain, and his wife belonged to
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the macgregors of Ranik. He went out with the Prince and was present at
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the Battle of Caladen. He fled from the field and took refuge in a
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mountain Shieling, having two guns with him, but only one of them was
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loaded. A company of soldiers came upon him there, and although Donald escaped
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by a back window, taking the empty gun with him, by mistake,
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he was wounded in a leg by a shot from his pursuers. The soldiers
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took him then and conveyed him to Inverness, where he was thrown into prison
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to await his trial. While he was in prison, he had a dream.
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He saw himself sitting and drinking with Alistair macclaugh and Donald MacDonald Vore.
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The latter was the man of whom it was said that he had two hearts.
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He was taken prisoner at Falkirk and executed at Carlisle. Donald was more
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fortunate than his friend and was finally set free. It was after this that
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the Boacon began to trouble him. And although Donald never revealed to any man
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the secret of who the Bochum was, if indeed he knew it himself,
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yet there were some who professed to know that it was a gilly of Donald's
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who was killed at Calladen. The reason for believing this was that, on
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one occasion the man in question had given away more to a poor neighbor than
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Donald was pleased to spare. Donald found fault with him, and in the
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quarrel that followed, the man said, I will be avenged for this,
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alive or dead. It was on the hill that Donald first met with the
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Bocan, but he soon came to closer quarters and haunted the house in a
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most annoying fashion. He injured the members of the household and destroyed all the
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food, being especially given to dirtying the butter, a thing quite so perfluous,
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according to Captain Bird's description of Highland butter. On one occasion, a
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certain Ronald of Aberdare was a guest in Donald's house, and Donald's wife said,
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though I put butter on the table for you tonight, it will just
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be dirtied. I will go with you to the butter keg, said Ronald,
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with my dirk in my hand, and hold my bonnet over the keg,
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and he will not dirty at this night. So the two went together
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to fetch the butter, but it was dirtied, just as usual. Things
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were worse during the night, and they could get no sleep for the stones
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and clods that came flying about the house. The Bocan was throwing things out
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of the walls, and they would hear them rattling at the head of Donald's
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bed. The minister came, mister John Moore MacDougall was his name, and
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slept a night or two in the house, but the Bocan kept away so
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long as he was there. Another visitor, Angus McAllister Bann, whose grandson
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told the tale, had more experience of the Bocan's reality. Something seized his
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two big toes, and he could not get free anymore than if he had
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been caught by the smith's tongs. It was the Bocan, but he did
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nothing more to him. Some of the clergy, too, as well as
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laymen of every rank, were witnessed to the pranks which the spirit carried on,
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but not even Donald himself ever saw him in any shape whatever. So
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famous did the affair become that Donald was nearly ruined by entertaining all those curious
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strangers who came to see the facts for themselves. In the end, Donald
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resolved to change his abode to see whether he could in that way escape from
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the visitations. He took all his possessions with him, except a harrow,
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which was left beside the wall of the house. But before the party had
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gone far on the road, the harrow was seen coming after them. Stop,
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stop, said Donald. If the harrow is coming after us, we
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may just as well go back again. Mystery of the harrow was not explained,
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but Donald did return to his home and made no further attempt to escape
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from his troubles in this way. If the Bocan had a spite at Donald.
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He was still worse disposed towards his wife, the McGregor woman, on
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the night on which he last made his presence felt He went down the roof
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of the house and cried, are you asleep? Donald? Ban? Not
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just now? Said Donald, put out that long gray tether. The McGregor
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wife said he, I don't think I'll do that tonight, said Donald.
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Come out yourself, then, said the Bocan, and leave your bonnet.
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The good wife, thinking that the Bocan was outside, would not hear her,
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whispered in Donald's ear as he was rising, won't you ask him when
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the prince will come? The words, however, were hurriedly out of her
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mouth when the Bocan answered her with didn't you get enough of him before you?
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Gray teather. Another account says that at this last visit of the Bocan,
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he was saying the various other spirits were along with him. Donald's wife
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said to her husband, I should think that if they were along with him,
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they would speak to us. But the Bocan answered, they are no
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more able to speak than the soul of your foot. He then summoned Donald
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outside as above, I will come, said Donald, And thanks be to
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the good being that you have asked me. Donald was taking his dirk with
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him as he went out, but the Bocan said, leave your dirk inside,
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Donald, and your knife as well. Donald then went outside, and
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the Bocan led him on through rivers and a birch wood for about three miles
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till they came to the river Furt. There the Bocan pointed out to Donald
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a hole in which he had hidden some plow irons while he was alive.
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Donald proceeded to take them out. While doing so, the two eyes of
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the Bocan were causing him greater fear than anything else he had ever heard or
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saw. When he got the irons out of the hole, they went back
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to Monesi together and parted that night at the house of Donald Bann. Donald,
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whether naturally or by reason of his ghostly visitant, was a religious man
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and commemorated his troubles and some verses which bare the name of the Hymn of
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Donald Ban of the Bocan. In these he speaks of the common belief that
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he had done something to deserve all this annoyance, and makes mention of the
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stones and clods which flew about his house in the nighttime. Otherwise, the
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hymn is mainly composed of religious sentiments, but its connection with the story makes
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it interesting, and the following is a literal translation of it. The Hymn
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of Donald Ban, Oh, God that created me so helpless, strengthen my
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belief and make it firm. Command an angel to come from paradise and take
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up his abode in my dwelling. To protect me from every trouble that wicked
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folks are putting in my way. Jesus that didst suffer thy crucifixion, restrain
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their doings and be with me thyself. Little wonder, though I am thoughtful
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always, at the time when I go to bed, the stones and the
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clods will arise. How could a saint get sleep? There? I am
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without peace or rest, without repose, or sleep till the morning. O
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Thou that art in the throne of grace, behold my treatment and be a
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guard to me. Little wonder, though I am troubled, so many stories
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about me in every place. Some that are unjust will be saying it is
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all owing to himself that affair. Judge not accept, as you know,
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though the Son of God will awaking you. No one knows if I have
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deserved more than a rich man that is without care. Although I am in
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trouble at this time, verily I shall be doubly repaid. When the call
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comes to me from my Savior, I shall receive mercy and new grace.
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I fear no more vexation when I ascend to be with Thy saints. O
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Thou that sittest on the throne, assist my speaking and accept my prayer.
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O God, make me mindful night and day to be praying, seeking pardon
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richly for what I have done. On my knees. Stir with the spirit
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of truth true repentance in my bosom, that when Thou sendest death to seek
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me, Christ may take care of me. The Bocan was not the only
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inhabitant of the spirit world that Donald ban encountered during his lifetime. A cousin
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of his mother was said to have been carried off by the fairies, and
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one night Donald saw him among them, dancing away with all his might.
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Donald was also out hunting in the year of the Great Snow, and at
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nightfall he saw a man mounted on the back of a deer ascending a great
29:33
rock. He heard the man saying home, Donald ban and Fortunately he took
29:38
the advice, for that night there fell eleven feet of snow in the very
29:42
spot where he intended to stay. We now take two modern Icelandic cases for
29:49
the purpose of leading up to the famous Icelandic legend of Gretier and Glam the
29:53
Vampire from the Greta saga. It is plain that such incidents as those in
30:00
the two modernized Islandic cases, however the effects were produced, might easily be
30:06
swollen into the prodigious tale of Glam in the course of two or three centuries
30:11
between Gretier's time and the complete formation of his saga, The Devil of Yaltastad,
30:19
the sheriff writes, the devil at Yaltistad was outspoken enough this past winter.
30:25
Although no one saw him, I along with others, had the dishonor
30:30
to hear him talking for nearly two days, during which he addressed myself and
30:34
the minister, Sir Grimm, with words the like of which I have not
30:38
seen nor ear heard. As soon as we reached the front of the house,
30:44
there was heard in the door an iron voice saying, so Hans from
30:48
Aherar has come now and wishes to talk with me. The idiot, compared
30:56
with other names that he gave me, This might be considered as flattering.
31:00
When I inquired who it was that addressed me with such words, he answered
31:03
in a fierce voice. I was called lucifer at first, but now I
31:08
am called devil and enemy. He threw at us both stones and pieces of
31:12
wood, as well as other things, and broke two windows in the minister's
31:17
room. He spoke so close to us that he seemed to be just at
31:22
our side. There was an old woman there of the name of Opia,
31:27
whom he called his wife, and a heavenly blessed soul, and asked Sir
31:33
Grim to marry them. Various other remarks of this kind, which I will
31:37
not recount, I have little liking to write about his ongoings, which were
31:42
all disgraceful and shameful. In accordance with the nature of the actor. He
31:48
repeated the paternoster three times, answered questions from the Catechism and the Bible,
31:53
said that the Devil's held service in hell, and told what texts and psalms
31:59
they had for various occasions. He asked us to give him some of the
32:04
food we had and a drink of tea et cetera. I asked the fellow
32:08
whether God was good. He said yes. Whether he was truthful, he
32:15
answered not one of his words can be doubted. Sir Grim asked him whether
32:20
the devil was good looking. He answered, he is far better looking than
32:23
you, you ugly snout. I asked him whether the devils agreed well with
32:29
each other. He answered, in a kind of sobbing voice, it is
32:32
painful to know that they never have peace. I bade him say something to
32:37
me in German, and said to him, lasunstusk raider. But he answered
32:44
as if he had misunderstood me. When we went to bed in the evening,
32:49
he shouted fiercely in the middle of the floor. On this night,
32:52
I shall snatch you off to Hell, and you shall not rise up out
32:55
of bed as you lay down. During the evening, he wished the minister's
33:01
wife good night. The minister and I continued to talk with him during the
33:06
night. Among other things, we asked him what kind of weather it was
33:08
outside. He answered, it is cold with the north wind. We asked
33:14
him if he was cold. He answered, I think I am both hot
33:17
and cold. I asked him how loud he could shout. He said so
33:22
loud, that the roof would go off the house and you would all fall
33:25
into a dead faint. I told him to try it, he answered,
33:30
do you think I am come to amuse you, you idiot? I asked
33:36
him to show us a little specimen. He said he would do so,
33:38
and gave three shouts, the last of which was so fearful that I have
33:42
never heard anything worse, and doubt whether I ever shall. Towards daybreak,
33:49
after he had parted from us with the usual compliments, we fell asleep.
33:52
Next morning he came in again and began to waken up people. He named
33:58
each one by name, not forget to add some nickname, and asking whether
34:01
so and so was awake. When he saw they were all awake, he
34:06
said he was going to play with the door now, and with that he
34:10
threw the door off its hinges with a sudden jerk, and sent it far
34:15
in upon the floor. The strangest thing was that when he threw anything,
34:20
it went down at once and then went back to its place again, so
34:23
it was evident that he either went inside it or moved about with it.
34:30
The previous evening he challenged me twice to come out into the darkness to him,
34:34
and this in an angry voice, saying that he would tear me limb
34:37
from limb. I went out and told him to come on, but nothing
34:42
happened. When I went back to my place and asked him why he had
34:45
not fulfilled his promise, he said, I had no orders for it from
34:47
my master. He asked us whether we had ever heard the like before,
34:52
and when we said yes, he answered, that is not true. The
34:57
like has never been heard at any time. He had sung the Memory of
35:01
Jesus after I arrived there, and talked frequently while the Word of God was
35:06
being read. He said that he did not mind this, but that he
35:09
did not like the Cross school psalms, and said it must have been a
35:14
great idiot who composed them. This enemy came like a devil, departed as
35:19
such, and behaved himself as such while he was present. Nor would it
35:23
befit anyone but the devil to declare all that he said. At the same
35:30
time, it must be added that I am not quite convinced that it was
35:34
a spirit, But my opinions on this I cannot give here for lack of
35:37
time. In another work, where the Sheriff's letter is given with some variations
35:43
and additions. An attempt is made to explain the story. The phenomena were
35:47
said to have been caused by a young man who had learn ventriloquism abroad.
35:52
Even if this art could have been practiced so successfully as to puzzle the Sheriff
35:58
and others, it could hardly have take and the door off its hinges and
36:01
thrown it into the room. It is curious that while John Espelen, in
36:06
his Annals, entirely discredits the Sheriff's letter, he yet gives a very similar
36:10
account of the spirit's proceedings. A later story of the same kind, also
36:15
printed by John Arneson, is that of the Ghost at Garpstaal, as related
36:21
by the minister there, Sir Simon, and written down by another minister on
36:25
seventh June eighteen oh eight. The narrative is as follows, the Ghost at
36:31
Garpstall in Autumn eighteen oh seven, there was a disturbance by night in the
36:37
outer room at Garpstall, the door being smashed. There slept in this room
36:44
the minister's menservants Thorstein, Goodmanson, Magnus Johnson, and a child named Thorstein.
36:51
Later, on sixteenth November, a boat which the minister had lying at
36:55
the seaside was broken in broad daylight, and although all the blows were heard
37:00
at the homestead, yet no human form was visible that could have done this.
37:06
All the folks at Garpstal were at home, and the young fellow,
37:08
Magnus Johnson was engaged either at the sheep houses or about the homestead. The
37:15
spirit often appeared to him in the likeness of a woman. On the eighteenth
37:20
of the same month, four doors of the sheep houses were broken in broad
37:23
daylight. While the minister was marrying a couple in the church. Most of
37:28
his people were present in the church, Magnus being among them. That same
37:32
day, in the evening, this woman was noticed in the sheep houses.
37:37
She said that she had wished to get a u to roast, but as
37:39
soon as an old woman who lived at Garpsdal and was both skilled and wise,
37:45
Gudrun John's daughter by name, had handled the u, its struggles ceased
37:51
and it recovered again. While Gudrun was handling the u, Magnus was standing
37:57
in the door of the house with that one of the the rafters was broken
38:01
and the pieces were thrown in his face. He said that the woman went
38:06
away just then. The minister's horses were close by, and at that moment
38:09
became so scared that they ran straight over smooth ice as though it had been
38:15
earth, and suffered no harm. On the evening of the twentieth there were
38:19
great disturbances paneling and doors being broken down in various rooms. The minister was
38:24
standing in the house door with Magnus and two or three girls, when Magnus
38:31
said to him that the Spirit had gone into the sitting room. The minister
38:37
went and stood at the door of the room, and after he had been
38:39
there a little while talking to the others, a pane of glass in one
38:44
of the room windows was broken. Magnus was standing beside the minister talking to
38:49
him, and when the pain broke, he said that the spirit had gone
38:52
out. By that. The minister went to the window and saw that the
38:57
pain was all broken into little pieces. The following evening, the twenty first,
39:00
the spirit also made its presence known by bangings, thumpings, and loud
39:05
noises. On the twenty eighth, the ongoings of the spirit surpassed themselves.
39:10
In the evening, a great blow is given on the roof of the sitting
39:14
room. The minister was inside at the time, but Magnus, with two
39:17
girls, was out in the barn. At the same moment, the partition
39:22
between the weaving shop and the sitting room was broken down, and then three
39:27
windows of the room itself, one above the minister's bed, another above his
39:30
writing table, and the third in front of the closet door. A piece
39:36
of a table was thrown in at one of these, at a spade at
39:38
another. At this the household ran out of that room into the loft,
39:45
but the minister sprang downstairs and out. The old woman Gudrun, who was
39:49
named before, went with him, and there also came Magnus and some of
39:52
the others. Just then a vessel of wash, which had been standing in
39:58
the kitchen was thrown at gudrun head. The minister then ran in along with
40:02
Magnus and the girls, and now everything that was loose was flying about,
40:07
both doors and splinters of wood. The minister opened a room near the outer
40:12
door, intending to go in there, but just then a sledge hammer,
40:15
which lay at the door, was thrown at him, but it only touched
40:20
him on the side and hip and did him no harm. From there,
40:23
the minister and the others went back to the sitting room, where everything was
40:28
dancing about, and where they were met with a perfect volley of splinters of
40:32
deal from the partitions. The minister then fled and took his wife and child
40:37
to Mulley, the next farm, and left them there, as she was
40:42
frightened to death. With all this, he himself returned next day, on
40:47
the eighth of December, the woman again made her appearance in broad daylight.
40:52
On this occasion she broke the shells and paneling in the pantry in presence of
40:57
the minister, Magnus and others. According to Magnus, the spirit then went
41:01
out through the wall at the minister's words, and made its way to the
41:05
buyer lane. Magnus and Gudrun went after it, but were received with throwings
41:09
of mud and dirt. A stone was also hurled at Magnus as large as
41:15
any man could lift, while Gudrun received a blow on the arm that confined
41:19
her to her bed for three weeks. On the twenty sixth of the month,
41:23
the shepherd and and R. Johnson, a hardy and resolute fellow,
41:29
commanded the spirit to show itself to him. Thereupon there came over him such
41:34
a madness and frenzy that he had to be closely guarded to prevent him from
41:37
doing harm to himself. He was taken to the house and kept in his
41:43
bed, a watch being held over him. When he recovered his wits,
41:46
he said that this girl had come above his head and assailed him. When
41:51
he had completely got over this, he went away from Garpstahl altogether. Later
41:57
than this, the minister's horse was found dead a stable at Mulley, and
42:00
the folks there said that it was all black and swollen. These are the
42:06
most remarkable doings of the ghost at Garpstaal, according to the evidence of Sir
42:10
Simon, Magnus, Gudrun, and all the household at Garpstall, all of
42:15
whom will confirm their witness with an oath an aver that no human being could
42:20
have been so invisible there by day and night, but rather that it was
42:23
some kind of spirit that did the mischief. From the story itself, it
42:29
may be seen that neither Magnus nor any other person could have accomplished the like,
42:34
and all the folk will confirm this and clear all persons in the matter,
42:37
so far as they know. In this form the story was told to
42:42
me. The subscriber to Samuel Egelson and biarni Odsen by the Minister himself and
42:49
to his household at Garpstaal twenty eighth May eighteen o eight. That this is
42:53
correctly set down after what the Minister Sir Simon related to me eye witness here
43:00
on Reiknas seventh June eighteen o eight, Gisliolovsen. Notwithstanding this declaration, the
43:09
troubles at Garbstel were attributed by others to Magnus, and the name of the
43:15
Garbsdale Ghost stuck to him throughout his life. He was alive in eighteen sixty
43:21
two when John Arneson's volume was published. These modern instances lead up to the
43:25
best story in the world, the Old Icelandic Tale of Glom end of Chapter eleven.