The Fairy Tale the Boy and the Troll-Horse is a local one from Valdres. The tale has survived in an ancient oral tradition and was written down in more recent times. We will re-tell the tale in both the "original" Norwegian dialect of Valdres, and in parallel translated to English.
At the end, we will dissect this beautiful local fairy tale, packed with pagan symbolism, touching all aspects of re-incarnation and cycles in great detail.
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Ein gong var det ein mann og ei kjerring så budde i ein skog så langt avsides ifrå folk at skogen var fleire mil stor og så tjukk at dei såg ingen stad. Og der hadde dei levt vel før, men nå tok dei til å verta gamle. Kjerringa var over seksti år og mannen var mest like så gammal og ikkje hadde dei barn.
Nå tok dei til å li slik mangel på mat at dei ville reint svelta i heil. Mannen skulle då ut ein morgon og prøva om han kunne finna almebork. - Den turka dei og gnudde han sund til mjøl. - Der kom han til eit berg, der sprang opp ei dør og straks kom det ut eit bergtroll så hadde tre hovud og spurde mannen kva han gjekk etter.
Once, there were a man and a wife who lived in a forest so far from people that the forest was so big and fat that they saw nowhere. And there they had lived well before, but now they began to get old. The wife was over sixty and the man was just as old and they had no children. Now, it was little food and they might as well would starve to death. The man would go outside one morning and try to find some elm bark. They would dry it and make flour of it. Then he came to a mountain, where a door sprang open and a mountain Troll with three heads asked the man what he was up to.
«Å, eg går og leitar etter almebork,» sa mannen, "me vil til å svelta i hel. Me har ikkje mat.»
«Mat skal du få,» sa trollet. Så hadde mannen ein okse så han køyrde på. Bergtrollet lessa på eit lass med all slags mat slik så oksen var god til å dra. Men han måtte lova han at han ville få det som kjerringa bar under beltet. - Han trudde ho var fremmeleg. -
Og mannen så visste ho var for gamal til det, han gjekk ratt inn på den akkorden. Då trollet då hadde lest på lasset, så balla dei i kring lasset noko granbar og gjorda til med to reip at han ikkje skulle seta bort noko.
"Oh, I am looking for elm bark," said the man, "we are starving to death, we do not have food."
"Food, you will get," said the Troll. The man had a bull he was riding. The mountain Troll loaded it with all kinds of food, all that the bull was able to pull. But, he had to promise that it got what the wife had under the belt - because the Troll thought she was pregnant. The man for sure knew she was too old for that, so he agreed. When the Troll had loaded the bull, they covered the load with spurce twigs and bound it with ropes so that nothing was lost.
Då mannen kom heim att, vart kjerringa sint for han kom med eit lass med grønbar og spurde:
«Kva vil du med dette? Har me ikkje nok av slikt til å brenna? Kvar er almeborken? Og det meire?»
"Å, du veit ikkje kva så er i lasset, du,» sa mannen, «nå skal du sjå, me har fått mat.»
Og så fortalde han korleis han hadde fått det på lag, at trollet ville ha det, så du ber under beltet, og at det du går med skal bli eit gutebarn. Og han vil trollet ha når han blir femten år. Og får han han ikkje då, så vil han slå guten i hel, eller vil han kasta krøtter-ham på han. Og dette har eg lote samtykt og vil nå også du samtykkja det, så skulle eg koma att og seia han det. Og då skulle eg få ei heil bør med pengar attpå.» Kjerringa lo av dei betingelsane og sa det: «Eg skal nok også ratt gå inn på den akkorden for eg veit då at eg er or barneeigna når eg er over tre gonger tjue år.»
When the man reached home, the wife was angry because he came home with a load of spurce and asked: "What do you want with this? Do we not have enough of this to burn? Where is the elm bark?"
"Oh, you do not know what is inside the load, do you" said the man, "now you will see, we have got food." Then he told how it all went, and that the Troll wanted what she had below the belt, and what you carry is a boychild. And, that the Troll wanted him when he is fithteen. And if it did not get him then, it would beat the boy to death, or to put him in to a bulls skin. And this I have agreed, and if you agree, I will return an tell the Troll. And, then I would recieve a load of money to go." The wife laughed at these conditions, and said: "I will for sure agree because I know that I can not get pregnant when I am over three times twenty."
Så reiste mannen til bergjøtulen att med den beskjed så kjerringa hadde gitt. Og så fekk han ein sekk full med sølvpengar. «Ber du om meir?» sa trollet. «Ja,» sa mannen og synte han ein sekk han hadde med seg. «Ja, så gå nå inn i denne bua,» sa trollet, «og hald opp sekken din, så skal eg gå opp på loftet og renna i han or ei tønne til han blir full."Men mannen var ful, han. Han skar hol på den sekken og rende så igjennom han og fylte ein til. Då trollet hadde rent i sekken noko meir, så sa han:
«Er ikkje sekken full ennå?» «Nei,» sa mannen.
«Kor har du fått denne sekken då?» sa trollet. "Å, eg har lånt han av presten,» sa mannen.
«Å, er det forunder: Eg veit at prestesekken blir aldri full,» sa trollet.
Men då mannen ikkje trudde seg til å bera meir, så skreik han til trollet:
«Nå kan du halda.»
Then the man travelled to the Troll in the mountain with the message the wife had given. Then he recieved a sac full of silver coins. "You ask for more?" said the Troll. "Yes,"said the man and showed him another sac he carried. "So, enter this tiny cottage," said the Troll, "and hold your sack up, and I will go upstairs and pour from a barrel until it is full". But the man was nasty, he cut a hole in the sac, went through it and filled another. When the Troll had poured a while, it said: "Is it not full yet?" "No," said the man. "Where did you get that sack?" said the Troll. "Oh, I borrowed it from the priest," said the man. "Oh, that is no suprise: I know that a priest´s sack never gets full," said the Troll. But when the man thought he could not carry anymore, he yelled at the Troll: "It is enough."
Då nå mannen kom heim att med så mykje pengar attåt dei hadde fått så mykje mat før, vart dei så glade at dei heldt eit lite gjestebud for seg då.
When the man arrived home with so much money in addition to all the food recieved earlier, the were so happy that they held a little feast for themselves.
Og frå den tid vart kjerringa fremmeleg og dette vart dei reint forundra over begge to. Dei hadde nå vorte glade elles, men til nærmare det nå lei at kjerringa skulle koma i barnseng, dess meir bedrøvande vart dei både ho og han, og ønskte berre at ho måtte koma med ei jente. Men då ho åtte, då vart det ein velskapt fin og stor gut. Guten vart så umogeleg klok at endå han ikkje hadde nokon til å læra seg så kunne han alle slags tungemål og språk då han var tolv år. Dei fortalde han at bergtrollet skulle ha han når han skulle bli femten år. Men det brydde han seg ikkje om.
«Eg veit det,» sa han, «eg har ofte tala med jøtulen med tre hovud, eg,» sa han, «og det er derved eg vil koma til å gjera mi lykke i verden.»
And from that, the wife became pregnant and they were quite amazed by this both of them. They had been lucky otherwise, but the more close the time of the birth came, the more sad they went, both he and her, and wished that she came with a girl-child. But when she gave birth, it was a beautiful big boy that came. The boy was so immeasurable wise that he without anyone teaching him knew all language tongues when he was twelve. They told him that the mountain Troll would get him when he reached fiftheen. But he did not care. "I know," he said, "I have often spoken to the Ettin with three heads," he said, "and it is by that I will win my luck in this world."
Foreldra hans vart då noko til freds då dei høyrde det. Nå lei det til dei dagar at trollet skulle få guten. Far hans og mor hans gret. Men guten gret ikkje. Då dei då kom til berget, far hans og han, så banka dei på. Straks sprang det opp ei dør og der kom jøtulen ut og tok imot guten og takka far hans for han hadde halde ord og lovte at det slett ikkje skulle stå på han.
Og guten hadde det også særdeles godt. Han åt og drakk av det beste så kunne tenkjast, fekk nye plagg ifrå hand til fot og låg på dunseng med laken på alle netter.
Men nå ville jøtulen på ei reise til eit langt bortliggjande land. Og nå betrudde han ingen annan lyklane til berget enn denne guten. Men endå så sa han det før han reiste:
«Det står nummer på kvar lykel for kva lås dei høyrer til. Men den så står nummer ti på, den må du ikkje bruka. - Det sto same nummer på låsane så sto på lyklane. - For det verelset får ingen gå inn i anna enn eg sjølv. Og nå vil eg prøva deg om du er tru. Er du det, så skal du ha det godt. Er du ikkje tru, så skal du mista livet.»
His parents were more satisfied when they heard that. Now it was only three days before the Troll would recieve the boy. His father and mother cried. But the boy did not. When they got to the mountain, his father and him, they knocked. At once the door opened and there the Ettin came out, took the boy and thanked his father that he had kept his promise. And the boy lived very well. He ate and drank the best of all, got new clothes from top to bottom and slept on feather bed all nights. But now, the Ettin would travel to a far away land. And now, it trusted him and gave the boy the keys to the mountain. But, it said this before it went: "Each key has a number telling wich lock to open. But, the one with number ten, that you must not use. It is the same number on the keys as on the locks. That room will no one enter, other than myself. And, now I will test if you are trustworthy. If you are, you will live well. If not, you will loose your life."
Derpå reiste han bort.
Så snart nå guten vart einsam, så tenkte han ved seg sjølv: Det hadde vore då morosamt å veta kva så er inne i dette verelset. Og nå er vel også trollet kome så langt at han ikkje veit det. Eg skal då glytta på døra.
Then, it travelled away.
When the boy was all for himself, he thought by himself: It would have been fun to know what is inside that room. And now the Troll have been going so far that it could not know. I will open the door just a little.
Og så han då låste opp døra, fanst det ingen ting anna i det kammerset enn ein liten spaserstokk, så ein kjepp på lag. Den tok han og straks kom trollet. Han hadde nok forname det må veta endå han var komen mange mil bort.
When he unlocked the door, there was nothing inside the room other than a small walking stick. He took it, and immidiately the Troll came. It had sensed it, you must know, even though it had came several miles along.
«Men kva har du gjort nå?» sa trollet, «denne gongen får eg vel gi deg til. Men gjer du slikt oftare, så skal du mista livet. Nå leverer eg deg ein lykel så står nummer tjue på. Men låser du opp den døra, så skal du vera dødskuldig. For der har ennå ingen kome anna enn eg sjølv.»
Å jau, jøtulen reiste att og guten bidde då eit par dagar til han trudde at han skulle vera komen så langt at han ikkje kunne veta korleis det gjekk til heime. Då guten låste opp den døra, var også det verelset så nær tomt at det fanst ikkje anna i det enn ei ørande lita flaske med vatn i og så eit tomt glas. Det tok han og gøymde der så han hadde spaserstokken. Men straks kom trollet plent så han vore sprengt og så sint at det var så nær at han hadde drepe guten.
"What have you done now?" said the Troll, "this time I will let it go. But if you do such things more often, you will loose your life. Now I give you a key with the number twenty. But if you unlock the door, you would owe your life. Because there, no one else has been, other than myself."
Yes, the Ettin travelled away again and the boy waited a couple of days until he believed that it would have comed so far away that it could not know what was going on at home. When the boy unlocked the door, this rom was also close to empty, only a small botle of water and an empty glas. He took it and hid it where he had hid the walking stick. But immediately the Troll came so furious that it was close killing the boy.
Han ba då så vent at han måtte sleppa med livet og lovde både med hand og munn at han aldri skulle visa seg ulydig oftare. "Ja,ja,» sa trollet, «det skal eg snart prøva deg på. Her har du ennå ein lykel så står nummer tretti på så aldri nokon har tatt i anna enn eg sjølv. Men låser du opp den døra og eg kjem over deg, så slår eg deg i hel med eitt slag. For då har du aldri fornøden å be om livet meir. Nå var eg komen over hundre mil her ifrå og måtte heim att for di skuld. Og skal eg nå heim att før eg får utretta det eg skal, så veit du korleis det går deg.»
He asked so nicely that he would keep his life and promised with hand and mouth that he never would show himself disobedient more often. "Well," said the Troll, "I will test you. Here you have another key with the number thirty that no other than myself have used. But if you unlock that door and I catch you, I will beat you to death with one single stroke. Then you can not ask for your life anymore. Now, I had travelled over a hundred miles from here and I had to return for your sake. And if I have to come home again without a finsihed cause, you know your destiny."
Og dermed skildest dei tredje gongen. Nå betenkte guten seg rett mange dagar for dette var ein hard akkord. Men endeleg vart han huga til også å sjå inn i det verelset. Og då han kom inn om døra, sto der tre hestar, ein svart og ein brun og ein kvit. På veggen hang det tre gullsalar, den eine finare enn hin, tre gullbeisel, det eine finare enn hitt og tre sverd med gullfeste på likeså og endeleg tre fornemme kledningar sameleis den eine finare enn hin. Den eine var fin som sola, den andre som månen og den tredje som stjernene.
Thus, they separated for the third time. Now the boy thought for several days, because the terms were harsch. But finally he got the courage to look inside the room. And when he got inside by the door, there stood three horses, a black, a brown and a white. On the wall three golden saddles hung, one more beautiful than the other, three golden horse bites, the one more beautiful than the other and three swords with golden grips and finally three fine dresses one finer than the other. One was as beautiful as the sun, the other as the moon and the third as the stars.
Nå kunne den kvite hesten tala og han sa det ved han:
«Nå skal du snøgga deg og ta den fremste gullsalen og det fornemste gullbeiselet og leggja på meg. Ta så den fornemste kledningen og det fornemste sverdet og bulta i hop. Ta så ein gullkam så ligg i glaset og stikk i lomma di. Og ta så hine to kledningane og det du har funne i hine kammersa og set deg så på meg. Og la oss så skile plent skunda oss. For kjem trollet nå over oss, så slår han oss i hel båe to.» Og så bar det i vegen så guten visste ikkje anna enn at anden skulle gå or han. Dei reiste tre fire mil i timen.
Now the white horse could talk and he told him this:
"Now, you must hurry up and take the best golden saddle and the best golden bite and place on me. Take the best dress and the best sword and pack togehter. Take then the golden comb lying in the glas and put it in your pocket. Then, take the two other dresses and the other items you have found in the other rooms and place it on me. Then, let us carefully hurry. If the Troll comes, it will beat us to death both of us." Then, they travelled in a way that the boy felt that the breath was taken out of him. They travelled four miles per hour.
Hesten spurde då guten:
«Ser du noko kjem etter oss?»
«Jau, eg ser det kjem eit stort fælt troll og så høyrer eg slik fæl dur at det er mest likså ein toreslått.»
«Ja,» sa hesten, «når han nå kjem på nær at han vil gripa deg, så skal du kasta spaserstokken att over deg. Så blir det straks ein stor skog imellom oss.»
Og det gjorde guten. Og straks vart det ein så stor skog at ingen hadde sett slik skog før og der vart trollet verande i lang tid. Han braska og han braut seg fram og fram. Men medan kom desse to langt unna han. Men på slutten var han komen dei så nær med sine tre hovud at dei såg klysespruten sto or alle tre kjeftane på han.
The horse then asked the boy:
"Do you see anyone following us?"
"Yes, I see a huge hideous Troll and I can hear such a high roaming sound that it could be thunder."
"Yes," said the horse, "when it comes so close that it could grip you, you must throw the walking stick over you. Then it will be a big forest between us."
And the boy did. And suddenly there was such a huge forest that no one had ever seen such a huge forest before and the Troll stayed there for a long time. It plowed itself forward, but in the meanwhile those two came far ahead. But, at the end it was so close with its three heads that they saw the spit drooling from all the three mouths.
«Ja, nå grip han meg,» sa guten. «Ja så, ta nå vassflaska,» sa hesten, "og kasta henne att over venstre aksla di.»
"Well, now it gets me," said the boy. "Well then, take the water bottle," said the horse, "and throw it over your left shoulder."
Det gjorde han og dermed så vart det eit stort hav imellom dei då og der vart trollet liggjande og symja i det havet så det var slik vassprut at dei såg den mange mil. Men til slutt var trollet god til å symja over. Og då kom han etter dei så det vart ein så fæl dur at jorda skalv under dei. Og då han kom dei så nær att dei såg han, så var han så svart og fæl av sinne at guten vart rett heilbangen og sa ved hesten at nå grip han meg.
He did and then it was a huge sea between them and the Troll was laying there swimming in that sea so the splashes of water could be seen for miles. But eventually the Troll was able to swim across. And when it came after them it was a roar so high that the ground was shacking below them. And when it came so close that they could see it, it was so black and furious that the boy was terrified and told the horse again that he was about to be taken.
«Skunda deg,» sa hesten, «og ta dette tome glaset du har med deg og kasta det over høgre aksla di.»
Og det gjorde han og straks vart det eit stort glasberg imellom dei og det var så hålt på alle sider at det var inga råd til å koma over. Jøtulen prøvde med lempe og med sinne å koma opp på det. Men han glatt ned att. Endeleg hadde han då på sisten vore god til å kravla seg opp på det. Dei såg han. Men då rulla glasberget ikring med han og han under og berget ovanpå så det knuste han i små molar. Så var dei kvitt han.
"Hurry up," said the horse," and take this empty glas you brought and throw it over your right shoulder." And the boy did and swiftly there was a big glas mountain between them so slippery on all sides that it was impossible to get over it. The Ettin tried with withs and fury to come on top. They saw him. But then the glas mountain rolled around it and below so it crushed it. Then they got rid of it.
Og då var desse to komne både over sjø og land. Så sa hesten:
«Nå skal du losjera deg inn i utkanten av byen og meg skal du prøva å få sett på ein stall. Og det vesle du er god til å tena deg for dagen skal du kjøpa mat for til oss begge. Eg skal vera fornøyd med det eg får.»
When the two had reached over both sea and land - the horse said:
"Now lodge in in the outskirts of the town and me you must try to place in a stable. And the little you can earn for the day you must use to buy food for us both. I will be satisfied with what I get."
Å ja, det gjorde han nokre dagar. Men så sa hesten ved han då:
«Nå skal du gå til kongsgarden og prøva om du kan få deg teneste. Eg veit det feilar ein kokk. Kanskje du kan få den tenesta og då får du mat nok. Og då får du også koma meg i hug med noko lite kvar kveld.»
And yes, that he did a few days. But then the horse said:
"Now you must go to the King´s hall to work. I know they need a chef. Maybe if you get that possition you will have food enough. Then you can remember me an bring some each evening."
Å ja, det gjorde han og vart også antatt så kokk. Den kammen han hadde med seg var såleis beskaffa at når han kjemde seg med han, så vart håret så det var av gull. Dette hadde ei av kongsdøtrene fått sett ein dag og ho trudde plent at han ikkje var nokon almindelig fyr.
Kongen der kom i krig og der skulle dei til og kriga så mange så var gode til. Denne guten hadde nå vel sluppe, men han ba om at han måtte få lov å fylgja med og det fekk han. Dei skaffa han då ein hest og eit rusta sverd og stelte han i veg med hine riddarane. Å jau, guten rei hesten ut i ei blaut myr så han sokk ned ratt opp under øyrene. Og det lo hine av og ikkje ville hjelpa han opp att. Men då dei var reiste forbi, så fekk nok guten han opp att, hesten, sjølv, må veta. Han gjorde det berre på fulhet for å bli kvitt det fylgjet. Og så reiste han dit så han hadde sin eigen hest og han sa det ved han:
«Nå skal du ta den kledningen så er likså stjernene og sala så meg og sett deg på meg. Ta så sverdet og heng det ved sida di og ri så på plassen for då kjenner ingen deg. Og alt så du snur eggen på sverdet imot, det fell om du aldri kjem til dei. Og når då kongen vil veta, kven du er for ein, så skal du kasta ned eine hansken din og så ri din veg.»
Oh yes, he did, and he became a chef as well. The comb he brought was of a kind that when he used it, his hair became like gold. This, one of the King´s daughters one day had seen and she thought he was one of a kind. The King there went to war and as many as possible would join in. This boy would have escaped that duty, but he asked to join and they accepted. They got him a horse and a rusty sword and made him ride with the other knights. Oh yes, the boy rode the horse out in a wet bog so it sank down up to its eyes. The others laughed and did not want to help him up again. But, when they all had left, the boy got the horse up again, all by himself. He did it only by grimness to get rid of them. Then he travelled where he had his own horse that told him:
"Now, you must take the dress as beautiful as the stars and saddle me. Take the sword and place it on your side and ride then to the field so no one recognizes you. Everything you turn the sharp edge of the sword against will fall if you do not get to them. And when the King want to know who you are, you must throw your glove down and ride away.
Dette var fyrste dagen. Andre dagen så skulle det i vegen eit enda større krigsfylgje. Og guten ba også om å få vera med den dagen. Og det fekk han. Han skunda seg då like føre hine til den myra og der hadde han søkt ned hesten likså fyrste dagen. Men litt lenger var han komen. Å ja, dei lo av han og let han vera og ingen hjelpte han. Men straks det var reiste om han, gjekk han stad og tok sin eigen hest og så den kledningen som var likså månen og kom på plass i drivande tan så ingen hadde sett nokon ri så sterkt før. Og så ba han om at han måtte få ei tropp å kommandera over. Og det hadde han også bett om fyrste dagen. Og kvar han kom med den troppa mot fienden, der fall dei likså dei var blesne bort. For det var inga råd til å stå ho imot. For berre han snudde eggen på sverdet sitt mot fienden, så rulla dei.
This was the first day. The second day there would be an even larger army. And the boy asked to join this day as well. And he was allowed. He hurried before everybody else to the bog and he rode in with the horse just as the day before. But a little further he got. Oh yes, they laughed at him and let him be and no one helped him. But when they had left, he swiftly went and took his own horse and the dress as beautiful as the moon and rode to the field so powerful that no one before had seen. Then he asked to get a troop to command over. And that he had asked too the first day. And everywhere he came with that troop, the enemy fell like they were blown away by the wind. There was no way to stand against, because he just turned the sharp blade, and the enemy rolled.
Kongen ønskte då å få tala ved han. Men han kasta av seg ein gullsko så kongen tok og så reiste han frå plassen så ingen var god til å nå han.
Å ja, dette var nå godt og vel. Men slaget var nå ikkje endå vunne. Tredje dagen vart då bestemt til avgjerd at den så då vann seier, skulle vera vinnaren for alvor. Ei større krigsmakt vart då utrusta på begge sider og denne guten ville vera med og det fekk han lov til. Og reiste litt føre, men då hine kom etter til den blaute myra, då var guten komen mest over, men lell let han dei reisa seg forbi. Og så gjekk guten dit så han hadde hesten sin, tok den og hadde på seg den kledningen så var så blank som sola og kom seg på plass i fullt trav. Og alle så såg han, vart så forundra både på hesten og på karen at dei alle gjerne ville veta kva det var for ein.
The King then wanted to talk to him. But he tossed off a golden shoe that the King picked up, and he rode away from the field and no one could reach him. Oh yes, this was all good. But the battle was still not won. The third day was decided, that the one that won the battle should be the victor. A bigger army was armed on both sides and this boy wanted to join in, and he was accepted. He travelled before them, and when the others came to the wet bog, the boy had almost crossed, but he let them pass. Then the boy went where he had his horse, took it and took on the dress that was so beautiful as the sun and rode in line. And everybody that saw him was amazed over both the horse and the boy that they all wanted to know who he was.
Han ba då kongen om å få den halve krigshær å kommandera over og det fekk han. Men då slo han ned for fot alt så forekom han så det fanst ikkje att ei kjempe av fienden så torde våga seg imot han.
Kongen baud han då den beste belønning om han ville seia kven han var for ein. Men han tok av seg eit gullkjede så han hadde kring halsen og kasta det ned på plassen. Og så ga han hesten av sporane og så reiste han sin veg.
He then asked the King to get the command over half of the army and got what he wanted. But then he struck down everything, so there was no enemy warrior that deared to resist. The King offered him the best possible reward if he told him who he was. But, he took off a golden necklace he had around his neck and tossed it on the field. He then rode away.
Kongen tok også gullkjedet og gøymde det og var vel fornøyd over det utfallet så slaget hadde fått.
Men ennå var det ei stor landeplage så herska der, nemleg ein tiger, ei løve og ein bjørn så drap så mangfoldige folk og krøtter at kongen tvilte for at hans heile land skulle bli øydelagt. Han lovde då ut at den så var god til å drepa desse dyra, skulle få kven han sjølv ville velja av døtrene hans og til like halvdelen av hans kongerike og etter hans død det heile riket.
The King took the golden necklace and hid it and was very pleased with the outcome of the battle. But still there was a plague that ruled there, namely a tiger, a lion and a bear that killed so many people and house animals that the King feared that the whole land would be destroyed. He then promised that the one that killed these animals could marry any of his daughters and have half the kingdom, and after his death the whole kingdom.
Nå var det visst mange så ønskte å få fatt i prinsessa og kongeriket. Men det var ikkje så greitt å gå i kast med dei ville dyra, må veta. Endeleg var det mange så bau seg til å prøva og denne guten ba også om forlov å vera med. Å ja, han fekk lov. Dei skaffa nå han ei skarve børse og kuler og krut. Dei andre mektige riddarane fekk dei fornemste gjevær så kongen hadde.
Now, there were many that wanted the princess and the kingdom. But, to defeat these animals what not an easy task. Finally, many offered to try and this boy also asked to try. Oh yes, he was allowed. They now gave him a poor rifle, bullets and gunpowder. The other Knights got the best of the King´s guns.
Fyrste dagen traff dei løva. Alle skaut på ho så lenge dei hadde noko å skyta med. Og guten fekk ikkje lov før hine hadde skote bort det dei hadde av kuler og krutt. Fyrste skotet guten skaut, gjekk mist. De andre skotet likeså og dei andre lo av han. Men tredje skotet, då traff han løva beint mellom øyrene så ho rulla.
The first day they met the lion. All shot at it as long as they had something to shoot wit. And the boy was not allowed before all the others had shot away all they had of bullets and powder. The first shot the boy made was a miss. The second as well, and the others laughed at him. But the third shot he hit the lion right between the ears so it rolled.
Dette vart alle både forundra over og til liks misunnelege over. Den fornemste der, ein så heitte riddar Rød - dei kalla han også riddar Rev for di det var ein stygg fuling må veta - han ba då guten om at han skulle få kjøpa av han premien.
They were all both amazed and envious of this. The most upclass there, the one that was named Knight Red - they called him that because he was nasty and ugly - he asked the boy if he could buy the prize.
«Å ja,» sa guten, «eg får vel ikkje kongsdottera, eg, korså.» Men så var guten ful med. Han stilte seg til og skar eit stykke av tunga av løva og gøymde det.
Då dei kom heim att, vart kongen så glad at han gjorde alle dei fornemste eit stort gjestebud for riddar Rød skuld, så hadde drepe løva og sette han øvst ved bordet nemleg i høgsetet.
"Oh yes," said the boy, "I would never get the King´s daughter anyway." But, the boy was a little nasty and ugly himself. He cut a piece of the lions tongue and hid it.
When they all returned, the King was so happy that he made a feast for the sake of Knight Red that had killed the lion and placed him at the end of the table in the high seat.
Andre dagen gjekk det likeeins til. Guten fekk lov å vera med og då gjekk dei mot bjørnen. Men då hine hadde skote bort både kuler og krut, då fekk guten lov å skyta. Og då også han hadde skote mange skot og ikkje råka, då skaut han bjørnen i hel.
The second day it went the same way. The boy was allowed to join in and then they went towards the bear. But when all the ohers had shot away all their bullets and powder, then the boy was allowed to shoot. This time as well he shot shots and missed, but he shot the bear to death.
Nå var det nok av dei så ville ha kjøpt bjørnen av guten. Men ingen torde gå riddar Rød i forkjøp. For han var den fornemste. Han kjøpte då bjørnen av guten og då dei kom til kongsgarden med bjørnen, vart det slik glede at riddar Rød vart så høgakta så han skulle alt ha vore konge. Men guten hadde også stilt seg til å skjera tungespissen av bjørnen og gøymt den.
Now, there were enough of those who wanted to buy the bear from the boy. But no one deared to go before Knight Red. He was the upper class Knight. He bought the bear from the boy and when they returned to the King´s hall, it was such a joy that Knight Red was seen upon as a King. But, the boy had cut the tip of the tongue off the bear and hid it.
Tredje dagen då, så skulle dei imot tigeren og han var farlegare enn både løva og bjørnen og dei tvilte då korleis dette ville gå. Men det gjekk sameleis til så før. Guten vart med og då hine hadde skote bort det dei hadde med krut og bly og ikkje råka han, då skaut denne guten berre eit skot og det gjekk beint gjennom hjarta på tigeren så han stupte daud i smellet.
The third day, when they were about to approach the tiger and it was more dangerous than both the lion and the bear, they doubted and feared the outcome. But it went just like before. The boy went along and when the others had shot away their bullets and powder and missed, then the boy shot the tiger straight through the heart in one shot so the tiger fell dead.
Men dei tvilte for at han ikkje skulle vera daud og derfor så torde ingen gå inntil han. Men guten gjekk til han einsam og skar litt av tunga hans og gøymde. For han visste at riddar Rød også ville ha den.
Å ja, han ville også det og drog heim att med tigeren i stor triumf. Kongen så nå vart så glad ved å ha fred og rolighet både for krig og for ville dyr, skreiv då over sitt heile land og innba alle dei fornemste herrar til å møta i kongsgarden og drikka bryllaup til riddar Rød så nå ved sin heltedåd hadde gjort seg fortent til å få dotter hans til ekte.
But they doubted that the tiger was dead, thus no one deared to go close to it. But, the boy walked to it alone and cut a piece of the tongue and hid it. Because he knew that Knight Red also wanted it. Oh yes, he also wanted that and they returned with the tiger in big triumph. The King was so happy that it now was piece for both war and wild animals, so he invited all of the upper class to drink the wedding of Knight Red that now had earned to marry his daughter.
Då alle var forsamla i Rikssalen, gjekk denne guten, så var underkokk opp på salen og ba at han skulle få tale ved kongen. Det fekk han og så spurde han kongen:
«Kven er så har drepe desse ville dyra, anten den så har dei eller den så har tungene så høyrer dyra til?»
Kongen sa det, det skal eg svara deg på om ein time. Han let kalla si høgste råd og spurde dei om dette. Dei sa at han skulle gi det svaret at den så hadde tungene også hadde drepe dyret. Nå synte guten tungene og sa det at eg har skote i hel dyra. Men riddar Rød kjøpte dei av meg. Men eg har ikkje fått noko for dei. Men eg torde ikkje seia han imot og det skal eg bevisa med alle så med var. Å ja, dette vart sanna det, må veta, for dei var til stades alle så var med på jakta. Og dei bekrefta at guten sa sant for dei var alle ville på riddar Rød.
When they all were gathered in the King´s hall, this boy went, that was chef into the hall and asked to speak to the King. He was allowed and asked the King:
"Who have killed these wild animals, and who have them or their tongues"? The King told him that he would give that answer within an hour. He called for his high council and asked them of this. They said that the one who had the tongues had shot the animals. But Knight Red bought them from me. I have recieved nothing for them. I did not dear to go against him but I will prove it with all the others there. Oh yes, this was the truth, because they were all there at the hunt. And they confirmed that the boy told the truth because they were all angry at Knight Red.
Nå hadde kongen tre døtre, men ingen son. Riddar Rød hadde valt den yngste til si dronning og ho vart så bedrøva for ho skulle bli tvinga til å ta han. Men nå vart det anna for riddar Rød enn bli konge. Kongen befalte å laga til ein galge og deri hengde dei riddar Rød. Men guten tok dei i staden. Og han ville dei då iføra kongeleg drakt. Men guten ba om at han skulle få lov til å kle seg sjølv og det fekk han. Han gjekk då til hesten sin og han sa det:
«Nå skal du ha på deg den fornemste kledningen så er likså sola og sverdet ditt og maka det så at det feilar deg ein hanske, ein sko og eit gullkjede. Kjemma så håret ditt med den kammen du har. Legg så gullsal og beisel på meg og ri så til kongsgarden, så kjenner dei deg att sidan du var med i krigen og då får du att både skoen, hansken og gullkjedet.»
Å ja, det gjorde han. Då han kom, vart det slik glede på kongen så nå fekk sjå og tala ved den riddaren så hadde hjelpt han i krigen. Og prinsessa vart nå meir enn glad for ho skulle få denne i staden for riddar Rød. Og så vart det bryllaup.
The King had three daughters, but no son. Knight Red had chosen the youngest for his Queen and she was so unhappy because she was forced to take him. But now, there was another destiny for Knight Red than to become King. The King demanded a gallows to be built and Knight Red was hanged. They took the boy instead, and led him to Royal dress. But, when the boy asked if he could dress himself, he was allowed. He then went to his horse and it said:
"Now you must take on the best dress, the one like the sun and your sword, and dress up so you miss the glove, the shoe and the neclace. Comb your hair with the comb you got. Place the gold saddle and the bite on me and ride to the King´s hall, so they recognize you since you fought the war and then you both the shoe, the glove and the necklace will return to you."
Oh yes, he did. When he arrived, there was such a joy from the King that could see and speak to the Knight that had helped him in the war. And the princess was now more than happy that she would get this instead of Knight Red. Then, there was a wedding.
Men straks vart det sorg etter gleda. Hesten hadde sagt ved guten:
«Du skal ikkje la nokon ta meg eller stella meg enn du sjølv.» Men om kvelden då han vigde med prinsessa, då fekk han ikkje lov å stella hesten sin, må veta. Om morgonen då han vakna, og tenkte over kva hesten hadde sagt, sto han opp, heilt påkledd og gjekk dit så han trudde hesten var. Men då han kom dit, var hesten borte. Han gjekk då bort i ein stor skog og leita og inkje fann. På slutten hadde han forvilla seg i den store skogen så han ikkje visste kvar han var. Nå vart han både tyrst og svolten og fraus gjorde han for han hadde ikkje noko til plagg på seg.
But at once it was sorrow after the joy. The horse had told the boy:
"You will never let anyone take me or take care of me other than yourself". But in the evening when he was togehter with his princess, he was not allowed to take care of his horse. In the morning when he woke up, and thought of what the horse had said, ge got up, all dressed and went to the place where he thought the horse would be. But when he arrived, the horse was gone. He then went in to a big forest and searched with no find. In the end, he found himself astray in the big forest and did not know where he was. Now he was both thirsty and hungry and was freezing because he had no clothes.
Prinsessa så nå hadde vorte hans dronning, syrgde så urimeleg og alt var sørgeleg i kongsgarden for hans skuld. Nå la han seg til å sova ved ei kjelde i skogen og der drøymde han at han fann hesten. Og då han vakna og hadde leita ei stund, fann han også hesten. Men då var han så turr og stygg at han ikkje kunne kjenna han att og då ville han både slå og bita. Endeleg fekk han fatt på han og då sa hesten:
«Nå skal du ta eit sverd og hogga hovudet av meg.» Det hadde ikkje denne villa gjort, men hesten sa det: «Gjer du ikkje det, så slår eg deg i hel.»
The princess that now was his Queen was in deep sorrow and everything was sad in the King´s court for his sake. Now, he laid himself to sleep by a well in the forest and there he dreamed that he found the horse. And when he woke and had searched a while, he found the horse. But, it was so dry and ugly that he could not recognize it and it wanted to both strike and bite. Finally he got hold of it and then the horse said: "Now, you must take a sword and chop my head of." That, the boy would not have done, but the horse said: "If you do not, I will beat you to death."
Dermed så laut guten, så nå var konge, gjera det og straks vart det ein fin riddar eller prins å kalla og så fylgdest dei åt til kongsgarden. Og då vart det glede på nytt.
So, the boy, that now was King, had to do it and suddenly there was a fine Knight or a prince to call and they followed to the King´s hall. Then it was joy once more.
Denne guten så nå hadde vorte konge, han fortalde då si heile affære fra først til sist. Og denne riddaren fortalde at han var systerson til kongen og at det bergtrollet med tre hovud hadde kasta hesteham på han då han var liten for han ikkje ville bli hjå han.
This boy that now had become King, he told his whole story from beginning to end. And this Knight told that he was the sisterson to the old King and that the Troll with three heads had put him into a horse´s shape when he was little because he did not want to stay with it.
Nå vart nå for det fyrste bryllaupet til desse to fullenda med stor stas og herleghet. Og den gamle kongen utropte denne til konge over halve riket. Nå visste ikkje denne unge kongen korleis han best skulle belønna denne unge riddaren så før hadde vore hans hest. For han tykte han hadde mykje han å takka for si lykke. Han overla då med dronninga si at dei skulle be den gamle kongen om å få lov til å gi han eit grevskap av dette halve riket dei hadde fått. Den gamle kongen ville gjerne det, må veta, for han var systerson hans. Han ga han også eit grevedømme og nå gjorde dei han til ein storherre.
Så gjekk det til og meir veit ikkje eg om dei. Den så vil veta betre beskjed, han får reisa dit sjølv og spørja etter.
Now the weddings of these two were completed with splendor and glory. And the old King exclaimed this King to be King over half the Kingdom. Now, this new King did not know how he at best could reward this young Knight that before had been his horse. Because he thought he had a lot to thank him for and to his luck. He then consulted the Queen at agreed that they offered him the county of half of the Kingdom. The old King wanted that, you see, because he was his sisterson. He also gave him a county to rule and made him a great lord.
This is how it all went and more I do not know. The one that want to know more, has to travel there oneself and ask.
The end.
~~~
We will now dissect this local Fairy Tale, with all it´s very regognizable patterns;
The Troll-Horse
A Troll is an Ettin in certain contexts. The Troll needs to be fought, killed and overcomed.
A Horse is a vessel (like Sleipnír) the vessel of the spirit - the horse of Óðinn, your accumulated ancestors in you. Óðinn is thus known by many names (of course), and one of them is Yggr (meaning ugly, scary, frightening etc.). As the name of the fairy tale in of itself implies - the Troll and the Horse are the same. It is an avatar of the placenta, the follower (Fylgja (afterbirth)), the ancestor, the twin, the old King.
The man and the wife in the huge forest
A huge forest is always an avatar and symbol of the womb (a passage) in our tales. They are both old and childless. They had lived well in the forest before. They are the symbols of the male and female seed (thus also the ancestors). They are hungry, they need flour - life force, just like we have already mentioned in the second edition of this series in the fairy tale The Boy and the Northern Wind, where the boy visits and argues with the northern wind (his death) to get his flour back.
They eventually, after encountering the three headed Troll, get a lot of food wich is covered with evergreen bushes. Yes, this is not a coincidence, since evergreens always represent re-birth. We always decorate with evergreens at the darkest time of the year, of course. The Troll has three heads, and we know why: everything good is three, three cycles of a pregnancy, three main high festivals, three main seasons and shifts, three phases of re-brith, three stages before adulthood (7, 14 and 21 years of age) etc.
The money from the Troll
The man and the wife do not only get food from the Troll, they get silver coins as well. Eternal metals. Reflecting the sun. The ancestral memory. The blood memory. They are fed physically and meta-physically (spiritually). In exchange, the boy-son coming would be given to the Troll when reached fiftheen (at the end of the second phase before adulthood). This boy, as we have read, is the new King.
What one should note, is that when the man has to sacs that the Troll is pouring silver coins into, he cut one sac open and goes thorugh it upon recieveing the ancestral memory. This is always a symbol of a birth and/or a re-birth. The sac is the womb in this context, and or the amniotic sac in others. If you read the very famous fairy tale of the Ashlad in the eating contest with the Troll inside the cave, you will find exactly the same clear symbolism there.
The old wife gets pregnant
Well, yes - the seed is sown via the sacred marriage of the man and the wife, the male and the female, resulting in a pregnancy, resulting in the new King. One always gets suprised by these perfectly natural wonders.
The wise little boy
The boy is special. He can remember. He has been confronting the Troll before, he knows the languages. He acknowlegdes that the struggle will be his luck in this world. He is the chosen one.
In the second phase the boy is given to the Troll and he encounters struggles, but also lives very well, he is fed like a King and is laying on a bed of feather - just like the fetus in the life of the mother.
The keys, rooms and items of the Troll
There are three keys and three rooms, marked 10, 20 and 30 (1,2,3). They represent the three phases. In each room the boy finds items of great symbolism. In the first room he finds a walking stick. This is a typical wanderer´s staff. From our mythology not only Óðinn is known for such "magic wands", but Þórr as well, when he finds himself reclaiming his life force (re-birth) at the hall of the Ettin Geirrøðr. Such sticks and staffs always represent the umbilical cord - where all the ancestral power is transferred (yes, in real life, in science as well, where the placenta is giving the fetus exactly the same).
In the second room (the second phase) the boy finds a bottle of water and an empty glass. As we read later in the same tale, the water bursts in the second phase, leaving an empty "container". But, in this context so far in the tale, it is more natural to see the water as the actual nutrient - because the boy is now attached to the "magic wand" wich feeds him liquid nutrients.
In the third room the boy recieves clothes, swords and other "physical" items - and a follower, a Fylgja, the horse. He gets his comb, wich will give him his golden blond hair. All the items are related to gold, the eternal metal, the ancestral blood memory. The heritage.
The Horse can speak
We have to remeber that, as mentioned earlier, the Horse is equivalent to the Troll in this context (thus, the Troll-Horse). Of course it speaks, the same way the placenta "speaks" to the fetus, transferring subtile knowlegde, memories, instincts, heritage etc. It follows the boy, the same way the Troll chases them out.
The Boy rides for his life
The fetus, the child rides the placenta. Not only in myths and fairy tales in forms of beasts, but in real life and in science too. This is the critical part of the third phase. Ask any mother that have been giving birth, and she will confirm.
We also recognize the symbolic water bottle from the boy´s escape, when he tosses the water. This is the amniotic fluid bursting before the arrival. The empty glass (the empty container) is also tossed,
The roaring sound and the empty glass
After the burst of the water, creating a sea in between - there was a roaring high sound. It normally is, would you not say? The screams of the mother, her primordial powers in full force. Inside there is now an empty container, a slippery slope in between.
Over the hills and far away
The boy and the horse (his Fylgja) escape, and the chasing Troll is slain.
He is born again.
The chef with the comb
He is fed outside the womb. His golden blond hair grows out. He finds himself in the King´s court - joining the army for new struggles.
His old items
He collect his old items, as beautiful as the stars, the moon and the sun - upon consulting with his Fylgja. He is accepted in the army - to fight new battles, three of them, of course - each time with his previous items (from previous lifes), the one more beautiful than the other, like the stars, the moon and the sun. Each completed battle would leave an item for later recognition before the King.
Every life every battle
Yes, each battle, every ride over the bog, every increasing command over the army - it all represent the eternal accumulation of honor of each life added to ones Hamingja (honor and luck).
The golden necklace itself from the third battle is a typical symbol of this. Like Brísingamen - the necklace of Freya, being the eternal chain of honor, of ancestors, of Brísingr (fire/blood), of the stars behind you and in front of you. Your kin. Yourself. All these golden items are naturally attributes of a King - representing the sun, its rays, the rain and gravity.
The tiger, the bear and the lion
We know from our pagan tribal societies that totem animals and especially bears, wolves, but also tigers and lions are very symbolic animals that have to be overcomed. If we remember the old man at the beginning of the fairy tale, yes - he had a bull - confronting the Troll. That is no coincidence. Neither is it a coincidence that these animals are present here, and need to be killed. They represent the struggle, just like they do in numerous myths and other tales and ballads.
Well, the boy kills all the symbolic animals - in something that for sure reminds us of the wild hunt, in Norse known as Åsgårdsreia (-reið). In good symbolic tradition, he tries three times X three animals, giving the magic number nine. If you have read this fairy tale booklet series so far, you would know what that means and symbolizes.
Many want the Princess
Many want the egg - to melt togehter in a sacred marriage - and to be re-born. That takes kindness, courage and honor.
Knight Red
If you have read the fairy tale Fugl Dam, you will clearly recognize this figure. He is "the dark Knight", the twin, the one that has to be overcomed and slain. Knight Red is and represents the same as the Troll. The boy outsmarts him, and uses his own Ettin greed against him, selling him animals for no return, but keeping the tongues.
The boy faces the threat for his life by him - but eventually the boy gets his revenge, and Knight Red is slain, the same way the Troll was.
The ending joy
Everything comes to an end, also the happy and honorable life of the boy - that had becomed a King. His Fylgja (the Horse/Troll) calls for him, and he finds himself in the great forest again. There is no coincidence that this is the third time either. He finds himself thirsty and hungry, with no clothes. In other words, the boy/King dies, but this is just a transition to new life. His Queen mourns and the Kingdom is sad.
When the boy sleeps by a well in the great forest and dreams, this should need no further explanation. He is in between the realms of life and death - consulting the same way as Óðinn does with Mímir.
The boy is once again titled "the new King", and he has to slay his horse after finding it. Of course, it is the Troll-Horse, the placenta. If you already did not know, this is also the core symbolism by the symbolic pagan sacrifice of horses.
The Horse-Shape
The ancestor would take the shape of a Troll-Horse, of course - and serve the name Yggr (Óðinn) in all ways.
The sacred marriage
Yes, there are three of them as well, of course. The King (the Kings) get their wifes - and they remember, all, from beginning to end.
This fairy tale is a fantastic story, entertaining, and tells it all about the pagan re-incarnation process, about honor and luck, about the eternal ancestral re-birth in the kin, with all pagan symbolism and patterns.
It is timeless. It contains both the three phases of a life, changing shapes in new lifes - with accumulated honor. It contains the patterns of our pagan initiation rituals and the same patterns and real science of Mother Nature. It is all eternal, with no beginning and no end.
Heill the new King!
Notes:
Even in this fairy tale we see that "the priest" is put in later. This was probably done to make the tale more acceptable for the Christians, below the "radar" so to speak. With a pagan perspective, it is always amusing to see in what contexts the Christian priests are set in. Here, in a context where the man had borrowed a sac from one, that (not suprisingly) could recieve an endless amount of money.
Tigers and lions are not very common in the Nordic countries, but we have to remember that these fairy tales in their original form is ancient. They propably existed oustide the local boarders of a remote Norwegan valley before. These animals, besides the bear, could might as well have been cave lions or big wild cats, wich we know roamed around in pre-histroical times.
Gunpowder, guns and bullets did not exist in pre-historical times. We have to remember that fairy tales are added elements throughout time, and that this is the case with for example weapons like this. Originally, this tale had weapons we know from ancient times, such as spears, swords, bow and arrows etc.
Fylgja means litterally placenta, after-birth, follower in Norse.
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