XVIITHE ELFIN SHAFT
“After the old gods had vanished,” says Olrik, “and before the Christian God was personally apprehended, arose the rich poetry which deals with Nature-Spirits.”
They always appear in the older Ballads under a grim and treacherous aspect; the Nixies, for instance, are such as we find in the “Ballad of Annan Water.”
“The bonnie grey mare did sweat with fear,For she heard the water-kelpie roaring.”
“The bonnie grey mare did sweat with fear,For she heard the water-kelpie roaring.”
“The bonnie grey mare did sweat with fear,For she heard the water-kelpie roaring.”
“The bonnie grey mare did sweat with fear,
For she heard the water-kelpie roaring.”
This fear, natural to a human-kind as yet not master of the elements, was intensified by the teaching of the Church. In the Eddic mythology the Dwarfs had their own recognized place, whereas their semi-descendants, the Fairies or Nature-Spirits, not being Angels, were regarded as Devils by priestly eyes. Only in later Ballads, such as “Agnes and the Merman,” and “The Mermaid’s Soothsaying,” do we find any hint of compassion for the soulless fay.
The theme of this Ballad—the fairy’s fatal love for a mortal—originated in Northern France, whence it crept into the folk-lore of Europe ingeneral. (Gervase of Tilbury has a warning word to young men on the dangers of elfin flirtations; and the Rev. — Kirk in hisSecret Commonwealth(1691) points out their “inconvenience.”) The peasant of Annam, too, knows the “con-tinh,” the wild-haired feminine Genii who dance on a starless night, and lure mortal youths to their undoing.
To the Elfin Shaft or Elfin Bolt was attributed sudden death or seizure of pain, either in man or beast, among the Scandinavians.
The Icelandic form of the Ballad heightens the horror by the addition of those fiery portents associated with burial-houses containing treasure, guarded by fairies or by the dead. The “false fairy” stabs Sir Oluf with a sword, which, under cover of her cloak, she takes from her “treasure chest of gold.”
“Sign ye your brows with the holy cross,(They will woo him to undo him)Sancta Maria, watch over us!(See the red flames leaping high!Blithe lay the bower beneath the fells,Blithe lay the bower the fells hard by.)”
“Sign ye your brows with the holy cross,(They will woo him to undo him)Sancta Maria, watch over us!(See the red flames leaping high!Blithe lay the bower beneath the fells,Blithe lay the bower the fells hard by.)”
“Sign ye your brows with the holy cross,(They will woo him to undo him)Sancta Maria, watch over us!(See the red flames leaping high!Blithe lay the bower beneath the fells,Blithe lay the bower the fells hard by.)”
“Sign ye your brows with the holy cross,
(They will woo him to undo him)
Sancta Maria, watch over us!
(See the red flames leaping high!
Blithe lay the bower beneath the fells,
Blithe lay the bower the fells hard by.)”
1Sir Oluf hath ridden west and eastTo bid his friends to his bridal feast.—Gay goes the dance by the greenwood tree.2By the howe he took his way,And there danced elf and fay.3There they danced in blithesome band;The Elf-king’s daughter reached forth her hand.4The Elf-king’s daughter her hand stretched she:“And will Sir Oluf tread a measure with me?”5“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”6“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!Two buckskin boots will I give to thee,7“Boots well beseeming a knight so bold,With spurs thereto of red, red gold.8“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!A silken kirtle I’ll give to thee,9“A silken kirtle so fair and fineThat my mother bleached in the pale moonshine.”10“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”11“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!An orb of gold I will give to thee.”12“An orb of gold I fain would win,But I may not dance with the fairy kin.”13“And if thou wilt not dance with me,Scathe and sickness shall follow thee!”14She struck Sir Oluf under his heart,Deep in its roots he felt the smart.15She lifted him up on his horse of pride:“Go home, go home, and seek thy bride!”16Oh, he rode up to his castle door,And it was his mother that stood before.17“Lithe now and listen, Sir Oluf my son,Why is thy cheek so white and wan?”18“Well may my cheek be wan and white,I have seen the elf-maids’ sport to-night!”19“Lithe now and listen, dear son of mine,What shall I say to that bride of thine?”20“Shalt say I am in the meadA-proving hound and steed.”21All on the morrow ere dawn was greyThe bride rode in with glad array22They poured the mead and they poured the wine:“Now where is Sir Oluf, dear bridegroom mine?”23“Sir Oluf is in the meadA-proving hound and steed.”24“Oh, doth he love hound and horse of prideBetter than he loves his bride?”25She sought him alow, she sought him aloft,She found Sir Oluf sleeping soft.26She lifted the cloak of scarlet red,There lay Sir Oluf, was cold and dead.27She kissed him in the bridal-bower,She died herself the self-same hour.28All so early, ere dawn was red,Were three in Sir Oluf’s hold lay dead.29Sir Oluf lay dead, and his bride also;The third was his mother, that died for woe.—The dance goes gay by the greenwood tree.
1Sir Oluf hath ridden west and eastTo bid his friends to his bridal feast.—Gay goes the dance by the greenwood tree.2By the howe he took his way,And there danced elf and fay.3There they danced in blithesome band;The Elf-king’s daughter reached forth her hand.4The Elf-king’s daughter her hand stretched she:“And will Sir Oluf tread a measure with me?”5“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”6“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!Two buckskin boots will I give to thee,7“Boots well beseeming a knight so bold,With spurs thereto of red, red gold.8“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!A silken kirtle I’ll give to thee,9“A silken kirtle so fair and fineThat my mother bleached in the pale moonshine.”10“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”11“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!An orb of gold I will give to thee.”12“An orb of gold I fain would win,But I may not dance with the fairy kin.”13“And if thou wilt not dance with me,Scathe and sickness shall follow thee!”14She struck Sir Oluf under his heart,Deep in its roots he felt the smart.15She lifted him up on his horse of pride:“Go home, go home, and seek thy bride!”16Oh, he rode up to his castle door,And it was his mother that stood before.17“Lithe now and listen, Sir Oluf my son,Why is thy cheek so white and wan?”18“Well may my cheek be wan and white,I have seen the elf-maids’ sport to-night!”19“Lithe now and listen, dear son of mine,What shall I say to that bride of thine?”20“Shalt say I am in the meadA-proving hound and steed.”21All on the morrow ere dawn was greyThe bride rode in with glad array22They poured the mead and they poured the wine:“Now where is Sir Oluf, dear bridegroom mine?”23“Sir Oluf is in the meadA-proving hound and steed.”24“Oh, doth he love hound and horse of prideBetter than he loves his bride?”25She sought him alow, she sought him aloft,She found Sir Oluf sleeping soft.26She lifted the cloak of scarlet red,There lay Sir Oluf, was cold and dead.27She kissed him in the bridal-bower,She died herself the self-same hour.28All so early, ere dawn was red,Were three in Sir Oluf’s hold lay dead.29Sir Oluf lay dead, and his bride also;The third was his mother, that died for woe.—The dance goes gay by the greenwood tree.
1Sir Oluf hath ridden west and eastTo bid his friends to his bridal feast.—Gay goes the dance by the greenwood tree.
1
Sir Oluf hath ridden west and east
To bid his friends to his bridal feast.
—Gay goes the dance by the greenwood tree.
2By the howe he took his way,And there danced elf and fay.
2
By the howe he took his way,
And there danced elf and fay.
3There they danced in blithesome band;The Elf-king’s daughter reached forth her hand.
3
There they danced in blithesome band;
The Elf-king’s daughter reached forth her hand.
4The Elf-king’s daughter her hand stretched she:“And will Sir Oluf tread a measure with me?”
4
The Elf-king’s daughter her hand stretched she:
“And will Sir Oluf tread a measure with me?”
5“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”
5
“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!
To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”
6“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!Two buckskin boots will I give to thee,
6
“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!
Two buckskin boots will I give to thee,
7“Boots well beseeming a knight so bold,With spurs thereto of red, red gold.
7
“Boots well beseeming a knight so bold,
With spurs thereto of red, red gold.
8“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!A silken kirtle I’ll give to thee,
8
“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!
A silken kirtle I’ll give to thee,
9“A silken kirtle so fair and fineThat my mother bleached in the pale moonshine.”
9
“A silken kirtle so fair and fine
That my mother bleached in the pale moonshine.”
10“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”
10
“I may not, I dare not, the measure tread!
To-morrow morn shall I be wed.”
11“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!An orb of gold I will give to thee.”
11
“Oh, tread now a measure, Sir Oluf, with me!
An orb of gold I will give to thee.”
12“An orb of gold I fain would win,But I may not dance with the fairy kin.”
12
“An orb of gold I fain would win,
But I may not dance with the fairy kin.”
13“And if thou wilt not dance with me,Scathe and sickness shall follow thee!”
13
“And if thou wilt not dance with me,
Scathe and sickness shall follow thee!”
14She struck Sir Oluf under his heart,Deep in its roots he felt the smart.
14
She struck Sir Oluf under his heart,
Deep in its roots he felt the smart.
15She lifted him up on his horse of pride:“Go home, go home, and seek thy bride!”
15
She lifted him up on his horse of pride:
“Go home, go home, and seek thy bride!”
16Oh, he rode up to his castle door,And it was his mother that stood before.
16
Oh, he rode up to his castle door,
And it was his mother that stood before.
17“Lithe now and listen, Sir Oluf my son,Why is thy cheek so white and wan?”
17
“Lithe now and listen, Sir Oluf my son,
Why is thy cheek so white and wan?”
18“Well may my cheek be wan and white,I have seen the elf-maids’ sport to-night!”
18
“Well may my cheek be wan and white,
I have seen the elf-maids’ sport to-night!”
19“Lithe now and listen, dear son of mine,What shall I say to that bride of thine?”
19
“Lithe now and listen, dear son of mine,
What shall I say to that bride of thine?”
20“Shalt say I am in the meadA-proving hound and steed.”
20
“Shalt say I am in the mead
A-proving hound and steed.”
21All on the morrow ere dawn was greyThe bride rode in with glad array
21
All on the morrow ere dawn was grey
The bride rode in with glad array
22They poured the mead and they poured the wine:“Now where is Sir Oluf, dear bridegroom mine?”
22
They poured the mead and they poured the wine:
“Now where is Sir Oluf, dear bridegroom mine?”
23“Sir Oluf is in the meadA-proving hound and steed.”
23
“Sir Oluf is in the mead
A-proving hound and steed.”
24“Oh, doth he love hound and horse of prideBetter than he loves his bride?”
24
“Oh, doth he love hound and horse of pride
Better than he loves his bride?”
25She sought him alow, she sought him aloft,She found Sir Oluf sleeping soft.
25
She sought him alow, she sought him aloft,
She found Sir Oluf sleeping soft.
26She lifted the cloak of scarlet red,There lay Sir Oluf, was cold and dead.
26
She lifted the cloak of scarlet red,
There lay Sir Oluf, was cold and dead.
27She kissed him in the bridal-bower,She died herself the self-same hour.
27
She kissed him in the bridal-bower,
She died herself the self-same hour.
28All so early, ere dawn was red,Were three in Sir Oluf’s hold lay dead.
28
All so early, ere dawn was red,
Were three in Sir Oluf’s hold lay dead.
29Sir Oluf lay dead, and his bride also;The third was his mother, that died for woe.—The dance goes gay by the greenwood tree.
29
Sir Oluf lay dead, and his bride also;
The third was his mother, that died for woe.
—The dance goes gay by the greenwood tree.