(gesellchen). In Thuringia saellocke, Prætorius's Weltbeschr. 1, 40. 293 (see Suppl.).

The Edda nowhere represents either âlfar or dvergar as mounted, whilst our poems of the Mid. Ages make both Elberich and Laurîn come riding. Heinrich von Ofterdingen bestows on them a steed 'als ein geiz (goat),' and Ulrich's Alexander gives the dwarf king Antilois a pony the size of a roe, while Altd. bl. 2, 151 without more ado mounts the wihtel on a white roe. Antilois is richly dressed, bells tinkle on his bridle-reins; he is angry with Alexander for spoiling his flower-garden, as Laurîn is with Dietrich and Wittich. The Welsh stories also in Crofton Croker 3, 306 say they were very diminutive persons riding four abreast, and mounted on small white horses no bigger than dogs' (see Suppl.).

All dwarfs and elves are thievish. Among Eddic names of dwarfs is an Albiofr, Sæm. 2b; Alpris, more correctly Alfrîkr dvergr, in Vilk. saga cap. 16, 40. is called 'hinn mikli stelari'; and in the Titurel 27, 288 (Hahn 4105), a notorious thief, who can steal the eggs from under birds, is Elbegast (corrupted into Elegast, Algast). In our Low German legends they lay their plans especially against the pea-fields. Other thefts of dwarfs

1 Ogonczyk Zakrzewski, in his Hist. of plica polonica (Vienna, 1830), observes, that its cure also is accomplished with superstitious ceremonies. In Podlachia the elftuft is solemnly cut off at Easter time and buried. In the Skawina district about Cracow, it is partially cropped with redhot shears, a piece of copper money tied up in it, and thrown into the ruins of an old castle in which evil spirits lodge; but whoever does this must not look round, but hasten home as fast as he can. Superstitious formulas for the cure of plica are given by Zakrzewski, p. 20, out of an Old Boh. MS. of 1325.

2 Wackernagel's Basel MSS. p. 28.

* Deut. sagen, nos 152, 155; to which I will here add two communicated by Hr. Schambach. The first is from Jühnde, near Göttingen :-- -Vor nich langer tid gaf et to Jüne noch twarge. Düse plegten up et feld to gan, un den lüen de arften (leuten die erbsen) weg to stelen, wat se üm sau lichter konnen, da se unsichtbar wören dor (durch) ene kappe, dei se uppen koppe harren (hatten). Sau wören nu ok de twarge enen manne ümmer up sin grat arftenstücke egan, un richteden öne velen schâen darup an. Düt duerde sau lange, bet hei up den infal kam, de twarge to fengen. Hei tog alsau an hellen middage en sel (seil) rings üm dat feld. As nu de twarge unner den sel dorkrupen wollen, fellen önen de kappen af, se seiten nu alle in blaten köppen, un wören sichtbar. De twarge, dei sau efongen wören, geiwen öne vele gaue wore, dat he dat sel wegnömen mögde, un versproken ene mette (miethe) geld davor to gewen, hei solle mant vor sunnenupgange weer (wieder) an düse stêe komen. En ander man segde öne awer, hei mögde nich gegen sunnenupgang, sundern schon üm twölwe hengan, denn da wöre de dag ok schon anegan. Düt dê he, und richtig wören de twarge da met ener mette geld. Davon heiten de lüe, dei dei mette geld ekregen harren, Mettens. [Epitome :-Dwarfs at Jühnde preyed on the pea-fields; wore caps which made them invisible. One man at high noon stretched a cord round his field. Dwarfs, creeping under it, brushed

are collected in Elfenm. xcii. xciii., and their longing for children and blooming maids is treated of, p. civ. cv. Dwarf-kings run away with maidens to their mountains: Laurîn with the fair Similt (Sindhilt ?), Goldemar or Volmar with a king's daughter (Deut. heldensag. 174, Haupt's Zeitschr. 6, 522-3); the Swed. folk-lay 'Den bergtagna' (-taken) tells of a virgin, who spends eight years with a mountain-king, and brings him seven sons and a daughter, before she sees her home again. The following

their caps off, became visible and were caught; promised him money, if he came there again before sunrise. A friend advised him to go as early as 12, for even then the day (of the dwarfs?) was begun. He did so, and got his meed.]

The second story is from Dorste in Osterode bailiwick:- -En buere harre arften buten stan, dei wören öne ümmer utefreten. Da word den bueren esegt, hei solle hengan un slaen met wêenrauen (weidenruten) drupe rüm, sau sleugde gewis einen de kappe af. Da geng he ok hen met sinnen ganzen lüen, un funk ok enen twarg, dei sîe (sagte) tau öne, wenn he öne wier las lan (wieder los lassen) wolle, sau wolle öne enn wagen vul geld gewen, hei möste awer vor sunnenupgange komen. Da leit ne de buere las, un de twarg sîe öne, wo sine hüle wöre. Do ging de buere henn un frang enn, wunnir dat denn die sunne upginge? Dei sîe tau öne, dei ginge glocke twölwe up. Da spanne ok sinen wagen an, un tug hen. Asse (as he) vor de hülen kam, do juchen se drinne un sungen:

Dat ist gaut, dat de büerken dat nich weit,
dat de sunne üm twölwe up geit !

Asse sek awer melle, wesden se öne en afgefillet perd, dat solle mêe (mit) nömen, wîer (weiter) können se öne nits gewen. Da was de buere argerlich, awer hei wolle doch fleisch vor sine hunne mêe nömen, da haude en grat stücke af, un laud et upen wagen. Asser mêe na hus kam, da was alles schire gold. Da wollet andere noch nae langen, awer da was hüle un perd verswunnen. [Epitome :-A farmer, finding his peas eaten, was advised to beat all round with willow twigs, sure to knock a dwarf's cap off. Caught a dwarf, who promised a waggon full of money if he'd come to his cave before sunrise. Asked a man when sunrise was? twelve.' Went to the cave, heard shouting and singing: 'Tis well the poor peasant but little knows that twelve is the time when the sun up goes!' Is shown a skinned horse, he may take that! Gets angry, yet cuts a great piece off for his dogs. When he got home, it was all sheer gold. Went for the rest; cave and horse were gone.]

At

The remarkable trysting-time before sunrise seems to be explained by the dwarfkind's shyness of daylight, which appears even in the Edda, Sæm. 51b: they avoid the sun, they have in their caves a different light and different time from those of men. In Norse legends re-appears the trick of engaging a trold in conversation till the sun is risen: when he looks round and sees the sun, he splits in two; Asbiörnsen and Moe, p. 186. [The märchen of Rumpelstilzchen includes the dwarfs' song, 'Tis well,' etc., the splitting in two, and the kidnapping presently to be mentioned.]

1 But she-dwarfs also marry men; Ödman (Bahuslän, p. 78-9, conf. Afzelius 2, 157) relates quite seriously, and specifying the people's names:- -Reors föräldrar i Hogen i Lurssockn, some bodde i Fuglekärr i Svarteborgssockn; hvars farfar var en skött, ok bodde vid et berg, ther fick han se mitt på dagen sitjande en vacker piga på en sten, ther med at fånga henne, kastade han stål emellan berget ok henne, hvarpå hennes far gasmade eller log in i berget, ok öpnade bergets dörr, tilfrågandes honom, om han vill ha hans dotter? Hvilket han med ja besvarade, ok efter hon var helt naken, tog han sina kläder ok hölgde ofver henne, ok lät christna henne. Vid afträdet sade hennes far til honom : när tu skalt ha bröllup, skalt tu laga til 12 tunnor öl ok baka en hop bröd ok kiött efter 4 stutar, ok kiöra til jordhögen eller berget, ther jag håller til, ok när brudskänken skall utdelas, skall jag väl ge min';

legend from Dorste near Osterode, it will be seen, transfers to dwarfs what the Kindermärchen No. 46 relates of a sorcerer :Et was enmal en mäken int holt nan arberen egan, da keimen de twarge un neiment mêe. Da se na örer hülen keimen, da verleifde sek de eine twarg in se, un da solle se öne ok frien, awer iest (erst) wollen de twarge de andern twarge taur hochtit bidden, underdes solle dat mäken in huse alles reine maken un taur hochtit anreien. Awer dat mäken, dat wolle den twarg nich frien, da wollet weglopen, awer dat se't nich glik merken, tug et sin teug ut un tug dat ne strawisch an, un da sach et ne tunne vul hunig, da krup et rinder (hinein), un da sach et ok ne tunne vul feddern, un da krup et ok rinder, un da et wedder ruter kam, was et gans vul feddern, un da leip et weg un steig upn hoagen boam. Da keimen de twarge derbunder (darunter) vorbi, un da se't seichen, meinen se, et wöre en vugel, da reipen se't an un sêen :

'Wohen, woher du schöäne feddervugel?'

'Ek kome ut der twarges hüle.'

'Wat maket de schöäne junge brût?'

'Dei steit metn bessen un keret dat hus.'

'Juchhei! sau wil wie ok hen.'

Und da se hen keimen, sêen se taur brut 'gûen morgen,' un sêen noch mehr dertau; awer da se nich antwure, sleuchten seʼr hinder de aren, un da fell se hen1 (see Suppl.).

hvilket ok skedde. Ty när de andre gåfvo, lyfte han up tacket ok kastade en så stor penningeposse ther igenom, at bänken så när gådt af, ok sade thervid: 'ther är min skänk!' ok sade ytterligare: när tu skal ha tin hemmagifta, skaltu kiöra med 4 hästar hit til berget ok få tin andel.' Tå han sedermera efter hans begäran kom tit, fik han kopparkättlar, then ene större än then andre, tils then yttersta störste kättelen blef upfyld med andra mindre; item brandcreatur, som voro hielmeta, af hvilken färg ok creaturslag, som äro stora ok frodiga, the än ha qvar på rik, i Tanums gäll beläget. Thenne mannen Reors far i Foglekärsten benämd, aflade en hop barn med thenna sin således från berget afhämtade hustru, bland hvilka var nämnemannen Reor på Hogen; so har Ola Stenson i stora Rijk varit Reors systerson, hvilken i förledit år med döden afgik. [Epitome :-Reor's fathers dwelt, etc. One, an archer, lived near a hill, saw one day at noon a fine girl sitting on a stone; to get her, he threw steel between her and the hill. Her father opened the door of the hill, asked him if he wanted his daughter. He answered yes, and as she was naked, threw some of his clothes over her; had her christened. Father: At thy wedding bring ale, bread and horseflesh to my hill, and I will give thee a wedding gift.' This being done, he lifted their roof and threw in a great sum of money. Now for house-furniture, come here with four horses.' The man did so, and received copper kettles of all sizes, one inside the other, etc., etc. By this wife, thus fetched from the hill, he had many children; one was Reor, whose nephew O. S. died only last year.]

1 Translation:—Once a girl had gone into the wood after strawberries, when the

They abstract well-shaped children from the cradle, and substitute their own ugly ones, or even themselves. These supposititious creatures are called changelings, cambiones (App., Superst. E.); OHG. wihselinga (N. Ps. 17, 46. Cant. Deuteron. 5), our wechselbälge; Swed. bytingar, Dan. bittinger; also our kielkröpfe, dickköpfe from their thick necks and heads. (Stories about them in Thiele 1, 47. 3, 1. Faye p. 20. Ir. Elfenm. xli.-xlv. cv. Deut. sag. nos. 81-2, 87-90.) So early as in the poem 'Zeno' (Bruns p. 27 seq.) it is the devil that fills the place of a stolen child. The motive of the exchange seems to be, that elves are anxious to improve their breed by means of the human child, which they design to keep among them, and for which they give up one of their own. A safeguard against such substitution is, to place a key, or one of the father's clothes, or

dwarfs came and carried her off. When they got to their cave, one dwarf fell in love with her, and she was to marry him; but first the dwarfs were going to bid the other dwarfs to the wedding, in the meantime the girl was to make the house clean and prepare it for the wedding. But the girl, she did not want to marry the dwarf, so she would run away; but that they might not notice it at once, she pulled her dress off and put it round a bundle of straw; then she saw a tub full of honey and crept into it, and then she saw a tub full of feathers and crept into that also, and when she came out again, she was all over feathers; then she ran away, and climbed up a high tree. Then the dwarfs came past under it, and when they saw her, they thought she was a bird, and called to her and said: 'Whither and whence, thou pretty feathered bird?'- -I come out of the dwarf's hole -What does the pretty young bride? -She stands with a besom and sweeps the house.' Hurra! then we'll go there too.'- -And when they got there, they said to the bride good morning,' and said other things too; but as she never answered, they boxed her ears, and down she fell.

Assuredly the dwarfs in this story are genuine and of old date. Besides, it can be supplemented from Kinderm. 3, 75, where the returning dwarfs are preceded by foxes and bears, who also go past and question the Fitcher's fowl.' There the tub of honey in the dwarf's house is a cask of blood, but both together agree wonderfully with the vessels which the dwarfs Fialar and Galar keep filled with Kvâsi's precious blood and with honey. Sn. 83. 84.

1 Dresd.saml. no. 15, of the 'müllers sun.' A foolish miller begs a girl to teach him the sweetness of love. She makes him lick honey all night, he empties a big jar, gets a stomach-ache, and fancies himself about to become a parent. She sends for a number of old women to assist him: 'da fragt er, war sein kind wer komen (what's come of the baby)? sie sprachen: hastu nit vernommen? ez was ain rehter wislonbalk (regular changeling), und tett als ein guoter schalk: da er erst von deinem leib kam (as soon as born), da fuer ez pald hin und entran hin uff zuo dem fürst empor. Der müller sprach: pald hin uff daz spor! vachent ez (catch him)! pringent ez mir herab!' They bring him a swallow in a covered pot. -Again a Hessian folk-tale: A woman was cutting corn on the Dosenberg, and her infant lay beside her. A wichtel-wife crept up, took the human child, and put her own in its place. When the woman looked for her darling babe, there was a frightful thickhead staring in her face. She screamed, and raised such a hue and cry, that at last the thief came back with the child; but she would not give it up till the woman had put the wichtelbalg to her breast, and nourished it for once with the generous milk of human kind.

steel and needles in the cradle (App., Superst. Germ. 484. 744. Swed. 118).1

One of the most striking instances of agreement that I know of anywhere occurs in connection with prescriptions for getting rid of your changeling.

In Hesse, when the wichtelmann sees water boiled over the fire in eggshells, he cries out: 'Well, I am as old as the Westerwald, but I never saw anything boiled in eggshells;' Km. no. 39. In Denmark a pig stuffed with skin and hair is set before the changeling: 'Now, I have seen the wood in Tisö young three times over, but never the like of this': Thiele 1, 48. Before an Irish changeling they also boil eggshells, till he says: 'I've been in the world 1500 years, and never seen that'; Elfenm. p. 38. Before a Scotch one the mother puts twenty-four eggshells on the hearth, and listens for what he will say; he says: 'I was seven before I came to my nurse, I have lived four years since, and never did I see so many milkpans;' Scott's Mintrelsy 2, 174. In the Breton folksong (Villemarqué 1, 29) he sees the mother cooking for ten servantmen in one eggshell, and breaks out into the words: I have seen the egg before [it became] the white hen, and the acorn before the oak, seen it acorn and sapling and oak in Brezal wood, but never aught like this.' This story about the changeling is also applied to Dame Gauden's little dog, chap. XXXI. Villemarqué 1, 32, quotes in addition a Welsh legend and a passage from Geoffrey of Monmouth, in which the Breton and Welsh formula for great age is already put into the mouth of Merlin the wild; in each case an ancient forest is named. In all these stories the point was, by some out-of-theway proceeding, to get the changeling himself to confess his age, and consequently the exchange. Such traditions must have been widely spread in Europe from the earliest times; and it was evidently assumed, that elves and korred had a very different term of life assigned them from that of the human race (see Suppl.).

All elves have an irresistible fondness for music and dancing. By night you see them tread their round on the moonlit meadows,

1 The Finns call a changeling luoti: monstrum nec non infans matre dormiente a magis suppositus, quales putant esse infantem rachitide laborantem (Renvall). A Breton story of the korrigan changing a child is in Villemarqué 1, 25.