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In contrast with what the first tale group suggests concerning "giants" and any other
adversaries, the types of the core group disclaim any reason for fear of the dead. Ruther,
they explicitly and sometimes very ironically suggest that there is more to be feared from
lhe living! In three of these tales, ghosts act as "supernatural helpers" while in the other
two "jokes and anecdotes" one of the "dead protagonists" turns out to be a living person
only simulating death for his own end, and the other shows no intention to harm despite
her bad disposition in life. Consequently, what characterizes the hero in his confrontration
with the dead. whether real or not, is his lucid ignorance of fear.
For instance, when looking for a house to live with his brothers, he will not miss the
offer of "a beautiful great building" when its owner, a young gentleman, infomls him abom
its condition: "Well now, Jack, he said, you can have that buildin' if you thinks you can
live in en, no man can live in that fer spirits, he said, and everything you could mention is
in therc, he said."l Once he and his "unheroic" brothers are comfortably settted, and
playing cards, the lalter search Ihe cellar for rum and are soon faced with an "ugly ole
feller," Ihe mere sighl of whom discourages their anempl. Laler at nighl, Ihe Ihree brolhers
wi mess two "big fellers" chasing "a little feller," but only Jack, unafraid, rushes 10 Ihe help
of the underdog, and rids him of his pursuers. Not answering who he is, the little feller
leaves through the window like a ball of fire, and Jack, well-versed in the local tradition,
concludes: "he's no man, he won't stop to speak to anybody."2 Whatever, whcn the
owner comes to check on his guesls' safety, Jack declares he and his brothers have been
dislurbed by nothing bUI "rats knockin'." The next night, when Jack goes down 10 gel
SOllle rum, he receives the little feller's confidence:
... Well now Jack, he said, tis you I was fighlin' fer, if you'd been like
Bill, he said, you'd a been killed, he said, I'm dal young genlleman's
falher, he said, and them two men killed me, he said, and tell en where my
bones is at and get en to bury them decent. ...3
Along with this message which Jack is to transmit to the spirit's son, who never visited Ihe
house for ils spooky repute, the spirit wants to see Jack married to his gtanddaughter, and
gnmls him a deal of his silver.
Two other Iypes also deal wilh burial. The hero, the only survivor of a wreck, proves
his charity towards both the living and the dead in rescuing a woman from pirates and
1MUNFLA 64·l7/e!33, p. 24 (AT 326A·).
2MUNFLA 64·l7/eI33, p. 24 (AT 326A·).
3 MUNFLA 64-17/CI33, p. 27 (AT 326A·).