Northern mythology

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!
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DANISH TRADITIONS. 209
" Lord Jesus' cross !
Never saw
"
I such a horse !
At the same moment the horse vanished, and there lav
the three sprawling on the ground.
In France the dam-horse is known hy the name of the Lutin, and in
the Shetland isles it is called the Shoopiltee. In both places it is said to
appear as a little horse, which, when any one has set himself on its back,
rushes with him into the water.
THE HEL-HORSE.
In every churchyard in former days, before
body was buried in it, a living horse was interred. This
any human
horse re-appears and is known by the name of the ' Helhorse.^
It has only three legs, and if any one meets it,
it forebodes death. Hence is derived the saying when any
one has survived a dangerous illness :
"
peck of oats,^^
(as an offering or bribe)
He gave death a
In the cathedral yard at Aarhuus there is a Hel-horse,
which sometimes makes its appearance. A man, whose
windows looked into the cathedral yard, exclaimed one
evening as he sat in his apartment :
" What horse is that
outside ? '* '^ It is perhaps the Hel-horse,^^ answered one
sitting by him. " ''
Then I will see it said the man.
While looking out of the window he grew as pale as a
corpse; but he never mentioned afterwards what he had
seen. Shortly after he fell sick and died.
Hel is identical with Death, and in times of pestilence rides about on a
three-legged horse, and strangles people ; whence when a sickness rages
it is said that " Hel is going about ;
" or when in the night the dogs bark
and howl, " Hel is among the dogs ; " when the sickness begins in a
place, " Hel is come " or when ; it ceases, " Hel is driven away." Hel
can be driven from one place to another ; instances of this are related and
persons named who have driven Hel from this or that town or village.
When any one lies sick to death, it is said :
" He has his Helsot
(mortal sickness) ; if he recovers it is said :
" He has settled matters with
Hel." When any one stays out too long on an errand, people to this
day say :
" You are a good one to send after Hel ^"
1 Miillenhoff, p. 244.