Northern mythology

220 DANISH TRADITIONS.
HISTORICAL.
HABOR AND SIGNELIL.
Near Ringsted^ lies Sigersted, so called from King
Sigar, who resided there. His daughter, Signelil, loved a
noble warrior named Habor, and to this day is shown, near
Alsted, the place where they usually met. It still bears
the name of SigneliPs walk.
One day, when chasing a hart, and pursuing it across
the rivulet of Vrangstrup, her horse fell under her, so that
she was exposed to much danger. At this instant Habor
appeared, sprang into the stream and rescued her.
love at length became so ardent, that
Their
Habor, disguised as
a waiting-maid, secretly gained admission to Signelil,
which Gunvare, SigneliPs nurse, treacherously betrayed to
King Sigar. The whole affair being now divulged, and
Habor being seized by the king's men, the two lovers
formed the resolution of dying together. Habor was conducted
to Stanghoi, there to be hanged ; but feeling desirous
in his last moments of proving the fidelity of Signelil,
he requested that, before he was hanged, his cloak
might be suspended on the gibbet, that
he might thence
form an idea how he himself should hang. Signelil, in
the mean while, cast all her jewels into
a deep pit, which
is still called Signelil's well ; whence the saying derives its
origin, that Sigersted has more gold and silver than it
knows of. She then shut herself in her bower, anxiously
watching the gibbet on which Habor was to suffer. On
perceiving the cloak, she set fire to the bower, in the belief
that Habor was already dead. Allien the bower together
with
Signelil was consumed, and Habor was con-
'
Once a considerable, but now a small, town in Seeland. In its church
(St. Bent's), formerly belonging to the Benedictine convent, are deposited
the remains of several of the early kings and royal personages.