Northern mythology

2.26 DANISH TRADITIONS.
he was slain by a stone that was cast at him (a.d. 1086).
But the pitiless Jute met with his reward. He became
mad and suffered from burning thirst_, and one day having
laid himself down by a spring to diaw up water, he slipt
half way down into the well and remained hanging by the
legs, with his head close to the water, though without
touching it, and so perished.
SVEND GRATHE'S MILITARY CHEST.
In Jutland, near the village of Kragelund, there is a
large morass called Graa-Mose. It was formerly called
Grathe Mose, it having been there that Svend Grathe was
slain by King Valdemar (a.d. 1157). Connected with
this place is the following tradition. When Svend Grathe
saw that the battle was lost, he caused his large military
chest to be cast into the slough (for such at that time it
was), from which cause there is seen, as in every place
where treasure is concealed, lights burning by night.
Hitherto it has been sought for in vain ; and a schoolteacher,
who had one night
stuck pegs where he saw the
lights, found them all pulled up on the following morning.
THE TWO CHURCH TOWERS.
Herr Asser Ryg resolved on building a church at Fienneslovlille;
but before the same was finished, he was
obliged to go to the wars with his kinsmen. A'Vlien on the
eve of departure, he desired
his wife, who was at the time
pregnant, that if she brought him a son, to place a tower
on the church, but if a daughter, then to omit that ornament.
MTien he returned some time after, lo, there stood
the church with two towers ! His wife had brought him
two sons, and these were Absalon and Esbcrn Snare.
The words of Saxo (see Dahlmann, Gesch. v. Danneni. i, 279, note)
render this tradition rather dou])tful : quanqiuim (Hesbernus) natu praestet."
•'
Absalon was tlie celebrated archbishop of Lund and still
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