Northern mythology

250 DANISH TRADITIONS.
for. While the village church was building, it was found
that what had been built up during the day was constantly
thrown down in the night. It was therefore determined,
by the advice of some sagacious persons, to place two
red bulls on the spot, for the purpose of di-iving away
the evil spirits ; and this was done accordingly. But on
the following morning, one of the bulls was found killed
outright, near to the town; the other was discovered
standing out in the field on an eminence, wounded and
misused. Hence the folks clearly enough saw that the
evil spirits had no power in this place, and therefore resolved
there to erect their church.
THE ALTAR-PIECE IN SORO CHURCH.
The altar-piece in Soro church represents the Last
Supper. It was at first determined that the twelve
apostles should be painted after the twelve professors of
Soro Academy, but as they could not agree who should be
Judas, twelve peasants were fetched from the village of
Haverup, after whom the twelve apostles were painted.
Of these, Andrew the shoemaker offered himself for Judas,
but afterwards sank into all kinds of depravity, and things
went extremely ill with him.
BLOOD SPOTS ON THE WALL OF KARISE CHURCH.
A hunter in Stevnsherred was desirous of being an unerring
shot. He therefore took the sacrament, but held
the bread in his mouth until he came out of church. He
then loaded his piece, put the bread into it, and fired it
against the church wall. On the place where he struck
the wall there is a hole, out of which blood flows, and
which may still be seen.
Of another huntsman it is said that he stuck the wafer
on the church wall and shot at it.