How lengthy can a ghost linger? Some Icelandic ghost tales declare it’s for 120 years. But when we’re to consider the legend of Hvítárvellir-Skotta, she has been haunting a specific household for for much longer. Even perhaps at the moment?
Hvítárvellir is an outdated massive farm and mansion in Borgarfjörður on the mouth of the Hvítá River west of Iceland. The land was thought of probably the most invaluable lands within the nation and was, amongst different issues, one of many largest salmon fishing grounds in Borgarfjörður.
Learn Extra: Take a look at all ghost tales from Iceland
The household dwelling there centuries in the past was stricken by a ghost mentioned to have been raised from the lifeless and despatched as vengeance after a girl selected to marry another person. Some say that the descendants of the household are nonetheless haunted.
Fylgur/Fylgja: The Previous Norse Ghost
There have been many various kinds of ghosts in Norse mythology and that the vikings believed in. One among them was the Fylgjur or Fylgja ghost, or Attending Spirits that we will discover traces again in Iceland for the reason that twelfth century. These have been initially a ghost of a really bodily substance that interacted with the actual world as in the event that they have been part of it nonetheless.
Learn Additionally: Take a look at the Irish Fetch ghost, that has an enormous resemblance to the norse Fylgja.
Within the Fylgjur tales from the center ages, the spirits may very well be a useful one, virtually like a messenger to assist with the individual’s path of life, some kind of totem animal or guiding spirit. However when the folklorist of Iceland began amassing outdated oral tales from farmers within the seventeenth century, the Fylgjur ghosts had drastically modified from its pagan outdated norse roots, all through time, spiritual perception and superstition.
One factor that actually modified was the Fylgjur’s goal of haunting the dwelling, and it was hardly ever to be of any assist. Many tales discuss how they have been wronged and it induced their loss of life. They then got here again to take revenge and have been harmful, even lethal.
The Ghost Stormhöttur Haunting Hvítárvellir
At Hvítárvellir within the 18th century, Sigurður Jónson was sheriff in Borgarfjörður county (1704–1738, or maybe relatively till 1741). He had married Ólöf, daughter of Jón Magnússon the elder of Eyri in Seyðisfjörður to the west, and Ingibjörg. The spouse of Dean Páll, mom of Ingibjörg, was named Helga and was the daughter of Halldór, the girl from the witchcraft persecutions in 1669.
Ólöf Jónsdóttir had grown up within the west along with her dad and mom. She was a wonderful and in style girl that many males wished to marry. Sigurður Jónsson was the fortunate one although and received her hand after her first husband died in Stórabóla of 1707, a smallpox epidemic that worn out 1 / 4 to a 3rd of Iceland’s inhabitants, solely days after their wedding ceremony.
It’s speculated that the rejected suitors grew hateful towards the married couple, Sigurður and Ólöf, though no names are talked about. In line with tales, they raised a ghost and despatched it to her, saying that it ought to observe her. Many Icelandic ghost tales start when the dwelling elevate the undead to do their bidding.
This ghost was male, and it was referred to as Stormhöttur who adopted Ólöf for a time and have become fairly well-known. Sigurður hated the ghost and shortly gathered some males to take care of it. Stormhöttur was confined within the Heggstaðir ridges a brief distance southeast of Hvítárvellir and by no means appeared once more, although these ridges are all the time regarded as haunted.
Others inform of Stormhöttur’s destiny in a different way, saying that Ólöf went exterior the primary time he got here to Hvítárvellir and met him within the yard, however when she knew his errand she mentioned to him: “Go to the satan, north to the hayfields,” and that it’s the identical ghost that lies on the hay there in order that it doesn’t break aside. That is additionally informed as a very totally different ghost story that had nothing to do with Ólöf, however haunted the farm and is generally often known as The Ghost of the Hay Discipline.
Hvítárvellir-Skotta is Despatched to Hang-out them
When phrase got here west that Stormhöttur had been handled, those that had despatched him felt themselves badly handled and despatched a brand new spirit towards Sigurður himself that might smash him utterly. They raised a girl from her grave, giving her darkish powers and despatched her to deliver misfortune to Sigurður.
As soon as Sigurður was touring with one other man west of the Hvítá once they noticed a reddish-brown fox operating after them. The fox spoke to them and requested the place Sigurður of Hvítárvellir was. The sheriff suspected what the fox actually was and informed her that Sheriff Sigurður was down at Álftanes. The fox then turned apart and hurried off there, whereas the sheriff continued homeward as shortly as he might. However when he had simply come house and was taking off his coat he was violently attacked and thrown to the ground of the principle room because the Skotta couldn’t be fooled so simply.
Sigurður was a brave man, however wanted assist towards this ghost. When she wrestled with Sigurður she had forged off the fox-skin and was then within the type of a girl. Her clothes is described as a black cloak-frock with an old school head-dress, however the finish of the head-dress hung again on her neck like a tail, from which she took her identify and was referred to as Skotta. And since she was despatched to Hvítárvellir she was referred to as the Hvítárvellir-Skotta, and that identify is quite common, although later she acquired different names which will likely be talked about nonetheless.
One other story is that Skotta caught Sigurður on the ferry throughout the Hvítá along with considered one of his farmhands, who was each sturdy and clairvoyant. He noticed and acknowledged Skotta making an attempt to get onto the boat and he grabbed the sheriff’s saddle and flung it at her. Skotta took the saddle and rode astride it alongside the western financial institution of the Hvítá, although it was gradual, till she came across one other man who didn’t see her however acknowledged the sheriff’s saddle and picked it up. He was then ferried throughout to the south and introduced the saddle to Sigurður, saying it will need to have been left behind within the west. However Skotta used that chance to get throughout the river with out being seen by anybody within the ferry.
The Hazard of a Skotta Haunting
There’s no clear account of Skotta’s malice whereas she adopted Sheriff Sigurður, nevertheless it was typically mentioned that sick befell wherever he went. Cattle, cows, and horses have been discovered lifeless or crippled, and folks attributed that to Skotta; and Sigurður typically needed to make compensation due to her.
When Sigurður and his spouse have been aged he gave up the workplace of sheriff. One night time after Þorri (1751) the farm at Hvítárvellir burned down, and it’s mentioned that it got here from the fireplace of a tobacco pipe. Their son Páll was in a position to save them from the fireplace, however he himself burned inside with 5 different males.
Some attributed that fireside to the ill-will of Guðríðr Hinriksdóttir, sister of the brothers Ólafur and Sigurður Hinriksson, who had been farmhands at Hvítárvellir and died there, as a result of Sheriff Sigurður had refused to grant her inheritance after them, having taken the farm of Hvítárvellir into his personal arms. Others attributed the fireplace to Skotta. After the fireplace Sigurður went west to Setberg to his kinfolk.
Skotta Haunting the Decendants
The sons of Sheriff Sigurður and Ólöf have been Páll, who burned at Hvítárvellir, and Jón, pastor at Hvammur in Norðurárdal (1752, †1780). He was married to Kristín Guðmundsdóttir, sister of Girl Þórunn and Eggert of Álftanes. Reverend Jón Sigurðsson and his spouse Kristín had a daughter named Ragnheiður. She married Jón Jónsson the youthful, pastor at Gilsbakki (1771, †1796). Their kids have been: Reverend Jón at Bergsstaðir (1826, †1838 or 1839), the housewives Kristín of Víðidalstunga, and Halla, first spouse of Jón of Leirá. Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir misplaced her husband and married once more, to Einar Guðbrandsson, assistant pastor at Hvammur in 1801, they usually lived at Brekka in Norðurárdal. At the moment the pastor at Hvammur was Þórður Þorsteinsson.
There are few tales of Skotta from this era, however she did observe the couple at Gilsbakki, and folks thought they noticed her skipping forward of Reverend Jón when he rode to the annex at Síðumúli. She was all the time within the meadow at Síðumúli when the pastor was seen on the Háafell slopes, Háafell being the outermost farm in Síðumúli parish.
After Girl Ragnheiður married Reverend Einar they usually moved to Brekka she was referred to as the Brekka-Skotta. Few deeds of hers are recorded there, although she was mentioned to have killed a farmhand at Brekka named Gunnar. He had gone into the cowshed within the night, both to hold water for the cowshed hand or to see how issues have been, however in any case he was discovered lifeless within the cowshed passage, whereas the cowshed hand heard, at that very second, the sound of cover being dragged behind him alongside the cowshed ridge.
As soon as Reverend Þórður of Hvammur was using by way of his parish. He had gone down into the valley on his enterprise, and his path lay alongside the banks between Brekka and Hraunsnef, referred to as Pálsengi. The pastor then noticed Skotta come to him. She did nothing however sit up behind him on the horse. The pastor was a resolute man and didn’t let it shake him. He shortly leapt off, lower the girth, and pulled the saddle again off. Then he mounted once more and rode house bareback, whereas Skotta was seen sitting on the saddle for a very long time that day, beating the stirrup-leathers.
After the loss of life of Girl Ragnheiður, Skotta adopted her kids. Her daughter Kristín married Jón Friðriksson Thorarensen, a pupil, in Víðidalstunga. He thought of Skotta no welcome visitor in his household and wished to be rid of her. Skotta was then grown outdated and weak within the knees, as was to be anticipated, since few had been in a position to hurt her. They met when Jón returned from a journey south and was using north over Arnarvatnsheiði. He requested Skotta what journey she was on, and he or she mentioned she supposed to go to his spouse. However since Skotta was sore-footed and Jón wished to be rid of her, they agreed that she ought to depart his household in peace if he would give her one thing for her toes. He then took off his sturdy riding-boots, iron-shod, and threw them to her, and he or she put them on without delay and disappeared.
There are not any tales of her following Jón, pastor at Bergsstaðir, however individuals believed that she adopted his son Jónas, who was a farmer at Arnarholt in Stafholtstungur, and he’s typically thought to deliver misfortune wherever he comes. After Jón in Víðidalstunga and Skotta parted, individuals say that she mainly stayed with Halla, first spouse of Jón of Leirá, and he or she performed him many methods, killed livestock, and such issues. Jón spent the primary years of his farming at Kalmanstunga in Hvítársíða. From there he moved to Leirá, and after that Skotta was referred to as the Leirá-Skotta, which identify she nonetheless bears, and he or she follows the kids of Jón’s first spouse at Leirá. There’s little to be informed of her deeds since, for she could be very outdated and worn, a lot in order that she herself is reported to have mentioned that she might solely drag herself by crawling on her knees, and he or she has lengthy surpassed the same old age of ghosts, 120 years.
Even so, the individuals of Leirá are all the time thought to deliver misfortune wherever they go, and males typically assume they see her at Akranes, since each farmhands from Leirá row there and are available on varied errands, however all the time she appears to be seen earlier than them.
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References:
Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og æfintýri/Draugasögur/Hvítárvalla-Skotta – Wikiheimild
Hvítárvellir – Wikipedia, frjálsa alfræðiritið
Stórabóla – Wikipedia, frjálsa alfræðiritið
