'knarr' out of your joint into the wood." The same question and answer is repeated after second blow; after the last blow the chopper cries "Now he's gone!" In North Germany the ceremony is performed on the threshold, and ends with the sign of the cross. Cf. Finnish Folk-Lore in "Notes and Queries" 6th S. xi. p. 23. Also, Suomen Muinaismuisto-yhdistyksen Aikakauskirja, v. p. 103.
Algerian peasants have a great objection to their portraits being taken; and Holderness folks rub warts with stolen beef, &c., and let it rot, saying the warts will disappear with the decaying of the meat, &c., &c. "A similar train of thought shows itself in the belief that the utterance of the name of a deity gives to man a means of direct communication with the being who owns it, or even places in his hands the supernatural power of that being, to be used at his will." Tylor's Early History of Mankind, pp. 124, 129, and Lubbock's Origin of Civilisation, p. 245.
Cf. Swedish "Jätten Finn och Lunds domkyrka." Hofberg, p. 12. The giant promises to build a church for the white Christ if Laurentitis can find out his name, and if not he must forfeit his eyes—
Helt visst
Är hvite krist
En gud, som sitt temple är värdig.
Jag bygger det jag, om du säger mig blott
Hvad namn jag fätt,
Se'n kyrkan är murad och färdig.
Men kan du ej säga mitt namn, välan,
Du vise man!
Gif akt på, hvad yite jag sätter:
Då måste du ge mig åt mina små
De facklor två,
Som vandra på himmelens slatter."[1]
Laurentius found out that the giant's name was "Finn" by hearing the giantess hush her crying child.
Similar tales are told of many churches. E. g. Drontheim Cathedral, where the giant is called "Skalle"; see Sjöborg, Collections, Part ii.
- ↑ Tegnér: Prologen till Gerda.
