The Giant Finn and Lund’s Cathedral.1

In the days long gone by there lived in Helgonabacken—the Hills of Helgona—near Lund, a family of giants who one day heard, with great anxiety and consternation, that a holy man had come into the country, from Saxony, to build a church to the White Christ.

While Laurentius, such was the holy man’s name, was selecting his site and laying out the plans for the temple, there stood at his side, one day, none other than Finn, the giant of Helgonabacken, who thus addressed him: “Truly the White Christ is a God worthy of such a temple, and I will build it for you, if, when it is finished, you will tell me what my name is; but, mark well my condition, oh, wise man, if you can not tell me, you must give to my little ones the two small torches—the sun and the moon—that travel yonder over heaven’s expanse.”

Now, it is so ordered in the giant world that it is of vital importance the name of the giant should be kept from mankind. Should it be revealed the giant [18]must die, and man is freed from all obligations that may have been imposed upon him by compact with the giant.

Laurentius could not reasonably promise so much but anxious to have the church built, he offered, instead, his eyes, trusting to fortune to discover to him the giant’s name before the completion of the church. The giant, satisfied with the bargain, entered at once upon his work, and with wonderful rapidity the church grew upward. Soon there remained nothing more to complete it than to set one stone on the tower.

The day preceding that on which it was expected this last stone would be put in place Laurentius stood on Helgonabacken in deep melancholy. It seemed inevitable that he must lose his eyes, and that he was now taking his last look at the light of heaven and all that had made the world and life so attractive to him. Next day all would be darkness and sorrow. During these gloomy reflections he heard the cry of a child from within the hill, and the voice of the giant mother endeavoring to quiet it with a song, in which he clearly distinguished the words: “Silent, silent, little son of mine, morning will bring your father Finn, with either moon and sun or the priest Laurentius’ eyes.”

Beside himself with joy, Laurentius hastened to the church. “Come down, Finn!” he cried, “the stone that now remains we ourselves can set—come down, Finn, we no longer need your help!”

Foaming with rage, the Giant rushed from the tower to the ground, and laying hold of one of the pillars tried to pull the church down. At this instant his wife with her child joined him. She, too, [19]grasped a pillar and would help her husband in the work of destruction, but just as the building was tottering to the point of falling, they were both turned to stones, and there they lie to-day, each embracing a pillar. [20]

1 Similar legends are connected with a number of our churches, as the cathedral of Trondhjem, where the Troll is called “Skalle.” Also with Eskellsätter’s church in the department of Näs in Vermland, where the giant architect is called Kinn, who fell from the tower when the priest Eskil called, “Kinn, set the point right!” Again, with a church in Norrland, where the Troll is called “Wind and Weather,” and concerning whom the legend relates “that just as the giant was putting up the cross, St. Olof said ‘Wind and Weather you have set the spire awry.’” Of the church at Kallundborg in Själland, whose designer, Ebern Snare, it is said, entered into a contract much the same as that made with the Giant Finn by the holy Laurentius. ↑