The Vätters.1

Vätters, according to the Northern belief, are creatures that live under ground, but often appear above, and then in human [206]form so perfect that they have many times been mistaken for mankind. They live, as do the Trolls and Giants, in mountains, but more often move from one to another, and it is mostly during these journeys that they are seen.

When the parish of Ockilbo was first settled, the Vätters were so plentiful that a peasant who fixed his abode near the Rönn Hills was forced to build his windows high up near the eaves of his cottage to escape seeing the troublesome multitude of these beings that continually swarmed around.

Despite the disposition of the cottager to have nothing to do with the Vätters, he could not avoid getting into complications with them at times.

One evening, when the wife went to drive the goats into the goat house, she saw among hers two strange goats, having horsehoofs instead of cloven hoofs, as should be. Do her utmost, it was impossible to separate them from the others. They pressed on, and were locked up with the rest.

In the night she was awakened by a heavy pounding upon the walls, and a voice from without called:

“Let us be neighborly, mother, and return my goats to me.”

The woman dressed herself and hastened to the goat house, where the strange animals were making a dreadful uproar. Upon her opening the door they [207]sprang out and hurried to the forest, whence she heard the Vätters shouting and calling them.

Thus a friendly feeling was forever established between the cottager and the Vätters, and from that day there were no more disturbances. [208]

1 To the characteristics attributed in this story to the Vätters may be added that they are peaceable and generally inclined to be friendly to mankind, but that they may, nevertheless, be aroused to acts of violence if their [206]wishes are not heeded, or if harm is done them designedly. They are said to have great quantities of gold and silver, but steel is very offensive to them. If, therefore, a knife is stuck into a fissure in a mountain, a piece of gold will, a few days later, be found in its stead. During autumn and in winter they take up their abode in vacated cow barns, where they employ themselves after the manner of mankind. ↑