Trollkyrka
The Trollkyrka (Troll Church) is a secluded rock in the heart of the Swedish Tiveden National Park . It served as a pagan sacrificial site (horgr, harg, see also Hag ). The Troll Church could have been in use until the 19th century, at least until then the mountain was taboo for Christians.
According to H. Lidman ( Gudanatt. 1972) the legend went among old people that “Christians could not go here. The mountains of the 'Troll Church' belonged to the pagan trolls. Should a Christian venture here, he would be harmed. "
In fact, local tradition shows that until recently the mountain was used for pagan rituals and that anyone who observed the rituals uninvited was either buried in a hole in the forest or accepted into the conspiratorial community. These precautionary measures show that the rituals must have taken place until around 1604–1735, a time when such rituals were punishable by the death penalty.
The rituals are described in a folk poem, which was documented by the folklorist Carlshult (* 1941) in the course of his research on the Skaga Church. It was later published by Karlsson and Lidman:
- Kärken smyger på slingrande stig - The procession creeps on a winding path
- helst osedd till Trollebergen. - as unseen as possible to the Troll Mountains.
- Mässa skall hållas i dagarna tre, - A mass should be held for three days
- det varde början on helgen. - this will be the beginning of the holiday.
- Kolten är sid, så den nåder vid marken, - The robe is long, it reaches the floor
- håsorna äro i topparna vassa, - the socks (socks?) are pointed,
- Had no need to, så hålen for ögonen passa. - The hood is pulled down so that the eye holes fit
- Alla är lika förutom på Längda, - All look the same, except for the (body) height
- prelatus han räknar på mängda. - The prelate counts their number.
- Solve the gives i lågmälder tone, - The password is spoken softly
- prelatus han bjuder tre stötar i horn. - The prelate blows a horn three times
- Elden den "köllas" av nio slags ved, - The fire is kindled with nine kinds of wood
- det är gammal sed. - This is an old custom
- Offer till andarna skänkes, - A sacrifice is offered to the spirits
- med blodet sig allom bestänkes. - Everyone splatters themselves with blood
- Det bästa till andar föräras, - The best is reserved for the spirits
- Something about the skall of men a taras. - What is left over should be taken by the men.
- Uti midnattens timma - In the midnight hour
- då sjärnor beglimma, - when stars flash,
- prelatus han tystnaden bjuder - the prelate asks for silence
- oh men alla det lyder. - what is obeyed by all men
- De falla till markone ner, - they fall down on the ground,
- prelatus han bistert mot rymderna ser. - the prelate looks sternly at the sky
- Och svärjan och formlar i dälderna skallar - and vows and prayers echo from the valleys
- prelatus han kallar på andar. - The prelate conjures up the spirits
- Allom de fick på sitt spörje ett svar, - Everybody was given an answer
- Ingen av androm fuck då hear varom det var. - Nobody heard the other answer
See also
swell
- B. Gösta Carlshult: Undenäsbygden genom tiderna. Skarab, Skövde 1941.
- Sture Karlsson: I Tiveden. Reflex, Mariestad 1970.
- Hans Lidman: Gudanatt. Dagar och nätter i Tiveden. Askild & Kärnekull, Stockholm 1972.
Coordinates: 58 ° 43 ′ 0 ″ N , 14 ° 37 ′ 0 ″ E