Once upon a time there was a farmer who had three sons. He was in a bad condition, old and weak, and the sons wouldn’t do anything to help him. On the farm they owned a big forest that was grand and green, and the father wanted his sons to cut down the trees in the forest to pay off some debt. After a long time the father made his sons do it, and the oldest son went first.
When he came to the forest and started to cut down an old bearded tree, the troll came.
“If you are chopping in my forest, I shall kill you,” said the troll.
When the boy heard that, he threw the axe away and ran home as fast as he could.
He came home, out of breath from all the running, and told what had happened to him. The father said that he was a weak person; a troll had never scared him from cutting trees.
The next day it was the second son’s turn, and the same happened to him as the first one. The troll came to him, and the boy threw away the axe and ran home as the first one, only faster.
When he came home, the father was so angry and told them that the troll would never scare him away from cutting down trees when he was younger.
The third day, it was Ashlad’s turn to try.
”Yes, you”, the two oldest of them said ironically to the Ashlad, “You are going to finish it, you have never stepped outside the front door”.
The Ashlad didn’t answer this, but he asked to get some travelling provisions. His mother went for the casserole, so that she could make him some food. She put a cheese in his knapsack and the Ashlad went off. When he had been chopping for a while, the troll came to him and said:
“If you are chopping in my forest, I shall kill you.”
He ran into the woods to get his cheese and mashed the cheese so it splashed all over the place.
“If you don’t shut up, I will squeeze you like I squeezed this white stone,” the Ashlad said.
“No please, save me”, the troll said, “I can help you cut down these trees.”
By using this method the boy saved himself, and the troll was very effective in the woods, and they chopped down a lot of trees that day. When the evening came, the troll said:
“Now, you can follow me home. It’s shorter to my place than to yours”.
So he did, and when they arrived, the troll lit a fire, while the boy went to get some water for the porridge. But there were two iron buckets so big and heavy that he didn’t manage to lift them.
Then the boy said:
”It’s not worth taking just these thimbles with me. I will take the whole well.”
“No, dear God,” the troll said, “I can’t lose my well. If you make the fire, I’ll go for the water.” The troll answered.
Then he came back with the water and boiled it in a big bowl of porridge
“It makes no difference to me,” the boy said, “but if you want as I want, we shall have an eating contest.”
“Oh, well,” the troll agreed.
They sat down at the table. But the boy took his knapsack and tied it around his belly without the troll discovering. Then he stuffed more porridge into his knapsack than he ate himself. When the knapsack was full, he took out his sheath knife and made a little hole in his knapsack. The troll looked at him in silence. After a while, the troll put down his spoon.
“Oh, I can’t eat anymore,” he said.
“You need to eat,” the boy told the troll, “I’m not even half full yet. Do as I did and cut a hole in your stomach, then you can eat as much as you want.”
“But doesn’t that hurt a lot?” the troll asked.
“Oh, not at all,” the boy answered.
The troll did as the boy told him to do. And we know now, that he gave his life this way. The boy took all the silver and gold that was in the mountain and returned back home. With this, he could easily pay off his debt over time.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
The Ashlad and His Good Helpers
Once upon a time there was a king, and that king had heard about a ship that could sail as fast at sea as at land; so he wanted one too. And to the one who could build it, he promised the princess and half the kingdom. He told everyone on the hill outside the church. A lot of people tried, you know, half the kingdom could come in handy, so they thought, and the princess wouldn’t be too bad to have either, but it didn’t go well with most of them.
There were three brothers in a village; the oldest Per, the other Pål and the youngest Espen Ashlad. He got his name because he always used to sit and dig in the ashes. The Sunday the king told about the ship he wanted, the Ashlad was by the church too. When he came home and told the news, Per, the oldest one, asked his mother for lunch; because he wanted to go and try to build the ship and win the princess and half the kingdom.
When he had got his lunch bag on his neck, he went away. On the road he met an old man, who was so crooked and pious.
“Where are you going?” the man asked.
“I’m going in the forest because I have to make a trough to my father. He doesn’t like to eat with the rest of us,” Per answered.
“Trough it is!” the man said.
“What do you have in your backpack?” the man asked.
“Dirt,” Per answered.
“Dirt it will be!” the man said.
Per went to the oak wood and chopped and timbered eagerly but everything just turned into troughs. When it was dinner time, he took up his lunch box. But there wasn’t any food in his lunch box, and since he didn’t have any luck making the ship, he took his backpack and his axe and went home to his mother again.
Then Pål wanted to try if he could have any luck building the ship and win the princess and half the kingdom. He asked his mother for lunch, and when he got it, he took his backpack and left for the forest. On the road he met an old man who was so crooked and pious.
“Where are you going?” the old man asked.
“Oh, I’m going to the forest and make a pig trough to our little pig,” Pål said.
“Pig trough it is!” the old man said.
“What do you have in your backpack?” the old man asked.
“Dirt,” Pål said.
“Dirt it is!” the old man said.
Then Pål went to the forest and started chopping and pounding, but no matter how he chopped and how he pounded, he couldn’t make anything else than pig troughs. But he didn’t give up. He worked until late afternoon before he even thought of getting some food. When he did, he got so hungry that he immediately had to bring up his lunch bag. But when he did, there wasn’t a trace of food in it. Pål got so mad he turned his backpack inside out, threw it on a stump, and took his axe and went through the forest and straight home.
When Pål came home, the Ashlad wanted to test his luck and asked his mother for lunch. “Maybe I could be the man to build that ship and win the princess and half the kingdom,” he said.
“I would like to see that,” his mother said. “You never do anything else but digging in that ash! No, you are not getting any lunch!” the bitch said.
But the Ashlad didn’t give up just like that, he begged so long that he got permission at last. He didn’t get lunch, that was too much to expect, but he managed to take a couple of oat breads and a lazy sip of bear. And then he went away.
When he had walked for a while, he met the same old man that was so crocked, poor and pious.
“Where are you going?” the man said.
”Oh, I am going to the forest, hoping to build a ship that goes as fast at land as at sea,” the Ashlad said. “The king has said that the one who can build a ship like that, shall get the princess, and half the kingdom,” he said.
“So what’s in your lunch bag?” the man asked.
“Oh, not much to speak of, it’s supposed to be my supper,” the Ashlad answered.
“Share your lunch with me, and I’ll help you,” the man said.
“You’re welcome,” the Ashlad said. But there is no more than two pieces of oat bred and a lazy sip of beer.
It didn’t matter what it was. If only he could get something, he would help.
When they came up to the old oak in the forest, the man said:
“Now, you are going to carve out a splinter, and afterwards you’re going to put it back like it was before. When you have done that, you can go to sleep.”
Yes, the Ashlad did as he was told, went to sleep, and in his sleep he thought he heard chopping and pounding, timbering and sawing, and carpentry, but he couldn’t be awake before the man woke him up; then the finished ship stood next to the oak.
“Now, wake up, and everyone you meet, you must bring with you,” the man said.
Yes, The Ashlad was grateful for the ship and sailed away, and said that he would do that.
When he had sailed for some time, he came to a long, thin bum who lay beside a mountain and ate rocks.
“What man are you who lies here eating rocks?” the Ashlad asked.
Well, he was so hungry for meat that he could never get full, so that was the reason why he ate rocks, he told him, and then he asked if he could be allowed to join him on the ship.
”Yes, if you want to come with us, come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Of course he wanted to come with them, so he brought some big grey rocks as a lunch pack.
When they had sailed a little while again, they discovered a man who was lying in a sunny hill sucking on a bottle.
“Who are you?” the Ashlad said, “and why are you sucking on this bottle?”
“Oh, when I don’t have a barrel, I have to settle for this bottle,” the man said; “I’m so thirsty for beer, that I never can get enough of beer and wine,” he said, and asked if he could climb on board the ship too.
“If you want to come with us, come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Of course he wanted to come with them and he brought his bottle to be on the safe side.
When they had sailed a little while again, they discovered a man who was lying with one of his ears down to the ground listening
“What person are you, and why are you lying on the ground listening?” the Ashlad asked.
“I’m listening to the grass, because I have so good hearing that I can hear the grass grow,” he said, and then he asked if he could join them on the ship.
He didn’t say no to that. “If you want to come with us, so come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Yes, he wanted that, and jumped on board.
When they had sailed further away, they came to a person who was staring and staring.
“What person are you, and why are you standing here staring?” the Ashlad wondered.
“My eyesight is so acute,” he said, “so I can se to the end of the world,” and then he asked if he could join them on the ship.
“If you want to come with us, so come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Yes, he wanted that, and jumped on board.
After sailing a bit further, they saw a man jumping up and down on one leg. On the other leg, he’d attached seven 1000 pounds weights.
“Who are you?” the Ashlad asked. “Why are you jumping up and down on one leg? And why have you attached seven 1000 pounds weights to the other?”
“I have such a hard time remaining on the ground without them. If I was walking with both of my legs, I’d be at the end of the world in five minutes.”
And then he asked if he could join them on the ship.
“If you like to, then you can,” the Ashlad said.
Yes, he wanted to come, and then he stepped up into the Ashlad and his friends boat.
After sailing even further, they saw a man who was covering his mouth with his hand. “Who are you?” the Ashlad asked. “And why are you covering your mouth with your hand?” “Oh, I’ve got seven summers and seven winters in my stomach,” he said. “So I better cover my mouth, because if I didn’t, and released all of them, it would be the end of the world,” he answered. And then he asked if he could join them in their boat. “If you like to, then you can,” the Ashlad said. Yes, he wanted to come, and then he stepped up into the boat where the others were waiting.
After sailing some time, they finally reached the King’s estate.
The Ashlad rushed home to the king, and told him that the ship was finished, and stood outside, and now he wanted the princess, as the king had promised. The king did not like this, because the Ashlad didn’t look good, he was black and full of soot, and the king didn’t like the thought of giving his daughter to a boy like that. So he told the Ashlad to wait, he couldn’t get the princess until he had eaten the kings meat stock, with tree hundred barrels of meat; “It’s the same, can you do it until tomorrow, she’s yours,” the king said.
“I will try,” the Ashlad answered; ”but can I bring of my friends?”
He could, he could even bring all six the king said, because he thought it would be impossible, even if he brought six hundred.
The Ashlad brought the one who always ate rocks, and always was hungry for meat. And when they came and opened the booth, he had finished everything, there wasn’t much left, only six small cured hams, one for each of the other friends. The Ashlad rushed home to the King and told him that the booth was empty, and now the Princess was his, he tought.
The king went out to the booth, and it was empty, that was for sure. But the Ashlad was still black and ashed and the king thought he wasn’t good enough for his daughter. So he told the Ashlad that he had a cellar full of beer and old wine, three hundred barrels of each, that he wanted him to drink first. “If are you man enough to empty those barrels by this time tomorrow you shall get my daughter,” the king said. “I’ll try,” the Ashlad said; “but can I bring some of my friends?” he said. “Yes, with pleasure,” the king said; he thought he had so much beer and wine that they would all be pleased.
The Ashlad brought the man who always was so thirsty for beer, and the king locked them down in the basement. Then he drank barrel after barrel, as long as there was any, but the last one he saved so that there could be a glass of beer for each of the friends.
In the morning they opened the cellar and the Ashlad went straight up to the king and told him that he had finished the beer and the wine, and now he wanted to get the princess as he was promised.
“Yes, but first I have to go down to the basement to see,” the king said, because he didn’t believe it; when he came down to the basement there were just empty barrels. But the Ashlad was black and ashed, and the king thought he was unfit to be his son in law.
Then he said that it was the same, if he could bring water from the end of the world for the princess’ tea in 10 minutes, he would get her and the half of the kingdom, because that was impossible, he thought. ”I will try, “the Ashlad said.
Then he got hold of the guy who jumped on one foot and had seven 1000 pounds weights on the other, and said that he should take off the 1000 pounds weights and use his feet as fast as he could, because he needed water from the end of the world in 10 minutes.
He took of the 1000 pounds weights, got a bucket and was on his way, and suddenly he was gone. Time passed and he didn’t come back. At the end there wasn’t more than 3 minutes left of the time and the king was so happy that he couldn’t stand still.
But then the Ashlad called the man, who could hear the grass grow, and said that he had to try to hear where he was. “He has fallen asleep by the waterhole,” he said, “I can hear him snore, and the troll is picking on him,” he said.
Then the Ashlad called the man who could shoot to the worlds end, and asked him to put a bullet in the Trolls head and so he did, he shot the troll straight in the eye, the troll made a mighty roar, so he woke up at the same, the man who should bring teawater, and when he came to the kings royal palace, there was still one minutes left of the ten.
The Ashlad went to the king and said that now he’d got his water, and now the princess had to be his, that was the end of the discussion, he thought. But the king thought he was black and dirty now, as earlier, and didn’t want to have him as son in law. Then the King said that he had 300 cords of wood, which he was going to dry his corn in the bathhouse with, “and if you are man enough to burn it up, you will get the princess, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
”I can do it,” the Ashlad said;”but can I bring one of my friends?”
“Yes, you can bring all six,” the king said, because he thought it would get warm enough for them all.
The Ashlad brought the one who had fifteen winters and seven summers in his body, and by night, they went into the sauna.. But the king did make it hot, it was a fire so hot they could have made coasted heating stoves. Back out they could not get, because as soon as they got in, the king locked the door and hung a couple of padlocks on. Then the Ashlad said:“You have to let go of six or seven winters, then it will be a good summer temperature so we can stay in here longer.”
During the night it got colder. The Ashlad said he had to release a few summers. And they slept very well the next morning.
But when they heard the king walking outside, the Ashlad said:“Now you have to release a few winters, but make the last one right in his face.”
Yes, so he did, and when the king opened the sauna door and thought they lay there burned, they sat there and were so cold that their teeth rattled. And the guy with the fifteen winters in his body blew the last one in the kings face.
“Can I get the princess now?” The Ashlad asked.
“Yes, take her, and take the kingdom too!” the king said, because now he didn’t dare to say no anymore.
Then they got married, and had a big celebration. And then they gave me porridge in a bottle and milk in a basket and sent me here, so that I could tell you how it happened.
There were three brothers in a village; the oldest Per, the other Pål and the youngest Espen Ashlad. He got his name because he always used to sit and dig in the ashes. The Sunday the king told about the ship he wanted, the Ashlad was by the church too. When he came home and told the news, Per, the oldest one, asked his mother for lunch; because he wanted to go and try to build the ship and win the princess and half the kingdom.
When he had got his lunch bag on his neck, he went away. On the road he met an old man, who was so crooked and pious.
“Where are you going?” the man asked.
“I’m going in the forest because I have to make a trough to my father. He doesn’t like to eat with the rest of us,” Per answered.
“Trough it is!” the man said.
“What do you have in your backpack?” the man asked.
“Dirt,” Per answered.
“Dirt it will be!” the man said.
Per went to the oak wood and chopped and timbered eagerly but everything just turned into troughs. When it was dinner time, he took up his lunch box. But there wasn’t any food in his lunch box, and since he didn’t have any luck making the ship, he took his backpack and his axe and went home to his mother again.
Then Pål wanted to try if he could have any luck building the ship and win the princess and half the kingdom. He asked his mother for lunch, and when he got it, he took his backpack and left for the forest. On the road he met an old man who was so crooked and pious.
“Where are you going?” the old man asked.
“Oh, I’m going to the forest and make a pig trough to our little pig,” Pål said.
“Pig trough it is!” the old man said.
“What do you have in your backpack?” the old man asked.
“Dirt,” Pål said.
“Dirt it is!” the old man said.
Then Pål went to the forest and started chopping and pounding, but no matter how he chopped and how he pounded, he couldn’t make anything else than pig troughs. But he didn’t give up. He worked until late afternoon before he even thought of getting some food. When he did, he got so hungry that he immediately had to bring up his lunch bag. But when he did, there wasn’t a trace of food in it. Pål got so mad he turned his backpack inside out, threw it on a stump, and took his axe and went through the forest and straight home.
When Pål came home, the Ashlad wanted to test his luck and asked his mother for lunch. “Maybe I could be the man to build that ship and win the princess and half the kingdom,” he said.
“I would like to see that,” his mother said. “You never do anything else but digging in that ash! No, you are not getting any lunch!” the bitch said.
But the Ashlad didn’t give up just like that, he begged so long that he got permission at last. He didn’t get lunch, that was too much to expect, but he managed to take a couple of oat breads and a lazy sip of bear. And then he went away.
When he had walked for a while, he met the same old man that was so crocked, poor and pious.
“Where are you going?” the man said.
”Oh, I am going to the forest, hoping to build a ship that goes as fast at land as at sea,” the Ashlad said. “The king has said that the one who can build a ship like that, shall get the princess, and half the kingdom,” he said.
“So what’s in your lunch bag?” the man asked.
“Oh, not much to speak of, it’s supposed to be my supper,” the Ashlad answered.
“Share your lunch with me, and I’ll help you,” the man said.
“You’re welcome,” the Ashlad said. But there is no more than two pieces of oat bred and a lazy sip of beer.
It didn’t matter what it was. If only he could get something, he would help.
When they came up to the old oak in the forest, the man said:
“Now, you are going to carve out a splinter, and afterwards you’re going to put it back like it was before. When you have done that, you can go to sleep.”
Yes, the Ashlad did as he was told, went to sleep, and in his sleep he thought he heard chopping and pounding, timbering and sawing, and carpentry, but he couldn’t be awake before the man woke him up; then the finished ship stood next to the oak.
“Now, wake up, and everyone you meet, you must bring with you,” the man said.
Yes, The Ashlad was grateful for the ship and sailed away, and said that he would do that.
When he had sailed for some time, he came to a long, thin bum who lay beside a mountain and ate rocks.
“What man are you who lies here eating rocks?” the Ashlad asked.
Well, he was so hungry for meat that he could never get full, so that was the reason why he ate rocks, he told him, and then he asked if he could be allowed to join him on the ship.
”Yes, if you want to come with us, come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Of course he wanted to come with them, so he brought some big grey rocks as a lunch pack.
When they had sailed a little while again, they discovered a man who was lying in a sunny hill sucking on a bottle.
“Who are you?” the Ashlad said, “and why are you sucking on this bottle?”
“Oh, when I don’t have a barrel, I have to settle for this bottle,” the man said; “I’m so thirsty for beer, that I never can get enough of beer and wine,” he said, and asked if he could climb on board the ship too.
“If you want to come with us, come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Of course he wanted to come with them and he brought his bottle to be on the safe side.
When they had sailed a little while again, they discovered a man who was lying with one of his ears down to the ground listening
“What person are you, and why are you lying on the ground listening?” the Ashlad asked.
“I’m listening to the grass, because I have so good hearing that I can hear the grass grow,” he said, and then he asked if he could join them on the ship.
He didn’t say no to that. “If you want to come with us, so come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Yes, he wanted that, and jumped on board.
When they had sailed further away, they came to a person who was staring and staring.
“What person are you, and why are you standing here staring?” the Ashlad wondered.
“My eyesight is so acute,” he said, “so I can se to the end of the world,” and then he asked if he could join them on the ship.
“If you want to come with us, so come on board,” the Ashlad said.
Yes, he wanted that, and jumped on board.
After sailing a bit further, they saw a man jumping up and down on one leg. On the other leg, he’d attached seven 1000 pounds weights.
“Who are you?” the Ashlad asked. “Why are you jumping up and down on one leg? And why have you attached seven 1000 pounds weights to the other?”
“I have such a hard time remaining on the ground without them. If I was walking with both of my legs, I’d be at the end of the world in five minutes.”
And then he asked if he could join them on the ship.
“If you like to, then you can,” the Ashlad said.
Yes, he wanted to come, and then he stepped up into the Ashlad and his friends boat.
After sailing even further, they saw a man who was covering his mouth with his hand. “Who are you?” the Ashlad asked. “And why are you covering your mouth with your hand?” “Oh, I’ve got seven summers and seven winters in my stomach,” he said. “So I better cover my mouth, because if I didn’t, and released all of them, it would be the end of the world,” he answered. And then he asked if he could join them in their boat. “If you like to, then you can,” the Ashlad said. Yes, he wanted to come, and then he stepped up into the boat where the others were waiting.
After sailing some time, they finally reached the King’s estate.
The Ashlad rushed home to the king, and told him that the ship was finished, and stood outside, and now he wanted the princess, as the king had promised. The king did not like this, because the Ashlad didn’t look good, he was black and full of soot, and the king didn’t like the thought of giving his daughter to a boy like that. So he told the Ashlad to wait, he couldn’t get the princess until he had eaten the kings meat stock, with tree hundred barrels of meat; “It’s the same, can you do it until tomorrow, she’s yours,” the king said.
“I will try,” the Ashlad answered; ”but can I bring of my friends?”
He could, he could even bring all six the king said, because he thought it would be impossible, even if he brought six hundred.
The Ashlad brought the one who always ate rocks, and always was hungry for meat. And when they came and opened the booth, he had finished everything, there wasn’t much left, only six small cured hams, one for each of the other friends. The Ashlad rushed home to the King and told him that the booth was empty, and now the Princess was his, he tought.
The king went out to the booth, and it was empty, that was for sure. But the Ashlad was still black and ashed and the king thought he wasn’t good enough for his daughter. So he told the Ashlad that he had a cellar full of beer and old wine, three hundred barrels of each, that he wanted him to drink first. “If are you man enough to empty those barrels by this time tomorrow you shall get my daughter,” the king said. “I’ll try,” the Ashlad said; “but can I bring some of my friends?” he said. “Yes, with pleasure,” the king said; he thought he had so much beer and wine that they would all be pleased.
The Ashlad brought the man who always was so thirsty for beer, and the king locked them down in the basement. Then he drank barrel after barrel, as long as there was any, but the last one he saved so that there could be a glass of beer for each of the friends.
In the morning they opened the cellar and the Ashlad went straight up to the king and told him that he had finished the beer and the wine, and now he wanted to get the princess as he was promised.
“Yes, but first I have to go down to the basement to see,” the king said, because he didn’t believe it; when he came down to the basement there were just empty barrels. But the Ashlad was black and ashed, and the king thought he was unfit to be his son in law.
Then he said that it was the same, if he could bring water from the end of the world for the princess’ tea in 10 minutes, he would get her and the half of the kingdom, because that was impossible, he thought. ”I will try, “the Ashlad said.
Then he got hold of the guy who jumped on one foot and had seven 1000 pounds weights on the other, and said that he should take off the 1000 pounds weights and use his feet as fast as he could, because he needed water from the end of the world in 10 minutes.
He took of the 1000 pounds weights, got a bucket and was on his way, and suddenly he was gone. Time passed and he didn’t come back. At the end there wasn’t more than 3 minutes left of the time and the king was so happy that he couldn’t stand still.
But then the Ashlad called the man, who could hear the grass grow, and said that he had to try to hear where he was. “He has fallen asleep by the waterhole,” he said, “I can hear him snore, and the troll is picking on him,” he said.
Then the Ashlad called the man who could shoot to the worlds end, and asked him to put a bullet in the Trolls head and so he did, he shot the troll straight in the eye, the troll made a mighty roar, so he woke up at the same, the man who should bring teawater, and when he came to the kings royal palace, there was still one minutes left of the ten.
The Ashlad went to the king and said that now he’d got his water, and now the princess had to be his, that was the end of the discussion, he thought. But the king thought he was black and dirty now, as earlier, and didn’t want to have him as son in law. Then the King said that he had 300 cords of wood, which he was going to dry his corn in the bathhouse with, “and if you are man enough to burn it up, you will get the princess, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
”I can do it,” the Ashlad said;”but can I bring one of my friends?”
“Yes, you can bring all six,” the king said, because he thought it would get warm enough for them all.
The Ashlad brought the one who had fifteen winters and seven summers in his body, and by night, they went into the sauna.. But the king did make it hot, it was a fire so hot they could have made coasted heating stoves. Back out they could not get, because as soon as they got in, the king locked the door and hung a couple of padlocks on. Then the Ashlad said:“You have to let go of six or seven winters, then it will be a good summer temperature so we can stay in here longer.”
During the night it got colder. The Ashlad said he had to release a few summers. And they slept very well the next morning.
But when they heard the king walking outside, the Ashlad said:“Now you have to release a few winters, but make the last one right in his face.”
Yes, so he did, and when the king opened the sauna door and thought they lay there burned, they sat there and were so cold that their teeth rattled. And the guy with the fifteen winters in his body blew the last one in the kings face.
“Can I get the princess now?” The Ashlad asked.
“Yes, take her, and take the kingdom too!” the king said, because now he didn’t dare to say no anymore.
Then they got married, and had a big celebration. And then they gave me porridge in a bottle and milk in a basket and sent me here, so that I could tell you how it happened.
The Ashlad
In many folk tales, the Ash Lad is portrayed as the youngest of three brothers. Early in a typical tale, the older brothers appear to have much greater chances of success in life. For example, one brother might be extremely well read in books and newspapers. Another brother might be extremely competent in another area. In contrast, the Ash Lad is looked down upon as a seemingly drowsy ne'er do well, perhaps even as a loner or misunderstood eccentric, who spends too much time sitting by the fireplace lost in thought as he is poking the ashes.
As the typical story unfolds, the oldest brothers try first to heroically overcome some major crisis or problem. As an example, one tale involves rescuing a princess held captive in a land East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The two older brothers, who are tied to conventional thinking, typically fall flat on their faces. In contrast, it is the Ash Lad who comes up with creative solutions. He is smarter, more tactical, more receptive and more aware of the needs of others. He outwits trolls, dodges charging unicorns or gets a magic Viking ship to transport him where he ultimately saves the princess.
The "heroic" trait of the character is probably most prominent in the stories told by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. The tales they collected present the "classical" Ash Lad. In other stories, collected by others, the character and his brothers are presented as mere scoundrels, even thieves. Those stories present the youngest brother as the one with the wits about him, and thus, he gets away with the loot. They always steal from the wealthy farmers or even the king. Those stories are documented from Vest-Agder, in their time the poorest parts of Norway, where suppression was common. Thus, the Ash Lad has some similarities with the Norwegian crime writer Gjest Baardsen (1791–1849).
In modern parlance, the Ash Lad is an individualist, free-thinker, and nonconformist who is capable of deep abstract, analytical thinking "outside the box", or who can create a scientific paradigm shift. He is capable of acting as a true visionary or innovative early adopter. In contrast, the older brothers are more conformist and conventional.
[edit] Name
The name Askeladden is constructed. It is not present in any recorded source. His original name is in fact Oskefisen or Askefis, the one who sits and is blowing in the ashes. This would make sense, as the job of blowing on the embers was often assigned to the person of the household who was considered the least fit for other, more demanding chores - typically a fragile grandmother or a small child. In this way, the Ash Lad's presumed ineptness is underlined at the beginning of the tale. One can also imagine that the chore of keeping the fire up is somewhat important, as a fireplace is the actual heart of the house. In Asbjørnsens's first edition (1843), the name is rendered as Askepott, which in Norway is commonly associated with Cinderella. This was later turned into Askeladden by Moltke Moe.[2][3]
The character is also closely related to the common and quite nationalistic jokes of the three Scandinavian archetypes, the Norwegian, the Swede and the Dane. In those jokes, the Norwegian always succeeds in petty contests where the others do not. The jokes resemble the fairy-tale pattern and are mostly told by Norwegian children. Here, one can interpret the Norwegian as the youngest and underdog brother of the three, a parallel to the historical facts of Norway's position in Scandinavia.
As the typical story unfolds, the oldest brothers try first to heroically overcome some major crisis or problem. As an example, one tale involves rescuing a princess held captive in a land East of the Sun and West of the Moon. The two older brothers, who are tied to conventional thinking, typically fall flat on their faces. In contrast, it is the Ash Lad who comes up with creative solutions. He is smarter, more tactical, more receptive and more aware of the needs of others. He outwits trolls, dodges charging unicorns or gets a magic Viking ship to transport him where he ultimately saves the princess.
The "heroic" trait of the character is probably most prominent in the stories told by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. The tales they collected present the "classical" Ash Lad. In other stories, collected by others, the character and his brothers are presented as mere scoundrels, even thieves. Those stories present the youngest brother as the one with the wits about him, and thus, he gets away with the loot. They always steal from the wealthy farmers or even the king. Those stories are documented from Vest-Agder, in their time the poorest parts of Norway, where suppression was common. Thus, the Ash Lad has some similarities with the Norwegian crime writer Gjest Baardsen (1791–1849).
In modern parlance, the Ash Lad is an individualist, free-thinker, and nonconformist who is capable of deep abstract, analytical thinking "outside the box", or who can create a scientific paradigm shift. He is capable of acting as a true visionary or innovative early adopter. In contrast, the older brothers are more conformist and conventional.
[edit] Name
The name Askeladden is constructed. It is not present in any recorded source. His original name is in fact Oskefisen or Askefis, the one who sits and is blowing in the ashes. This would make sense, as the job of blowing on the embers was often assigned to the person of the household who was considered the least fit for other, more demanding chores - typically a fragile grandmother or a small child. In this way, the Ash Lad's presumed ineptness is underlined at the beginning of the tale. One can also imagine that the chore of keeping the fire up is somewhat important, as a fireplace is the actual heart of the house. In Asbjørnsens's first edition (1843), the name is rendered as Askepott, which in Norway is commonly associated with Cinderella. This was later turned into Askeladden by Moltke Moe.[2][3]
The character is also closely related to the common and quite nationalistic jokes of the three Scandinavian archetypes, the Norwegian, the Swede and the Dane. In those jokes, the Norwegian always succeeds in petty contests where the others do not. The jokes resemble the fairy-tale pattern and are mostly told by Norwegian children. Here, one can interpret the Norwegian as the youngest and underdog brother of the three, a parallel to the historical facts of Norway's position in Scandinavia.
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