The womenfolk of Johnannes's farm were gathered in the weaving room. The spacious hall, with its looms and spinning wheels, was set apart from the main farm buildings. The women delighted in their time here, it was the place where gossip, stories and songs, not intended for a man's hearing, could be safely aired.
Today the women's mood was starkly different, they worked quietly or stared unthinking, lost to misery. Marie the youngest, still learning the arts of adulthood, sat with tears streaming down her cheek's and dripping onto the carding combs. For her mother, Kala, the well-loved housewife, was dead.
'Why did they have to kill her?' Marie wailed, unable to hold her silence any longer. Her aunt Anne, hugged the child, crooning as if to a baby until she quietened, and then called the attention of all the women. 'Marie asks a good question, and now we are alone I can give you the answer that Kala gave to me.'
You will all know that the priests have been enquiring around these parts in search of witchery, anything amiss or strange. Our neighbour Elsie had much to tell them, she related how our fields bear more grain than hers, how our cows give more milk, and our oaks more acorns. The priests were convinced that this was one of the signs they were looking for. They took poor Kala away to question her and locked her in the town jail.
'So it was Elsie! That idle good for nothing.' said old Inger nastily, 'I hope she is poxed!'
'Indeed.' agreed Anne 'If Elsie had not accused her, dear Kala would still be with us. But there is far more to this tale than Elsie's jealousy and spite. You all know of the housewife's duty to give the spring ale on this farm?'
The women nodded, Inger cursed and asked 'Elsie didn't find out about that did she?'
'No.' Anne replied 'But when they tortured Kala,' she paused numbed by the memory of her sister's wrecked body, 'the truth was what they wanted to hear. I spoke to her on that last day before the burning, she told me a tale which she wanted me to pass on to you.'
'Johnannes married well. Always in our family the heir has married a woman willing to carry on our family traditions, and Kala was no exception. Every spring when the first lamb is born, Kala would carry the ale bowl into the oak wood, to the glade where the wooden man sits. Every year, as it has been done for generations, far back into the distant times of myths. Kala would pour the ale over the figure's head, raise her skirts and sit upon his manhood. By this simple act our family has been blessed with healthy beasts, long lived children and fertile crops.
'When Kala first married Johnannes, Inger told her, that if she had the courage, she could discover who the man was if she rubbed the juice of the glade's flowers on her eyes. Did you ever do that yourself Inger?'
'No.' Inger replied.
'Well, this Spring Kala did, I will tell you how it happened.'
'Kala went as usual to the glade with her cloak pulled over her head against the dawn chill. On entering the glade she folded the cloak and laid it on the ground, deep among the flowers of which Inger had spoken of. Gripped by a sudden adventurous urge, Kala picked some of the flower heads and rubbed them on her eyes.
'Kala saw a whirl of movement as she found herself in the presence of a multitude of dancers, wild music was playing and she was suddenly aware of a great warmth, as if she had stepped into a much warmer summers day. The dancers whirled around one another in a great ring, men and women dressed in delicate clothes of green, gold and brown, all hung with tiny bells.
'Kala watched in awe and noticed further peculiarities about the dancers, their skin had a greenish tinge and their hair was silver flecked with green. With a mixture of wonder and alarm she realised that these were the elves, the 'hidden folk. The music had a vibrant melody and Kala felt herself moving to the beat of the elves' drums. An elf-woman broke from the circle, caught Kala's hand and led her into the dance. Elves laughed and spun Kala around, from one to another all around the circle. Kala laughed too. She told me she had never been to such a merry gathering. Oh I know that we can hold our own merry parties here, but she said the elves were so unreserved in their joy it made her heart ache with happiness.
'The piper changed his melody and the dance increased in complexity. One of the elves grasped Kala's hands and spun her round and round. He asked her if she knew him. Confused, Kala admitted she did not. The elf-man laughed at her and said he had been at her wedding and given her the very travelling cloak she had arrived in. With a shock Kala realised that the elf was her father in law, and saw the resemblance of the old man she had known in the young elf dancing before her.
'Grandpapa!' screamed Marie with delight.
'Yes.' Anne replied 'And what's more, every one of those elves was one of our family, and there were dozens and dozens of them dancing there in the glade.
'I loved Grandpapa.' sighed Marie wistfully. 'I wish I could dance with him again like Kala did.'
'But what happened next?' asked Inger.
'The dance continued, and Kala was trilled to be dancing with her beloved husband's ancestors, it was as if she had died and gone to heaven. She was so full of joy that she felt as if her feet barely touched the floor as the elves twirled her round their circle. The elves gently tugged away her outer clothes as they passed her in the dance, and she scarcely noticed. First her cap, so that her hair flew as free as the elves silver tresses. Then her lace shawl, and then her corset, until she was dancing in only her skirts and shift, looking as wild as any forest spirit.
'Hans spun her into the centre of the circle, the elves all joined hands facing the centre. Excluded from the ring, and flushed and giddy from the dancing, Kala looked around in confusion. The dance had centred on the ancient oak tree which sheltered the wooden idol. Kala glanced towards the tree and gasped in surprise for the statue was now flesh and blood.
'And a handsome man he was too, with long straw blond hair and an agreeably muscular figure. He was as naked as his wooden counterpart and his manhood stood upright and proud. He sat as if enthroned on the roots of the forest giant. Kala stared helplessly.
'The man grinned. 'Greetings to you Kala, have you bought your gift for me?' Kala remembered the ale bowl she had left with her cloak at the edge of the glade, and turned to fetch it. The elves parted from their circle to let her through. Kala returned holding the bowl in both hands, as she returned the elven musicians played a peaceful tune on their pipes and beat their drums to a slow rhythm. Kala approached the man and held out the bowl. He took it from her, sipped the brew and smiled 'Ah yes, you always save me the best ale, and for your kind gift you will have my blessing on your grain this year.' The man drained the bowl and returned it to Kala. 'And do you have another gift for me too?'
'Kala hesitated, uncertainly fingering the carved handle of the alebowl, she had never minded embracing the wooden figure, because it was just that. The thought of coupling with a real man was another matter. Guilt at betraying Johannes, and a lifetimes sermons on the evils of adultery tugged at her mind. 'I am sorry,' Kala said, 'but know I know you to be a man, I cannot but think of my marriage.'
'The man nodded 'I understand, but your husband is well aware of the price for my blessing on his farm, he would have no objection.'
''But how can I be sure?' asked Kala.
'One of the elves came forward, it was Hans. 'You have heard of the spring ale from Inger, and Inger told you all she knew, all that had been passed to her from Marie the housewife before her. But what you have not heard is what is passed from father to son. I told Johannes, that to keep the harvest god's blessing he would have to surrender his wife to the god one day in every year, and on that one day he would have no claim over her as her husband.' He clasped Kala about the waist and added 'You are free of your marriage on this day, for you are the harvest god's wife, and your family's wealth lies in your care.'
'Kala considered, and met the eyes of the naked man, 'First tell me' she asked 'what is your name.'
'He chuckled 'Those who seek my favours call me lord, but my wife can call me Ing.'
''Then I will give you your second gift, husband.' Kala stepped towards him and started to hitch up her skirts, but the god stopped her and traced a finger about the low neckline of her shift. He caressed her breasts through the thin fabric making her moan with desire, and then pulled her shift down off her shoulders and suckled hard at her nipples. Ing then brushed his hands up under her skirt and finding her woman hood moist drew her onto his sword-hard shaft, and caressed her breasts as she plunged down.
''And for this gift,' said the harvest god 'I will make your beasts and the women of your household fertile. Today your womb is the health and wealth of your folk, and my seed will be my blessing on you all.' Utterly spent in the pleasure of their love making, Kala lay still in the harvest god's embrace.
'Hmmm, an intriguing tale,' said Inger 'but how can we sure it is not the ravings of a woman who has known terrible pain?'
'I too did question the story in my mind' Anne replied 'though I had not the heart to admit that I doubted it to Kala, when she was so near to death. But I did go to the idol's glade, and collected a posy of the flowers that grow there and hid them in my handkerchief.
'As you know I went to the town square to be with Kala when she was taken to the burning. When they dragged her out to the wood stack, I dabbed at my eyes with the silk with its concealed flowers, hoping for some sign that Kala's story was true.
'To my delight I saw the elf folk dancing about the fire, clearly no one else could see or hear them. When the fire was lit they started a rapid whirling dance, as if they wanted the fire to burn faster and so it did. And then I saw the harvest god pull Kala out of the flames, and she too was elven, her hair all silver and she wore a new green gown hung with bells.
'Did you see Hans?' asked Inger eagerly.
Yes, he was there.'
.....…
Five years passed and neighbour Elsie's relentless accusations drove the witch-finders again and again to Johannes's farm. One by one Marie saw her family dragged one by one to the burning, old Inger, kind aunt Anne and even Johannes himself were accused and despatched to God's mercy. Marie herself was overlooked, considered too young to warrant Elsie's scorn, and left to run the empty farmhouse as best she could.
When the lambing time came, Marie put on her best clothes, filled the ale bowl, and set off to the oak wood. The spring ale had always been offered by the young housewife on the farm, Marie was not even married, but as there was no one else to take the gift, she didn't think it would matter.
Desperate to see her lost family Marie lost no time in tearing up the glade's flowers and rubbing the juice on her eyes. At once the glade was filled with whirling dancers, Hans and Inger, Johannes and Kala, and kindly Anne, came forward to led her into the dance. With tears of joy streaming down her cheeks Marie whispered 'I never want to leave.'
And as Marie spun and twirled among the other dancers, her hair fell lose and changed to shimmering silver, her tight heavy clothes became the flowing green and gold robes of the elf folk Below the oak tree the harvest god nodded his head, the circle was complete.
(This tale is modern fiction however many of the elements of story are historical.
Witch hunting was very popular in Denmark in the seventeenth century, England's James I witnessed Danish witch trails and decided to follow the trend. It is now recognised that very few of the 'witches' were guilty of worshipping the devil, most being social outcasts, country healers and midwives. Pagans would also have been few and far between, and even the fictional Kala in this tale is a regular churchgoer. I have not dwelled on the methods of interrogation, so suffice it to say that they were sufficiently painful for the poor victims to confess to anything and everything.
Frey's preistesses were known by the title of Frey's wife. The worship of Frey or Ing is known to have involved considerable ithyphallic imagery (large pensis!). Very little information about his religion survives, probably because it shocked the Christian's who recorded what we know of the pagan traditions in Scandinavia. Complaints of extremely bawdy pagan songs suggest that Frey's worshippers called a spade a spade. There is no evidence for priestesses pleasuring themselves on idols or other phallic symbols, but in the diverse and varied culture that was ancient heathenry it almost certainly happened somewhere!
Frey has strong links to the elfs. He is said to have been given Alfheim as a toothgift. The stories of elves living underground are very similar to the saga tradition of the ancestors hill, hence the suggestion in this story that both traditions overlap.)