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Gnintemorio. In the north country, near a farm called Keta, stands a high and steep rock, named Grimaborg. It is said that, in this wild castle, elves have dwelt for many ages, and that their chief has always been called Grimur. Certain old folk, not long dead, used to declare that in their time, four elves dwelt in the Grimsborg, two men and two women, and that of these each pair went in turn to church at gets, when there was worship, leaving the others at home. It happened that a bad season, for a long time prevailing, cut off from the inhabitants of that district their supply of food, and drove them into the very jaws of death. Once, during the famine, the farmer of gets, chancing to pass the Elf-castle, bethought him of what hope might lie in an appeal to the good-will of the chief elf and going close to the foot of the Borg, said in a loud voice: "Rich Grimm of the castle, hear our sorrow! And, of your pity, ere shall dawn tomorrow, Cast up beneath the rocks, upon the shore, A mighty whale, that we may starve no more." Then he waited to hear if there should be any answer to these words. Ina few minutes a voice came from the Elf-castle: "Whale, come to land! Lie stretched upon the sand In death, that those who fear to die From famine, find salvation nigh.. As soon as he heard these words, the farmer returned home joyfully, knowing that the days of the famine were ended, shine the elves vouchsafed their help. And neat morning, going with a large band of men down to the beach, what should he see lying dead upon the rocks, but a fine whale, which had been driven up by the surf in the night! So ended the famine of Nets, for before the people had finished the flesh of the whale, the season changed and good days came back again. 54.8 Last Man Out In ancient times there was a school somewhere in the world called the Black School. There people learned witchcraft and various kinds of magic. The school had been set up in a building made of earth and stone. There were no windows, and it was always pitch black inside. There were no teachers, either, and the students learned from books written with fiery red letters that could be read in the dark. The students were not allowed to go outside or see daylight as long as they were there, and they had to stay from three to seven years to finish their studies. Each day a fur-covered gray hand reached through the wall and gave them their food. It was agreed that each year he who ran the school would receive the last graduate to leave the building. And because the students knew it was the Devil who ran the school, they all wanted to avoid being the last one to leave. Once there were three Icelanders at the Black School, Swinundur the Learned, Kalfur Arnason, and Halfdan Eldjarnsson, who later became a minister in Fell in the district of Slettuh118. They were all to graduate at the same time, and Sxmundur volunteered to be the last one out of the building. The others were very pleased with this. The Devil 287 Sxmundur threw a long coat over his shoulders, leaving the sleeves dangling and the buttons unfastened. A ladder had been set up for the students to leave the school. When Swmundur was climbing the ladder, the Devil grabbed his coat, and said: "You're mine!" But Swmundur threw off the coat and scampered out. The Devil was left holding an empty coat. But just then the iron door slammed shut so close behind Swmundur that his heel was injured. That is when he said: "That door slammed hard on my heels!" This has been used as a proverb ever since. And that is how Swmundur the Learned escaped from the Black School with his friends. Other people tell that when Swmundur the Learned climbed the ladder and reached the doorway of the Black School, the sun cast his shadow against the wall. Just when the Devil was about to take him, Swmundur said: "But I'm not the last one out! Can't you see the guy behind me?" The Devil grabbed`the shadow, mistaking it for the real person, Remundur escaped, and the door slammed on his heels. And from that time on, Swmundur went without his shadow because the Devil would never let him have it back. It was common that Scandinavian theologians-to-be studied in Germany. Often they were thought to acquire magical powers at the Black School supposedly located in Wittenberg. As the town where Martin Luther started the Reformation in 1521, it came to occupy a central position in popular tradition. Smmundur the Learned in fact studied in France during the eleventh century, but in legends he is identified with post-Reformation Wittenberg. The motif of the lost shadow is widespread in legends as well as in folktales and in literature. See B. S. Benedikz, "The Master Magician in Icelandic Folk Legend," Durham University Journal (1964), 22-34; Bieler, "Schat-ten," Handworterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens 9 (1938-41), columns 126-42. Legend type: ML 3000. Collected by Magnus Grimsson, a minister in Mosfell (Iceland). Printed in Jon Arnason, Islenzkar Noosegur og cefintyri 1 (1862), 490-91. Reprinted in new edition 1 (1954), 475-76. 288 The Devil 54.9 The Devil Took the Shape of a Fly Old Nick had it in for Sxmundur the Learned because it seemed that the minister always got the better of him. He tried every way he knew to avenge himself, but nothing worked. Once, he turned himself into a small fly and hid under the skin on the milk in a wooden tub of Swmundur's, planning to sneak up on the minister and kill him. But when Sxmundur picked up the tub, he saw the fly, wrapped the skin of milk around it, packed everything into a caul, and put the whole bundle on the alter. There the fly had to cool his heels while Swmundur recited the next scheduled office. When it was over, the minister opened the bundle and let Old Nick loose. People say Old Nick thought he had never gotten into a worse pinch than when he lay on the altar while Sxmundur held mass. The belief in the Devil's ability to change shape at will is well documented in European folk tradition. Collected by Magnus Grimsson, minister at Mosfell from Hel-gi Helgason, printer in Reykjavik (Iceland). Printed in Jon Amason, Islenzkar koosogur og tefintfri 1 (1862), 495. Reprinted in new edition 1 (1954), 480-81. 55.15 The Church at Ketilvellir Bishop Gissur, second bishop of Skalholt, built a church at Ketil-vellir in the district of Laugardalur, which is in ArnessS7sla. There it stood for a long time. Traces of the churchyard can still be seen there today. Later the church was moved to Mi6dalur, where it has been ever since. The people from Laugardalur tell this story: To the east of Mi6dalur lies a canyon with dark clefts reaching up into the mountainside. In a cave in one of the clefts, there lived an ogress who every Christmas carried off the best man in Laugardalur. The people of Laugardalur talked to the Bishop at Skalholt, who counseled them to move their church as close to the canyon as possible and to ring the church bells every Christmas. This was done and the ogress fled the canyon. Some people say that the ogress moved north to a place called Klukkuskar). Bells were brought into the ravine, and the ogress was also driven from there by the ringing. That is how the ravine got its name. It lies on the road running north from Laugardalur to Skjold-brei8ur. (Cf. nos. 55.13 and 55.14). The motif of annual human sacrifice to an ogre is well known both in classical literature and in folktale tradition. Cp. AT type 300. See Stith Thompson, The Folktale (1946), 24-33. Collected in 1847 by Magnus Grimsson, minister at Mosfell from schoolboys from Southern Iceland. Printed in Jon Arnason, Islenzkar kfii6sogur og cefintiri 1 (1862), 151. Reprinted in new edition 1 (1954), 145. 55.17 The Troll Who Was Turned to Stone Two men were riding south over the Kerlingarskar6. One was named Olafur, but nobody can remember the name of the other man. On the pass they met a troll woman who said: Olafur the Mouth, are you heading south? Things will work out well. But I predict, poor crooked jaw, you'll leave without a straw. Then Olafur answered: "Look to the east, there's a man riding on a white horse! The troll woman looked, but just then, the first rays of dawn ap- peared, and she was turned to stone. (Cf. no. 59.1.) In Snorri's Edda (thirteenth century), the sun is described as a horse called Skinfaxi ("Shining Mane"), whose mane illuminates the universe. Collected by Jon Nor 6mann from Bar6ur in FljOtar (Iceland). Printed in Jon Arnason, Islenzkar pjobsogur og cefintfri 1 (1862), 159. Reprinted in new edition 1 (1954), 156.