79. Manddottera

Moe, Moltke, Unpublished Collection. Christiania. (From Bo, Thelemarken.)

"MANDDOTTERA."

ABSTRACT

Ill-treated heroine (by step-mother)--Pig-sty abode-- --Hill woman aid--Magic dresses--Heroine rides in magic baskets-- Meeting-place (church)--Threefold flight---Lost shoe--Shoe marriage test--Bride pushed into lake by step-sister--Mutilated foot--False bride--Animal witness (bird)-[The tale passes into that of "Bushy-Bride". Heroine appears three Thursday nights at castle; is saved third time by prince.--Happy marriage.]

TABULATION

(1) Stepmother makes husband's daughter live in the pigstye. Her own daughter goes to church.-- (2) Heroine, left behind, goes and sits on a hill and weeps. An old wife [1] steps out of hill and asks why. "I'm not allowed to go to church. My sister may go." Old woman brings her a basket and a silk dress. She is to don the latter, then sit in the basket and say:

"Darkness behind me, and light on my way;
Carry me quickly to church to-day!"

When she wishes to return she must say:

"Darkness behind me, light on my way,
Carry me, carry me home to-day!"

(3) Next Sunday heroine gets a silver dress and a silver basket, and on the third Sunday a gold dress and a gold basket.-- (4) But that day prince manages to get hold of her shoe, and heroine returns in tears to old woman. "Don't cry I shall contrive that nobody you expect will be able to wear the shoe."-- (5) King's son at last finds heroine, and promises to marry her. She is to follow later to the castle.-- (6) On the road they pass a little lake wherein bride wants to behold her face. Stepsister pushes her in; cuts her own heel and toe to get on the shoe, and puts on bride's dress. When she arrives at the castle a bird sings thrice:

"Cut off heel and cut off toe;
The bride treads blood in the golden shoe!"

Then the prince tears off her shoes and stockings and turns her out.

[The tale passes into that of "Buskebrud". Heroine appears three Thursday nights in the castle, and is saved the third time by the prince.]