Herr Mannelig
Herr Mannelig (also known as "Herr Mannerlig" and "Bergatrollets frieri [The Courting of the Mountain Troll]"[1]) is a medieval style Swedish ballad that tells the story of a female mountain troll who proposes marriage to a knight.
Plot
The troll is trying to convince Sir Mannelig (Swedish: Herr Mannelig) to marry her. She offers him many great gifts but he refuses her, because she is not a Christian woman but a troll (a Pagan creature). She is desperate about her failure, because winning Sir Mannelig would have "freed her of her torment" (presumably of a curse).
Lyrics
- Swedish[1]
- Bittida en morgon innan solen upprann
- Innan foglarna började sjunga
- Bergatrollet friade till fager ungersven
- Hon hade en falskeliger tunga
- Herr Mannelig herr Mannelig trolofven i mig
- För det jag bjuder så gärna
- I kunnen väl svara endast ja eller nej
- Om I viljen eller ej:
- Eder vill jag gifva de gångare tolf
- Som gå uti rosendelunde
- Aldrig har det varit någon sadel uppå dem
- Ej heller betsel uti munnen
- Eder vill jag gifva de qvarnarna tolf
- Som stå mellan Tillö och Ternö
- Stenarna de äro af rödaste gull
- Och hjulen silfverbeslagna
- Eder vill jag gifva ett förgyllande svärd
- Som klingar utaf femton guldringar
- Och strida huru I strida vill
- Stridsplatsen skolen I väl vinna
- Eder vill jag gifva en skjorta så ny
- Den bästa I lysten att slita
- Inte är hon sömnad av nål eller trå
- Men virkat av silket det hvita
- Sådana gåfvor toge jag väl emot
- Om du vore en kristelig qvinna
- Men nu så är du det värsta bergatroll
- Af Neckens och djävulens stämma
- Bergatrollet ut på dörren sprang
- Hon rister och jämrar sig svåra
- Hade jag fått den fager ungersven
- Så hade jag mistat min plåga
- Herr Mannelig herr Mannelig trolofven i mig
- För det jag bjuder så gärna
- I kunnen väl svara endast ja eller nej
- Om I viljen eller ej:
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- English
- Early one morning before the sun rose up
- Before the birds began to sing
- The mountain troll proposed to the handsome young man
- She had a false tongue
- Herr Mannelig, herr Mannelig, will you be betrothed to me?
- For that, I offer you gifts very gladly
- Surely you can answer but yes or no
- If you wish to or not
- To you I wish to give the twelve steeds
- That go in the grove of roses
- Never has there been any saddles upon them
- Nor bridles in their mouths
- To you I wish to give the twelve mills
- That stand between Tillö and Ternö
- The stones are made of the reddest gold
- And the wheels are silver-laden
- To you I wish to give a gilded sword
- With a blade of fifteen gold rings
- And battle how you will [well or badly]
- The battle you would surely win
- To you I wish to give a shirt so new
- The best you will want to wear
- It [literally: she] was not sewn by needle or thread
- But crocheted of white silk
- Such gifts I would surely accept
- If thou wert a Christian [or: pious] woman
- However, thou art the worst mountain troll
- The spawn of a Neck (water spirit) and the Devil
- The mountain troll ran out the door
- She shakes and wails hard
- Had I got the handsome young man
- I would have got rid of my plight
- Herr Mannelig, herr Mannelig, will you be betrothed to me?
- For that, I offer you gifts very gladly
- Surely you can answer but yes or no
- If you wish to or not
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Adaptations
The ballad has recently been performed and recorded by the following notable artists: In Extremo, Garmarna, Hedningarna (in Swedish), Haggard (in Italian), Heimataerde (in German), Chur and Litvintroll (in Belarusian), Cronica (in Polish).
References
External links