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 gerna
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 gerna
I kunnen väl svara endast ja eller nej
Om I viljen eller ej:|
English
Early one morning before the sun ran 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
That chimes of fifteen gold rings
And battle how you will
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
With the voice [or: society, origin] of Necken 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 torment
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

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) and Litvintroll (in Belarusian).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Haminson, A., ed. (1877). "Bergatrollets friari". Bidrag till Södermanlands äldre kulturhistoria [Contributions to Södermanland's older Cultural History] (in Swedish) I. Södermanland's Forminnesförening. pp. 21–23.

External links