Sylt, the largest and strangest of the islands of North Friesland, was fortunate enough to have a Grimm. I know little of Hansen's history, and know not where to trace it. He was schoolmaster at Keitum, a pretty village with the unusual attraction in these islands of a good many trees. He lived to be a very old man, and he married three wives in succession. His widow, a very old but most intelligent woman, told me the history of all his marriages, and of the fate of his kindred. Great were his opportunities, for he was the one scholar of the island; but great too were his merits, for but for his zeal and enthusiasm, doubtless the great portion of the curios discovered from time to time in the island would have been destroyed or lost. Most interesting to students were his literary labours. A born Sylter, he had heard as a boy the stories he re-told as an old man; he knew personally the traditional locality of every legend, and he had literary art in a considerable degree. From his books I, therefore, borrow considerably, premising but this, that Hansen had one superlative merit for a collector of folklore: he had no comparative knowledge. Save for Arnkiel's Danish book, he seems to have had no works on customs or superstitions in his library; we may, therefore, take with special confidence his tales as being pure water from the fountain. One vice, also, he notably has: not one of his books has an index, and the tables of contents are of the most meagre and unsatisfactory kind.

History knows comparatively little of the North Frisian islands. Local tradition says that they and the marshy fen-land were almost depopulated at the time of the invasion of Britain, and that the Danes, and especially the Jutes, came in and possessed the marsh land, while the islands received from West Friesland colonies of men of the same race as those who had emigrated—not Danes. Undoubtedly the contests between the islanders and the people of the marshy mainland extend back to a very remote time. Only one chief, as has been above observed, governed Friesland proper and its islands as one kingdom, viz., Radbod, who was defeated by Charles Martel in the first contest between the heathen of the north and the chivalry of central Europe. He had his chief residence in Heligoland, and was almost converted by St. Willibrord, not quite, for it is of this Radbod that the tale is told that in the midst of the baptism ceremony he stopped the priest and left the water, because, said he, “I do not care to forfeit the fellowship of my forefathers in hell, only to sit with a little flock in heaven." (Vita Bonif. Pertz 2, 221. Grimm, D. M. (Stallybrass) iv. 1280.)

When Radbod died, his kingdom fell to pieces and was never

re-united. The island Frisians were left very much to themselvesa condition of things they have always immensely enjoyed. From time to time Denmark swooped down on the people, and exacted tribute and sailors. After the peace of Nottingham in 868, for instance, we hear of an expedition of Frisians and South Jutlanders whose ships were collected at the Rust, a Sylt harbour down to 1644, now a sandbank near List. There they were joined by their masters the Danes, who were on a pillaging expedition into East Anglia. It was a highly successful incursion from a plundering point of view, and it was when in flight from the invaders that King Edmond lost his life. The Sylt chronicler throws a picturesque light on his fall, by mention of an incident, which I do not remember to have read of elsewhere, telling how the king, hotly pursued, hid under a bridge as the Danes pressed after him. He might have escaped, for it was night, but a moon-gleam on his spurs betrayed him. He was seized and put to death.

For full a thousand years after this the Danes continued to press the Frisians into their service-service most grudgingly rendered. There is some excuse for the Frisians' lack of all feudal spirit. Owing to the unhappy custom which obtained in Denmark of creating from time to time tributary states in Schleswick or Holstein with the Frisian islands included, whose ruler the king afterwards found himself bound to defeat, and whose lands he reclaimed, it was often difficult to say, in the midst of incessant civil war, who was the liege lord of the island Frisians. In 1628, for instance, the islands belonged to Schleswick-Holstein; Denmark and Germany were at war with each other, and a large troop of German soldiers landed in Sylt. The Sylters, trying for once to understand politics, thought their duke-half Dane that he was-however he might quarrel with the king at Copenhagen, would be on his side against the Emperor's troops, and promptly took the visitors into custody. As it turned out, the Sylters were quite in error, for on this occasion the duke was on the Emperor's side, and this little accident rather upset their friendly relations. In 1673 they had another odd thing to understand. The Danish King ordered the men of Sylt and Föhr to serve in the royal navy. The Duke of Holstein, not to be outdone, at once required their services as militia on the mainland. It was a charming situation, and the obvious course of obeying neither command was cheerfully followed. Ultimately the duke, on condition of payment of a new tax, remitted the military service; but the king sent a pressgang to get his sailors. One of the usual miserable internecine wars followed, by which Denmark has suffered for her sins of governments

more severely than any other country, and the Frisians were pillaged by both sides. As time passed on, however, the islanders became sincerely attached to Denmark. King Christian VI., in 1735, abolished the compulsory service; King Christian VIII. visited Föhr every year for sea-bathing, and was very popular indeed. So much so, that when in 1850 the young men of that island and of Sylt were invited to serve as volunteers in the Schleswig-Holstein navy against Denmark, not one from Föhr would go, and less than twenty from Sylt. Within five years of Prussia's acquisition of the Duchies (what other polite word for that act can one use?) 345 persons emigrated from Föhr rather than serve the Prussians. Perhaps the whirligig of time may bring its revenge! Before treating of the legends, it is perhaps as well that some idea of the people among whom they are found, and some historical summary, however rapid, should be given. Their annals are like the annals of other peoples, with deeds of valour and adventure, and of shame and treachery. During the last two or three centuries the island Frisians have been a peculiarly adventurous people; they were in the first rank as Greenland fishers, and as adventurers they were found in Barbary. But wherever they went to live, they came home to Sylt to die. The people have a sterile and inhospitable shore, but so industrious are they at home and abroad, that there is scarce any poverty in Sylt. This, too, is true of Heligoland, not so much that the Heligolanders have hoards, like the Sylt investments in the Danish funds, but that all are comfortable, and all are proud. If his wishes are modest, his life simple, his temptations to expense few, the Heligolander knows that poverty in the sense of actual want need little be dreaded, and any lonely old person is well looked after, for his wants, too, are few, and half the island are his kindred.

Take the island Frisians as a whole, the men are finely-built, straight-nosed, sea-tanned folk; the women are in early youth pretty, but are all small, and have much hard work; they marry early; they have excellent education for their children, and in their leisure hours they have a store of legends and folklore, rich indeed, of which I can now give but a gleaning the most meagre.

The traditions of the island have not all been equally well preserved. Heligoland has of the whole group the least traces of folk tales. This is partly explained by its small population, rapidly influenced by the education insisted upon by the English Government. But undoubtedly the customs and folklore of the island, such as they are, have never yet found a capable collector. Oetker, who has written much the best German book on the island, though it is now thirty years old,

resided one winter on the island, and collected much valuable inforınation. I confess, however, to doubt as to his accuracy in all respects, as the Heligolanders, like many other people, will follow your lead in conversation if they think you will like it. Oetker, for example, gives "vier" as the Heligolander's numeral "four"; no doubt he was told so, but the word the people always use is "steué" (I spell it phonetically, as I have never seen the word in print), and even had he heard it I doubt if he would have reproduced the pronunciation, for I have been told by my boatman that a German who learns the rd always says "stooé." It is a slow and difficult thing to pick elm people's folklore, unless you are one of their race and constantly deng them. "Even then, it is a common experience of collecto, out Bays truly the ex

was

One

cellent and very useful hand-book of folk: inordiPublished by the Folklore Society, "that persons who may realed ho'rimming over with the most curious and interesting tales will r ntly deny that they know any; and it is difficult to overcome thut as b ictance to tell them even after long periods of friendly intimacyas adience and geniality are the only means, unless the collector Pn, and also the most potent key of all, the ability himself to tell tales ind thange the metaphor, if hat the others will not he can once set the ball rolling, the proba! "By allow it to stop. Nothing is more contas a hay han tale-telling among those who can tell tales." I had a marthen wtance of this recently in Heligoland. Knowing the people ind, canny pretty well by frequent visits, I have endeavoured more that flat w to get them to tell me something of their folklore, not ofar of ith much success. night, however, walking with a youngeck t/golander I got unexpected information on many points by tellinrved about the Beltane fires in Scotland. "But we have those fired Bo" he said, "only they are on Sylvesterabend;" that is the day bhile the New Year, which corresponds with Old Christmastide, klet, me of the winter solstice; he showed me the place on the cliffs vbranc the fire was lit, and told me how he and other lads had played ar) camped about it, according, as he said, "to our ancient custom." it. (ng along we came to the Flagenberg, a mound on the Oberlar, and here I remarked, following Oetker, "But I thought the witches dahere here on Christmas Eve." "Oh no," was his reply, "they only dann in ere on the first of May, so the old people say, but I have beene with on the first of May and have seen none," and so on. Thus it is dist the little book above referred to says, that the best collecting is that ravejch is done by accident, by living among the people, and gathering till one sayings and stories they let fall from time to time. But this isd in very slow process for one who, be he German or English, cannaris peak the Frisian language fluently. Sylt,

VOL. CCLXXIV. NO. 19

M M

more severely than any other country, and th by both sides. As time passed on, howeve sincerely attached to Denmark. King C abolished the compulsory service; King Föhr every year for sea-bathing, and was ve much so, that when in 1850 the young m Sylt were invited to serve as volunteers in navy against Denmark, not one from Föhr twenty from Sylt. Within five years of Pr

Duchies (what other polite word for that persons emigrated from Föhr rather tha Perhaps the whirligig of time may bring its re of the legends, it is perhaps as well that among whom they are found, and some hist‹ rapid, should be given. Their annals are peoples, with deeds of valour and advent treachery. During the last two or three cer have been a peculiarly adventurous peopl rank as Greenland fishers, and as adventi Barbary. But w r they went to live, e a sterile and in

to die. The peop industrious are they a poverty in Sylt.

This,

.67

the Heligolanders haves

Danish funds, but that al

wishes are modest, his life

me and abroad, is true of Hel ards, like the comfortable, aple, his tem

dr

the Heligolander knows thaчm

little be dreaded, and any l' his wants, too, are few, and

se

элач

verty in the

old persor.

ǝhe island

Take the island Frisians straight-nosed, sea-tanned folk pa

પ્

ри

'pu

whole, t

women

but are all small, and have much hardv they have excellent education for their chil hours they have a store of legends and which I can now give but a gleaning the m

The traditions of the island have not all be Heligoland has of the whole group the least is partly explained by its small population, education insisted upon by the English Gove the customs and folklore of the island, such yet found a capable collector. Oetker, wh best German book on the island, though i