About a life devoted to the love for Folklore, Mythology, Legends and.....Art

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Tell me a story; Die Sechs Steine

Finally I have some time to update my blog! Due to some problems I had with mail-deliveries (which caused an email explosion from "unhappy"customers) and some technical problems with my computer I just did not have any time to write new posts for quite some time.

But enough about that! Let's continue with the Tell me a story project, which is slowly coming to its final stages. Yes, there are only a few more stories to go before the book will be put together and published.

So, enjoy reading the following tale!


(Please, click picture for bigger and better view)

Story Title: Die Sechs Steine (The Six Stones)
Submitted by: Julia Hecker
Country: Germany

'The Six Stones' are placed in my hometown Ilberstedt. They are the remains of medieval stone crosses. Nobody can tell why they are there. Maybe they are the remains of a cemetery. The oldest cross is from the 13th century. At the cross is an inscription saying: Jacobi Albrecht Weller Famulus 1363.

In front of these Six Stones is a huge stone tablet. There is a rhyme on it that describes the legend. The stone crosses are supposed to represent four bandits, one butcher and his dog. The bandits attacked the butcher at this place and the dog killed the bandits. By mistake the dog killed his owner the butcher too. The sorrow and sadness, resulting from killing the butcher incidentally killed the dog a few days later.


This is the rhyme:


'Ein Fleischer kommt hier von der Stadt,
einen grossen Hund er bei sich hat.
Von Räubern ward er angefallen,
doch bracht der Hund den Tod Ihnen allen.
Dann ach, er kennt nicht mehr den Herrn
Erwürgt auch ihn von hier nicht fern.
Alsdann legt er sich zu ihm hin,
Nicht kommt ihm Nahrung in den Sinn.
Vier Räuber, Fleischer und der Hund,
macht dir die Zahl der Steine kund
und will du meinem Wort nicht trauen

So lies, du kannst es an den Steinen schauen.'

(translation)

'A butcher came to here from town,
a big dog he had at his side.

By robbers he was attacked,
but it was the dog who brought death to all.
Alas, he did not recognize his master

and kills him as well, not far from here.

Then he lies himself before him,

A craving for food never again on his mind

Four robbers, a butcher and his hound,

judge yourself from the number of headstones

And if you will not trust my word,

read the inscription and you will know.'

A picture of the six stones can be found here.



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