Ellen of Villenskov and Other Ballads   By: Thomas James Wise (1859-1937)

BY GEORGE BORROW

LONDON: PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION 1913

ELLEN OF VILLENSKOV.

There lies a wold in Vester Haf, There builds a boor his hold; And thither he carries hawk and hound, He’ll stay through winter’s cold.

He takes with him both hound and cock, He means there long to stay; The wild deer in the wood that are For his arrival pay.

He hews the oak and poplar tall, He fells the good beech tree; Then fill’d was the laidly Trold with spite That he should make so free.

He hews him posts, he hews him balks, He early toils and late; Out spake the Trolds within the hill: “Who knocks at such a rate?”

Then up and spake the youngest Trold, As emmet small to view: “O here is come a Christian man, But verily he shall rue.”

Upstood the smallest of the Trolds, And round he roll’d his eyes: “O we will hie to the yeoman’s house, And o’er him hold assize.

“He hews away our sheltering wood, Meanwhile shall we be tame? No! I from him his wife will take, And make him suffer shame.”

All the Trolds in the hill that were Wild for the fray upbound; They hie away to the yeoman’s house, Their tails all curling round.

Seven and a hundred were the Trolds, Their laidliness was great; To the yeoman’s house they’ll go as guests, With him to drink and eat.

The hound is yelling in the yard, The herdsman blows his horn; Crows the cock and clucks the hen As the yeoman throws them corn.

Of Villenskov the yeoman saw The Trolds the window through: “Now help me Jesu, Mary’s son, Those trolds have me in view.”

He sign’d the cross in every nook, But mostly in his room; Some of the Trolds in fright thereat Flew to the forest’s gloom.

Some flew east, and some flew west, And some flew north away; And others flew to the valleys deep, Where still, I trow, they stay.

But ah! the smallest of the Trolds Bold enter’d at the door; For crossing he refus’d to flee, Was bent on mischief sore.

The housewife thought of a good device, She plac’d him at the board, And before him set both ale and meat, With many a courteous word.

“Hear, husbandman of Villenskov, Attend to what I say; Who has to thee permission given To build where I have sway?

“Since thou to build within my bounds Hast ta’en the liberty, Thou shalt to me thy housewife give, For I with her will lie.”

Then answer made the hapless man, As God gave him the thought: “Thou shalt not Ellen get from me, Like her I value nought.”

He answer made unto the Trold: “Let but my wife alone, And do thou take my money and goods, And keep them for thy own.”

“Then I will Ellen take, and thee, And tread ye both to gore; And I will take thy silver and gold And hide it ’neath my floor.”

The yeoman and his household all Were seized with mighty fright: “Better that one of us be lost Than all destroy’d outright.”

Then up and stood the desp’rate man, With sore affliction rife; And he has given his Ellen dear To the young Trold for wife.

Then wax’d he glad, and sprang about, So fondly her he pressed; O then how pale her cheeks became, She was so sore distrest!

Then out and spake the afflicted Dame Whilst shedding many a tear: “O God in mercy look on me, My fate is hard to bear.

“I did possess as fair a man As ever walk’d on mead, But now perforce with laidly Trold Must do adulterous deed.”