Buried Alive.[1](#xd32e2266)
by Herman Hofberg · from Swedish fairy tales
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Adapted Version
Once, a bad sickness came to Dalland. Many people felt unwell. They felt very tired and weak. Some people left their homes. They went to other places. It was a very sad time for all.
An old, wise man came to Dalland. He told the people something. He said the sickness would not stop. Something special must go in ground.
The people listened to the old man. First, they found a little bird. They put the bird in the ground. But the bad sickness stayed. It did not go away.
Next, the people found a small goat. They put the small goat in the ground. But the sickness did not leave. It was still there. The people felt very sad.
A hungry boy came to the town. He had no home. People gave him nice bread and butter. They asked him to go to a hill. The boy was happy for the food. He went to the hill.
The People were on the hill. They dug a big, deep hole. The Little Boy sat near. He ate his bread and butter. He watched them dig.
The hole was very deep now. The People put the boy in the big hole. They quickly covered him with soft earth. They used their big tools. The boy was still eating.
The Little Boy was sad. He asked them not to cover his food. He liked his food so much. But the People moved fast. Soon, he was all covered up.
Did the sickness go away? Nobody knows for sure. But some people walk near the hill. They hear a soft, sad voice. It comes from the hill at night. The voice says, "All covered up! All covered up!"
Original Story
Buried Alive.1
Many years ago an epidemic swept over Dalland, to which thousands of persons fell victims. Many people fled to the forests, or to other regions; the churches were deserted, and those remaining were not enough to bury the dead. At this stage an old Finlander came along, who informed the few survivors that they need not hope for cessation of the scourge until they had buried some living thing.
The advice was followed. First a cock was buried alive, but the plague continued as violent as ever; next, a goat, but this also proved ineffectual. At last a poor boy, who frequented the neighborhood, begging, was lured to a wood-covered hill at the point where the river Daleborg empties into Lake Venem. Here a deep hole was dug, the boy meantime sitting near, enjoying a piece of bread and butter that had been given him. When the grave was deep enough the boy was dropped into it and the diggers began hurriedly to shovel the dirt upon him. The lad begged and prayed them not to throw dirt upon his bread and butter, but the spades flew faster, and in a few minutes, still alive, he was entirely covered and left to his fate.
Whether this stayed the plague is not known, but many who after night pass the hill, hear, it is said, a voice as if from a dying child, crying, “Buried alive! buried alive!”
1 As late as 1875 a farmer near Mariestad, during an epidemic among his cattle, buried alive a cow in the ground. Whether this cruel expedient was effective the author is not informed. ↑
Story DNA
Moral
null
Plot Summary
During a devastating epidemic in Dalland, an old Finlander advises the survivors to bury a living thing to stop the plague. After two animal sacrifices fail, a poor begging boy is lured to a remote hill, given food, and then dropped into a freshly dug grave. Despite his pleas, he is quickly buried alive. The story concludes with the uncertainty of whether the plague ceased, but a ghostly voice is said to emanate from the hill, forever crying, "Buried alive!"
Themes
Emotional Arc
desperation to horror
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects historical fears of epidemics and desperate, often cruel, folk remedies, as evidenced by the footnote about burying a cow alive in 1875.
Plot Beats (9)
- An epidemic devastates Dalland, leading to mass deaths and desertion.
- An old Finlander suggests burying a living thing to stop the plague.
- A cock is buried alive, but the plague persists.
- A goat is buried alive, but it also fails to stop the plague.
- A poor begging boy is enticed to a secluded hill with a piece of bread and butter.
- A deep grave is dug while the boy eats nearby.
- The boy is dropped into the grave, and dirt is rapidly shoveled over him.
- The boy pleads for his bread and butter not to be covered, but he is quickly buried alive.
- The story concludes without confirming if the plague stopped, but a ghostly cry of "Buried alive!" is reportedly heard from the hill.
Characters
The Old Finlander ◆ supporting
A man of advanced age, likely lean from years of travel and hardship. His features are weathered, suggesting a life spent outdoors. His height is average, and his build is wiry.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a traveler in a cold climate. Likely a thick, dark wool tunic or coat, possibly patched, over linen trousers. Worn leather boots and perhaps a fur-lined cap or hood.
Wants: To offer a solution to the plague, driven by ancient folk wisdom or superstition.
Flaw: His belief in cruel, superstitious remedies; lack of empathy for the victims of his advice.
He appears, offers his grim advice, and then disappears, his role solely to instigate the tragic event.
Mysterious, pragmatic, detached, traditional (believing in ancient remedies).
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly man with a lean, wiry build, average height, and deeply wrinkled, weathered fair skin. He has sharp, pale blue eyes and long, thin, unkempt white hair, possibly with a sparse white beard. He wears a thick, dark grey wool tunic, patched and worn, over simple brown linen trousers, and sturdy dark leather boots. He stands with a slight stoop but a steady posture, his expression serious and knowing. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Poor Boy ★ protagonist
A small, thin boy, likely undernourished from a life of begging. His frame is slight, and his movements might be quick and darting, typical of a street child.
Attire: Ragged, ill-fitting clothes made of coarse, patched linen or wool in muted, dirty colors. Likely a simple tunic and trousers, possibly barefoot or wearing worn, simple shoes.
Wants: Survival, and initially, the simple pleasure of a meal.
Flaw: His innocence and vulnerability, making him an easy target; his inability to defend himself.
From an innocent, hungry child enjoying a simple meal, he becomes a tragic victim, buried alive, his voice haunting the hill.
Innocent, trusting (initially), desperate, fearful, focused on simple pleasures (bread and butter).
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, thin boy, around 7-9 years old, with a slight build and fair, dirty skin. He has wide, innocent brown eyes and short, unkempt light brown hair. He wears ragged, patched grey linen trousers and a faded, torn brown linen tunic. He is barefoot. His expression is initially innocent, then shifts to desperate fear. He holds a piece of bread and butter in his small, dirty hands. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Diggers ⚔ antagonist
A group of men, likely of varying builds, but all showing signs of the hardship and desperation brought by the plague. Their faces are grim and determined.
Attire: Simple, practical, and likely dirty peasant clothing typical of 19th-century Dalland (Sweden). Coarse wool or linen shirts and trousers, possibly with vests or simple jackets. Worn boots. Colors are muted and earthy.
Wants: To end the plague at any cost, driven by fear and the advice of the Finlander.
Flaw: Their fear and desperation, which leads them to commit a horrific act; their susceptibility to superstition.
They commit the horrific act, driven by fear, and are left with the potential haunting of their deed.
Desperate, superstitious, cruel (out of desperation), pragmatic, unfeeling (towards the boy).
Image Prompt & Upload
A group of three adult men, of varying builds, with gaunt, desperate faces and unkempt dark hair and beards. They wear dirty, coarse brown linen shirts, dark grey wool trousers, and worn leather boots. They are hunched over, actively shoveling dirt with grim, determined expressions. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Plague-stricken Dalland Village
A desolate village in Dalland, likely Sweden, with deserted churches and few remaining inhabitants. The air is heavy with the presence of disease and death.
Mood: Desperate, somber, fearful, abandoned.
The initial setting where the epidemic rages and the desperate plan to bury a living thing is conceived.
Image Prompt & Upload
A desolate 19th-century Swedish village street, lined with simple, unpainted timber houses with red-tiled roofs, some windows boarded up. The ground is muddy and sparse, with a few leafless trees silhouetted against a grey, overcast sky. A chilling, still atmosphere hangs over the empty lanes, with no people visible. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Wood-covered Hill at Daleborg River Mouth
A specific, wood-covered hill where the Daleborg river empties into Lake Venem. A deep hole is dug here, serving as the grave for the boy.
Mood: Eerie, tragic, isolated, foreboding.
The climactic and tragic event where the boy is buried alive. Later, it becomes the site of his haunting cries.
Image Prompt & Upload
A somber, wood-covered hill in a 19th-century Swedish landscape, overlooking the confluence of a dark, flowing river (Daleborg) and a vast, still lake (Venem) under a heavy, overcast sky. The hill is sparsely covered with gnarled pine and birch trees, their branches bare or thinly leaved. In the foreground, a freshly dug, deep rectangular hole in the dark, damp earth, with piles of loose soil beside it. The ground is covered with fallen leaves and sparse, dry grass. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
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