Herr Melker of Veckholm.[1](#xd32e2640)
by Herman Hofberg
](https://xmoj.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpustaka.org%2Flibrary-files%2Fenglish%2Fherman_hofberg%2Fswedish_fairy_tales%2Fherr_melker_of_veckholm_1_xd32e2640%2Fimages%2Fcover%2Fcover_001.png&w=800&h=1064&fit=cover&output=webp&q=80)
The Priest and the Prank
Once there was a kind priest. His name was Herr Melker. He liked to pray at night. He loved to pray. He felt peace there. Herr Melker was a kind man. He went to church at night. He prayed there quietly.
The Priest's Wife did not like this. She did not like his quiet time. She wanted him to stop. She thought it was not good. She did not understand him. She wanted him home.
She called Lasse. Lasse was a servant. Lasse worked for them. She had a plan. 'Lasse,' she said. 'Put on a white sheet. Stand in the dark. Scare Herr Melker.' Lasse would get a treat. He listened to her plan. He would scare the priest.
Lasse said yes. He put on the white sheet. He stood near the path. He waited for Herr Melker to come. He waited in the dark. He waited for a long time.
Herr Melker came from the church. He saw a big white shape. It stood in the dark. He thought it was a ghost. He was not scared. He was a brave priest. He said a special prayer. He prayed very hard. He said, 'Go into the ground!'
Lasse went down a little. He sank to his knees. He still played the trick. He thought it was a funny game. He thought it was fun. He kept playing the game.
Herr Melker prayed again. He said the special prayer again. The priest prayed loudly. Lasse sank more. He went down to his middle. Lasse sank very deep.
Lasse was very scared now. This was not a fun game. He was truly afraid. He did not like this game. He took off the white sheet. 'It is me, Herr Melker!' he cried. 'It is me!' He cried out loud.
Herr Melker was very sad. He spoke in a soft voice. He looked at Lasse. His voice was full of sorrow. 'Oh no, Lasse,' he said. 'It is too late now! It is too late!' He could not help Lasse.
Lasse went all the way down. He went deep into the earth. He was gone from sight. The ground closed up. He was not there anymore. He had disappeared. The ground covered him up. Lasse was truly gone.
People put a wooden cross there. The cross was made of wood. It stood tall and strong. It helped them remember. It helped them remember Lasse. It helped them remember the bad trick. Many people saw it there. They put a new one when it got old. The cross helps people remember. It tells them: Be kind. Do not play bad tricks. Bad tricks can make sad things happen. They learned a lesson from it.
Original Story
Herr Melker of Veckholm.[1](#xd32e2640)
In the parish of Veckholm, east of Svingarn Fjord, lived, in the fifteenth century, a priest widely known for his wisdom and goodness. No day went by that he did not read his Bible, and in the evening, when others had gone to rest, he went to the church to offer up his prayers at the altar.
His wife, who attended only to her worldly affairs, and did not look upon these nightly ramblings kindly, determined to put an end to them, and to this end, one evening, called into service one of the servants. “Lasse,” said she, “if you will put a white sheet over you and stand in the dark near the path and frighten father when he comes from the church, you shall have a pot of ale.”
The man had nothing against this, and with the assistance of his mistress, clad himself as directed and took a position near the path connecting the church and parsonage.
After a while the priest came from the church. Upon observing the spook, he read a prayer and bade the apparition sink into the ground.
The man sank into the ground to his knees without betraying himself, but continued to play the ghost. The priest prayed again, when Lasse sank into the ground to his waist.
“It is I! dear father! it is I!” cried Lasse, now in consternation.
“It is too late! too late, Lasse!” replied the priest, with a sorrowful voice. At the same time the servant sank alive into the earth out of sight.
To commemorate the incident, a wooden cross was raised on the spot, which is always replaced by a new one when the old one has become old and decayed.
---
[1](#xd32e2640src) Supplementing this story, it is related that the punishment meted out to the priest’s worldly-minded wife for seducing the servant into the attempt to frighten her husband from his devotions was that her body after death should remain in the grave undecayed.
The same story is told of a woman member of the old family of Ickorna, and the attempt has been made to establish that she is identical with the woman of Veckholm. [↑](#xd32e2640src "Return to note 1 in text.")
Moral of the Story
Do not interfere with a holy man's devotion, for divine judgment may be swift and severe.
Characters
Herr Melker ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, likely showing the signs of age and scholarly pursuits, perhaps a slight stoop from reading. His complexion would be fair, typical of a Swede from the 15th century.
Attire: Simple, dark, and practical clerical attire of the 15th century Swedish church. This would include a dark wool cassock, possibly with a white linen amice or alb visible at the neck, and sturdy leather shoes. No elaborate ornamentation, reflecting his devout nature.
Wants: To serve God through prayer and study, to live a life of spiritual devotion.
Flaw: Perhaps too absorbed in his spiritual duties, leading him to be somewhat detached from the worldly affairs of his household, or perhaps his faith is so absolute that he doesn't question the literal power of his prayers in a worldly context.
He remains steadfast in his faith and character throughout the brief narrative, acting as a catalyst for Lasse's fate rather than undergoing a personal transformation.
Wise, good, devout, sorrowful (when Lasse sinks), firm in his faith, unyielding to worldly distractions.
Herr Melker's Wife ⚔ antagonist
A woman of the 15th century, likely of a sturdy build, reflecting her focus on managing household affairs. Her complexion would be fair, typical of a Swedish woman.
Attire: Practical, yet well-maintained clothing suitable for a priest's wife in 15th century Sweden. This would include a long, dark wool kirtle or gown, possibly with a contrasting apron of linen or wool, and a white linen coif or wimple covering her hair. Her attire would be modest but not necessarily plain, reflecting her 'worldly affairs'.
Wants: To stop her husband's nightly church visits, which she views as an unnecessary distraction from worldly affairs.
Flaw: Her 'worldly-mindedness' and lack of spiritual understanding, which leads her to interfere with sacred matters and ultimately results in her posthumous punishment.
Her actions set the plot in motion, but she does not appear to change within the main narrative. The supplementary note reveals her posthumous punishment, indicating a lack of repentance.
Worldly-minded, determined, manipulative, impatient with spiritual devotion, pragmatic.
Lasse ◆ supporting
A young man of average height and build, likely lean from physical labor as a servant. His complexion would be fair, typical of a Swedish peasant.
Attire: Simple, functional peasant clothing of 15th century Sweden. This would include a coarse linen tunic, wool breeches or hose, and sturdy leather boots or clogs. For the 'ghost' disguise, he wears a large, plain white linen sheet draped over his regular clothes.
Wants: To earn a pot of ale by following his mistress's instructions.
Flaw: His gullibility and desire for a simple reward, leading him to participate in a dangerous prank.
He transforms from a playful participant in a prank to a terrified victim, ultimately sinking into the earth and perishing.
Compliant, easily swayed (by the promise of ale), initially playful, then terrified, consternated.
Locations
Veckholm Parsonage
The home of Herr Melker, a priest, and his worldly wife, located in the parish of Veckholm, east of Svingarn Fjord. It is a domestic setting where the wife plots to deter her husband's nightly prayers.
Mood: Domestic, slightly tense, plotting.
The priest's wife devises the plan to frighten her husband, instructing the servant Lasse.
Path between Church and Parsonage
A dark, unlit path connecting the Veckholm church to the parsonage, where Lasse, disguised as a ghost, waits to ambush the priest. The ground is soft enough for him to sink into.
Mood: Eerie, tense, supernatural.
Lasse, disguised as a ghost, confronts the priest, and is subsequently made to sink into the earth by the priest's prayers.
Veckholm Church
The local church in Veckholm where Herr Melker goes nightly to pray at the altar. It is a place of solemn devotion.
Mood: Solemn, sacred, peaceful.
Herr Melker performs his nightly prayers, demonstrating his deep faith before returning home.
Story DNA
Moral
Do not interfere with a holy man's devotion, for divine judgment may be swift and severe.
Plot Summary
In 15th-century Veckholm, a pious priest, Herr Melker, regularly prays at night, much to his worldly wife's annoyance. She convinces their servant, Lasse, to dress as a ghost and frighten the priest. When the priest encounters the 'spook', he prays, causing Lasse to sink into the ground. Despite Lasse's terrified pleas after sinking to his waist, the priest declares it 'too late', and Lasse disappears completely into the earth. A wooden cross is erected on the spot to commemorate the tragic event, serving as a permanent warning.
Themes
Emotional Arc
calm to terror
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects a pre-Reformation or early Reformation era in Sweden, where the authority and spiritual power of priests were deeply respected, and supernatural beliefs were common. The emphasis on piety and the severe punishment for disrupting it highlights societal values of the time.
Plot Beats (12)
- Herr Melker, a wise and good priest in Veckholm, dedicates himself to nightly prayers at the church.
- His worldly wife disapproves of his nightly ramblings and decides to stop them.
- She enlists a servant, Lasse, offering him ale to dress in a white sheet and frighten her husband.
- Lasse agrees and positions himself on the path between the church and the parsonage.
- The priest emerges from the church, sees the 'spook', and recites a prayer, commanding it to sink into the ground.
- Lasse sinks to his knees but persists in the prank.
- The priest prays a second time, and Lasse sinks to his waist.
- Lasse, now terrified, reveals himself, crying, 'It is I! dear father! it is I!'
- The priest responds, 'It is too late! too late, Lasse!' with a sorrowful voice.
- Lasse sinks completely into the earth, disappearing from sight.
- A wooden cross is erected on the spot and is maintained through generations to mark the event.
- A supplementary note relates that the wife's punishment was to remain undecayed in her grave after death.
