people in the old Norse saga return home at night in their wet garments, seat themselves by the fire, and turn their spinning-wheels. Eyerbiggia Sage, pp. 274, 276.
136.—Iron John.
From a story current in the district of the Maine, and No. 17, in Arnim's Märchen. In our earlier editions it is called The Wild Man, and is from a tradition current in the province of Münster. Here we have a genuine male Aschenputtel, of whom mention has been already made in No. 21. His wretched smock-frock which makes him like Allerleirauh (No. 65), have to sleep alone, and even the menial kitchen-work appears, and in the same way after living most royally, he secretly resumes his former mode of existence, and can only be recognized by an external mark. In Austria there is a story of a certain Stiefelstoss, who is transformed into a bear, and lies under the stairs. Everyone who enters the house kicks him; steps on him, and cleans his boots on his hide. According to the Jewish saga (Majer, Mythol. Wörterb. 1. 119, 120), Aschmadai is by a stratagem, chained fast, just as the wild man is here. In German we find the story in the collection made by Vulpius; in Müllenhoff, No. 12; in Wolf's Hausmärchen, p. 269, in Sommer, pp. 86, 133, 135; in Zingerle, Nos. 28 and 33, p. 198. In Norwegian see Asbjörnsen, p. 74. In Danish, Winther, p. 31. In Italian, see Straparola, 5, 1. In Russian, see Dieterich, No. 4. In Bohemian, Milenowski, No. 6. A story which is startlingly like ours is told of the renowned Norwegian King, Harald Harfager. It is not in Snorri, but in the Flatöbuch. In his father's court a Jote was kept imprisoned, because he wanted to steal the king's treasure. Harold, then a child of five, set him free; in return for which the Jote took him away, and brought him up until he was in his fifteenth year (P. E. Müller, Ueber Snorris Quellen, p. 13). The story may have an ancient basis, and tell of a higher and semi-divine being, who fell into the power of a spirit of the nether world, and had to do servile work until he once more regained his higher place. The shining golden hair points to this.
From the province of Münster. Magic, if disturbed during its development, or when it is coming to its appointed close, by the attack of something stronger, is followed by ruin or total annihilation. See note to The Donkey (No. 144). It likes to remain secret, and shuns light; for this reason the three are black, and gradually become white. Compare also the varying story of Our Lady's Child (No. 3). It also shuns all discourse, and it is just the same when at the raising of a treasure, the first word which is uttered makes it sink seven times deeper than before.
