The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Bexhövede 1

Chambered Tomb

Folklore

taken from Eberhard Michael Iba, Hake Betken siene Duven, Das große Sagenbuch von Elb- und Wesermündung 1999

The dwarfs of Dünenfähr

The tomb Bexhövede 1 and two nearby barrows at Dünenfähr were inhabited by dwarfs. In general they were kindly and also known to be skilled blacksmithes. When farmers placed there broken agricultural equipment beside one of the barrows it often was repaired the next morning. But they often used metal for repair, which they stole from the farmers. They particularly liked to lurk along a path that led past their homes and stole the axle nails from passing horse and carriage.It was reported that the dwarfs were even able to remove the linchpins of carriages driving by on the track leading along the barrows.

One day a servant came with his horse cart along the track and let his whip crack. Then suddenly a dwarf became visible, for the servant had torn his cap off with his whip-bang.
The dwarf approached the farm servant: Return me my hat!
But the servant responded: I will not return your hat until you refund all the stolen linchpins!
The dwarf answered: The linchpins are all already melted-down, we cannot return them. But I promise you an adequate reward on your way home, if you return me my hat anyway!

The servant then returned the hat, but found only a dead horse on the way back. He first thought the dwarfs had tricked him, but then cut a piece of meat out of the carcass as dog food. When he reached the farm, he suddenly realized that the meat had turned to pure gold. He immediately returned to the place where the horse had lain, but this had disappeared without a trace.
Nucleus Posted by Nucleus
7th December 2019ce
Edited 7th December 2019ce

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