Helhest
Description
Three-legged pale horse associated with death and the goddess Hel. Its appearance near a village signals plague. Those who glimpse it through the mist are marked for death
The Legend
In Danish folklore, Helhest (Helhest) is a three-legged horse associated with Hel (Hel) and linked to death and disease. Helhest is said to have been sighted in various locations in Denmark, and in the 19th century, the expression 'to walk like Helhest' was recorded. This refers to a person who walks making a loud noise. According to Jacob Grimm, Helhest is described as 'wandering around the graveyard on three legs, causing death.' Additionally, in the Schleswig region, there is a saying that 'Hel rides the three-legged horse and destroys people' when a plague strikes.
In Popular Culture
19th-century scholar Benjamin Thorpe connected the Danish expression 'he made death a nuisance' with Helhest. This refers to the time when an individual recovers from a nearly fatal illness, and the nuisance can be interpreted as a sacrifice or bribe to Helhest. Furthermore, it is said that Helhest occasionally appears in the courtyard of Aarhus Cathedral, and there is a story of a man who saw Helhest through a cathedral window. He became pale after looking out the window and did not speak of what he saw, soon falling ill and dying. In Roskilde Cathedral, it was said that people used to spit on a narrow stone where Helhest was believed to be buried.
This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Helhest" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia
Abilities
- 역병