Meet the Middle Ages
BackLegends
A legend is a story which is partially true. It explains a supernatural or strange event. In a fairy-tale, the supernatural is self-evident, whilst the legend explains the supernatural. A legend is much shorter than a fairy-tale. It tells us about one specific event and leaves out unnecessary details. The event often takes place somewhere nearby, for example on a cliff or a lake or in a well-known house. This gives credibility to the story. Often, one can hear more or less the same legend in many parts of the country.
Things which were inexplicable, where often explained by a story about how someone did something stupid, or made a mistake. This is how the island of Visingsö in Lake Vättern was created:
"Once upon a time a giant husband and his wife were invited to their relatives in Västergötland. Since the wife was pregnant, she was not able to take the long step across Lake Vättern. Her husband then dug up a piece of land and threw it into the middle of the lake, so that his wife could step on it. This piece of land became Visingsö."
This is a legend from Skärstad on Lake Vättern.