Tales from the Flat Earth

The legend of Grenen

Tonight I will narrate you a story around the fire. Let the fiery dance rise up to the sky a column of smoke so that they know that we devote a tale to them. The story that I will tell concern the Cape of Skagen called Grenen as it was narrated to me by an old man one spring afternoon during a walk among the tall trees and the cool scent of wet grass in the forest of Århus.

There was a time that giants walked among the humans, high creatures of immense power known for their fearsome wars against the gods, but also for their magnificent marriage with some of them. Of all the giants, the clans of Hár were as tall as mountains and rumors were spread about tiny creatures that used to live on their body. These tribes left from Denmark many eons before now and that is why Denmark out of all the Scandinavian countries has not any impressively elevated land.

Long ago, before the day of Ragnarök in times now forgotten, the Jötunn had set foot on the world. And the world was in its third youth back then. Of giants the land was formed, of gods each life was born, of humans its discovery was sworn.

One day Áðr the Jötunn looked up at the bright sun and the day was beautiful, then he looked down at the sea and the day was calm. The next day three children were born in the village. Each in different time of the day and their names owed to be Elding for the older, Miðr for the middle and Sólbjǫrg for the younger.

The old man reminded me in that point that the time passes at a glimpse of an eye, a claim that I do not embrace though.

But Dawn, Midday and Sunset walk across the year day per day following a circular path. And one day after many, the time has come for Elding the Older, Miðr the Middle and Sólbjǫrg the Younger to set foot on the plain land of adulthood.

Áðr then sang. He took his drum and his voice tore the sky. "Follow the steps of them northwards where the black birds cannot find any tree to sit on. There you will find the two. Listen the chant of Fugl, but do not touch the sliver-skin Lax, otherwise you cannot return home".

The three Jötunn start their great quest. The weather was hard and the food ran low pretty soon. Many moons passed but they could not find Fugl. They set camp close to a river. A sound disturbed the water. Elding took his axe, Miðr grab his spear and Sólbjǫrg raised his bow. A salmon.

"Please, almighty lords, do not kill me and I swear I will help you" cried.

"What in the world can a salmon offer us" said Sólbjǫrg

"I know where the land is that a bird cannot find a tree to sit on"

"And where is that?" asked Miðr

"I am going there to meet my mate and leave my eggs. But it is difficult to swim that distance. I will appreciate if you can give me a hand"

"As long as you indicate us the treeless land we will follow you" responded Elding

Then, the three of them jumped into the water and become fishes. By pushing and pulling, they helped the Salmon to swim as fast as possible against the strong sea currents, until they reached a coast. However, when they tried, they could not take their previous form. The sun casted light on the sliver skin of Salmon. Elding, Miðr and Sólbjǫrg were tricked. Fugl saw that and flew closer. Its old enemy, Lax, was there. Fugl gave them their previous shape. They hunted the Salmon and killed it.

Fugl left, but they could not return, as they broke the omen. Miðr grabbed the upper part of the coast and pulled strongly towards the land called Norway nowadays. Elding went to one side and pushed intensely eastwards, whereas Sólbjǫrg went to opposite and forced vigorously westwards.

When the era of Jötunn ended, Elding the Older, Miðr the Middle and Sólbjǫrg the Younger followed the other giants. A striking relic was left behind, as the northernmost tip of Denmark, the one that humans named "Grenen" (The Branch), now unites North Sea with the sea parts of Skagerrak and Kattegat.

The image of Grenen was taken by Marcus Meissne (2009): https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcusmeissner/3508067254